Lots going on working on reviews for several cigars!

Have you tried this one yet? I highly recommend you check it out

Caldwell Cigar Co. The King is Dead | Cigar Review

Wrapper: Dominican Negrito
Binder: Dominican
Filler: Dominican
Size: 6 x 52 “Torpedo”
Body: Medium/Full

The King is Dead is a part of three lines made by Caldwell Cigar Company under its Caldwell Collection brand. Caldwell Cigar Company is owned by Robert Caldwell. Caldwell was best known as a partner of Christian Eiroa with Wynwood Cigars. Last September, it was announced that the partnership with Caldwell and Eiroa had dissolved. Following his departure from Wynwood Cigars, Caldwell set his sights on the Dominican Republic where he has teamed up with William and Henderson Ventura at Tabacalera Ventura to make blends for his new company. One big differentiator in the Caldwell Collection is that it uses rare / hard to find tobaccos.  The King is Dead demonstrates this philosophy by incorporating a wrapper not typically used on many premium handmade cigars called Negrito. Recently, I've had an opportunity to smoke the King is Dead in a torpedo-shaped vitola called "The Last Payday".  Not only did I find this to be another outstanding blend in the Caldwell Collection, but I found this torpedo to be the best vitola in the King is Dead line.

According to Caldwell Cigar Company, the reason why the Negrito wrapper is not found on many cigars is because it is a wrapper that just doesn't play well with other tobaccos.  However, the team at Tabacalera Ventura was able to figure a way to make the right matches with other tobaccos and thus the King is Dead blend came to life.

In addition to the King is Dead there are two other lines in the Caldwell Collection - Eastern Standard (featuring a unique Ecuadorian Connecicut hybrid wrapper known as "Dark Connecticut") and Long Live the King (a Corojo blend). The Caldwell Collection features rare tobaccos rated "Grade A" and thus is a more premium offering. Caldwell also released a more value priced line called Junior Varsity to address that segment of the market.

The Negrito wrapper for the King is Dead is sourced from the Dominican Republic.  In addition, there is also Dominican Negrito tobacco in the filler.  The blend also incorporates Dominican Corojo for the binder as well as in the filler.  Finally, there also is HVA (Habana Vuelta Abaja) in the filler.

Wrapper: Negrito Dominicano - 2008
Binder: Corojo Dominicano - 2006
Filler: Corojo Ligero Dominicano 30% - 2006; Negrito Viso Dominicano 20% - 2008; HVA 20/20 50% - 2010

The Negrito wrapper of the King is Dead Last Payday has a medium brown wrapper that seems almost a shade lighter than being milk chocolate in cover.  The wrapper has a decent amount of oil on the surface.  There are some visible thin veins and there are also some visible wrapper seams. The torpedo tip has a sharp tapering from the base of the cigar.

The band to the King is Dead has a pale yellow color to it with a tan colored trim. On the center of the band is a design of a gold throne split into two halves. To the left side of the throne is the text "THE KING" in thin black font. To the right side of the throne is the text" IS DEAD" - also in thin black font. There are gold adornments to the far left and far right - including a crown-like design to the far right.

Prior to lighting up the King is Dead Last Payday, I went with a straight cut to remove the torpedo tip.  I removed about half the length of the tapered tip.  Once the tip was removed I moved on to the pre-light draw. The dry draw provided a mix of chocolate, natural tobacco, and mild spice. Overall I considered the pre-light draw to the King is Dead Last Pay to be excellent. At this point I was ready to light up the King is Dead and see what the overall smoking phase would have in store.

The King is Dead Last Payday began with a short blast of spice that was a mix of cedar sweet-spice and red pepper.  As the spice subsided, notes of milk chocolate, cream and natural tobacco emerged.  The chocolate notes and cream became primary notes while the pepper, cedar, and natural tobacco notes became secondary.  On the retro-hale, there was also a combination of the pepper and cedar sweet-spice.

During the first third the cedar flavors increased and moved up toward the chocolate and cream notes in the forefront.  The cedar and chocolate fused nicely creating a unique sweetness, yet the cedar also delivered some spice notes.  By the midpoint of the smoking experience, the cedar notes became a primary flavor.  Meanwhile the chocolate and cream notes were a close secondary note while the natural tobacco and pepper notes were more distant.

Throughout the second half, the cedar notes were primary. The chocolate and cream occasionally still made their way back into the forefront. This continued right into the last third. At this point, the natural tobacco and pepper notes played a less significant role. This is the way the flavor profile remained until the end.  The resulting nub was firm to the touch and cool in temperature.

Like I have seen with across the other cigars from Caldwell Cigars, I have personally found these to be very well constructed cigars and they score nicely in the area of burn and draw. For the most part the burn line remained straight from start to finish. There was a slight amount of curvature along the way, but this was a burn that was not in danger of getting off track.  The resulting ash was charcoal gray with some darker spots. The ash itself came off the cigar in nice clean chunks. The burn rate and burn temperature were ideal.  The draw performed well. For a torpedo, I was impressed how this cigar drew from start to finish. The King is Dead was not too loose not too tight. Despite the sharp taper of this torpedo tip, the cigar did not get soft as the cigar experience progressed.

When it comes to strength and body of the King is Dead, I put this cigar as an offering that is stronger and fuller than the Eastern Standard.  However, I would say that Long Live the King is stronger and fuller than the King is Dead.  In terms of strength I assessed the King is Dead Last Payday to be a medium strength cigar from start to finish.  As for the body, the flavors had some depth and I assessed this cigar as medium to full-bodied.  Overall when it came to strength versus body, I gave the edge to the body.

Normally when it comes to torpedo vitolas, I would not consider this to be a go to size of mine. However 2014 seems to have produced some very good ones. In terms of this specific line, the torpedo-sized Last Payday seems to be the blend that worked the best here. I felt it delivered the best flavors and had a nice amount of smoothness. The King is Dead is consistent with with the other cigars of the Caldwell Collection in that "it brings something different to the table" - and this is something I like in a cigar. The King is Dead is not only a cigar that I would give to a new or experienced cigar enthusiast, but it would be something I would also recommend to a seasoned cigar enthusiast.

Burn: Excellent
Draw: Excellent
Complexity: Medium
Strength: Medium
Body: Medium to Full
Finish: Excellent

Overall Rating 95

A crazy Wednesday deserves a great cigar!

Hoyo Epicure No.2

Hoyo De Monterrey Epicure No. 2 was one of the first Cuban cigars I’ve ever smoked.  It always been a very popular cigar especially considering its in a crowded vitola group.  I’ve had quite a few of these, but other robustos like the Partagas Serie D No. 4, Cohiba Robusto, Bolivar Royal Corona, Ramon Allones Specially Selected and San Cristobal De La Habana Fuerza did overshadow it.  Luckily for me, a friend recently gave me one of these, which rekindled my love affair with these cigars.  Lets take a look are the specifics:

• Size:  4.88” x 50
• Date:  2011
• Wrapper:  Cuba
• Binder:  Cuba
• Filler:  Cuba

Immediately you get a bready and caramel flavor that is really nice and flavorful.  This is joined by a cashew nutty note intermingled with some white pepper and cedar.  All the flavors mesh well together and linger for quite awhile on the palate.  The burn is excellent with a decent amount of smoke.  I didn’t have to touch up the cigar at all.  The draw also got a lot better after a little more than a half an inch into the cigar.  It opened up quite a bit which made the flavors pop even more.

The last half of the cigar got even more flavorful.  A nice cocoa note and light roast coffee entered, which really worked well with the other flavors.  The caramel and cedar notes came more into the forefront as the white pepper faded in and out.  I would pick up a little saltiness every now and then as well.  Construction remained very good with no touch up like the first half. Volume of smoke increased a little more, which I really enjoyed.

It’s a great robusto that doesn’t break the bank.  If you age these just a few years, you will be greatly rewarded as these robustos get even more complex and smooth.  This one was pretty young for me, but it did not disappoint.  Great flavors, excellent construction (which is getting more rare these days from Cuban cigars) and approachable price point make this cigar a winner.  If you are where you can smoke Cubans, don’t pass this one up for some of the more famous robustos.  It definitely won’t disappoint you.

Jericho Hill OBS

This was an amazing cigar, loaded with flavor, Jericho Hill boasts a dark and sultry Mexican San Andres wrapper, which is a nod to both Juarez, Mexico, where Willy Lee was arrested, and to Johnny’s nickname, “Man in Black.” Nicaraguan long-fillers and a Nicaraguan binder help to give Jericho Hill some serious attitude (just like Johnny had). Stuffed to the brim with blasts of pepper, spice, and leather, this is one full-bodied firecracker. Only the most potent of blends would suffice in paying tribute to a legend of Johnny Cash’s stature, and this one fits the bill.

What are you smoking today?

I'm not sure what's on tap for today, I'm leaning towards a Hoyo Epicure #2, Let me know in the comments, or share a pic!

This is very cool!

http://sploid.gizmodo.com/i-could-spend-hours-watching-this-guy-roll-cuban-cigars-1689815348

Cuban cigars coming to humidor near you — what you need to know

By SPECIAL TO FOXNEWS.COM

Published December 22, 2014

FoxNews.com

Americans are now able to bring back $100 worth of Cuban cigars. (Reuters)

The news that the U.S. and Cuba agreed to seek to reestablish diplomatic relations stunned the world. Reactions varied depending on one’s political bent, but cigar smokers are ever hopeful.

Is this a big deal?  For the cigar lover?  For the cigar industries in other countries?  Over time, the answer is yes on all counts.  

The Cuban cigar has been largely off limits to Americans since the imposition of the U.S. economic embargo more than 50 years ago. The anticipated new regulations under the coming thaw include visitors to Cuba being able to buy up to $100 of cigars and bring them into the U.S.
That amounts to between three and five cigars, if you estimate the general average price.  A worthwhile Cuban cigar, depending on the size, goes for between $20 to $30.   Cigar lovers visiting, say, Montreal, will have to enjoy the Cubans in Quebec as they’ll likely still be prohibited from bringing in the cigars from a third country.

Is this a big deal?  For the cigar lover?  For the cigar industries in other countries?  Over time, the answer is yes on all counts.

Cigars were invented in Cuba.  The Cuban cigar is distinctive because of the soil on the island.  Today, however, cigars are blended using tobacco from different farms and different countries.  In Nicaragua, to which Cuban cigar industry folks travel frequently, there has been an exchange of expertise going on for years. Cuban seed has been planted and tobacco grown in Nicaraguan soil, which, the experts say, most closely resembles the terroir of Cuba.  One prominent Cuban cigar maker has even begun making cigars in Nicaragua.

Cohiba Behike 54 could run you close to $60 for one cigar. (Reuters)

In this respect, the cigar smoker wins.  Opening up Cuba means there could be better cigars, more variety in flavors and strengths.  In return, the Cubans and other countries could gain knowledge.  Cuba could get capital investment from the rest of the cigar world and take back to the island a greater appreciation for the demands of the market and improve their own manufacture.  In the end, the Cuban puro, the pure Cuban cigar, could compete with an international hybrid that has Cuban tobacco blended with some from Nicaragua and Ecuador.  Hey, it could happen.  It kind of already has.
Too often, cigars grown and rolled in Cuba suffer from a lack of quality construction and form consistency.  This has been true for a long time, and it gets a little better and a little worse.  Non-Cuban cigars have been able to claim the prize for quality year in and year out.  Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic routinely outperform what was once thought to be Cuban supremacy.  Simply put, to enjoy the best cigar available these days, you don’t have to buy Cuban.

The Montecristo No. 2 are torpedo shaped, while the Hoyo de Monterrey Double Corona and Partagas Serie D, No. 4 don't have tapered ends. (Reuters)

If, however, you’re intent on going Cuban, avoid cigars with wrappers that are veiny, not smooth.  Roll a cigar or two between your thumb and forefinger holding it near the end you put in your mouth to see if it’s too tightly wrapped.  Construction and consistency aside, it then just comes down to taste. In that regard, Cuban cigars are distinctive.  They are generally strong.  Among the best ones available are the iconic brands and vitolas, or shapes.

Start with these:
The Montecristo No. 2, around $30, is a torpedo, meaning that the end you put in your mouth is tapered to a point.  This is perhaps the paradigm of the classic Cuban cigar.  Lush with leather and spice notes, this is a medium-strong cigar you can smoke now or hold for a few years in your humidor and experience a very pleasant evolution in flavor.

A more recent entry into the Cuban pantheon of great cigars is the Cohiba Behike 54, a corona gorda.  The “54” refers to the ring gauge, or girth, of the cigar, which is also nearly six inches long.  (The Behike 52 is a robusto.) Taste this somewhat stronger cigar after you’ve enjoyed the Montecristo and you’ll find a clear presence of coffee and nuttiness.  You’ll have paid for it, thought.  The Behike 54 could run you close to $60.

Coffee gives way to chocolate and licorice when you light up the Bolivar Royal Corona (around $20) a robusto that has a 50-ring gauge and is a little less than five inches in length.  Bolivar cigars, named after Latin American liberator Simon Bolivar, are, if made correctly, generally complex in flavor and age very well.

Another icon of Cuban cigars is the Hoyo de Monterrey Double Corona.  This is a bigger cigar, about eight inches in length with a 49-ring gauge.  The virtue of this cigar, when made well, is the variety of flavors the smoker can experience.  Sweet caramel gives way to leather, which gives way to creamy coffee.  One can sometimes find this cigar at a bargain of about $20.

One cigar you really want to search for is the Partagas Serie D, No. 4, robusto.  If you find the right batch, the wrapper will be red in hue and silky smooth.  You’ll be rewarded with a powerful earthiness and some sweetness.  This is the cigar that will impress friends new to Cubans.  Can sometimes be found for around $15.

Vegas Robinas Meistro Exclusivo Espana

This has got to be one of my all time favorite cigars, the finish was simply amazing, a must try cigar,
They are sublime size vitola which is a 54 ring gauge and 6.5 inches long.

These are great looking cigar. It is firm to the touch and I must say this was sitting very nicely in my hand. The Vegas Robaina is not a marca I particularly appreciate but I was more than ready to have my mind changed.
This cigar is very well constructed and let itself get cut easily. My example had an easy draw and scents of chocolate and good tobacco at cold. The construction on these is perfect.
The first third started with a blast of sweet flavors of chocolate and coffee. This is a medium/full body cigar with great amounts of thick smoke. You can almost chew it.
Sitting to my left was Ajay Patel from la Casa Del Habanos in London and he mentioned that this cigar reminded him of the Vegas Robaina Maestro, the 2007 Edition Regional Espana. I never tasted this cigar but I totally trust his expert palate. Given that the Maestro is a highly regarded cigar, this meant I was in for a treat.
Second third, I got to say this cigar is not the typical Robaina flavor I am used to get. It now sits at medium body with the same sweetness but with a touch of cream and leather. This is excellent. This turned into a very enjoyable and tasty cigar. My smoking partner, Art, points out that this cigar is very tannic like a young wine. It leaves your mouth dry and makes your lips pucker. That is spot on.
The bottom of the last third is starting to be a bit too harsh for me; it has picked up to a full body and has some fruit flavors which I am sure will develop nicely. One thing I noticed is that this cigar didn't have too much ammonia in the smoke that makes some fresh cigars so robust.
It burned very nicely with a marble colored ash. I think that with a few years, less than five, this cigar will turn into something very special over time. I have no doubt that it will develop its chocolate, coffee, leather and fruits flavors into something much more defined.

The End of the Embargo Could Kill Miami's Cuban Cigar Industry

This is a really interesting read from the Miami Times about the end of the e=embargo  http://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/the-end-of-the-embargo-could-kill-miamis-cuban-cigar-industry-6545533

Couple more cool ad's

I love Vintage Cigar Ads, this one Features Ronald Regan

Robert Caldwell has announced a new size the the King is Dead Series, a Lancero Stand-By

New size coming, I have one to review and it looks amazing, I'll post some new pics here today!

Drew Estates Liga Privada T52

I was very excited to have the opportunity to review the Drew Estates Liga Privada T52 Robusto, these are a very hard to find cigar in central Ohio, as they sell through very quickly.  I was able to locate a few at House of Cigar’s Montecristo Lounge, I was also able to pick up a few Liga Privada no.9’s in the same size as the T52.  After going through the boxes looking for the best cigars I picked up 4 of each to start my reviews.

I’m a huge fan of Drew Estates, especially the Undercrown and Norteno lines, so stepping up to the high end of the line is exciting:

Strength:	Full
Shapes:	Belicoso, Double Corona, Robusto, Toro
Wrapper:	Sun Grown
Origin:	Nicaragua
Brand:	Drew Estate

Price per cigar $19.00 however when purchased from Cigars International they typically retail between 15-17 USD.

These are beautifully constructed cigars and the smell right out of the box is fantastic, you can tell right away with the oily wrapper it’s going to be a full body cigar. The Liga Privada T52 is a departure from the flavored cigars that Drew Estates is know for, and is the second cigar created by Steve Saka for his own personal enjoyment but released to the market due to its phenomenal characteristics, now I don’t use the word phenomenal very often however this is a time when It needs to be! The blend consists of full-flavored, premium Nicaraguan tobaccos just as the No. 9 but comes cloaked in a beautiful, toothy and oily Habano wrapper.

The combination brings a rich, unique complexity to the palate with more spicy characteristics and a beautiful earthy flavors with strong finish. Almost no sweet nuances are noticeable as the blend builds from the start and perfectly complements a hearty meal. This is not a cigar for an empty stomach.

As I sat down to start the review, I started to light the cigar carefully getting the tobacco started, I them started the initial draw, the oiliness of the wrapper was a beautiful thing, you could just tell this was going to be an experience, within a couple minutes I noticed that the wrapper had begun to unwind, and not in a good way, I started to wonder if this was an issue with the humidification of the cigar from the shop, I decided to check both my humidor and a second cigar. There were no issues on my end, so I took a second cigar punched it and begun the lighting process, the second cigar was rolled tight has a beautiful boquet and was ready to go. 

One thing I’ve learned from smoking the Liga Privada line, there is no shortage of smoke! I’m not even puffing on it to get it going the wrapper just burns this way. If you wanna talk about complexities in a cigar this Liga Privada T52 is the stick for you. Now because this cigar hit so many taste buds that it was hard to keep up with it. The truth is, I loved it though! I’m constantly surprised at how on the outset I can smell sweet notes from the foot and the wrapper, but once I light the cigar up I’m quickly blown away and I mean blown away. How does that happen? Of course looking at the wrapper you might be inclined to think that it’s not going to be spicy that it should be smooth and creamy.

Liga Privada T52 starts out with a big burst of spice. This mellows out into a nice creamy texture which then transforms into some nutty and leathery notes. It’s like a constant wave of change. Even though I’m a big fan of constant flavor. Just when the 1st third is finishes, it starts all over, spice, cream, leather and a nutty burst. The 2^nd and 3^rd are much the same, I read another review where this cigar was compared to riding a huge rollercoaster and I agree, so many flavors and so much complex excitement with this cigar it’s truly hard to explain.

Would I buy the cigar again? Without a doubt, even though I had issues with the construction of the first cigar the draw the flavor made up for it.   

Is It an Every Day Smoke? No, or at least it shouldn’t be. it’s hard to come across these smokes, and for it to be an everyday cigar you would have to buy boxes. I would rather let other people try this cigar than for me to buy boxes. Coming across these cigars is like coming across a bottle of rare bourbon. When you see it, you buy it and smoke it when the time is right, but not everyday.

In conclusion The Liga Privada T52 is a great cigar, an amazing ride of flavor. I decided to give this cigar a 94 I believe that it would have been a 95+ had I not had issues with the wrapper on the first cigar and the overall draw, but I could see the final rating of the Liga Privada T52 at 96 out of 100

For more information about Drew Estate cigars and the Liga Privada T52 check them out here:  http://drewestate.com/?portfolio=liga-privada-t52-cigars

BLOG POLL!

So what's your prefference

A) Punch
B) Straight Cut
C) V Cut

I'm a punch kinda guy, I believe that you get better flavors, now with a torpedo/belicosa I prefer a straight cut, let's hear your thoughts

Chris

Another cigar shop listing!

Here's another listing:

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Partagas Serie D#4 My All Time Favorite

Origin : Cuba
Factory Name : Robusto
Size : 124 x 19.84 mm
Ring : 50
Weight : 11.66 g
Hand-Made

Oily maduro wrapper is smooth and silky. Each one is a pleasure to look at.

n the very beginning the stogie is quite spicy, then calms down a little bit and offers flavors of precious wood and cinnamon. Medium power. The second third brings notes of humus and green pepper; the flavors are very powerful and balanced. The beginning of the last third is the peak of smoke complexity and must be the favourite part of a real aficionado. However, this does not last long and the power slowly decreases. The finish is smooth and soothing.

A Robusto legend, the Serie D No. 4 has always been one of the most famous cigars of its kind. Fortunately, it keeps on making us cigar lovers happy.

what's $100 of cuban cigars

here's a great article: http://www.cigaraficionado.com/webfeatures/show/id/100-Dollars-In-Cuban-Cigars-What-It-Can-Buy-17928

New Cigar Shop Listng

From my friend: Bill Steadman www.up-in-smoke.com

Be sure to check them out!

Cigar Shops

I'm going to start a list of cigar shops so that if your traveling you will have a resource please send me your shops info so I can post it here

Lots going on with Drew Estates

There's a lot going on, I have spoken about a problem with some Drew Estates cigars, so I reached out to them about the problem, they were very responsive, I'm waiting to see what happens next, when I got the cigars from the local shop I had concerns that there was an over humidification issue and I was proven right.

When I let the first Liga T52 something was wrong, the cigar didn't burn right,  and as I started my initial review the wrapper came completely off its was very strange.  I picked up the second smoke and punched the cap, lit the cigar and it smoked fine, and thus i completed my experience.  I moved to the No. 9 and the experience was the same, the cigars were horribly bitter and not worth smoking, the RH was completely off in this humidor and there was a contamination, I have never experienced such a thing with Drew Estates cigars, the quality and construction are always first rate....

I'll keep you posted as this progresses......

Emilio Cigar Review

Check out this great review from:

http://tuesdaynightcigarclub.com/episode-5-maximum-overdrive-emilio-af1-cigar-1554-black-lager/

St Louis Rey Gen 2 Review

For all the Pappy fans this should make you happy

http://gobourbon.com/pappy-van-winkle-heist-solved-tied-to-criminal-syndicate/

90 Miles Cigars

Illusions Gigante

Ever since Illusione announced the release of his newest cigar, The Gigantes, I have been on the edge of my seat, drying to try them. Last year I rated his Rothchildes as my daily smoke it on the regular. I have to hand, one week after announcing the blend the Gigantes were already hitting store shelves and luckily I was able to get my hands on a few.

The Gigantes features a blend very similar to the Rothchildes starting with a Mexican San Andreas Wrapper, Criollo 98 and Corojo 99 Binders, and an all Nicaraguan filler using Aganorsa leaf. While the blend profile remains the same, Dion Giolito who owns Illusione, aimed to bring a much richer and fuller experience with the Gigantes. The cigars are made at TABSA in Esteli which is the same factory where the Rothchildes are manufactured. The Gigantes will only come in one size a 6.5 x 56 which comes packaged in cabinets of 50 and will run you $7.99 a stick. I bought a whole mess of these from Smoke Inn. Last time I checked they still had a few in stock. You may want to hurry, first run of these cigars are very limited but Dion plans the Gigantes to be a regular production line. (Thanks to Halfwheel.com for breaking the news on the release and providing the specifics on this cigar) Size: 6.5 x 56
Wrapper: Mexican San Andreas
Binder: Criollo 98 (Esteli), Corojo 99 (Jalapa)
Filler: Nicaraguan Aganorsa
Body: Medium/Full
Strength: Medium/Full

Much like the Rothchildes, Illusione’s Gigantes carries a very deep, dark brown wrapper with bits of medium brown and spots of a darker brown around the veins and webbing in the tobacco leaf. The wrapper is incredibly tooth and feels almost like sandpaper with a good amount of oils. The wrapper is solid, thick, and very hard. It feel like I could probably sound down my next woodworking project with this cigar. The wrapper actually has a very rustic, crude look to it as it showcases the natural characteristics of the tobacco leaf. Considering how much Illusione I smoke, holding one with a ring gauge as large as this is a bit of a departure from what I am used to. The cigar is heavy and dense as the body leads up to a perfectly round triple cap. The Gigantes is polished off with a band identical to what we found on the Rothchildes. The only differences being the word “Gigantes” and of course the purple color instead of the red. I absolutely love these bands. The remind me of an older era. Think Henry Clay.

The wrapper on the cigar gives off a sweet aroma of chocolate and tobacco while the foot of the cigar is much more natural leading with lots of earthiness, and spice over natural tobacco aromas. The cap cut clean, but took a bit of extra pressure from my double bladed Palio cutter. The cold draw produces are really nice spice over some pepper, espresso, and natural tobacco.

Illusione’s Gigantes starts out really bold with some strong cashew and raisin over some spice, natural tobacco, and cocoa with a nice tart twang on the aftertaste. I was expecting much more pepper but was pleasantly surprised with the sheer amount of flavor the Gigantes kicked out right off the bat. The draw is remarkable as it takes almost no effort to get a mouthful of very thick, white smoke. The burnline is a bit wavy, but razor sharp leaving behind a trail of very compacted white ash which held on for an inch and a half before giving way.

One of the more interesting characteristics of the Illusione Gigantes is the aftertaste. There is a very bold woodsy, cedary, fruit, tart flavor that’s left behind for minutes after each puff. It’s incredibly enjoyable and only enhances the already potent flavor profile which is now running with tons of cocoa and spice over fruit and cedar with hints of espresso. The burnline is still a bit wavy but I have yet to have to reach for my lighter so no complaining there. The retrohale is ridiculous coating my nasal passage with so much cedar and spice. While the body of the cigar is just piling up, the strength of the cigar is remaining rather tame as I close out the second third with no nicotine kick at all. Gotta love when cigars do this.

The final third of this Illusione Gigantes is where the deeper, richer experience really comes into play. That crazy aftertaste I spoke off is now dominating the smoke leading off with really heavy smoked woodsy flavors with strong spice backing it along with some great fruit, cocoa, and tobacco. This is where the cigar really separates itself from the Rothchildes. Along with the ramp up in flavor the strength has began to ramp up as well. It’s not too strong, but I definitely feel the difference. Over the course of the 2 hours it took to take the Gigantes down I never once had to touch up or relight the beast, I experience absolutely no harshness, and only a small about of extended heat into the final inch or so.  Dion does it again. I can’t say much more about the Gigantes other than how much I thoroughly enjoyed it. The bold and complex flavors are right up my alley and I love that he produced them without having to create a cigar that was all about the strength. I think that far too often cigar manufactures think that you can’t have a bold cigar without having all the strength, and Illusione proves that to be wrong with almost every blend they create. Although the cigar has a rustic look, the burn performance was close to flawless. The price point is absolutely spot on, and actually probably a lot lower than I’d be willing to pay for the Gigantes. I am so glad that I opted to purchase half a cabinet of these and even then I worry that might not be enough. For the price, this is a cabinet purchase for sure and I fear that I may even want to have more than that on hand is this cigar is incredible and is going to make for another strong contender in our top 10 cigars of the year. And to think, we are only half way through.

For more on this amazing cigar check out:  http://www.casasfumando.com/illusione-g-gigantes-cigar-review/

Cadlwell Cigars

 

Eastern Standard

Corretto

Dark Connecticut

50 x 5

Capa: Connecticut Hybrid Ecuadoriano - 2006

Banda: Habana Dominicano - 2005

Tripa: Criollo '98 Viso Dominicano 30% - 2008

Tripa: Corojo Dominicano Ligero 30% - 2006

Tripa: Habano Seco Nicaraguense 40% - 2007

 

Caldwell Cigar Company has released their “fullest bodied” cigar yet. Made by the Ventura brothers in the Dominican Republic this line aimed to please the full-bodied cigar smoker. Wrapped in an aged Corojo wrapper Long Live The King will not disappoint. Consisting of tobaccos from across the word, you will not smoke another cigar like it. Available in four sizes there is a vitola for every smoker. The Heater 46 x 5 ¾ , My Style is Jalapeño 40 x 7, Petite Double Wide Short Churchill 52 x 6 and the Marquis 60 x 6 rounding off the line. Offered in 24 count boxes. Long Live The King!  

AMAZING Cigars a must smoke for any cigar lover!

Leccia Black

The Leccia Tobacco Black is a 5 country blend handcrafted in the Dominican Republic. The Black uses a seamless Ecuadorian Habano wrapper leaf around a spicy Nicaraguan Rosado binder leaf. The filler uses rich ligero from Nicaragua and the Dominican Replublic, viso from Brazil, and centering the blend is a very unique tobacco called "Dark-Fire." Dark-Fire is wood fire cured tobacco, providing a mild, refined, smokey character. The Dark-Fire aroma can be easily detected simply by nosing the foot of the cigar pre-light. The blend is medium to full bodied with a creamy robust flavor and a subtle smokiness. The smooth strength builds throughout the enjoyment of the cigar.

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano
Binder: Nicaraguan Rosado
Filler: Nicaraguan & Dominican Ligero
            Brazilian Mata Fina
            American Dark Fire

Sizes:

Little Guy - 4x48     Double Toro - 6x60     Toro - 6x50     Robusto - 5x52

I was very impressed by this cigar, for more information check out:

http://www.leccia-tobacco.com/

Montecristo Social Club

Have you joined yet? This is a great welcome gift, you can register here:

http://www.montecristosocialclub.com/

Las Calaveras Edición Limitada 2014 LC550

Las Calaveras Edición Limitada 2014 LC550 (5 x 50) — 1,000 Boxes of 24 Cigars (24,000 Total Cigars)

• Cigar Reviewed: Las Calaveras Edición Limitada 2014 LC550
• Country of Origin: Nicaragua
• Factory: My Father Cigars S.A.
• Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano Oscuro
• Binder: Nicaragua
• Filler: Nicaragua
• Size: 5 Inches
• Ring Gauge: 50
• Vitola: Robusto
• Est. Price: $8.95 (Boxes of 24, $214.80)
• Date Released: May 21, 2014

The wrappers are quite dark, although they have some reds breaking through the deep muddy color. While the cover leaf itself is actually great to touch, almost every sample I smoked featured heavy visible veins, which definitely affect the ability to run your hand down the cigar smoothly. I get a wonderful aroma with barnyard, oak, Worcestershire sauce and a large amount of sweet twang. It’s a similar story on the cold draw of the LC550: twang, sunflower seeds, wet leather and saltiness on the lips. There is a sharp note in the back of the throat, more sour than pepper, but it definitely cuts through the otherwise smooth profile.
It actually takes two puffs on each of the samples I smoked before the cigar gets going, but once it does it’s enjoyable. Sweet creamy orange notes followed by some meatiness and oak. The finish of the Las Calaveras has the twang, a bit reduced from the cold draw, and some creaminess. Still lingering as well is the sharp note in the throat. The mouth has toastiness with some salty sunflower seed. It’s smooth and refined, but pedestrian compared to the retrohale: creamy potatoes, followed by the meatiness, which is now like a roasted sausage and big acidic leather notes. It all pales in comparison to a gigantic grapefruit and twang note. But what’s truly great is that the retrohale, while still medium-plus, is smooth enough that you can do it puff after puff without any noticeable degradation in the nose.  The Las Calaveras burns well, reaching two inches of ash without much issue, but I find that tapping it near the inch mark produces better flavors. A crispy note—which I can best describe as chicken skin—emerges for a few puffs right around the two-inch mark of all there samples. Elsewhere, the toastiness is making its way into the retrohale, which definitely leads to me taking a break every few puffs. The meatiness is still there along with burnt butter, all dominated by the grapefruit note. As for the finish, it’s nowhere near as nuanced, although still quite balanced, sweet until a red pepper flake cuts through things.  While the grapefruit note begins to disappear, the buffet of flavors does not. A creaminess mixes with the toasty notes to take command of the profile of the LC550. There’s Chartreuse and even hints of cola syrup, although both are secondary compared to the creamy and toasty mixture. The cigar is definitely taking a lot more work to stay lit after two inches. Given the first three inches were carefree, I have little to complain about. Temperature begins to noticeably drop in my mouth and after one attempt at a relight, I end the cigar at the one-inch mark, although one sample burned fine to the half inch mark.

• Las Calaveras Edición Limitada 2014 LC550 (5 x 50) — 1,000 Boxes of 24 Cigars (24,000 Total Cigars)
• Las Calaveras Edición Limitada 2014 LC652 (6 x 52) — 1,000 Boxes of 24 Cigars (24,000 Total Cigars)
• Las Calaveras Edición Limitada 2014 LC754 (7 x 54) — 1,000 Boxes of 24 Cigars (24,000 Total Cigars)

• Cigar Reviewed: Las Calaveras Edición Limitada 2014 LC550
• Country of Origin: Nicaragua
• Factory: My Father Cigars S.A.
• Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano Oscuro
• Binder: Nicaragua
• Filler: Nicaragua
• Size: 5 Inches
• Ring Gauge: 50
• Vitola: Robusto
• Est. Price: $8.95 (Boxes of 24, $214.80)
• Date Released: May 21, 2014
• Number of Cigars Released: 1,000 Boxes of 24 Cigars (24,000 Total Cigars)
• Number of Cigars Smoked for Review: 2

The wrappers are quite dark, although they have some reds breaking through the deep muddy color. While the cover leaf itself is actually great to touch, almost every sample I smoked featured heavy visible veins, which definitely affect the ability to run your hand down the cigar smoothly. I get a wonderful aroma with barnyard, oak, Worcestershire sauce and a large amount of sweet twang. It’s a similar story on the cold draw of the LC550: twang, sunflower seeds, wet leather and saltiness on the lips. There is a sharp note in the back of the throat, more sour than pepper, but it definitely cuts through the otherwise smooth profile.
It actually takes two puffs on each of the samples I smoked before the cigar gets going, but once it does it’s enjoyable. Sweet creamy orange notes followed by some meatiness and oak. The finish of the Las Calaveras has the twang, a bit reduced from the cold draw, and some creaminess. Still lingering as well is the sharp note in the throat. The mouth has toastiness with some salty sunflower seed. It’s smooth and refined, but pedestrian compared to the retrohale: creamy potatoes, followed by the meatiness, which is now like a roasted sausage and big acidic leather notes. It all pales in comparison to a gigantic grapefruit and twang note. But what’s truly great is that the retrohale, while still medium-plus, is smooth enough that you can do it puff after puff without any noticeable degradation in the nose.

The Las Calaveras burns well, reaching two inches of ash without much issue, but I find that tapping it near the inch mark produces better flavors. A crispy note—which I can best describe as chicken skin—emerges for a few puffs right around the two-inch mark of all there samples. Elsewhere, the toastiness is making its way into the retrohale, which definitely leads to me taking a break every few puffs. The meatiness is still there along with burnt butter, all dominated by the grapefruit note. As for the finish, it’s nowhere near as nuanced, although still quite balanced, sweet until a red pepper flake cuts through things.

While the grapefruit note begins to disappear, the buffet of flavors does not. A creaminess mixes with the toasty notes to take command of the profile of the LC550. There’s Chartreuse and even hints of cola syrup, although both are secondary compared to the creamy and toasty mixture. The cigar is definitely taking a lot more work to stay lit after two inches. Given the first three inches were carefree, I have little to complain about. Temperature begins to noticeably drop in my mouth and after one attempt at a relight, I end the cigar at the one-inch mark, although one sample burned fine to the half inch mark.


Final Notes

• Before anyone freaks out, Crowned Heads is not leaving Tabacalera La Alianza. Angel’s Anvil is being produced there.
• In case you missed it in the quote above, this will be an annual release with changes each year.
• It is somewhat odd to have a cigar inspired by a Mexican tradition with no actual Mexican tobacco in it.
• I have not smoked any of the other sizes.
• Crowned Heads has great packaging. Previously, Headley Grange—which undoubtedly was based on the La Escepción Selectos Finos—was my favorite. The Las Calaveras is a different level of execution. The Dia de Muertos theme is great and extremely well-presented.
• I would have loved to seen the calavera (skull) actually make it onto the band, but there’s not much to complain about the current band.
• There is not much punishing for pushing the cigar speed-wise, but as is normally the case, going a bit slower than a puff per minute shows off additional flavors.
• In addition to the upcoming Angel’s Anvil, Jon Huber has indicated the company will have a new release, presumably at IPCPR 2014 in July.
• It’s been a while since My Father Cigars S.A. added a new (public) non-retail client. To my recollection, the last new client would have been the Quesadas in the form of the Tres Reynas partnership.
• Not too many cigars can be this full and provide this many repetitive retrohales. Outside of voluntarily keeping the smoke out my nose to isolate the mouth flavor, I probably went the first 45 minutes exclusively retrohaling.
• Strength starts medium-plus and ends medium-full.
• There is literally nothing to complain about construction-wise through the first three inches. As the final third got going, I had to pay attention to the cigar, although no touch-ups were required across the samples I smoked.
• Final smoking time was one hour and 20 minutes.
• Cigars for this review were purchased by halfwheel.  

be sure to check out our friends at : http://halfwheel.com/las-calaveras-edicion-limitada-2014-lc550/59398 for more dtails

Ramon Allones Specially Selected

	Origin:	Cuba	Manufactured: Hand Made
	Gauge:	Thick	Length:	124
	Format:	Robusto	Ring:	50
	Weight:	11,66 gr.	Score:	8.5
	Presentation: Semi Plain Box: (Without cellophane) Boxes of 25. Slide Lid Box: Boxes of 25.

Very good "Robusto" cigar, could easily become on of my favorite  perfectly balanced flavours of nuts, honey sweetness or herbal flavours. The minimum ageing recommended for this cigar is at least three years. I would highly recommend adding this to your list of mush haves~

Govenors Smoke Shop, Westerville Ohio

If your in Westerville Ohio be sure to check out Govenors Smoke Shop, a great shop, great selection and great place for a fine cigar:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Governors-Smokeshop/271827922844539?fref=ts&rf=183179445100200

Cigars-Review.org

This is a great resource for information and reviews of Cuban Cigars, be sure to check them out:

http://www.cigars-review.org/

Black Lable Trading Company Redemption Cigar review

Cigar Review Black Lable Trading Company Morphine