I smoked an Oliva Serie G Cameroon-wrappered double robusto for lunch, chatting with the region's Oliva super-rep, Cory Horinek. The Omaha event is June 6th, and I'm stoked. Daddy's getting a box of these Serie G cammies for Father's Day.
I usually smoke the maduro lines that Oliva offers, but I felt like switching it up today, and I'm glad I did. I love a Cameroon wrapper almost as much as I love maduro, and the Oliva G is a great blend to sport it. Bright, woody flavors with coffee and gentle spice, the Serie G is shy of medium-bodied, but nowhere near being a wimpy cigar either.
The double robusto (5x54) size smokes nice and cool, so the flavors don't get harsh.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
New Arrivals: Dulce Vida
I came home tonight to a pleasant surprise; a box with a double fistful of robustos from Dulce Vida. Some of my favorite cigar blends have a helping of Peruvian tobacco, and Dulce Vida is flashing the Peruvian flag at me. I'm going to let these rest a couple weeks from their travels, then I'll smoke'm up and hollah about it.
Like a Vampire, it Rises Again
I just couldn't let all the reviews just vanish forever. I'm just going to be more casual about the reviews.
Saturday, April 18, 2009
La Aroma de Cuba Edicion Especial
Of the gazillion cigars that have recently announced a Pepin Garcia patrimony, this Ashton cigar falls in the middle of the power/price pack. At $5-7 each, depending on your local taxes, they fall in between the top-shelf San Cristobal and the economical Benchmade, both fellow Ashton brands.
The Edicion Especial is a blend of Nicaraguan tobaccos, jacketed in an Ecuadorian, sun-grown wrapper. The robusto seemed to smoke pretty fast, despite feeling reasonably packed.
With a strength hovering just below medium, this cigar didn't seem to stand out against similar cigars. The Tatuaje P-Series or CI Legends Yellow label may be more affordable alternatives, with similar flavor profiles.
The Edicion Especial is a blend of Nicaraguan tobaccos, jacketed in an Ecuadorian, sun-grown wrapper. The robusto seemed to smoke pretty fast, despite feeling reasonably packed.
With a strength hovering just below medium, this cigar didn't seem to stand out against similar cigars. The Tatuaje P-Series or CI Legends Yellow label may be more affordable alternatives, with similar flavor profiles.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Oliva Master Blends I torpedo
This is a cigar WAY beyond my usual means, and only came into my possession as a gift from my Oliva sales rep, Cory. This is an incredible gift, and I'm grateful. Cory has taken the territory by storm, and is plotting event mayhem in every corner. Oliva is in great hands here.
Back to the cigar, the silver-brown wrapper was mildly veined, and emitted a light leather/hay aroma. A pinch along the cigar's body was slightly yielding, but never soft, and the draw was perfectly balanced.
Toasted and lit, the cigar became an orgy of leather, coffee and mild, earthy spice with occasional caramel and vanilla notes. The flavors weren't too powerful, but they were quite smooth, the body of the cigar being a solid medium, waxing full near the nub. In this way, it reminded me of a Padron Anniversary cigar; great flavors, never overpowering, and incredibly smooth. A Master Blend indeed.
I have had the good fortune to buy a couple Master Blends III robustos, being $9 each, and will be reviewing them soon. If they age as well as this Master Blends I, I'm going to need to put a half-dozen down for a six-year nap, and see what happens.
Back to the cigar, the silver-brown wrapper was mildly veined, and emitted a light leather/hay aroma. A pinch along the cigar's body was slightly yielding, but never soft, and the draw was perfectly balanced.
Toasted and lit, the cigar became an orgy of leather, coffee and mild, earthy spice with occasional caramel and vanilla notes. The flavors weren't too powerful, but they were quite smooth, the body of the cigar being a solid medium, waxing full near the nub. In this way, it reminded me of a Padron Anniversary cigar; great flavors, never overpowering, and incredibly smooth. A Master Blend indeed.
I have had the good fortune to buy a couple Master Blends III robustos, being $9 each, and will be reviewing them soon. If they age as well as this Master Blends I, I'm going to need to put a half-dozen down for a six-year nap, and see what happens.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
CAO LX2 toro
First off, I'd like to give a shout out to Cigar Inspector and Jon Huber of CAO for the LX2 sampler. I won their contest for most comments in a month's period, and a fiver of LX2 was the prize.
On to the toro, things didn't go so well. It tasted great, but despite being kept at 65% and dryboxed for a day, the cigar started tight and eventually plugged up and split a little from swelling. The cigar kept self-extinguishing as well, so the experience ended up being more work than pleasure:
So, I'm looking forward to smoking some of the other sizes in the sampler, to see how rolling is on those. If the toro shows up in my local shops, I'll try a couple more, from a different batch, to see how well they smoke.
On to the toro, things didn't go so well. It tasted great, but despite being kept at 65% and dryboxed for a day, the cigar started tight and eventually plugged up and split a little from swelling. The cigar kept self-extinguishing as well, so the experience ended up being more work than pleasure:
So, I'm looking forward to smoking some of the other sizes in the sampler, to see how rolling is on those. If the toro shows up in my local shops, I'll try a couple more, from a different batch, to see how well they smoke.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Don Francisco Custom Blend robusto
The Custom Blend was a treat to smoke, with dark, earthy flavors abounding. I first heard of Don Francisco cigars on the former Cigar Live internet site, now called Puff.com. The denizens there were quite taken with Don Francisco's offerings, so I ventured to buy a sampler of the most popular blends.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Arganese CL3 robusto
Wow.
I've smoked a lot of corojo: Fire (by ITC), Camacho, Alec Bradley, Cusano, J. Fuego, and Padilla. The corojo and ligero-laden CL3 is one of the best-blended corojo smokes I've had.
The wrapper is mildly veined, medium-brown, and emits a tingle to the lips as you get acquainted. The draw is firm, but perfect considering the ligero in the cigar: It slows down the cigar to make sure all the tobacco burns well. It's a perfect rolling job that takes into account the tobaccos in the blend. That's the mark of a master.
The first half inch is a tasty introduction to the blend, woodsy cedar flavor with mild red pepper notes and a tingly spice in the background. The Dominican corojo is well represented in the blend without being ham-fisted with the heat. The flavors stay pretty much the same through most of the cigar, with occasional coffee notes. Getting to the nub, the corojo heat kicks up, as does the spice.
Eat a meal before this cigar, and while it's not a complete nicotine bomb, there's enough ligero in this to get the ol' midsection moving.
I think I've found my new favorite corojo. And at $5 each, the CL3 (and ML3) is definitely an economical competitor to the J. Fuego Gran Reserva Corojo no. 1 and Camacho 10th Anniversary Corojo.
I've smoked a lot of corojo: Fire (by ITC), Camacho, Alec Bradley, Cusano, J. Fuego, and Padilla. The corojo and ligero-laden CL3 is one of the best-blended corojo smokes I've had.
The wrapper is mildly veined, medium-brown, and emits a tingle to the lips as you get acquainted. The draw is firm, but perfect considering the ligero in the cigar: It slows down the cigar to make sure all the tobacco burns well. It's a perfect rolling job that takes into account the tobaccos in the blend. That's the mark of a master.
The first half inch is a tasty introduction to the blend, woodsy cedar flavor with mild red pepper notes and a tingly spice in the background. The Dominican corojo is well represented in the blend without being ham-fisted with the heat. The flavors stay pretty much the same through most of the cigar, with occasional coffee notes. Getting to the nub, the corojo heat kicks up, as does the spice.
Eat a meal before this cigar, and while it's not a complete nicotine bomb, there's enough ligero in this to get the ol' midsection moving.
I think I've found my new favorite corojo. And at $5 each, the CL3 (and ML3) is definitely an economical competitor to the J. Fuego Gran Reserva Corojo no. 1 and Camacho 10th Anniversary Corojo.
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