Cigar Extra: Curivari Reserva Limitada Cafe

Cafe 52, 5" x 52 ring gauge / $???, Silo Cigars, Knoxville
I originally smoked and reviewed the Curivari Reserva Limitada Cafe last year after I picked up my first from Silo Cigars. This is a Nicaraguan Puro that is hard to find in many places. I found it very good in the Petite Cafe size, but was disappointed that it ended so quickly, so I made sure to pick up this larger vitola the last time I visited Knoxville. I decided to pair this one not with the coffee that the Curivari website recommends, but with a nice hot Black Tea that seemed especially appropriate for a rainy, moderately cool winter afternoon.

The Curivari Cafe had a great prelight aroma...notes of wood and coffee on the wrapper with a rich cocoa powder on the foot. I set fire to the cigar with the soft flame of my Colibri Hybrid and was rewards with a nice mix of cedar, natural tobacco and cocoa powder, with just a little sweetness on the palate and a medium amount of black pepper on the nose. The sweetened tea was a nice accompaniment, a little lighter than I normally brew it and not quite as stout as my morning coffee...still one of my favorite beverages to go with a cigar.

Hot beverage and satisfying cigar went far toward making a rainy afternoon a pleasant thing. Add in a good Brad Thor novel and this day just kept getting better. As I went on through the Curivari Cafe, I picked up on more smokey, cedary flavors with occasional hits of anise and espresso bean. Since Silo Cigars is not supposed to mention on their website that they carry Curivari, I'll do it for them (no, they didn't ask me to). You should give these a try...if you can't find them near you, give them a call.

Cigar Review: Curivari Reserva Limitada Classica

Epicures (Short Robusto), 4.5" x 52 ring gauge / Silo Cigars, $6.20
Late last summer, I took a look at two of the cigars that Curivari classifies as part of Reserva Limitada, the Cafe and 1000 Series. Thanks to another trip to Silo Cigars in Knoxville, I can now complete the review series with a look at the last of the three in the RL line: Classica (red label). The company's website is less than overflowing with information about these cigars, but there are at least the basics...it is available in three sizes and is a Nicaraguan Puro featuring "authentic Cuban seed Criollo and Corojo" tobacco. It also notes that this is a full bodied smoked and notes flavors that are fairly common in Nicaraguan cigars: coffee, leather and spices. This review sample is the first time I have tried this blend.

The Classica has a very classic look to it, almost Cuban in its simple but stately band and oily, milk chocolate brown wrapper shipped without cellophane. Holding this short robusto to my nose, I got a rich chocolatey aroma with a little coffee mixed in there, too. The foot was earthier, with a note of cocoa power and just a little pepper spice. The cold draw was excellent and had flavors of dry cocoa powder and coffee.

After lighting, there was a strong earthy character to the cigar, but with a dark roast coffee undertone; the retrohale was extremely peppery. It did not take long for me to notice how rich this cigar's flavor was...and how spicy it was, too! Very typically Nicaraguan, so far, with a full body, in-your-face spiciness, and beautiful flavors of earth, cocoa powder, coffee and cedar. By the end of the first third, it was not just pepper spice I was tasting, but a moderately complex mix of baking spices.

In the second third, the flavors of anise and cinnamon became sharper in the Classica, blending well with the earth, wood and coffee flavors. Pepper spice was also still in abundance. The draw so far was nothing short of perfect and the burn line stayed even enough, needing just a minor correction.

In the last third, the flavor took a turn to become more cedary. It still had earth and plenty of pepper spice underneath, though. This was definitely a full bodied smoke, but did not have a lot of strength; still, I would only recommend it to experienced cigar smokers because of the level of the body. Very tasty cigar, although I think I still prefer the Cafe to this one.

Body: 9/10
Strength: 6/10
Complexity: 8/10

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

Cigar Review: Drew Estate L40

Lancero, 7" x 40 ring gauge / $13.00, MSRP

The fact that we are reviewing two lanceros in a row was not something that was planned. Last time I was at my regular shop I was talking to one of the guys, Jeremy, who works there about his recent trip to the Drew Estate factory. We were talking about the different Liga lines and what we thought of them. I mentioned that I hadn't had a chance to try the L40 yet as I've been unable to find one. As I was about ready to leave he surreptitiously handed me this cigar. I couldn't wait to try it out so that is why I decided to review it this week. This cigar is comprised of Nicaraguan fillers, a Brazilian mata fina binder, with a stalk cut Connecticut grown habano leaf. They come in boxes of 15 and at this point are very difficult to find.

The wrapper on this sample was extremely dark in color, almost black in appearance. There were some medium and fine veins but nothing that detracted from the look of it. The wrapper was fairly oily and had a velvety sheen to it when held to the light. There were a couple spots on the wrapper where the glue been inadvertently dropped, which shouldn't cause any problems though. When I gave 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 notes of barnyard with the same coming from the foot. Clipping the cigar and taking a cold draw on it produced some dry chocolate flavors with a good draw.

Lighting up the cigar brought about a blast of spice especially on the retrohale. After taking a few more puffs on the cigar I got notes of chocolate, leather and cream. The spice morphed into a red pepper spice especially on the tongue. The flavor or earth starting coming through as well. The draw was pretty much perfect and like all of the Liga cigars it produced a large volume of smoke. The burn was fairly uneven and needed to be corrected, but there was a rainstorm going on and the wind was gusting so I chalked it up to that. The ash surprisingly held on for about three quarters of an inch before needing to be tapped off though.

During the second third the spice died down quite a bit. The flavors I noted were of chocolate, earth, and leather with a sweet candy like flavor on the finish. The burn did stay even and the draw was still great. The cigar was definitely medium in body and strength at this point.

The final third didn't see much change in the flavors I was getting. I did start to get some more spice coming through. I wouldn't say that it got stronger though. Construction in spite of the gusting wind and rain was spot on though.

Overall this was an enjoyable cigar. Was it the most enjoyable Liga I've had? I'd have to answer no. However there might have been a couple factors that influenced that, the first that this was a factory sample and maybe it didn't have the full amount of age that they normally have when they are released. The second is the weather outside was quite cruddy the day I smoked this cigar. That being said I will definitely be picking a couple more of these when I can find them as I want to give it another try. If you like Ligas I'd recommend you do the same too if you can find it.


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

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

Cigar Review...and Contest! 262 Paradigm Lancero

Lancero, 7" x 38 ring gauge / $8.55, Burns
The 262 revolution began nearly two years ago when the Paradigm made its debut. I remember coming home from Cigar Fest in Pennsylvania and finding them on the shelves at Burns. I liked that first Paradigm, a Short Robusto I believe, but I did not fall in the love with the cigar. Later I tried the box-pressed Toro and found it to be a much better example of the blend than the smaller vitola. Now Clint Aaron and his 262 crew have revolutionized the line with the new regular production Lancero. I won't make you wait until the end of the review to tell you...this is a great cigar. Otherwise, I would not be bothering publishing another review of it. I loved this one almost from the first puff. Before going there, though, let me remind you...the Paradigm is made in Honduras, using two types of Nicaraguan leaf (Jalapa and Esteli) as well as Columbian for the filler, a Honduran binder, and a Brazilian wrapper. This review sample is the third of this vitola that I have smoked.

As always, the 262 Paradigm is a good-looking cigar, dark chocolate in color with some mottling and a few medium to large veins. The footband is attractive and seems original, even after seeing it on the shelf for two years (I'm talking out the band art, not the placement...which someone will always say is sort of "Edge-y"...although I think there have been enough footbands on the market by this time to not immediately associate every one with Mr. Patel). The cap had what some might refer to as a pigtail, which is traditional for Lanceros, but this one was chopped off, so I guess it's a "docked pigtail." The wrapper gave off an aroma of cocoa powder and a bit of barnyard; the foot was a little more earthy. The prelight draw was excellent and had notes of earth, cocoa powder and chili spice.

After lighting, I got a rich earthiness with a semi-sweet chocolate note on the palate and a sharp black pepper bite on the nose. The amazing thing about this vitola is how it has made this blend come alive. While the other sizes tend to be medium to full, I would call this full bodied right from the start (not to be confused with strong, as in "full of nicotine" though). The smoke was earthy and sweet, and the pepper spice that had started in the nose made its way to the back of my palate by the time the first third was over.

Construction was excellent with smoke building up to an inch or more before falling off, something fairly unusual in these thin cigars. The draw was superb and the burn line was roughly even, with the three samples I smoked needing just an occasional touch ups. In the middle third, I got some odd vegetal flavor notes from the Paradigm Lancero along with the continued earthiness and cocoa powder. The vegetal flavor was not overwhelming, which was good since it is not one of my preferred flavors to get in a cigar, but it was definitely noticeable on two of the three sticks I smoked...and I wonder if I just wasn't paying close enough attention on the first one to detect it.

In the last third, the 262 Paradigm Lancero exhibited a mélange of flavors including the aforementioned earth, cocoa, and spice, but introducing a subtle note of citrus. At the end of the day, this was absolutely my favorite vitola in the Paradigm lineup and just missed out on perfection because of the vegetal notes in the second the final thirds. While I maintain that it started off full bodied, it did mellow into more of a medium to full body by the end; it never did deliver a big nicotine kick. If you tried the Paradigm before and didn't love it, you should definitely try this size; if you already loved the blend, you might just find that you enjoy this one even more. It will surely be one of my regular smokes from now on.

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

AFP Scale
Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 2/2
Flavor: 4.5/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 9.5/10

262 Paradigm Shift Giveaway
So...now that you've read the review above, I'm sure you want to give this great cigar a try. And 262 Cigars has team up with us to give you the opportunity to try some. 

3 lucky winners will get a 4-pack of Paradigm Lanceros, plus a t-shirt and a poster.

To enter:

One entry for putting out a Tweet about this contest. Make sure you include my Twitter name (@dmjones1009) as well as 262 Cigars (@262cigars) and a link to this blog page.

One entry for leaving a comment on this page.

Bonus Entry for Joining the 262 Underground Team. Click HERE to go to the special page linking this contest with the 262 Underground and sign up.

3 Entries Maximum per Person. Contest starts today, March 27, 2012, and ends on Monday, April 2, 2012, at midnight Eastern time. Winners will be selected and notified within one week of the end of the contest and prizes will be shipped as soon as they are available (there is a chance the cigars will not be available from 262 at the time this contest ends; if not, they will send them as soon as they arrive).

Tennessee Spirits #3: Popcorn Sutton Tennessee White Whiskey

I hadn't written up one of these in so long I had forgotten what number we were on...or maybe it's just the shine talking...naw, it's been almost a month and a half since the second installment of the Tennessee Spirits series, which is not what I had intended to happen. But other stuff kept bumping this article...so here we finally are!

I'm not sure any moonshiner became more famous in his time than Popcorn Sutton, who was born in North Carolina, but spent much of his moonshining career in north east Tennessee. He has been featured in The History Channel's Hillbilly: The Real Story as well the documentary, The Last One, and Discovery Channel's Moonshiners series. He was caught in 2009 with enough shine to land him in federal prison for 18 months. Recently diagnosed with cancer, he chose to end his life instead of dying behind bars. I'm not going to say suicide is the right way out of any situation, but Popcorn did manage to die like he lived: by his own rules.

After his death, his widow and Hank Williams, Jr., partnered together to get make Popcorn's creation "legit." His apprentice oversees production of what is now called Popcorn Sutton's Tennessee White Whiskey (his widow says they can't legally call it "moonshine" although with Ole Smokey doing so, I don't really see the problem). The White Whiskey is made in Nashville in the Corsair Artisan distillery in the old Marathon Motors building (also home to the Nashville location of Antique Archeology, as seen on American Pickers...lots of "History" going on in that building). [You can read more on Popcorn Sutton at Wikipedia; also make sure to check out the liquor company's official website.]

What can you say about the appearance of this whiskey? It's moonshine, for Pete's sake! It is clear (or white, as the label says) and basically looks like water. Take a whiff of it, though, and you know you aren't dealing with plain tap water...I could smell the distinctive aroma of whiskey mash, rich, sweet and corny (in that is smells like corn). Take a sip and you get a taste of a fresh, young whiskey, full of the goodness of its raw ingredients of corn and sugar. It is sweet, but not overly so. It is powerful, but again, not too powerful. It is fiery in the lips and smooth on the throat.

One thing to remember with this edition of Popcorn Sutton Tennessee White Whiskey is that it is a somewhat homogenized product. Not that the recipe has changed, but that the numbers on the top of the Mason jars no longer really mean anything. It is all bottled at 93 proof and I would imagine it fairly well represents what would have been coming off the still during the middle of the run as opposed to the beginning or end of it (if anyone froth the distillery wants to correct this, please leave a comment below). I point this out because you can now be assured that the moonshine you like today will be the same tomorrow. Going legit has made it possible to repeat the same product more easily and with less variation. I would imagine that's hard to do with aged Whiskeys as so much depends on temperature variations while the liquid is sitting in the oak barrels.

By the time this article is being written, I've actually drank over half the jar of the whiskey...and I like it! I can't say it pairs up exceptionally well with many cigars. Mostly medium-to-full cigars with at least some level of sweetness are going to work best with this.

I promise not to take so long before the next installment showcasing some great distilled beverages from my home state...April will be a big month in the Chattanooga area with the introduction of "Chattanooga Whiskey" and I hope to bring you a tasting and maybe an interview with the creators. Also, I want to delve into another product of the Corsair Artisan company: Triple Smoke.

Cigar Extra: Nadi Habano Classic

Alexander the Great (Robusto), 5” x 50 ring gauge / $7, Sunkissed Smokes
I originally reviewed the Nadi Classic Habano back in December as Nada and Jeff Jumper were preparing to launch the line at the Atlanta Tweetup. They provided me with some Toro-sized samples (called the “Caligula”) and I based my review on those. I’ve made it a policy that if any company wants to provide cigars, I’ll give them my written opinion...and for better or worse, it will be an honest opinion. I’m not one to over-state my own impact on cigar sales, but I think a good review can probably help...in this case, my own good review prompted me to buy more cigars to try out, this time in a size I like better: Robusto...known to Nadi Cigars as “Alexander the Great.” As before this blend is composed of Dominican and Nicaraguan fillers, a Dominican binder, and an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper leaf. This unbanded (for now) cigar is oily to the touch and attractive to look at, with minimal mottling and nothing larger than medium-sized veins.

The cigar lit easily with just a single-flame torch and the immediate flavor impressions were of earth and a very slight fungus-y, foresty note. As I smoked along a bit, I noticed a slight pepper burn on the retrohale and notes of cedar and sweet tobacco on the palate. As the first third burned into the second, the woody flavor of cedar seemed to be the most dominant, while the woodsy flavor of wet earth lay just underneath.

I burned through the Nadi Classic Habano as I worked on another blog post and it was fairly delightful. More pepper spice arrived on the palate during the last third and despite having to lay the cigar down for a bit while I typed, it never quite went out...although there were a couple close calls. The Robusto size just works better for me with almost any cigar...better than the Toro, anyway. Now...if there was only something in a smaller ring gauge to try...

Cigar Review: Drew Estate Liga Privada Feral Flying Pig

5.375" x 60 ring gauge / approx. $16
Who can forget the original Flying Pig release from Drew Estate? Actually, probably a lot of people...there were not a huge number made and it was there and gone before I even heard about it two years ago. That was the Pig based on the Liga Privada Number 9. The T-52 Pig showed up in 2010 and was around a little longer mainly due to the increased number made. Rumors started flying early in 2011 that something new was up for that year's piggy installment and soon sightings of Feral Pigs started happening. If you have seen photos of Hogzilla or other famous feral porcines, you will have noticed that they are larger than the norm...and such is the case with this cigar. It is the same ring gauge as the former Flyers, but over an inch longer. Another big change is blend; the Number 9 and T-52 Pigs were based on those regular LP line blends, but this is defined as part of the Unico Series, which means...it's unique! These blends either were too difficult to replicate in large runs or just did not work well in anything besides a certain size, so they got their own place in cigar history. This features a Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro wrapper, Brazilian Mata Fina binder, and Nicaraguan filler. I missed out on the first shipment of Ferals...at least I thought I had...until Paul at Silo Cigars in Knoxville took pity on me and slipped this cigar into my hand. If you are ever close to Knoxville, make sure to stop by Silo and buy something from him! (Since I got this first review sample, I was also able to buy two more at about $16 a stick, but I am basing this review on the first sample I smoke.)

This is a great looking cigar, no doubt about it. The wrapper is oily and toothy, a little gnarly with medium sized and a few large veins. The pigtail cap is wound tight and the band is a cool twist on the LP norm. The box says Feral Flying Pigs, if I'm not mistaken, but the band just says "Feral." The aroma from the wrapper is sweet and chocolatey with a good amount of creamy coffee scent, too...it reminds me of nothing more or less than stepping into a Starbucks while someone is getting a mocha made...very rich smelling. The foot is a little more subdued...a little earthiness, but nothing much is expected since it has the tapered perfecto foot. After cleanly chopping off this piggy's tail, I got a very good prelight draw that had pleasant coffee and cocoa powder notes, as well as just a hint of leather, earth and spice.

The Feral Flying Pig lit fairly easily with a single flame torch and immediately started pouring out smoke. I tasted rich natural tobacco right up front, with heavy chocolatey sweetness on the palate and a medium level of pepper on the nose. It seemed fairly full bodied right away, but not overly aggressive like you might imagine something with the name Feral would be. The first third continued with a thick, full bodied smoke that had a bit of pepper spice but was mostly sweet and smooth. Construction so far was excellent; ash had not fallen off through the first third and the draw was great.

The body ramped up a bit during the second third and the flavors with it. More intense earth, coffee and cocoa powder flavors, along with enough sweetness to balance it nicely. I could also feel a bit of strength coming on as well, something I had not noticed at all in the first third. The production of smoke from the Feral Pig was truly phenomenal...something it does share with its other Liga Privada cousins.

In the end the Feral Flying Pig was just plain full...full of body, full of strength and full of flavor. It is not often that you will find a cigar that has this much fullness of body and strength and still has plenty of flavor, but this had tons of earth, leather, and coffee flavor right to the end. If I had one more quibble it would be with the price; at $16 (or more) this is just a hard cigar to afford. Of course, since it is so hard to find, that may not be a big problem, either. By the time you read this the initial allotment will undoubtedly be sold out and whether or not there will be more is a difficult question to answer. If you are a fan of full bodied cigars, though...or especially a fan of Liga Privadas...then you should seek these out as you will surely enjoy them.

Body: 9/10
Strength: 9/10
Complexity: 7/10

AFP Scale
Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 2/2
Flavor: 4.5/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 9.5/10

One More Thing...

It's a week late, but better late than never...Tickets for the Chattanooga Tweetup 2012 are ON SALE NOW! at the Burns Tobacconist website. First 100 people get event tickets for $40. And don't forget to add Baseball Game tickets to your purchase if you can come into town on Friday.

Go on, now...get you some!

Cigar Review: Pedro Martin M

Corona, 4.5” x 40 ring gauge / $4.99, Maxamar's Cigars

This was one of the other new Pedro Martin cigars that my regular shop got in and I decided to give them a try. The M as you might guess stands for maduro. The cigar is comprised of Nicaraguan filler and binder with a Mexican maduro wrapper. Unfortunately there isn't a lot of information, none on the Martin Family website, about this cigar. It looks like it comes in 5 other sizes and in boxes of 20. I tried the one of the torpedo sized cigars before this one, however this was the first one of this size I tried.

The day I was reviewing a cigar was very windy and a little cold so I picked this cigar out of my humidor because it was fairly short and wouldn't put me out there too long. The wrapper on this cigar was a chestnut brown in color. A lot more red and a little lighter than most of the other maduros I've seen. It was fairly lumpy as well. The veins I could see were medium and fine in size. Squeezing it I was able to get a small amount of give, but with no soft spots. Putting my nose of the wrapper I got the aroma of cedar and barnyard with leather from the foot. When I clipped it and took a cold draw on the cigar I got notes of cinnamon and sugar with a good draw.

Once I lit the cigar up I got the intense flavors of chocolate, leather, and cinnamon with a sweet finish. The spice didn't hit immediately but it started to build pretty quickly after a few puffs. In spite of it's small ring gauge the draw was pretty much perfect. The burn was slightly uneven, but I'd chalk that up to the gusting wind I was dealing with. Towards the end of the first third I did get some flavors of maple and earth coming through. I could classify this cigar at the upper end of medium in terms of strength and body.

As I moved on into the second third of the cigar the spice almost went away. The flavors were mainly of chocolate, earth, and cedar with a creamy sweet finish. It was probably in the medium range at this point. The draw continued to be great and the burn was ok. The smoke had a pretty heavy mouth feel and the cigar had a fairly long finish.

The final third of this cigar saw it finish off strong. The spice started to come back and I got a nice tingle on the tip of my tongue. The flavors changed to cedar, leather, and earth with a hint of herbal spice and cinnamon thrown in. The strength got into the bottom end of full by the time the cigar was finished. The burn surprisingly evened itself out in spite of the wind.

Overall I thoroughly enjoyed this cigar. It had lots of flavor, and enough change to keep me interested. It also had a good amount of strength which I like. With the good price point I will definitely be picking up more for time when I want a short cigar. If what I describe sounds good to you I suggest you pick up some for yourself too.

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

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

Cigar Review: Emlio Series H, Maduro

Torpedo, 6.25” x 52 ring gauge / $7.75, Burns Tobacconist
If you watched the interview I did yesterday with Gary Griffith, you learned that this Series H Maduro was the first cigar he blended for the burgeoning Emilio Cigars brand (And if you didn't watch it the interview video yet, go ahead and do so...I'll wait...). It is manufactured in Danli, Honduras, in 3 sizes, and you can get the Series H with a Sumatra wrapper, although it also has a different filler/binder blend, so you really shouldn’t expect the same experience from the two cigars. Really, I tried the Sumatra a couple months ago and found it good...for a Sumatra wrapper, which is not normally one of my go-to tobacco types...but I didn’t find it outstanding for my palate. When I attended last Thursday’s event, Nate gave me one of these right out the gate and I have to admit...I loved it. So, yes, I bought another sample so I could write up a review on it. The website indicates that the filler and binder of this cigar are “a unique blend of Nicaraguan and Costa Rican tobaccos” that produce a “combination of strength and complexity” while the wrapper is a Jamastran (Honduran) Ligero Maduro leaf (I may have remarked in the video that this had a Costa Rican Maduro wrapper; if so, this was due to a miscommunication Thursday between myself and Gary).

The banding on the Series H is a little different if you came to the Emilio lines through the AF series and Grimalkin...nothing wrong with them...just more old-fashioned looking, I would say...maybe “classic” is a better word. Not as eye-catching as the newer lines at any rate. The wrapper leaf is a dark shade of milk chocolate with darker mottling and some medium to largish veins. The leaf was shiny in the cloud-filtered sunlight...overall the look was oily and a bit rustic...which was a word thrown around a couple times about this cigar during last week’s event. Putting cigar to nose, I got a mostly earthy aroma, with hints of cocoa powder; the foot was a blast of rich earth, natural tobacco and chocolate...very pungent, very powerful, very nice. The prelight draw was easy and the flavor was of dark roast coffee and dark chocolate.



The first wave of flavors was coffee and earthy on the palate, along with a underlying sweetness; on the retrohale I got a rich, roasted nut note along with a dash of pepper spice. As I continued to burn through the first third, I encountered a solidly earthy flavor base, with more of that chocolately sweetness doing a great balancing act with the more bitter flavors of coffee.

As I got well into the second third, I noted the body of the Series H Maduro to be in the medium-to-full range. Not quite the fully full bodied smoke that some people see it as, but not the truly medium bodied stick I thought it was after smoking my first one (a Toro). I wonder how much the perception of body is affecting by the shape of the cigar. I did notice that the draw on this Torpedo was not as good as what I experienced on the Toro; that I do associate with the shape and is a reason I steer away from Torpedos normally. I swear I thought I bought a Toro for this review, but I must have been distracted when I made the purchase. I can’t say the draw was bad, but there were times when I just didn’t get much smoke out of it; turning it would often alleviate that. I also found a couple slightly hollow spots in the filler. Other than that, though, construction was very good, with a very even burn line and a strong ash.



In the last third, the Series H Maduro continued its progress toward the more earthy flavor profile, with just hints of the chocolatey sweetness it started with. In the end, I would call this an excellent first cigar and one that I recommend for the maduro lovers out there. It displays enough of the sweeter characteristics of what a traditional maduro should be while also providing enough body and strength to satisfy today’s cigar smokers who might prefer a little more kick in their smokes. That’s not saying this is a powerhouse, by any means, but it is very suitable as for almost any time of day or night, save perhaps early morning. I like it enough that I’ll be buying more...although almost definitely in the robusto or toro vitola rather than the torpedo.

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

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

Emilio Cigars: PJs & Puros...and Some Other News, Too!

We had a....unique...event at Burns in Chattanooga last Thursday evening. It was a "don your best evening wear and come smoke a cigar or two" type of thing...where evening wear is defined as how you dress for bed...within the bounds of public decency that is. We brought a new level of "casual" to the cigar shop and to the interview footage we shot.

The first interview I had was with Emilio Cigars owner, Gary Griffith. We talked a bit about his "mad scientist" role in the cigar industry, his approach to new blends, and some of the new products he has planned for this year. And there's a cool bit of info somewhere in here, too, about what Gary has planned for the people who represent his brand...if you're one of them (and I know a couple!) you should watch this video! :)

In the second video I sat down with Nate McIntyre, the new National Director of Sales for Emilio. We chatted about his method of "selling" cigars and how these wonderful bundles of rolled up, fermented leaves help bring us all together.

Thanks again to Gary and Nate for taking time to talk. And a big thanks to my faithful cameraman, Al, without whom these videos would just not happen.

SPEAKING OF THURSDAY

We were supposed to have the Chattanooga Tweetup 2012 tickets for sale on Burns' website starting the same day, but we had some issues with the online store portion of the website. The store manager is working with the webmaster to get this resolved and we should have tickets on sale within the next couple days.

MIDWEST SMOKE OUT

The Chattanooga Tweetup isn't the only big cigar event being planned for this year and if you are in the Chicagoland area in mid-April, I encourage you to check out this event that the CRA is sponsoring:

Midwest Smoke Out partners with Cigar Rights of America for exceptional evening

March 15, 2012—Hammond, Ind.--Midwest Smoke Out and Cigar Rights of America (CRA) are partnering for an evening of luxury, gourmet foods, live entertainment—and of course, cigars— Thursday, April 19 from 5-10 p.m., minutes from Chicago at The Venue at Horseshoe Casino, in Hammond, Ind.

Since Illinois legislation banned smoking in Chicago, Midwest Smoke Out (MSO) is the only exposition to give cigar aficionados an evening of cigars and indoor smoking. Every year, MSO provides a free one-year CRA membership or renewal with every ticket, meaning that in only a few hours, CRA gains over 1,000 members whose average income is more than $160,000. These new members are often opinion leaders in their communities.

“We at Midwest Smoke Out are privileged to partner with Cigar Rights of America,” said Andrea Pearman, Creative Commander of Diversified Marketing Strategies, Inc., which organizes the event. “At a time when so many cigar smokers have to gather—literally—out in the cold, we’re happy not only to welcome them inside but also provide them with the luxury experience of the year.”

With FDA regulation looming and states still legislating, MSO is a key event for CRA membership growth, though the evening isn’t all business. It’s pleasure, too, with ticketholders having the opportunity to meet Lou Rodriguez of the eponymous cigars, Tony Gomez of La Flor Dominicana, Cigar Master Alejandro Turrent, Victor Vitale of the Cigar Agency and Clay Roberts of A.J. Fernandez. Cigar god Carlito Fuentes is scheduled to greet all ticketholders.

MSO is for everyone who enjoys luxury, with attendees receiving deluxe giveaways, complimentary massages, experiencing the latest in gaming, being dazzled by live entertainment, and enjoying gourmet food, wine, beer and spirits.

For tickets (and your paid membership to CRA) contact event director Jo Sutton at jo@3dms.com or 1-888-226-0330. For more information, visit www.midwestsmokeout.com, like on Facebook, connect on LinkedIn, or follow on Twitter at @MidwestSmokeOut.

107 LINE ADDS A NEW MEMBER

This is not exactly "new" news since several other people did post this last week...and since we saw some pictures of these from the Atlanta Tweet-Up when Guillermo Leon brought a box or two to the affair, but in case you didn't hear...

March 14, 2012 (Miami, FL) – The 107 is getting a line extension, albeit in a limited edition. Miami Cigar & Company today announced the cigar that helped re-invent the oldest cigar factory in the Dominican Republic would be released in a salomon. The La Aurora 107 Salomon will be 7.25 x 52 which was the same size that was used for the Puro Vintage 2003.

Originally released 2 years ago on the 107th Anniversary of La Aurora the 107 consists of a Ecuadorian Sun Grown Wrapper with Dominican binder over filler consisting of Dominican and Nicaraguan tobacco.

The cigar will be available to limited accounts nationwide. According to Hector Paz, National Sales Manager for Miami Cigar & Company, "We would like to use this limited edition to thank those retailers who have supported the 107 line since the beginning.”

The cigars which come in boxes of 8 will have a MSRP of $12.00 and are expected to ship to retailers in Mid-June, 2012.

So these are the same size and shape as the Puro Vintage 2003, but are not "107 Puro Vintage"...because that's just silly...since the 107 is neither a Puro nor a Vintage release. I didn't get my hands on any of these at the ATL Tweetup and it's really hard to know how this blend will work in that size. I think it shines in the Lancero and Corona vitolas, but loses a bit of luster in the Robusto...and I haven't bothered trying anything bigger than that, to be honest.

Cigar Extra: J. Fuego Sangre de Toro Originals

Originals, 5" x 44 ring gauge / approx. $9.50/5 pack, Burns
In previous experiences with Jesus Fuego's Sangre de Toro blend, I had enjoyed its rich flavor, so when I heard the company would be producing an "Originals" size for it, I was excited. To review, Sangre de Toro is a Nicaraguan Puro featuring Criollo and Corojo tobaccos; Originals are the Fuego family's preferred vitola for evaluating new blends. They are sold in soft-packs of 5 small cigars for about $10 (depending on local taxes) and the original Originals release (Origen...this is getting confusing) was one of my favorite short smokes last winter. The Sun Grown Corojo wrapper is sort of ugly, if you of want the truth...with lots of mottling, large toothy spots and a wrap job that is anything but perfect. I got a mixture of manure and natural tobacco aromas from it, and more earthy manure aroma on the foot.

Although I undoubtedly love this size, I have found that a certain percentage of them tend to have a difficult draw. This one presented no such problems and I got a cold draw note of natural tobacco along with a subtle menthol mintiness. That minty aspect went away after lighting; the burning cigar gave off a rich earthiness with a bit of sweetness and a peppery burn on the nose.

The Nicaraguan earth and spice continued unabated throughout the smoke, but there was enough of a coffee note and a little sweetness that it never got dull. I think I prefer the Origen blend to this, but either one is a great--and inexpensive--way to spend 30 or 40 minutes.

Cigar Review: La Flor Dominicana Double Claro

No. 42 (Corona), 5.5" x 42 ring gauge / MSRP $6.76/stick
You might remember the press release from January, which is announced as "LFD Goes Green!" It is still a bit surprising to me that a company that has been at the forefront of the strength and body races for much of the last decade would come out with a milder cigar...and then to do so not by jumping in the "new breed Connecticut" bandwagon, but by releasing a Candela, also known as a Double Claro. Yes, there is a trend of "quality candelas," but it is not nearly as widespread as the "medium-bodied Conny" trend. What stood out to me the most is just how green the wrappers were on the picture attached to the press release...I called it "Incredible Hulk Green" and I stick by that. A couple weeks after that press release, Andrew Brennan from La Flor stopped by Burns on a sales visit and presented me with my first of these; "you going to smoke it now or review it?" he asked. I was torn...I wanted to try it, but wasn't sure if I could get more for a review before the middle of March. So he gave me another one and I did end up smoking one that night.

"This is the fullest bodied candela you'll ever have." Those are Andrew's exact words. I erroneously quoted I'm as saying "best ever" on Twitter...but he said that works, too. The Double Claro from LFD utilizes Dominican filler from the company's La Canela farm, a Nicaraguan binder, and an Ecuadorian wrapper. It is available in 3 sizes, all of which have a suggested retail price less than $7.50 per stick.

So...are these as green as they appeared in the press picture? Not really but they are easily the brightest green I have seen candela cigar. Of course, exact shade will vary crop to crop, box to box even Amazingly, the beautiful jade color photographed better than any candela I've ever tried to shoot, too...in that it actually looked green without having to do any Photoshop manipulation. Did I say beautiful? Yes...this is a beautiful wrapper...from the green coloration, to the small veins, to the hint of oil on my fingertips after touching it. Bringing it to my nose, I got a rich manure aroma, and just about the same scent on the foot of the stogie. The prelight draw was perfect and had a nice flavor mix of earth and tea, along with just a hint of grassiness that is so prevalent in candela wrappers.

The Double Claro lit quickly and easily and immediately produced a great deal of flavor: earth and tea on the palate, raw nuts and pepper spice on the nose...and, yes, just a little bit of that "I'm mowing the lawn" grassiness on the finish. It really did not take long for the grassiness to go away, though. From my previous sample, I can say that this is the candela that tastes least like a...well, a candela!...that I have ever had. What it does taste like is something unexpected...a light, crisp taste with a short finish and no lingering aftertaste. Sort of like Presidente is to beer, for that matter. This is richly earthy, but there is always this tea note, too, along with a delicate sweetness and even a bit of a citrusy note. It started out medium bodied and the previous sample told me not to expect it to go up much, if it all, from there.

By the time the second third of the LFD Double Claro was burned, I was ready to declare it, "Best Candela Ever." In fact, I did Tweet those exact words. I am not always a "candela" fan, but done well, they are delightful, and this one was top of the charts in my experience. Along with the flavors that had developed in the first third, I got a building among of chili pepper spice on the palate. The construction was pretty much flawless, with a very even burn line, strong ash and perfect draw.

In the end, the Double Claro did get some of that grassy candela flavor back, but the balance of the earth and spices did wonders to make it all a great experience. I can't say I'll be buying a box of these, but I definitely will be keeping a few on hand for a different kind of flavor experience. Not just a great candela, this was a great cigar period. It remained medium bodied throughout and had just enough nicotine strength to remind you that this was indeed a La Flor Dominicana product. Before smoking these, I would have said that no candela could be better than those made by Illusione, but this definitely edges those out of the top spot and is something every cigar enthusiast should try. The very reasonable price is just the icing on the cake.

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

AFP Scale
Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 2/2
Flavor: 4.5/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 9.5/10

Cigar Review: La Flor Dominicana LG Diez 2012 Oriental

Corona gorda, 4.875" x 40 ring gauge / $8.99, Maxamar's

In 1999 Litto Gomez came up with the idea to create a cigar comprised of only tobacco grown on his farm. Each year a new release comes out, with the ones since 2008 (I think) being a different blend every year. I always look forward to when these cigars come out as I'm anxious to give them a try. This year they came out with two new sizes the Galego (6.25 x 60) and Paisano (5.5 x 52). They also come in eight other sizes including the one I smoked for review. This cigar was the second one I smoked.

The wrapper on this cigar has a nice medium brown color to it with a hint of gold to it as well. The wrapper was pretty oily to the touch as I was able to feel the oil on my fingers after I had touched it. Also I could see a lot of tooth to the wrapper as well. When I gave the cigar a squeeze it was fairly firm albeit with one void underneath the bottom of the band. One thing of note about the band, it that it finally says the year on it. I'm not sure if it was there before, this is the first time I remember seeing it. Putting my nose to the wrapper I get cedar and leather, while I get barnyard from the foot. When I put my tongue on the cap to wet it a bit before cutting I got a slight red pepper tingle on the tip of my tongue. After clipping it and taking a cold draw on it I get the taste of milk chocolate with an ok draw.

Starting off I get a blast of red pepper spice on the tongue and retrohale. Taking a few more puffs on it I'm able to detect some leather, earth, wood and a slight creaminess on the finish. As I progressed further into the first third the spice did die down a bit but I would still classify this cigar at the bottom end of full in regards to strength and body. I also did start getting a slightly metallic taste very similar to what I've gotten in an Opus X. The draw was ok, and the burn was slightly wavy. The burn and the fact that the ash only held on for about a quarter of a inch was probably due to the gusting winds out when I was smoking this cigar.

As I moved into the second third the flavors really didn't change all that much, mainly leather, earth and spice. Surprisingly I was already starting to get a slight nicotine hit as I moved into the second third. I started also noticing that the cigar coated my mouth and throat with flavor. It wasn't unpleasant by any means. The draw was still a little tighter than I usually like, but not too bad. When I got to the void the cigar did run quite a bit and I did need to use my torch to get it even again.

The final third finished off strong. I really started to get a nicotine hit as I started this third. Now I wasn't having a problem staying in my chair, and wouldn't have had problems walking but it was definitely noticable. I did get some interesting flavors as well. The red pepper spice came back into the forefront. I was also getting a lot of creaminess from it as well. Not two things you think go together, but they went well here. I did get the leather and earth flavors as well.

Overall I would consider this an awesome cigar. I'm very much looking forward to smoking more of these and trying the other sizes as well. Now I know it doesn't sound like it from my description but this was a flavorful and well balanced cigar. I think Litto might have been correct in saying that this year's batch might be the best one yet. I will warn you though, if you're not into strong cigars I'd pass this one by, but the rest of you I suggest you pick a couple of these up.



Body: 9/10
Strength: 9/10
Complexity: 7/10

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

Cigar Review: Illusione MJ12 Maduro

Toro, 6" x 54 ring gauge / $10.10, Burns
The first Illusione cigar I can remember smoking was the MJ12, a toro (toro grande?) with a name taken from the Roswell alien spacecraft crash/cover-up, complete with silver foil wrapper meant to invoke the appearance of the wreckage. When Dion Giolito began making Maduro versions of the Illusione lines, the first one I had was the hl (Lancero) because it was the first one I saw for sale (and lanceros tend to be one of my favorite sizes). When the MJ12 Maduro first made its appearance at my local shop, I happened to be sitting at the table when the box was unpacked...but that first box was pre-sold. And the next time it came in, they sold out before I could get any...but I finally got my hands on one...just one for this review, but I have smoked several Illusione Maduros in different vitolas, too. Like the regular line, this has Nicaraguan filler and binder. While some say the wrapper is Nicaraguan Maduro, too, I've seen others claim it is Mexican San Andres Maduro.

The Maduro comes wrapped not in silver foil, but in black. It is cool and unique looking, evoking mystery...maybe black helicopters. After getting rid of the foil, I could see the Maduro Illusione band, burgundy where the regular is white, but otherwise the same with black and gold foil. I like how it immediately differentiates the line...there can be no mistaking if this is Original or Maduro. The wrapper was fairly dark with some darker mottling and some medium-sized veins. It did not look terribly oily, but it did have an oily feel to it. Lifting the cigar to my nose, I detected an earthy aroma mixed with notes of wood; the foot had hints of cocoa powder and dark roast coffee. My Xikar Xi made its usual clean straight cut, leaving a good draw that had strong flavors of cocoa and coffee as well as more subdued notes of wood, natural tobacco, pepper spice and even a little cinnamon.

The first few puffs on the MJ12 Maduro revealed tons of earth and cocoa on the palate, along with a powerful spicy bite on the nose. There was enough sweetness mixed in to remind you that this is a Maduro wrapper, enough woodiness to remind you about the Criollo leaves used in the filler. It opened up fairly full bodied and with lots of complexity. In the course of the first third, the body ramped up to fully full bodied pretty quickly and featured lots of earthiness and woodiness, as well as sweeter cocoa notes and espresso bean flavor. The retrohale continued to be very spicy. I was surprised by how strong and full this cigar seemed right out of the gate and while I liked it, I couldn't help thinking I enjoyed the hl Maduro more.

The second third had much more of the influence of the woody, cedary Criollo tobacco, with just hints of the sweetness of the Maduro wrapper. Construction was typically superb; I experienced a great draw, very even burn line and long, strong ash that never flaked.

Someone recently opined that some people call every cigar "smooth," but I can attest that this simply is not true. For two third, the MJ12 Maduro had been anything but smooth...more of a harsh raspiness had been clawing at the back of my throat. In the final third, though, it did smooth out quite a bit. The dominant flavor was still one of cedar, but it did finally get balanced out some with more sweetness and a distinctive bitter coffee flavor. There was even a bit of cinnamon in there from time to time. In the end, I liked the Maduro expression of the MJ12, but I can't say I loved it. I prefer the original version to this one and for Illusion Maduros I prefer the hl Lancero. This was a full bodied and strong smoke, one that newbies should steer clear of until they are more experienced. Fans of Illusione cigars might just find someone they really like, though, depending on exactly what sets your flavor receptors alight.

Body: 9/10
Strength: 8/10
Complexity: 8/10

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

I'm not going...

One of the questions I hear frequently from fellow bloggers and even some readers, especially in the months immediately preceding summer: “Are you going to the IPCPR show?” When I first got into writing about cigars almost four years ago it was a dream to go. When I actually felt comfortable about my place in the blogosphere and felt like maybe I should go, I ended up just not having the money or vacation time available. And this year...well, I'm skipping it again...but, at least, I have good reasons for doing so...

Money
Yes, “money changes everything.” Now that I’ve been employed with the same company long enough, I definitely have the available vacation time to do 3 or 4 days away in Orlando to attend the show. The problem is I still just don’t have the available cash. Let’s face it, while the economy shows some signs of life, it’s still fairly moribund. My company has given little or no raises in the past 3 years and my other sources of income have dipped significantly, too. And I have yet to meet a cigar blogger who got into it because it pays the bills.

Because of various expenses--IPCPR membership, plane flight, hotel, food--I would expect that the trip to the IPCPR show in Orlando would run $1,000 at the minimum. That wouldn’t be bad for a “vacation,” especially if I expected it to last more than 3 or 4 days, but very few cigar bloggers look at the show as a vacation...reality is, it’s work. Lots of running around, meeting people, interviewing, taking photos, etc. Sure, there is partying, especially during the evening hours after the show floor has closed, but the main business of the show is retail sales.

What it really means to most blogger/social media types--much more than the “news” aspect, in my opinion--is its potential as a networking event. It is a place where you can meet tons of people from the industry in one place at one time...perfect for establishing or growing relationships. I would not minimize the importance of this aspect of the show, especially for newer bloggers on the scene, but the past several years has reduced its importance to me. The fact is, because my home shop has been so good at attracting important people, I have been able to meet many “industry insiders” just by hanging out at Burns Tobacconist in Chattanooga. Even more on those times I have been able to travel to Atlanta (Buckhead Cigar), Knoxville, (Silo Cigars) or Nashville (UPtown’s Smoke Shop). Combine this with the power of Twitter in connecting people and I no longer really feel the need to travel to the IPCPR show just to meet all these folks.

The News
“Yes,” you say, “but what about the news? Don’t you want to report what everyone is doing?” The simple answer to that is...no...not really. Look, there are easily a dozen cigar blogs that will be traveling to the show and reporting from it. Some will report daily on what they are seeing. Some will upload about 250 videos (and if anyone watches them all, they should be given a prize). Some will try to report all the news about the show BEFORE the show starts. And the bottom line is they are all generally reporting the same news. What could I possibly add by posting another video interview with Pete Johnson or Matt Booth from the floor of the show? What extra would I be adding by posting my own photos of Gurkha’s new box designs or fifteen different new cigars by The Brothers Patel?

I’m not saying that any of the sites that are already going shouldn’t go. I’m not saying that any of this reporting is without merit. What I’m trying to say is this: I’m simply not interested in going to the show to do the same thing as everyone else is doing. I have an idea for a story. Unfortunately, this story will require a monetary investment that I simply cannot justify at this time (see #1 above).

I want to repeat and clarify this last paragraph: I am not trying to dissuade any fellow bloggers from going and reporting on the proceedings. I do not believe the show to be past it's "due date" as has been suggested in the past. I support the IPCPR organization and the trade show and wish retailers and manufacturers as much prosperity as they can handle. And I wish new media and old media types very well as they cover the event.

The Tweetup
The last--and biggest...and best--reason I won’t be tempted to spend money I don’t have to go to the IPCPR show this year is the show that I’m organizing right near home: Chattanooga Tweet-Up 2012.

For those who missed out and have no idea what I’m talking about, I’ll start with last year: last August we invited about a dozen company reps and brand owners to Burns in Chattanooga and had about 100 more people show up to have a mega-herf. We did many things right and a few things wrong and decided to go for “Round 2” where we could fix the mistakes we made last time and improve everything we did right the first time (hey, mistakes will be made...as long as we don’t make the same mistakes, I’ll be happy!).

On August 24 and 25, 2012 (a Friday and Saturday), we will have some of the biggest names in the cigar industry descend on Chattanooga. Pete Johnson (Tatuaje), Jonathan Drew (Drew Estate), Jon Huber and Mike Conder (Crowned Heads), Gary Griffith (Emilio Cigars), Clint Aaron (262 Cigars), Sean Williams (El Primer Mundo) and Eddie Ortega (Ortega Cigars) have all confirmed that they will be there...and we’re still working on a few other surprises.

We are timing this event to serve as the first major, multi-vendor cigar event to take place after the IPCPR show--about 2 weeks after, to be exact. Last year some manufacturers elected to debut some of their new releases to the public at our show and we are hoping for the same this time around.

I’ve been working with Matt and Wes (managers of Burns East and Downtown) to finalize some important details so we can get the tickets put on sale and I’m happy to report that this Thursday, March 15...you’ll be able to purchase yours. Here’s the scoop:

THE TWEETUP PACKAGE
We got a little complicated with packages last year, so we tried to simplify it a bit this year and include more for what is a steal of a price. The Tweetup Package will include:

A multipack of cigars (quantity to be determined) in a Humidipak bag
T-shirt (we’ll ask your size when you order tickets, available up to 4XL)
Liquor Tasting featuring some fine Tennessee Spirits
1 Raffle Ticket (additional raffle tickets available with purchases of at least 10 cigars)
Discount Card (good at either Burns location all weekend for 5% off all single cigars, up to 19; 20% off all box purchases or purchases of 20 cigars)
Saturday Dinner at CBC/Burns Downtown Location (food only; drinks not included)
For the FIRST 100 people, this package will be $40
Remaining Pre-Sale Tickets: $45
Day of the Event (if available): $50

BASEBALL GAME
We’ve reserved the right-field pavilion for Friday night’s Lookouts (Minor-League Baseball, affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers) game. The pavilion is shaded and has cooling fans and can seat well over the 30 to 40 that came to last year’s game. Last year’s luxury suite was nice, but crowded and the food was a bit of a disaster. So...

$20/ticket (limit of 150 tickets) will get you:
Admission plus unlimited hamburgers, hot dogs, chips, ice cream and sodas from the buffet. $1 Draft Beer through the 7th inning. A smoking section adjacent to the seating area...and we’re being told that you can either see the field or that there are TVs set up to watch the game from that area.

We are also working on a surprise guest and cigar sponsor for the baseball game. AND we are looking into group transportation to move large numbers of people to and from the field.

So that’s it...be prepared to get your online butts to www.BurnsTobacconist.com on Thursday, March 15, 2012, to buy your tickets...and we all look forward to seeing you in Chattanooga again this August!

Cigar Extra: Padron Family Reserve 45th

Toro, 6" x 52 ring gauge / approx. $26
We've looked at this cigar before and it was named the 2009 Cigar of the Year by some relatively small lifestyle magazine, but since the manager of Burns, Matt Allen, gave me this one for this past Christmas, I thought I'd take a short second look while pairing it with a libation. As with all Padron cigars the country of origin is unstated, but most reputable accounts say Nicaraguan for filler and binder. This is a Maduro wrapper, and while some Padron Maduros definitely hail from Mexico, I don't know about this one...although I will probably know within 3 puffs. The box-pressing makes this Family Reserve 45th look like a chocolate bar and it smelled that way, too. There was more earthiness and some black licorice on the foot. Tonight's libation was to be Prichard's Rum, made not in some tropical locale, but not too far from where Mr. Jack's famous whiskey is made right here in Tennessee.

The prelight draw was very good and had notes of earth and sweetened cocoa, along with just a little spice. After taking three puffs, my best guess is that this IS a Mexican Maduro wrapper leaf, although probably one of the most refined ones I've ever had. The cigar was earthy but sweet, displaying a bit of Mexican flavor, but virtually none of the bitterness that lesser leaves end up with. The Prichard's Rum was not what I had expected. The first sip was more whiskey-like, with an almost grainy note, and very little of the subtle sweetness I like in a good sipping rum. It was definitely different...I just couldn't decide if I liked the difference yet or not.

The first half of the Padron Family Reserve 45th continued to display lots of earth and cocoa powder with enough sweetness to keep the word "Maduro" in my mind. There was a little of the Mexican bitterness from time to time, but the blend was well balanced so it was not off putting in the slightest. The Prichard's Rum was better on subsequent sips than the first taste let on. It's almost a midway point between some bourbons and rum, with a bit of graininess along with subdued sweetness. This turned out to be a great way to end a hard day of physical labor as my wife and I scrubbed the front porch decking...great way to enjoy the newly cleaned porch, too!

Cigar Review: Fuente Don Carlos Lancero

Lancero, 7.5" x 41 ring gauge / $16, Burns
When I plucked this cigar from my humidor, one of my first thoughts was, "I wonder how long it has been since we did a full review on a Fuente?" I know the have been a few Cigar Extra pieces on various Opi X, but I thought the last full review might have been about two years ago (and, of course, there was the God of Fire review last month...made by Fuente, but sold by Prometheus, so maybe that counts halfway)...actually there were about three of them featured in the first half of 2010...but then not a single one since. Why? Well, we spend a lot of time on new releases, of course, but I have to admit to not spending much time smoking Fuentes at all anymore. I guess I sort of outgrew the reasonably priced ones and can't regularly afford the ones that I would like to smoke. Which brings us to the subject of this $16 Lancero from the Don Carlos line. The Don Carlos line uses Dominican filler and binder along with an African Cameroon wrapper that is dark and rich. This is one of those times I elected to go with a single sample for review since the price was so steep; if it doesn't impress the first time I smoke it, why should I spend any more of my hard-earned money on it? One small solace in paying $16 for this one at Burns was knowing that if I bought the same cigar at Casa Fuente in Vegas, I would probably be charged over $25.

Fuente has the habit of sheathing quite a few of their cigars in cedar. While this undoubtedly looks cool, it is hard to know what you are getting...I have ended up buying or being given several cigars like this that were damaged under the cedar, but there was no way of knowing until you got it home and got ready to smoke it. Holding my breath I slipping the cedar sleeve off and found...a perfectly undamaged wrapper leaf...although there were some spots of dried glue, which seems to be a Fuente calling card these days. The leaf was almost a toasted caramel color and had plenty of oils to the yes and to the touch. Sniffing the wrapper, I picked up some aroma of cedar (big surprise!), earth and a little molasses. The foot had an earthy, almost manure nose. The prelight draw was very good and I got cold flavors of molasses and hay mostly.

The Don Carlos Lancero was creamy and smooth on the palate from the minute I lit up. I detected a pleasant sweetness with a touch of honey along with a mix of hay, natural tobacco and earth. The retrohale was redolent with roasted nuts and had a sharp wasabi-like burn common to Cameroon wrapper leaves. By the end of the first third, this was turning into one of those hard-to-describe cigars. Flat out the flavor was incredible...the problem was how to describe it. Yes, there were notes of molasses and hay along with a spicy retrohale, but most of all it was just very refined natural tobacco that led the way.

In the second third the Don Carlos Lancero started to falter, though, and it was mostly a construction related issue (or two), which seems to be an Achilles Heel of Fuente lately. First, I started to notice a tarry buildup on the head of the cigar, which then in turn caused the draw to tighten up. I was careful to dab the head on a napkin to remove as much tar as possible but I still ended up getting that terrible bitter taste in my mouth from it. I also noticed that the band was loose so I slid it off without breaking the glue, but after I did, I noticed that it had taken off a chunk of wrapper anyway. After trimming away a bit of the head with the tar on it, the draw opened up again and I was able to gets much better flavor again: rich tobacco along with with a bit of pepper spice and sweetness.

Sadly, the final third of the Don Carlos Lancero continued to exhibit many of the same construction problems that had started in the second. More tar buildup, necessitating more clipping around the edges of the head; popping and cracking of the wrapper where it had torn due to excessive glue under the band. When I was not fussing with these issues, the flavor was still quite good. The body was medium to full by the end and there was no nicotine kick to speak of. Unfortunately, it is hard to recommend this cigar as it continues the bad construction streak that I've experienced with Fuente sticks in the past couple years. I get some of the same issues in other brands from time to time, but it seems like more than half the Fuentes share these problems and that just is not acceptable, especially on an expensive stick like this. If the entire cigar had played out like the first third, this could have very well been a 10, but it just as not to be.

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

AFP Scale
Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 1/2
Flavor: 4/5
Value: .5/1
Total: 7.5/10

Cigar Review: Ortega Serie D No. 6

Short Churchill...ish, 4.5" x 48 ring gauge / $6.50, MSRP

A little over a month ago Eddie Ortega (@eddieor) announced that he had formed his own company called Ortega Premium Cigars and that their first release was going to be called the Serie D. This cigar is made in the My Father factory and is comprised of fillers of viso and ligero from Esteli and Jalapa, a binder from Esteli and a San Andres maduro wrapper. They come in 5 sizes, the No.6 (4.5" x 48), the No.7 (5" ×46), the No.8 (5.5" ×50), the No. 10 (6" ×52 belicoso), and the No. 12 (5"×52) in 10 or 20 count boxes. I was really looking forward to giving this cigar a try since Eddie said it would be right up my alley. Eddie was kind enough to send me a sampler box with one of each size in it. I smoked 3 of them prior to the one I smoked for review (the last one I sent to Dave to try but unfortunately USPS destroyed it in transit).

The wrapper on this cigar was a deep, almost black, brown. There were some light flecks covering most of the wrapper. There were some medium veins along with some roughness, which is fairly typical of a Mexican wrapper. I did see a good amount of oils to it as well even though the cigars aren't packed in cellophane. The box press on the cigar wasn't as sharp as I've seen on other cigars, almost reminded me of the Oval. Ok, this is just a personal preference, but I'm just not feeling the Christmas colored band. To me it kind of clashes with the wrapper underneath. One more thing about the band is something I don't think I've seen before, the size and a barcode is printed on the end that shows since the cigars don't come in cello. Putting my nose to the wrapper I get a hint of cedar, with a slight amount of barnyard coming from the foot. When I gave the cigar a squeeze I got a slight amount of give but no soft spots. After clipping it and taking a cold draw on it I get notes of bitter cocoa with an ok draw.

Once I light the cigar up I get hit with a strong taste chocolate with a good amount of red pepper spice. After a few more puffs the spice starts building a bit especially on the retrohale. A little further in I started getting flavors of leather, earth with a slight amount of anise thrown in. The whitish ash held on for about a half an inch before needing to be tapped off. The draw was quite good and it produced a large volume of smoke. The burn line was pretty good too. I would classify this cigar at the upper end of medium at this point.

As I moved into the second third the spice started to die down in intensity to a point where it was subtly there. The flavors were pretty much the same as the first third, chocolate, leather, earth and a hint of anise and cinnamon. That isn't so say I wasn't enjoying it because I was, and it was helping me forget about the bank robbery and helos hovering down the street that I posted about on Twitter.

Once I moved into the final third the spice started ramping up a bit but wasn't overpowering. The flavors did change a bit I got some bbq meat along with the chocolate, leather and earth. The draw continued to be great, and the burn was slightly wavy but that was probably due to the wind gusting. I would classify this cigar at the upper end of medium.

Overall I really enjoyed this cigar. I know I'm not the first one to have this observation, but this cigar reminded me a lot of a Padron 1964 maduro with some Pepin spice thrown in. With the price of this cigar being about half the price of a Padron I will definitely be picking up more of them. On sort of a side note, I did enjoy the No. 8 and No 12 more than this size, but as always it is a preference thing. I highly recommend that if you can find this cigar pick up at least the sampler, you won't be disappointed.


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

AFP Scale
Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 2/2
Flavor: 4.5/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 9.5/10

Cigar Review: 262 Manifesto

6" x 54 ring gauge / $13.15, Burns Tobacconist
"Manifesto"...a word fraught with meaning...a "public declaration of principles and intentions, often political in nature." 262 Cigars made public their manifesto when they first burst on the scene about two years ago...now they have applied the word to a special cigar. This is a limited release stick that is reportedly only going to be available in 10 stores nationwide and only 262 boxes of 10 cigars are supposed to be made. That limited availability is reflected in the extra premium price tag. When I looked at the makeup of this cigar, my heart fell a bit...lots of Honduran in there. Not that this is always bad, but I've just found way too many Honduran-heavy cigars that don't do much for me. Not to minimize those folks that really enjoy a good Honduran cigar...it's just not a flavor profile that normally works well for me. But there are exceptions...this has Jalapa and Esteli Nicaraguan as well as Trojes Honduran filler leaf; dual binders, one Indonesian and one Honduran Criollo 98; and a Honduran Criollo 98 wrapper. I'm smoking one for this review...and I was further disheartened to find it had a large crack in the wrapper near the foot. I didn't see this until I got it home and took it out to smoke it. It will not count off on appearance and I will take it into consideration when I evaluate construction. If construction turns out too bad, I will smoke a second for this review.

The band almost has the look of an old document, but the glossy paper kind of ruins the effect. I wonder if it would have been more impressive looking with an actual parchment-like paper for the band. Do most cigar smokers think of these things? Probably not, but I've been in graphic design and printing for about 15 years, so I notice little things. More importantly, the wrapper leaf had a nice amount of oils and mostly small to medium sized veins. The aroma from the leaf was great...a rich earthy, woody scent, while the foot had more chocolate and coffee notes. I elected to use my Xikar XV for this one; the v-cut gave a great draw and...wow, what is that flavor? I detected some sweetness, almost a fruity quality to it. Very, very interesting and not at all what I had expected.

I lit up using a soft flame and got a nice sweet tobacco right up front. There was an earthy base and a decent amount of red pepper flake spiciness on the palate, and cedar and more spice on the retrohale. What I don't like about a lot of Honduran leaf is the tendency for flavors to be dull and muted; this was not a problem here at the beginning of the 262 Manifesto. Midway through the first third, I noticed that sweet fruit flavor I got in the prelight, but mostly the first third was earthy, spicy and cedary. I had to make a few corrections due to the wrapper split, but I got through the area with no major problems and will deduct no points for this issue since I have no idea when or where it happened.

As I moved through the second third, I started hearing little pops and saw that the crack at the bottom wasn't the only one. Unfortunately, about 3 more cracks became evident and started to systematically tear the wrapper apart as it heated up. Did someone drop this cigar before I bought it? Hopefully the whole box didn't get dropped at some point, because that could damage everything in it. What a bummer! The flavor did continue mostly in the same vein...a little less spice, but lots of earth and fruit notes.

In the last third, a dry earthiness was the most prominent flavor, but there were still notes of sweetness from time to time and the pepper spice made a bit of a return. This cigar does prove that there are some very good Honduran-heavy cigars on the market. It is really up to the blender to find the bet ways to use the leaf to get a pleasing result. The Manifesto used Nicaraguan filler to good effect, giving plenty of body and spice. It was medium to full in body with just over a medium amount of strength, making it an easy smoke to enjoy for all but the newest smokers. The only issue I have is the price...like I said before, limited quantity does explain it, though...you make fewer of an item, the factory charges you more per piece. I wish they were going to make this a regular production item in a variety of sizes, but perhaps the appropriate tobaccos just are not available. As it is...enjoy them while they are around.

Body: 7/10
Strength: 6/10
Complexity: 8/10

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

Update: I did end up buying another Manifesto at the event last Thursday and was planning on smoking it over the weekend so I could add this update to the review...basically relating how it performed when not damaged. So I took the cigar out of the cellophane on Sunday afternoon...and found it cracked in several places. I have no idea what is going on with these...I’m guessing a box or part of a box was dropped on the floor at some point in their lifespan and caused the damage. I would find it hard to believe they would come that way from the factory regularly, but I seem to have been unlucky enough to get two in a row...and the only two I’ve bought. The manager at Burns is letting me bring this one back in for exchange...hopefully there will be enough left that I’ll be able to get another Manifesto and provide a second update to this review in the next couple weeks.

Interview with Clint Aaron of 262 Cigars

I'll start by taking you back nearly a year to April 27, 2011 and the last 262 event I went to in Chattanooga. It was a Wednesday, so that meant Burns Downtown...and it was also the day of one of the biggest tornado outbreaks in several decades...maybe in history. You can read about it HERE. So, I heard that Clint was coming back around...another Wednesday night event first...and another round of severe weather...then a Thursday night event--the one that I got to go to--followed by yet another vicious round of storms on Friday...and a hurried evacuation of my house, followed by driving into what was probably the outer edge of a tornado with blinding rain driven by howling winds and hail peppering my car. I will now call Clint Aaron by his Indian name: Stormbringer.

Clint was actually back in town on a small tour promoting 262's newest offering: Manifesto. A review will run tomorrow, although it's one of those deals where I have to say, "Good luck trying to find them." They made 262 numbered boxes of 10, of which Clint took boxes 1 and 262, so each of his top 10 accounts got a maximum of 26 boxes. Judging from the way they sold at Burns, they will not last long anywhere. I don't think it is addressed in the video, but I did ask if this was a "one and done" deal or if it would be released again in the future. The answer was fairly non-committal, but in general...this will probably be the only time they are made. I suggested maybe one size of the blend once a year and Clint seemed...well, it seemed like there might be a chance, but don't get your hopes up. Just enjoy them while they're here.

I don't want anyone to think I am making light of the recent (or last year's) tornado outbreak or of the people who lost lives or property...just trying to inject some levity about a very bad situation. If you feel moved to help out those affected by the storms, please visit the Red Cross.

One last note about Clint and 262 Cigars. We talked a bit about the Paradigm Lancero in the video and I wanted to let you know that the review for it will post later this month...AND Clint has agreed to sponsor our next contest in conjunction with that review. I'm not sure yet exactly what form the prizes will take, but 262 Paradigm Lanceros will be part of it. Keep an eye out for that...

SPEAKING OF CONTESTS...

I did not forget to post the winners of the AKA Cigars contest that ended Friday. To be honest, I thought about it all weekend, but after the insanity of the storms Friday, I just didn't feel like picking winners on Saturday so...I'll do it now...

The three winners of our AKA Prize Packs are:

Swede214

LEO_BOTL

uplander12ga

I'll be contacting those who I have a way to contact to get shipping info. If I haven't contacted you by noon today, please send me an e-mail at the address on our Contact page. Once I have addresses for these faithful followers of the Tiki Bar, I will send them on to Jay Lundy from AKA Cigars and he will be mailing the prizes directly. Just as a reminder, the prizes are an assortment of both Hybrid and Respect blends, plus an AKA dog tag, hat and patch. Thanks to everyone who read and entered. Congratulations to the winners...I think you'll really enjoy these cigars!

Cigar Extra: La Aurora 100 Años Preferido

Preferido #1, 6" x 58 ring gauge / approx. $15
Hard to believe it has been over 8 years now since the La Aurora 100 Años hit the shelves. From the start it was conceived as a limited production cigar with new sizes introduced throughout its life, but now all those sizes are starting to slowly disappear from store shelves since most have not been made since 2006. When my friend, Barry Stein, moved to Miami to work for Miami Cigar and Company earlier this year, he sent a few cigars to me (and quite a few other bloggers...I was not given special treatment) and this special "Preferido #1" 100 Años was among them. I decided to fire up this possibly-once-in-a-lifetime cigar and pair it with some Ron Barcelo rum, also from the Dominican Republic.

This Dominican Puro had a lovely oily sheen to it and a ripe aroma of barnyard and leather on the wrapper. The prelight draw was clean and easy with a strong earthiness as well as a spicy tingle on the lips. I've had fantastic experiences with the corona and Lancero vitolas in the 100 Años, less great with the Toro that I just wasn't feeling. This perfect came out of the gate roaring with flavor. I got plenty of earth and leather along with sweet dried fruit and a hint of cedar. The retrohale was spicy and full.

The 100 Años Preferido had the thin ring gauge of a corona at the start and the flavor was like an explosion, but even as it mellowed some in the middle, with the very large ring gauge portion, the flavor did not disappoint. I still had subtle notes of leather and earth, but a molasses note brought the sweetness on strong, too. Or maybe that was just the rum talking. An exceptional rum, too, by the way and seemingly perfectly created to accompany La Aurora's Dominican cigar...or perhaps it's the other way around.

Cigar Review: PDR 1878 Capa Habana

Robusto, 5" x 52 ring gauge / ?, Silo Cigars
PDR 1878 Reserva Dominicana Capa Habana...that is the full name of this cigar...but I'm going to stick to calling it the PDR 1878 Habana or PDR 1878 Blue. Not that I mind very long names, but we have to establish some shorthand, especially since I'm typing this on a virtual keyboard on my iPad. This is one of the latest entries from Abe Flores in the PDR 1878 series, a decently priced line from Pinar Del Rio. This is a limited production cigar and a Dominican Puro, using Corojo, Habano, and Criollo 98 fillers, two binders leaves (Criollo 98 and Habano) and a Habano wrapper leaf...with a seriously tight pigtail cap and a fold over foot. This review sample is the second of these I smoked.

The blue band, versus the red or black I've seen on other 1878s, is nice, offsetting well from the wrapper leaf and immediately distinguishing it in a crowded humidor as being something different. The wrapper leaf was oily to the eye and to the touch, and had mostly small veins. I have to say I'm not a big fan of the fold over foot as it actually makes ignition harder, but it does look cool...I keep meaning to just cut the leaf off before trying to light, but never end up doing that. I got an aroma of sweet hay from the wrapper and since the wrapper is wrapped around the foot...well, you can probably guess where that went. The prelight draw was a big snug, but I put most of that down to the fold over foot. The flavor was a mildly sweet natural tobacco, with overtones of earth and cedar.

Lighting was not as challenging as on previous PDR 1878s and once it was burning the draw was great and I noticed one of this line's calling cards: a prodigious smoke production that makes smoking these in an enclosed space (like a car) inadvisable. I tasted a mixture of natural tobacco and sweet hay up front, along with a woody finish...mostly cedar. I got a nice roasted nut note on the nose along with a nice dash of pepper spice. As the first third rolled along, I noticed a nice, well balanced mix of cedar and natural tobacco notes. It was not the most exciting flavor in the world for my palate, but it was good nonetheless.

There was not much flavor change to report in the second third, but I did notice that the construction was excellent on the PDR 1878 Habana. I had an almost perfectly straight burn line with no touch ups, the draw continued to be excellent, and the ash held on for over an inch at one point. Despite its bargain price, this is not a "cheap" smoke.

Unfortunately, the PDR 1878 Habana seemed to fall a little flat in the last third. It wasn't bad, per se, it just didn't exhibit anything new or exciting so it became a little dull. Overall, I enjoyed it, but not nearly as much as the Capa Madura, which is still my favorite from cigar with the PDR 1878 band on it. More complexity definitely would have helped in this case. It was medium bodied with an average amount of nicotine so most newer smokers should not have a huge problem with this cigar. These are only available in two sizes from what I could find. I do wonder what it would be like in a Lancero or Corona as those sizes would let the wrapper come to the forefront better. The reasonable price tag makes this one easy to recommend to at least give it a try and see what you think.

Body: 6/10
Strength: 5/10
Complexity: 4/10

AFP Scale
Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 2/2
Flavor: 3/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 8/10