Bear with us here. We are currently updating some suff around the site…
Thanks,
Adam
09
Feb
10
Site Maintenance Feb 9, 2010
Cigar Review – CAO La Traviata Radiante
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano
Binder: Cameroon
Filler: Nicaraguan, Dominican
Made In: Honduras
Size: Radiante – 6×52 Toro
Price: $5.50 per single
This Cigar Reivew is Sponsored by:
The La Traviata brand began its life at the turn of the 20th Century in Cuba or, more precisely, in the Tabacalera Cubana, Agramonte no. 106, in Havana. Over 100 years later, CAO has resurrected the La Traviata name, abiding closely to its original Cuban roots in presentation and taste. CAO La Traviata is a full-bodied, full-flavored cigar that combines an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper with a Cameroon binder and incorporates two different ligero filler tobaccos from the Pueblo Nuevo farm in Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic. “The inspiration for La Traviata came from smoking numerous classic Cuban cigars,” said CAO President Tim Ozgener. “We wanted to create a cigar that appealed to sight, smell, and taste. The oily sheen of the Ecuadorian wrapper compels you to pick it up. The pre-light has a distinct pepper and leather nose. The flavor bombards the palate with intense, rich notes of cedar, anise, and leather, evolving along the way into a lush and creamy finish. We’ve also stayed true to the original La Traviata vista and artwork circa 1901-1904.”
Appearance & Construction: The CAO La Traviata is a nice smooth looking cigar. The wrapper is dark brown in color is very oily. There are quite a few minimal sized veins to it but in all, it looks good. The roll looks great the seam lines are evenly cut and the cigar looks constructed very well.
Smoking Characteristics: The La Traviata has a good draw with a little bit of resistance that produces a fair amount of smoke. The burn is a little uneven but nothing a touch up can’t handle. The ash is solid and compact and had no flaking going on.
Flavor: The CAO La Traviata starts out with a good amount of sweet earthy cedar, some rich espresso and a creamy nutty finish. The flavors are extremely rich and coat the inside of your mouth like a nice cup of esspresso. In the second third some slight pepper notes make an appearance but is balanced nicely with the rest of the cigar. As the cigar progresses into the final third the flavors are even more rich and meaty. The body of the La Traviata is full in some area’s and medium to full in others. The strength of the La Traviata is average.
Final Thoughts: Overall I think this is a good cigar bordering on great. The reason I say bordering on great is because of the price. At $5.50 for a toro sized cigar with this much flavor is remarkable. The flavors are very rich and pronounced on this cigar and it does not have a ton of spice which I like that about this cigar. The La Traviata is a definite winner and my book and I highly recommend this cigar.
Worth a Shot: Yes
Buy Again: Yes
Rating: Good to Great
see more Cigar Reviews here
Cigar Review – Camacho Limited Harvest
Wrapper: Jamastrian
Binder: Honduran
Filler: Honduran
Made In: Honduras
Size: 6×44 Lonsdale
Price: About $6 per single
Appearance & Construction: The Camacho Limited Harvest has some tiny water spots on the wrapper and is pretty rough looking. The construction is okay as there are some uneven cut lines and the cap is pretty sloppy. The band on this cigar is gorgeous, a fire engine red color with silver writing and accents.
Smoking Characteristics: As with all Camacho’s the draw is very free and produces a large amount of smoke. The burn was extremely even and the medium gray colored ash holds on for about an inch or so.
Flavor: The first third of the Camacho Limited Harvest is a combination of light nutty and woody notes and a mineral finish. The second third of the cigar is more of the same but with a little more of the woody notes coming through. The final third there is no change. The body of the Camacho Limited Harvest is mild to medium and the strength is medium. The body of this cigar really surprised me as most Camacho’s are very full bodied cigars.
Final Thoughts: When all is said and done I did not enjoy the Camaco Limited Harvest as much as I thought I would have. The mineral flavor was a huge turn off and is just not my cup of tea. After I was done reviewing the cigar, I scoured the web for other cigar reviews and found a mix of reviews but the general consensus was that it is an okay cigar and I will stick by that consensus.
Cigar Rating: Okay (see how we review cigar)
nore Cigar Reviews here
Alec Bradley Family Blend No. 1
Wrapper: Honduran
Binder: Indonesian
Filler: Honduran, Nicaraguan
Made In: Honduras
Size: No. 1, 5 ½ x 50 – Robusto
Price: About $6.50 per single
Appearance & Construction: The Alec Bradley Family Blend is a gorgeous looking cigar. It sports a nice oily milk chocolate colored wrapper with only one moderately sized vein running the length of the cigar. The cigar is topped with a nice pigtail cap and the roll looks fantastic.
Smoking Characteristics: The Family Blend starts out with a nice even draw that produced a fair amount of smoke. However, after the first third I had to continually massage the head of the cigar and chomp on the head of the cigar to free up the draw. The burn is even and the ash holds on for a good amount of time.
Flavor: The Alec Bradley Family Blend starts off with some earthy nutty creamy flavors and there is also a heavy dose of sweetness in there. The flavors do not change much throughout the thirds and remain generally the same throughout. The body of the Family Blend is medium and the strength is average.
Final Thoughts: Overall I thought the Alec Bradley Family Blend isa good cigar but lacked something special. The sweetness of this cigar was a bit off balance in my opinion and really took the show. However, the cigar did remain very smooth on the palate and would be a good cigar to smoke any time of the day. The flavors are slightly one dimensional for me to want to go and seek more out but I would say for those who like their cigars creamy and smooth this might be your cup of tea.
Cigar Rating: Good
01
Feb
10
Cigar Reviews – Liga Privada T52
Cigar Review – Liga Privada T52
Wrapper: Stalk-Cut American Habano (Connecicut)
Binder: Brazillian Mata Fina
Filler: Dominican, Nicaraguan
Made In: Nicaragua
Size: 5×54 – Robusto
Price: $49.95 per 5 pack, $219.95 per box at Smoke Inn
This Cigar Review is Sponsored by:
The Liga Privada T52 is building on the popularity of the Liga Privada #9 which is made by Drew Estates and was intended to be a private blend for Steve Saka of Drew Estate. The wrapper of this cigar is pretty interesting. It is a Stalk-Cut American Habano from Connecticut. Stalk-cut is a newer term and instead of priming the actual tobacco leaves the tobacco plant is cut whole from the stalk and then cured in the tobacco barn whole. The binder is a Mata Fina from Jesus Fuego’s farm and the filler consist of tobacco from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic.
Appearance & Construction: Wow, just wow. The Liga Privada T52 is an amazing looking cigar that has a rich oily dark brown wrapper and has a large amount of tooth to it. The veins are moderately sized but very smooth to the touch and the cap is done to perfection. As with the regular Liga Privada #9, this cigar is built like a brick shit house. I usually don’t get too excited about how a cigar looks but this cigar has my mouth watering.
Smoking Characteristics: The draw is good the T52 and produces a ton of thick white smoke. The burn, despite being a thick oily wrapper burns extremely even. The ash is a darker gray color but is solid and compact.
Flavor: The prelight draw reveals a nice sweet tobacco and tea flavor. The first third of the Liga Privada T52 is a nice woody earthy core with notes off espresso, leather and spice. I am also getting some sweet notes of raisins, honey and nuts. This smoke is very complex and is balanced to perfection. The second third is consisted of an earthy core with notes of coffee and nuts. The spice really mellows out during the second third and is very smooth on the palate. In the final third of the Liga Privada T52 the spice makes a nice gradual return but not as strong as the first third. The body of this cigar starts out on the lower end of full bodied and remains so throughout the entire cigar. The strength of this cigar is stronger but nothing that made me turn green.
Final Thoughts: Well there is no hiding this one. What an amazing smoke the Liga Privada T52 is. Ultra complex flavors and balanced to perfection. Granted the Top 25 Cigars of 2010 is over 11 months away from the date of this review, but it will be a serious contender for Cigar of the Year. I am completely wowed by this cigar as you can tell and I will definitely be purchasing a box of the Liga Privada T52’s.
Worth a Shot: Absolutely… I mean wait no, leave them all for me.
Buy Again: You bet your ass
Rating: Excellent
More Cigar Reviews here
Cigar Reviews – La Aroma de Cuba Edicion Especial
Wrapper: Ecudorian Sun Grown
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Made In: Nicaragua
Size: #55
Price: About $8-$9 per single
Appearance & Construction: The La Aroma de Cuba Edicion Especial is your average looking cigar. The caramel colored wrapper has some larger, yet smooth veins to it. The cigar when pinched between the fingers, feels very firm and I am slightly worried that I may have some draw issues because it feels like a rock at the head of the cigar.
Smoking Characteristics: Turns out the draw was okay on this cigar and was actually quite nice. The burn on the other hand was awfully uneven and required multiple touch ups. The ash was pretty solid and held on for a good inch and a half to two inches.
Flavor: The La Aroma de Cuba Edicion Especial shows some nice toasty notes of wood and leather. There is also a faint citrusy sweetness in the background and the finish is slightly dry on the palate. The second third of the La Aroma de Cuba EE is a natural tobacco flavor with a little bit of wood. The leather and that little bit of sweetness have left the building, which is somewhat disappointing. The body of the cigar is medium and the strength is average.
Final Thoughts: Overall I thought this was an okay cigar. There needed to be a balancing sweetness that this cigar just didn’t have and it was very dry on the palate. Usually I am a fan of the woody flavor with not too much sweetness, but this cigar just didn’t do it for me. I liked the start of this cigar but it all went downhill after the first inch and a half where the flavors became bland and one dimensional. At this point I cannot recommend this cigar unless you adore a dry woody smoke. I am going to try this cigar in another size when I get a chance and report back to you guys but for now I just can’t say this is a good cigar.
Worth A Shot: Maybe, it’s your call on this one.
Buy Again: I plan on buying one more of these in a different size
Rating: Okay (see how we rate cigars here)
See more Cigar Reviews here
Cigar Review – San Cristobal Seleccion del Sol Belicoso
Wrapper: Sun Grown
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Made In: Nicaragua
Size: 5.5×52 Belicoso
Price: about $9 per single
From Ashton Cigar’s website:
San Cristobal Seleccion Del Sol is the finest new cigar of 2009. Handcrafted by Pepin Garcia, These cigars feature a very special sun-grown wrapper grown on the Garcia family’s “Estrella” farm in Esteli, Nicaragua. Estrella sits on a picturesque plot of land surrounded by green hills, where sunlight abounds and the soil is as thick and as dark as coal. Pepin and his son, Jaime hand-selected these beautiful wrappers from the first crop of tobaccos harvested from Estrella explicitly for this cigar. These wrappers are thick and oily with a wonderful flavor and aroma. Available in 3 sizes, in boutique boxes of 20, these cigars also feature an intricate blend of 100% aged Nicaraguan tobaccos. The strength is medium to full-bodied and the flavors are very rich and complex.
Appearance & Construction: The San Cristobal Seleccion dele Sol is a nice looking cigar. The caramel colored wrapper has a few small veins and looks great. The roll is good as well and there are basically no seam lines to this cigar.
Smoking Characteristics: The draw on the San Cristobal is a little snug for my liking but gets the job done. The burn is fairly even but the ash flowered and flaked everywhere.
Flavors: The first few puffs of the San Cristobal Seleccion del Sol are filled with notes of cedar and spice. Once the cigar gets going notes of honey and tea leaves are added to the dry cedary spice combination. In the second third I start to pick up some leathery notes along with a bit of coffee that I wish would peak its head out a little more. The final third was still the cedary flavor. The body of the San Cristobal Seleccion del Sol is medium and the strength is average.
Final Thoughts: All in all I really enjoyed this cigar. What set this cigar back is the draw. I like a nice free draw on cigars and this one was a little disappointing and I think the flavors lacked in intensity because of that. Lately I have been getting away from torpedo’s because of the draw problems I have been encountering and I think next time I will go for a robusto format on this cigar. The flavors, although lacking in intensity, where still very good and this cigar is right on my flavor profile.
Worth a Shot: Yes but go for a different size
Buy Again: If the robusto performs the way I think it should I could definaly see this as a box purchase
Rating: Good but has potential to be great in a different size. See how we rate cigars here
more Cigar Reviews here
Cigar Review – La Aroma de Cuba by Ashton Cigars (New Blend)
Wrapper: Connecicut Broadleaf
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Made In: Nicaragua
Size: 5×54 Robusto
Price: $29.50 per 5 Pack or $129.95 per box of 25 From Smoke Inn
This Review is Sponsored by:
From the Ashton Cigars website:
We are very proud to introduce to you the new and improved La Aroma de Cuba! Now handmade in Nicaragua by Pepin Garcia, the new LADC features gorgeous chocolaty Connecticut Broadleaf wrappers and a rich, spicy blend of Nicaraguan tobaccos. For the past 18 months, we have been working very closely with the Garcia family to bring this new cigar to fruition. We believe we have successfully improved the flavor and quality of the cigar without compromising the richness and spiciness that loyal LADC smokers have relished for years.
I am a fan of the original La Aroma de Cuba and was somewhat perplexed to see them change the blend, but when I heard that Don Pepin Garcia was doing it, I was instantly relieved. The only visual way tell the difference between the new and old blend is the red cloth foot band.
Appearance & Construction: The new La Aroma de Cuba is a nice looking cigar. The wrapper is a dark brown color and has minimal veins on it. The roll looks good as the seams are evenly cut and the cap is nicely done.
Smoking Characteristics: The new La Aroma de Cuba has a perfect draw; nice and free with a slight bit of resistance. The burn is even on the cigar however the ash does have some flaking going on.
Flavor: Right from the get go you know this is a Pepin cigar. Loads of spice and earthy goodness swarm the palate. Once things settles down I am able to notice the nice flavors that the cigar has going on which consist of earth, coffee, leather, nuts and a caramel-like sweetness. The cigar doesn’t change that much between thirds so there is no need to go any further with that. The body of the cigar is mostly full but does dip into the high end of the medium spectrum at times. The strength is strong but nothing out of control.
Final Thoughts: Yet another winner from Pepin and Ashton. The cigar has great flavor, although not very complex, and the flavors are balanced nicely with this cigar. The only drawback to this line of cigars is that I wish there was a smaller ring gauge, something in the 46 range. The fat 54 ring gauge is kind of uncomfortable in the mouth but with this kind of flavor I am not going to complain one bit especially when you take price into consideration.
Worth a Shot: You full bodied Pepin-whores will not be disappointed.
Buy Again: Yes
Rating: Great
More Cigar Reviews here
Cigar Review – San Cristobal Classico from Ashton Cigars
Wrapper: Nicaraguan
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Made In: Nicaragua
Size: Classico – 5×50
Price: About $7 to $8 per single
I don’t know why but I have decide this week is Ashton week. I have reviewed some Ashton’s in the past such as the Ashton VSG, Ashton ESG, but this week is going to be about Ashton Cigars that are made by Don Pepin Garcia. This cigar is the first that was blended by Pepin for Ashton so what better place to start. Let’s fire it up!
Cigar Background: The San Cristobal is blended by the illustrious Don Pepin Garcia and is rolled in his factory in Estelí’ Nicaragua for the owners of Ashton Cigars. This is Pepin’s first cigar with the Levin’s (owners of Ashton) and was debuted that the RTDA (now known as IPCPR) in 2007.
Appearance & Construction: The first thing you notice about the San Cristobal is the gorgeous band that this cigar sports. A very intricate band with a lot of color and a lot of gold accents, this cigar band is one of the best in the business in my opinion. The wrapper on the cigar is darker brown in color and has minimal veins. The roll is good and sports a Cuban style triple cap; a very nice looking cigar.
Smoking Characteristics: The San Cristobal has a nice free draw that produces a ton of smoke. The burn is quite uneven and required some touch up’s but nothing out of the ordinary. The ash is a medium gray color and has minimal flowering that does flake off in some areas.
Flavors: Right off the bat you can tell this is a Pepin cigar. The San Cristobal starts off with some red pepper spice which mellows down after the first inch. After the initial blast the cigar settles into a nice combination of sweet cedar, coffee, and roasted almonds. Overall the cigar is nicely balanced and though the flavors do not change much between thirds, they have nice complexity on the palate. The body of the San Cristobal is medium to full as is the strength of the cigar.
Final Thoughts: I’ve smoked through quite a few of these San Cristobal’s and this cigar never disappoints. The flavor of the cigar is great and it balanced nicely. The only gripe I have is that for the price it could offer some a little more complexity between the thirds of the cigar, however this had never stopped me from picking up more of these cigars.
Worth a Shot: Yes
Buy Again: Yes
Rating: Great
See more Cigar Reviews here
Cuchillos Cubanos by Illusione Cigars
Wrapper: Nicaraguan
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Made In: Honduras
Size: 46 – 4.5×46 petit corona
Price: $20 per 5 pack
Appearance & Construction: The Cuchillos Cubanos (pronounced koo-ch-ee-yos) is a rustic looking little cigar. The wrapper is a milk chocolate brown color that has some moderately sized veins that look bigger because of the small size of this cigar. The packaging of the Cuchillos is very nice. These cigar come in a handsome little white box and only come in quanties of 5 single sticks.
Smoking Characteristics: A little tighter draw than I prefer on a cigar, but the Cuchillos Cubanos produces an acceptable amount of smoke. The burn is even and holds a pretty solid ash for being a mixed filler cigar.
Flavor: The Cuchillos Cubanos has a slightly sweet cedar flavor with a bit of coffee and caramel to go along. Overall the flavors are very well balanced and smooth on the palate. The flavor does not change much in this cigar so I am not going to go into thirds with this cigar. The body is medium and so is the strength.
Final Thoughts: Overall I really enjoyed the Cuchillos Cubanos; great smooth creamy flavors that are very well balanced. These are great little smokes when you are short on time or when the weather gets a bit too cold for a longer smoke. Some people may complain that the price is too expensive for such a little cigar, but I get just as much enjoyment maybe even more out of a great small cigar, like this one, as I would in a mediocre cigar at the $4 price range. I highly recommend these cigars. And if you are looking for more small cigars in this price range I suggest smoking a Tatuaje Havana VI Angeles.
Worth a Shot: Yes
Buy Again: Yes
Rating: Good
