Coronado, by La Flor

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Casa Magna

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Savinelli Rico y Raro (RyR)

What does two and a half ligero leaves amount to? Really. Savinelli's web page, describing the Ecuadorian Habano-wrapped, Nicaraguan cigar declares two and a half ligero leaves in the Rico y Raro. After lighting the RyR, the answer is immediate.

BANG! LIGERO!

For the first inch, The RyR is a spicy, peppery treat with loads of leather. After the first inch, the spice subsides a bit to let leather and cedar dominate. Minor nut flavors try to elbow in, but never strongly. The last inch features some pops of spice as you take it into the nub.

The draw on the 5.5" x 54 double robusto was perfect, but the burn wandered a bit. I needed to torch the wrapper a couple times in the hour it took to smoke it.

An inch from the nub, you start feeling the nicotine stalking. Two and a half leaves of ligero, you say? Oh yeah. Two and a half leaves of ligero, and all the nicotine to prove it. I had a huge stromboli before smoking to prepare for a possibly heavy smoke. Good thing too, as I was feeling woozy for a good half hour after nubbing the Rico y Raro, and lightheaded still an hour after finishing the cigar. At times I thought I'd see that stromboli again.

Dang. so that should tell you just what Savinelli's got packed in the Rico y Raro. Two and a half leaves of ligero. And all the flavor to prove it. Despite the great flavor, I'd only recommend this cigar to nicotine hardheads.

Four stars and an air-sick bag.

Savinelli Nicaraguan Reserve

This is a cigar I got from the Nebraska Cigar Festival, and after a month of humi time, it was time to put it to the test. Savinelli's a big name in pipes, but let's see how this cigar stacks up.

a description, copped from Famous:

Handmade in Esteli, Nicaragua, their core consists of a blend of premium Nicaraguan longfiller and binder tobaccos, box-pressed in a specially cross-bred Habano 2000 and Criollo wrapper.

This is an attractive cigar: Colorado wrapper with fine veins, and a dignified, but not overly ornate, label. I'm smoking the robusto, and it starts off phenomenal. Earth, coffee, and a black pepper/spice component. This is a textbook Nicaraguan blend, and it's great. I know that Savinelli collaborated with Oliva on a different line of smokes, but this smoke is reminiscent of the Oliva Serie O, and in all the right ways.

The draw is perfect. Absolutely perfect.

Midway in, the spices are still simmering on the palate, and an earthy nut flavor joins the mellowing coffee. Dang. I wish I'd scored a few more of these.

The burn's been a little sloppy, requiring a little touch-up. I grabbed this guy right from the humi, so maybe a little drybox time would help straighten the burn. Still, the flavor is well worth the bother. Also A little tar has bubbled its way to the cap, but a quick shave with the cutter takes care of that problem.

Going into the home stretch, and nice leather flavor emerges, and the spice is still lingering on the back of my palate. Black pepper comes and goes in the forefront and the leather hangs in there. Did I already say that I wish I'd scored a few more?

As I gaze at the tarry nub of this cigar, I feel satisfied, and yet a little sad that it's over.

Taking the Spendy Cigar Plunge

I was in to shop today, picking up a couple cigars for some friends, and I spy a box that read "Work of Art". "Hmmm," says I, and open the box to behold some dark, shapely cigars. I grabbed a pair, and put the box back on the shelf, when I notice that the box beneath it reads "Reserva no 55 Xtra Viejo". Those looked good too, so I snagged a couple of those too.

On my way out of the humi, I spied a beautiful box that read "Master Blends" and grabbed a pair of those as well.

So, I got a wee shock at the cash register, but methinks I still may have scored some decent cigars. What do you think?

Codex Tenebrae (aka My Big List of Maduros)

Camacho Triple Maduro
$13
Full
A+
Ultimate in maduro bliss

Perdomo ESV 1991
$9
Full
A
Great blend and rich maduro flavor

J. Fuego Delirium
$9
Med
A
Mmmmmaaaadurooohhh

Carlos Toraño Virtuoso
$9
Med+
A
Good smoke, attractive

Joya de Nicaragua Antaño 1970
$7
Full
A
Hold on to your pants.

Perdomo 10th Anniversary Reserve maduro
$9
Full
A-
Wow. A great follow-up from the original Perdomo Reserve series.

Carlos Toraño Signature
$6
Med
A-
Great smoke, score when possible

Graycliff 1666
$8
Med+
A-
Delicious

Perdomo Habano
$6
Med
B+
Good smoke, great price.

San Cristobal
$9
Med
B+
Nice Pepin blend, but not big on maduro flavor

CAO Brazilia
$7
Med
B+
Spicy and well blended

Camacho SLR maduro
$7
Full
B+
Like getting hit in the mouth with a cedar 2x4 wrapped in leather and sprinkled in cocoa.

CAO Italia
$7
Med
B+
Spicy, but with a little tang to it

Oliva Serie O
$6
Med
B
Another good smoke with a great price

Avo #2 maduro
$8
Mild+
B
Nutty, creamy blend dusted with cocoa

Padron 3000
$6
Med
B
Muscular flavors, good maduro

Oliva Serie G
$5
Mild+
B
Nice smoke, always a pleasure

Hoyo de Monterrey Excalibur Dark Knight
$5
Med
B
Solid, dependable smoke

Romeo y Julieta Reserve Maduro
$5
Med-
B
Nice blend, but a little on the mild side

Camacho Corojo
$7
Med
B
Corojo heat, maduro sweet

Carlos Toraño Exodus 1959
$6
Med
B
Good smoke

La Gloria Cubana Serie R
$7
Full
B
Good smoke, with kick

Alec Bradley Maxx
$5
Med-
B
Nice smoke, fat and cool

CAO MX2
$7
Med
B
Good maduro flavors, unusual blend

Macanudo 1968
$10
Med
B
Good smoke, but overpriced

Rocky Patel Edge Missile
$6
Med+
B
Good go-to stick

Perdomo Reserve Maduro
$5
Med
B
Great blend, rich maduro flavor

Perdomo Lot 23
$4
Mild+
B-
Nice smoke at reasonable price

Hoyo de Monterrey Dark Sumatra
$5
Med
B-
Nice blend, but faint maduro flavors

Gurkha Legend "8-year Aged"
$6
Med-
B-
Good smoke, but not much maduro flavor

Arturo Fuente Chateau
$5
Mild+
B-
Nice blend, but faint maduro flavors

Partagas Black
$6
Med
B-
Peppery blend, more coffee and cedar than cocoa

CAO L'Anniversaire Maduro
$7.50
Med
B-
Nice maduro flavors, but overpriced

5 Vegas Series A
$3
Med-
B-
Great blend and smoke for the price

Cusano 18 Paired Maduro
$5
Mild+
C+
Mild blend with spunk, soft maduro flavor

Indian Tabac Cameroon Legend
$4
Med-
C+
Fat, cool smoke, mild maduro tone

Hoyo de Monterrey maduro
$4
Med-
C+
Nice smoke at reasonable price

Sancho Panza Double Maduro
$4
Mild+
C+
Nice maduro flavor

Flor de Oliva maduro
$2
Med-
C+
Budget smoke with a little maduro touch

La Vieja Habana Belicoso D
$3
Med-
C+
Nice budget maduro

Occidental Reserve Double Broadleaf
$3
Mild
C
Good starter maduro

Carlos Toraño Exodus 1959 Silver
$5
Med-
C
Nice blend, but tend to explode

Punch Maduro Maduro
$5
Med-
C
Solid smoke, decent maduro flavor

Gurkha Doble Maduro
$5
Med-
C
Starts off great, tasting like Partagas Black, but gets bland after the first third.

Don Pepin Garcia Series JJ
$7
Med
C
Nice blend, but little maduro flavor

Padron 2000
$5
Med
C
Good cigar for the price

Omar Ortez maduro
$5
Med
C
Decent smoke

Chateau Real maduro
$6
Mild+
C
Not bad, but you can get better for the $

Drew Estates Dirt
$5
Med-
C
Oddball flavor, sweetened cap

Sol Cubano maduro
$2
Med-
C
Nice value smoke

Alec Bradley Ovation
$3
Mild+
C
Not bad. Not great, but not bad.

Arganese Chairman
$5
Med-
C
Decent smoke, but mild maduro flavor

Helix 550 tubo
$4
Mild
C-
Airy, with little maduro flavor

Padilla Obsidian
$4
Med-
C-
Great taste, but very inconsistent construction

Muira maduro
$4
Med
C-
So-so, wrapper may be dyed

Angel 100
$3
Mild+
C-
Eh

Pirate's Gold maduro
$1
Mild+
D
The name is the only redeeming value

Cu-Avana maduro
$2
Mild
D
Like smoking wheat toast

Rio del Pinar "oscuro"
$3
Med-
D
Nothing oscuro about this yard 'gar

Rocky Patel R4
$4
Med-
D
Wrapper tasted super-salty/chemically

Victor Sinclair Reserve
$4
Med-
D
I smoked it out of kindness. Never again

Tierra del Sol maduro
$2
Mild+
D
Avoid. A. V. O. I. D.

Nestor Reserve 2004
$2
Mild+
F
Dyed wrapper covers crummy blend

Bombing Santa

I was downtown to record a concert, and after setup, decided to cruise by my #2 B&M to see if the new Arganese sticks were in yet. They weren't, but the owner kindly gave me an Arganese CL, left over from the Cigar Festival, to tide me over until the order came in.

So, I'm recording the local symphony's holiday pops concert, and who winds his way through the crowd? Santa!

As he gets closer to where I'm camped out with my equipment, I get an Idea...

I asked him "would Mrs. Claus get mad at you for smoking one of these?" and I offered him the cigar. "No, not at all," Saint Nick replied, so I slipped him the combustible morsel, along with a Social Cigar card, and let him go on his merry way.

He did give me a candy cane, after all. So I returned the favor.