CAO Maduro

Originally introduced in 1998, the CAO Maduro quickly became popular and won "Best Maduro Cigar of 1999."

The 1999 yield of Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper has been claimed as the finest harvest of this leaf in the last decade. The Connecticut Broadleaf selected for the CAO Maduro was picked an additional 30 to 40 days beyond the 1999 harvest dates. The longer "hang time" in the curing barns allowed the leaves to mature even further before being processed. The end result is a wrapper leaf that is rich, dark and oily.

I bought a CAO Maduro Churchill (7 inches, 48 ring) for $8.00 at Watch City Cigar and sat down to enjoy my last cigar in a quiet house. (My girlfriend hadn't come back from California yet.)

The cigar is a dark brown color, typical for a maduro. However, these sticks come in those annoying square shapes. Just seeing this lowers my expectations a little. However, after an easy light, I am please to find the draw and fullness both excellent. I guess I'll overlook the squared edges for now.

As expected, the tastes are bold from the start with rich charred coffee notes like a dark bitter espresso. I complained a lot about bitter flavors in my last post but as I said then, bitter tastes definitely have a place in cigars. They just need to be used properly and along with some good complementing notes.

The smoke is pretty interesting because it's bold yet smooth. It's a little unusual for a bold cigar but I like it because the delicate texture actually makes it an easy smoke for something so strong.

After the stick burns for a while, it develops some distinct rich tastes and smells of tobacco leaves. It's a smooth transition and the stick continues to smoke great with that perfect draw. The cigar is also burning evenly. The ash is a dark gray and stays on a couple inches before cleanly falling off.

I'm almost to the halfway point when the smoke develops a slightly creamy texture with some dark chocolate tastes. Things get a tad milder as the coffee notes take a step back but to be clear this is still definitely a full bodied smoke.

The milder chocolate is short lived and strong rich tobacco comes back. Once again, the transitions are practically flawless and that smoothness to the smoke never fades.

The milder creaminess continues to fade in and out as I work my down the cigar. This turning out to be more complex than I had anticipated. Usually with something so bold, its hard to have flavor transitions. However, the smoothness to the smoke (which I really cant emphasis enough) helps me experience a variety of rich, bold, and roasted notes along with some more mild and chocolate tastes.

We're into the final part and the draw and fullness are just as good as when we started. also the ash has stayed on once again for another few inches. This stick has burned near perfectly throughout.

The cigar finishes on a strong bitter note (once again, bitter in a good way....yes I'm still a little upset about San Christobal ruining my breakfast a few days ago.) This is definitely a stick that needs to be smoked slowly and enjoyed quietly. The tastes are too bold to pick up on nicotine tastes but after smoking this one, I'm feeling it a little.

This was a very enjoyable smoke. Not to mention a pretty decent price. The draw was great, the transitions were smooth, and the tastes were exactly what I'm looking for when I pick up a maduro cigar. This one was also an excellent example of why you should try everything a brand has to offer. I'm not the biggest fan of the CAO Gold (I rated it an 81) but the Maduro is going to wind up pretty high on my list. Square shape and all.

Overall Rating: 96

San Cristobal

With my girlfriend off on vacation for a week with her friend, I had the chance to do another Humidor first. So even though I took the day off on Friday, I still woke up bright and early so I could have my first breakfast cigar. That's right folks, they aren't just for after dinner anymore.

So this morning I pulled a San Cristobal out of my humidor, poured myself a Breakfast Stout (Lagunitas Cappuccino Stout, made with real Colombian Coffee.) and headed out to the porch.

San Cristobal is a line from Ashton cigars (I know I rated an Ashton stick pretty low on this blog but let's see what else the brand has to offer). The wrapper, binder, and fillers are all made in Nicaragua. The cigar is a very deep brown with a dry but smooth wrapper. The size I have is called a Fabulosa. It's a pyramid shaped cigar 6 1/2 inches in length with a 52 ring. Cost was $11.

The cut is smooth but right after, I notice that the tip seems to be packed a little too tight. This could be bad news for the draw. Also, it take a while to get the cigar fully lit. This obviously has a little to do with the large foot but it's still somewhat annoying.

First taste is immediately some spice and coffee. I think I might have gotten lucky and picked something that goes great with this stout. The first few puffs release some rather intense flavors and are certainly bolder than one would typically smoke for a morning cigar but I guess it will wake me up quicker.

Unfortunately, the draw to start is disappointingly tight. it affects the fullness so I don't get nearly as much smoke as I would like. I read somewhere that pinching the cigar a few times can help to loosen up a tight pack. I try this and it actually works a little as I get a more full mouth of smoke. I pick up on some really spicy tobacco notes as well some harsh bitter flavors.

While the ash is a beautiful light gray, almost white color, the stick itself could stand to burn a little better. I haven't needed to relight it yet but it's burning very unevenly.

As I work my way down, the bitter tastes seem to pick up in intensity. The roasted coffee flavors I had picked up on to start are gone. In fact, I'm having a hard time picking up on any other flavors right now. Definitely not what I expected up to this point.

After a while, the bitter notes finally start to fade but are only replaced by more harsh biting tastes. This time a burnt tobacco flavor rushes in. At this point, I suspect that the sub par burn may be contributing to the harshness of the taste. I put a match to it again to try to even things out.

I don't want to step on anyone's toes here. I just feel like it's a good time to point out that Josh should start sampling a lot more of Lagunitas Brewery. The cigar may not be pulling it's weight right now. But this stout is delicious. Yes, it's 9am....

The burn is doing a little better and the ash is still on the stick almost at the halfway mark. However, the harshness of the flavors have not improved. Some might argue that I'm just not in the mood for a bold cigar right now (you know, considering it's 9:00 am) but I'd disagree. There is no spiciness to this smoke at all which is usually a primary characteristic of a full bodied cigar. The flavors here aren't overpowering, they are just harsh. Think cutting into a ribeye, but getting a charred flavor. Not really what you were hoping for.

The ash finally falls of at almost 3 inches, but it doesn't happen cleanly. It leaves behind a poorly lit, poorly burning, bitter, charred cigar. I am not pleased right now. Where's my delicious stout?

The cigar calms down a little toward the end developing some slightly mild earthy tones. They are nothing to write home about and since the draw has been getting progressively worse throughout the stick, I'm not really able to enjoy anything anyway. Sure, the draw improves slightly when I try that pinching technique but quite frankly I shouldn't have to do that. You don't expect to have to remix your drink before every sip do you?

The cigar finishes off with a horrible draw as I manage to get a few last puffs of boring earthy flavors. I even put this one down with another 2 inches still to go. I don't anticipate anything worthwhile developing.

This definitely was not a breakfast of Champions. Maybe if the flavors from the first couple of puffs had stuck around a little longer, I could have at least rated this as smokeable. But this one was just plan bad. Uneven burn, tight draw, biting flavors, high price, it all adds up to a lousy cigar. Stupid Parrot.

Overall Rating: 59

ONYX

Last weekend I made the trip out to upstate New York to see some old friends from College. In fact, they were gracious enough to invite the whole crew over. It was great to see everyone all together for the weekend but of course when you take Josh and me, throw in the college crew, and even add mild mannered Eric to the mix, you're basically in for a weekend of abusing your body with the wonderful gifts of alcohol and tobacco.

Naturally, I bought a few sticks as I correctly predicted that I would be craving a smoke after drinking some delicious ales and stouts all day and night. The local liquor store had little to offer in cigars but I managed to find one I had actually not tried yet. So I did the only logical thing possible. I bought 4 of those cigars, passed them around, and completed the first group effort rating of the humidor. The cigar selected for the evening was ONYX.

Onyx cigars are made in the Dominican Republic with Dominican and Nicaraguan tobaccos, a Nicaraguan binder, and a Connecticut Broadleaf maduro wrapper. The size of the one I bought is called No. 4. It's 5 inches. 44 ring. $4.00 apiece.

The smokers taking part in the review were Myself, Eric, Jon, and Ryan all old friends but only Eric really has any experience in the cigar department. I didn't take too many notes for this smoke. Rather we just sat outside and threw out opinions as they came to us and tried to ultimately agree on a final rating.

Appearance: The ONYX is a particularly dark cigar. It's not exactly a set rule, but often times a dark color suggests a bolder spicier flavor. Eric agrees with me on this. Jon exclaims that it's much bigger than a cigarette. Ryan complains that he can't get the cigar out of it's plastic wrapper.

Cut & Light: Overall, everyone seemed to have a pretty smooth cut as well as no problem lighting their cigars. They burned evenly and the ash stayed on for a nice amount. Eric mentioned that having to relight cigars is a big pet peeve of his and I completely agree. Nothing can tamper with a flavor more than a stick that can't keep burning. Jon pointed out that cigarettes never go out then quickly followed that up with making it clear that he does not smoke cigarettes.

Draw and Fullness: Both were pretty average for this smoke. The draw did get a little tighter toward the end of the smoke but that's the only complain I heard. The fullness was good enough that we got enough smoke in the mouth to experience the bolder flavors we were meant to. All in all, it was a pretty well constructed stick. Especially considering the price.

Flavor: As we had expected, the tastes were more on the bold side. The prominent flavor was definitely leather. Eric said that you can taste it even more when smoked through the nose. His friend mentioned this as well in a recent post but I'm still working on that technique without killing my lungs in the process. After a while, there was some slight spice detected in the smoke but it certainly remained in the backseat to the leather notes. I can't remember having a cigar before that relied so heavily on spicy leather tastes but given the fact that this one was a quick smoke, I think it worked out nicely. Ryan said he tasted a lot of smoke while Jon took a sip of Bud Lite to get the taste out of his mouth. Did I mention these cigars were $4.00 apiece?

Finish: I feel like the spice notes picked up a notch in the final part of the cigar and the leather somewhat faded out. Eric nodded in agreement for one final puff before his wife snatched it out of his mouth. Ryan ended up successfully losing his cigar in the bushes while Jon got tied up in a heated game of beer pong.

Overall, Eric and I agreed on a score in the high 70's. There was no complexity to the cigar but the flavors present were good enough to make up for that. Also, the draw and smokability of the cigar added some points as well. It's not exactly something we're ready to label a favorite but still one we'd probably smoke again for a quick inexpensive and enjoyable smoke.

Overall Rating: 77

Arturo Fuente Hemingway

These cigars from A. Fuente were actually named after the famous author. Apparently he was a big smoker. Like all the sticks from this line, tonight's smoke features a blend of a West African Cameroon wrapper and Dominican fillers. Price was $6.00.

One of the most visually interesting things about this cigar is its shape. Though it is a Churchill in size (7 inches, 48 ring), it has the tapered end of a figurado, making it a little unusual looking. I worry about getting a good burn after lighting tips like this one. Sometimes the flame doesn't spread out like it should after the initial light. But we'll see how this one goes.

The cut on this one is fine leaving no frayed edges. The tip lights easily as expected. The draw is ok (if a tad on the tight side but nothing too major) with some good fullness to the smoke.
The flavors are mild to start. There is some citrus and vanilla notes which normally would be nice except they seem to be accompanied by an overly sweet almost syrupy taste. It's a poor texture and flavor comparable to cherry flavored cloves. Not good.

After a little while, some stronger wood and spice tastes emerge making the cigar a little bolder all around. At this point, I would probably categorize it as a medium bodied stick. However, as enjoyable as it could be, that cheap sickening sweetness is still lingering. The flavor certainly doesn't belong here and mixes quite poorly with the dominant notes. It tastes like they took a nicely constructed cigar and dipped it in some NyQuil.

Of course I need to give due credit where credit is due. Despite my initial concerns, the cigar is burning beautifully. The foot is evenly lit all around, the ash stays on for a few inches at a time, and the draw remains intact throughout.

After the halfway mark, things start to turn around. The cigar has developed into a nice combination of wood flavors and some simple pure tobacco tastes. The boldness picks up the longer it burns, and the sweet syrup texture finally fades away allowing me to enjoy the smoke.
As I get closer to the end, the flavors become much spicier. Some leather starts to come out here as well and even takes a front seat for a little while. All this along with a little pepper and the stick ultimately ends on a strong medium bodied note.

The tastes at the beginning bring down the overall score but it does develop into an enjoyable mild to medium bodied smoke. I don't want to rate this cigar too low just because I don't typically like fruit flavored smoke since I understand there is certainly a market for it out there. The second half of the stick was pretty good but a smoke needs to be enjoyable from start to finish for me to buy another one. I don't like lemons in my beer, and I don't like cherries in my cigars, especially if the cherry flavoring used basically resembles a cough drop.

Overall Rating: 69

The Bad

I'm always ready to post a review when I have a cigar that I really enjoy. Not so much when I pick a lousy one especially because sometimes there isn't all that much to say. So since I didn't want to spend a whole individual post on each of the lousy smokes I have come across thus far, (how many paragraphs can I go on for about a burnt molasses flavor?) I figured I would save my notes and do a post every once in a while reviewing those sticks at the bottom of the barrel. In my defense here, most of these were purchased on an impulse when I was just craving a cigar and didn't really have a good selection to choose from. I didn't walk into many of these with high expectations.

Macanundo Robust
Filler: Dominican Republic, Honduras and Nicaragua. Wrapper: Connecticut Shade
My girlfriend and I often take trips to Foxwoods Casino. While there, nothing makes me want to buy a cigar more than wandering around and seeing random people smoking at the craps tables. I usually bring a couple with me but when we made the trip for a day a few weeks ago, I forgot to grab something out of my humidor. Of course this begs the obvious question: You're in the biggest casino in the world. You mean to tell me there isn't a decent cigar store in the whole resort? I certainly haven't found one and always end up getting an overpriced stick at one of the convenient stores.

This one cut alright and I got a little excited until I lit up. The draw was too tight, the stupid thing wouldn't burn evenly, and the ash seemed to fall off after every puff. For a while the stick developed some nice coffee flavors but they were short lived as they ended up being overpowered by burnt, practically charred, tobacco. It seemed to fit the scene among people playing at my blackjack table. But not something I'd light up with a good scotch.
Overall Rating: 54

La Aroma De Cuba
Filler: Nicaraguan and Honduran. Wrapper: Honduran
This one was purchased at random in the same batch that I discovered the Cusano C10 at Josh's barbecue. As I already wrote, the C10 was great, this one was not. The problem with this stick was keeping it lit. While burning, it was actually pretty even, but I actually had to light it 6 or 7 times as I smoked it. This prevented the cigar from being able to develop any flavors. I picked up on a little chocolate and spice here and there. But these notes weren't even very good. There was an occasional fullness to the smoke but since the cigar kept going out, it never really held up.
Overall Rating: 55

H.Upmann
Filler: Dominican. Wrapper: Dominican
I actually smoked a few of these from different stores to make sure it was really as awful as my first impression. The wrapper was dry and unravelled almost instantly. The smoke was bitter and even a little sour. The draw was insanely loose so my mouth was mostly filled with air. I think they were going for a spicy pepper flavor but they overloaded on it so once I did pick up on som pepper notes, it was way too much. This cigar was truly awful.
Overall Rating: 50

Baccarat
Filler: Honduran. Wrapper: Honduran
This cigar is rolled by the same company that makes Camacho so I had my hopes up a little despite the $3.00 price. It actually smoked decently with an nice draw and even burn. Other than that, this smoke brought nothing to the table. It just tasted like smoke. I couldn't pick up on a hint of anything. That is until the end when I actually got a taste of sugar. That's when I put it down and went inside.
Overall Rating 52

Romeo Y Julieta 1875

I've been smoking a little more often than I should lately. Sometimes it's just too hard to resist opening the humidor when you know there are still a few cigars in there waiting for you. My girlfriend seems to have been looking the other way lately. I can only take this to mean that I'm going to pay dearly for something in the near future. It's the calm before the storm if you will. Needless to say, my only option is to milk it as long as possible.

I had to light one up tonight because when I got home, the heat wave we had this week was finally passing making it comfortable enough to sit outside. I took out the last cigar I had, a Romeo Y Julieta 1875 Churchill.

This was the first cigar that I ever smoked. The guy who sold it me back then, recognizing I was inexperienced, took the Camacho Triple Maduro out of my hand (thank God! It might have killed me) and explained that it would be best to try a mellow tasting smoke. It's nothing too fancy, some mild Dominican tobaccos rolled into an oily Indonesian wrapper. It's the traditional Churchill size at 7 inches with a ring of 50.

I have yet to see a Romeo Y Juliet in a flawed wrapper. The cigar is a medium brown, perfectly uniform all the way down with no visible imperfections anywhere. The stick cuts pretty lousy as it's actually a challenge to slice the blade through. However, afterwards the cigar still seems nice and pliable. I've never figured this out but I do see it on occasion with different cigars.

It takes a little longer than normal to get the cigar fully lit but once it does get going, its burns very well. Ash stays on for a good 2 inches before falling off. I've always found the burn to be the most important quality of a mild cigar. With the flavors only coming out just enough to detect, there isn't much room for error. A slightly uneven burn can ruin the whole smoke leaving it completely tasteless. No problems like that here.

The draw is slightly on the tight side. Fullness is average but it is a mild cigar so I wouldn't expect too much smoke in the mouth anyway.

The taste to start with is very creamy and buttery, my favorite aspect of Romeo and Juliet. The longer you smoke, the more your mouth ends up feeling oily and sweet tasting. (sweet as in creamy not sugary). Unfortunately, this great texture and taste starts to fade after the halfway point and I definitely miss it.

Toward the middle of the cigar, some wood tastes start to come out. Again, nothing really strong here, just enough so that I know it's there.

As I get into the last couple inches of the smoke, a little spiciness emerges that mixes pretty well with the oily wrapper. In fact, at this point it brings itself almost up to the medium style. The flavors are still pretty delicate and I even opt to put my drink down as I'm worried about it overpowering the flavors.

I'm a little annoyed to find that the draw gets even tighter at the end of the smoke. The creaminess seems to reemerge but I need to puff on the thing a little too hard to taste it. It does however continue to burn well and even with the spicy notes, the cigar finishes off pretty mellow.

This cigar is a must try for anyone looking to start out smoking cigars as it will ease you into it. From there, you can work your way up into bolder tastes until you figure out what style you most like. I don't often reach for the mild cigars but I still enjoy one on occasion. Romeo Y Juliet is certainly a well crafted one.

Overall Rating: 84

Cohiba Red Dot

It's the most recognized cigar brand name in the world. After Castro took control of Cuba, this brand was commissioned by the Dictator to make the finest Cuban cigars available. Over time the cigars became available to a wider audience and are now considered the top cigar manufactured in Cuba today. The Cohiba Red Dot is one of the Dominican versions of Cohiba.

Over the long 4th of July weekend, I treated myself to a $24 Cohiba Red Dot Lonsdale Grande. The length of this size if 6 1/2 inches and the ring is 42. The filler of this stick is made with Dominican tobaccos, the wrapper is an African Cameroon, and the binder is made from a rare Indonesian leaf.

The smell of the stick suggests a medium to full bodied smoke which is pretty much what Cohiba advertises itself as. The cigar looks well kept. The wrapper seems to be in good condition and while the stick isn't as pliable as I usually shoot for, it seems good enough to give a try.
The cut is actually kind of lousy as the tip just crumbles off. I don't dwell on this too much since the rest of the wrapper remains in tact. The foot also toasts nicely and the cigar lights well. The draw is tight to start but the fullness of the smoke is still there. Not ideal, but still perfectly smokeable.

The flavors during the first third of the cigar are very mild but still pretty good. There are some light coffee flavors and a creamy texture. I also like the particularly oily wrapper which leaves the lips feeling coated. It's a mild beginning but I'm expecting a transition into something bolder as it gets going.

As I get into the next third of the cigar, the draw starts to loosen a tad. The creaminess remains but there are also some earthy tones that start to develop along with the taste of some spice that I just can't put my finger on. It's a mild transition to say the least and I'm really hoping things start to pick up. At this rate, this stick isn't going to justify it's price until the last two puffs.

At the halfway mark, I'm still waiting for that explosion of taste. The earthy tones have been around for too long and with the creaminess now fading out as well, the cigar just refuses to show any personality. It's still smoking well with the draw improving even more as the stick continues to burn, but I want more flavor here.

I will say this, the burn here is superb. A perfect ring has formed around the foot since I first lit it. The ash is almost white, and has yet to fall off past the halfway point. It's over three inches right now. Yes, I'm ecstatic about this. Yes, Cohiba is receiving some huge bonus points right now.

As I get into the final third of the cigar, the flavors finally start to come out. I'm so excited they could join us this evening. There are some great cedar notes here as well as some spicy leathery tastes.

The final third is really quite enjoyable. The draw has loosened up and the flavors are again full and now spicier than before which at least allows me to label this a medium bodied cigar. the wrapper is still deliciously oily at this point. sometimes the wrapper can really add a lot to a smoke and this is a great example. I end up finishing the cigar thinking much more highly of Cohiba than I did about 45 minutes ago.

This cigar ended up having some qualities on opposite ends of the spectrum so let's review the good and the bad.

Bad: Poor cut, boring earthy middle, tight draw for most of the cigar, high cost.

Good: Decent transitions, great tastes in the end, flavorful in the beginning, phenomenal burn, creamy oily wrapper.

Factoring in the cost, I'm not exactly ready to label this a premium smoke but overall it's a decent cigar. In fact, the cost ends up being what brings my rating down. I'd happily pay $8.00 for this cigar as the ending really was good. I wouldn't put down another $24 though.

Overall: 81

Cusano C10

Last weekend I went over to my friend's place for a barbecue. I'm trying to get my friends more into smoking cigars (It's pretty much a losing battle thus far) so naturally I brought down a few sticks to share. I actually sent my brother into the store and told him to randomly pick a few off the shelves and we'd see if we got lucky. Turns out we did.

Of the 4 that we sampled that night, one really stood out for me. I had been drinking all day and also switched back and forth between all the different sticks we had lit at once so I was in no shape to come up with an official rating but I made a note to buy another one soon. The next day I stopped into my store and pick up a Cusano C10 Corona ready to give it another test. Just as I had remembered, it was really quite enjoyable.

The C10, which commemorates the 10th anniversary of Cusano, is the first cigar created using four distinct wrappers, one as a binder and two included in the filler. Cusano combined a 1996 vintage Cuban wrapper from Ecuador with a spicy Mexican Sumatra binder and then added Jamastran from Honduras, Broadleaf from the USA and Dominican leafs as well. These four wrappers are complemented by two Dominican filler tobaccos. The size of the cigar is 5 inches with a 42 ring. The price was $8.50.

To start off, the cut is good, the toast and light are easy, and the draw is nice and smooth. An effortless puff produces a full mouth of smoke which allows me to really experience all the flavors. Immediately prominent are some sweet cedar notes and some faint pepper tastes. They seem to excite different taste buds in the mouth and so work well together. The cedar flavors pretty much control the cigar throughout but it's so well constructed that I enjoy it for the entire time.

The burn on the cigar was nice and even. I didn't have any problems with keeping the stick lit. The ash didn't hang on for as long as I would have liked but it didn't seem to compromise the burn too much. One thing I noticed a lot more the second time around with this cigar was that the smoke was very smooth. There were no biting flavors and no trace of burning in the mouth at all. This underrated characteristic kept the smoke tasking almost fresh with no obstacles interfering with the wooden flavors.

The cigar finishes off just as smoothly as it started with one last full puff of wood, citrus and pepper. In my opinion, this was an excellent example of a cigar that can be great without needing to be complex. I'd argue that too many flavor transitions here would have taken away from the enjoyment of the flavors brought out by the combination of those 4 wrappers. I'd probably categorize this one as a mild to medium cigar even though I think Cusano pushes the C10 as a bolder smoke. I don't think I buy that but I would definitely buy the cigar again.

Overall Score: 90

La Aurora Emerald

I've been inspired by Josh to take things up a notch. My friend has been putting together a rather impressive blog (joshsbeerblog.blogspot.com) describing and rating micro brewed beers throughout the country and has lately been enjoying some of the more expensive brews out there. When someone posts about three bottles of beer that cost him a combined $35, you know he's committed to his hobby. Up until now, I've been focusing mostly on the more "economical" cigars out there. Don't get me wrong, I've said it before and I'll say it again, there are smokes available for $5 that run circles around other $30 sticks. When it comes to cigars, high price does not necessarily equal high quality. However, there is no denying that those expensive cigars are out there and I can't keep ignoring them if I hope to sample everything the market has to offer. So after a particularly stressful week at the office, I stopped by Watch City Cigar in Waltham, MA and indulged a little.

Friday evening I sat out on my porch with a Woodford Reserve bourbon Manhattan and a La Aurora Emerald cigar. The length of this torpedo shaped stick is 5 inches, the ring is 54, and the price was $22. (I always mention the cost of each cigar because it factors into my overall rating by helping to determine the value and my money's worth.)

La Aurora is the oldest cigar made in the Dominican Republic and has been the best selling brand within the country for years. The fillers are made from Dominican and Nicaraguan tobaccos and the dark Cameroon wrappers are from West Africa. The Emerald Aurora is part of the Preferidos 1903 edition line. This particular stick is now rolled in limited quantities. In fact, no more than 100 are produced per day. The selected tobacco leaves have undergone a 4 year process from the curing to the first stage of naturing. This is followed by another year of aging in oak rum barrels, only then is the tobacco used for the manufacturing process. Afterwards, the finished product is taken to the aging room for an additional 6-8 months before packing.

The cigar comes in a nice looking green aluminum tube. Being a sucker for presentation, I added on a few bonus points for the appearance category here. I've also always been a big fan of these torpedo shapes and feel that too few companies make such a cigar. The funneling shape usually means that the cigar was contructed with some complexity to it. I do not expect a consistent flavor out of this one.

The cut is fine and since the cigar comes to a point at the end, toasting and lighting is relatively easy. I'm also pleased to find that as the cigar works its way to the increasingly larger part, the burn remains even without any help. The draw is smooth and the smoke is full.

The first part of the smoke really pops with spicy tobacco flavors with some strong pepper as well. The flavors are almost as bold as what you would expect for the finish of a cigar. And no I didn't accidentally light the wrong end.

After a little while, the smoke develops a smoother texture. There are now some very dark creamy tastes along with a hint of coffee.

For the next part, some bitter flavors emerge paired with faint wood notes. The smoke is still nice and full at this point and I haven't had to address the burn at all.

After looking over my notes while approaching the end of the smoke, I realize just how complex this cigar actually is. In a 5 inch stick, they managed to combine 3 distinct flavor combinations with a practically flawless transition. Exactly what I'm looking for.

The cigar finishes off with the same bold spiciness that it started with. Ultimately, it ended up being it's mildest in the middle of the stick with increasing body in each direction. Very unique. I really enjoyed this one and definitely feel the price was justified. I don't typically spend that much on a single cigar but I think I'll put a couple in my humidor and hold onto them for a special occasion.

Overall Rating: 96

Rockey Patel Vintage 1992

Rocky Patel is often boasted about in all the big review magazines. My favorite cigar store, 2 Guys Smoke Shop, in Salem, New Hampshire also crowned this one their "Cigar of the Year" award in 2005. It's made with 5 year old Honduran tobacco fillers and a 10 year aged Ecuadorian sun grown wrapper. For tonight's smoke, I went over to my local store and bought a Rocky Patel Vintage 1992 natural Churchill. Length is 7 and ring is 48. Cost was $8.50.

What bothered me from the get go on this one is the look of the cigar. While there weren't many visible imperfections, it's one of those machine rolled sticks that end up having a square shape to them. I've heard arguments that this is done purposely for the sake of flavor but I don't buy that. It just doesn't have that natural cigar feel to it, especially when you to to take a puff and it feels like a popsicle stick in your mouth.

Another problem I have with these square shaped cigars is that they never seem to cut smoothly. This one is no exception as the cutter feels like its trying to go through a piece of wood. However, it does toast and light relatively easily and I'm able to get it going without too many problems.

Once I start smoking, the stick does burn quite nicely. The ash ends up falling off rather early but the cigar still seems to burn evenly throughout. The draw is nice and the fullness is certainly there. This is somewhat surprising for one of those square sticks but good since I can now focus on the flavors of the smoke rather be distracted by the construction.

Rocky Patel calls their cigars medium to full bodied and that is actually quite accurate. There are definitely some bold notes right from the start but they aren't quite overpowering. There are some spicy leathery flavors as well as a strong nicotine presence which I like.

After a while, some earthy tones become more prominent. The problem is that nothing much comes along with them and for a while the cigar takes on a rather simplistic personality. I've always been somewhat annoyed by cigars who seem to have flavor transition just for the sake of having them but don't actually offer great flavors all around. I'd rather stick to one enjoyable taste than shift in and out of mediocre one.

For the final third of the smoke, the flavors finally kick back into gear. Some nice spicy notes come back and a great pepper flavor turns me back on to the cigar. For the last part, it actually fades in and out quite well between bold spicy smoke and more mild almost sweet flavors. If only the entire cigar had been like this, it would have easily ranked as one of my favorites. The last few puffs end on a very bold note and one last sip of scotch finishes everything off quite nicely.

I'll certainly say that Rocky Patel makes a nice cigar. A few weaknesses bring down the overall score (poor cut, awkward shape, boring tastes in the middle) but it's certainly something I would smoke again and I will definitely end up trying the rest that this brand has to offer.

Overall Rating: 83

New York

Whatever happened to the days when people passed around cigars for celebration? My Dad brought a box with him to the hospital when I was born (he refrained from lighting up in the room........I think). I used to have a neighbor who would offer them to anyone as congratulations for promotions, graduations, or anything. You just don't see that as much anymore. Now it's always "Hey let me buy you a beer" or "Have a glass of champagne". In fact, last year when we all took my friend George to Foxwoods for his bachelor party, everyone was so focused on getting drunk that most of them shoved me away when I broke out some Cusano 18 year robustos. Inexplicable. I know my brother reads this so I'm putting this out there. When I eventually get engaged, screw the tequila shots til I pass out. I just want to smoke Cubans til I get mouth cancer. THAT'S a party.

So I was very pleased a few weekends ago, while in Long Island at an engagement party for my friends Josh and Kelly. They had a nice setup as well as some good food and drink (Excellent wine choices). But what pleased me the most was seeing them pass out the cigars toward the end of the night. Unfortunately, the upcoming long drive kept me from sticking around to enjoy it there, but I had it the next day.

Somehow, I managed to lose the label to the cigar. This is a big deal for 2 reasons. The first is that I collect all labels off of my cigars and love saving them. I hope to eventually combine them all into a frame to hang in my living room as a display of my unhealthy addiction. The second is that I had never had this cigar before and do not remember the name of it. I only recall that it was rolled in New York. I think New York may have been in the name but I'm not sure. I keep track of everything I smoke and if you check here every so often, you'll see that I always note the origin of the wrappers and fillers. Eventually I plan to use these ratings to figure out what country has the best tobacco and then move there (who am I kidding? It's Cuba). I asked Kelly if she could get me the name and origin information of the cigars her family handed out that day. She never got back to me on it. So this review is basically a few words on a cigar that I thoroughly enjoyed yet have no idea what it is. You can thank Kelly on that one. The lesson here? Women ruin everything.

It was a dark cigar, and pretty bold in taste. Probably a maduro of some kind. They seemed to be kept pretty well too. It was nicely pliable, the cut was perfect, the light was easy, and the draw was nice and smooth. The fullness of the smoke faded in and out through the different parts of the cigar, but overall it was pretty good.

The tastes were as you would expect for a maduro. Lots of spiciness, leather, and nuts. It was a relatively simple smoke so the transition of flavors wasn't really there but I would argue that the initial tastes were good enough so complexity wasn't really needed especially since it pandered to my bold preferences.

Overall, I would buy a box of these cigars if I knew what the Hell they were. Perhaps one day Kelly will come through for me. Until then, I'll have to hand out a rating to this nicely constructed stick and hope that I eventually will get to try it again.

Overall Rating: 84

Victory Cigar Bar

Cigar bars in Massachusetts are too rare. My brother Matt and I have been searching for one near us for quite some time. There are a few in downtown Boston but parking and prices in the city have been holding us back. We just wanted a place nearby where we could go to have a smoke and a drink without being sent outside in the cold. Well the other night, we stumbled across Victory Cigar Bar in Sudbury and quickly decided we would be becoming regulars.

The setting when you first walk in is welcoming. Many cigar stores have a lounging area but it's almost always in the back of the room with a bunch of chairs angled away from everything so that you wouldn't really feel comfortable grabbing a seat unless you're well known in the group. Sometimes the lounge settings are even a little intimidating like the Sopranos sitting around the table outside the coffee shop. Victory obviously makes an attempt to bring in newcomers. The owners themselves casually greet you at the door, and no one tries to push anything on you. In fact, Matt and I wandered around exploring the layout for a good 5 minutes before we even went to the humidor. The floor layout is pretty good with big leather couches and coffee tables placed throughout. A half dozen plasma screen TVs hang on the walls at a variety of angles so every seat gets you a perfect view of the game. The TVs are kept at a reasonable volume, there is no loud music, and everyone there seems to respect the fact that people come to Victory to just relax. I was even surprised by this considering the fact that the crowd was much younger than we had anticipated. I had imagined Matt and I being somewhat out of place in a room filled with men in their late 50's. On the contrary, the average age there that night was probably about 30. There were enough people there to fill all the seats, but it wasn't crowded. All in all, it was a setting a new guy would feel comfortable walking in to.

The walk in humidor, while missing any Camacho sticks (one of my all time favorites), still has a pretty impressive selection. The variety ranges from $4.00 Don Diegos all the way up to $35.00 Davidoff Milleniums. Matt and I decided to overindulge on our first visit so we each grabbed 2 cigars. I took a Cusano Corojo and an Olivia while Matt went for 2 different varieties of Rocky Patel. The employees hanging around outside the humidor don't bother you unless they are asked but also have plenty of knowledge to share about all their cigars. My one complaint was that for the evening, a representative from Pedoro was visiting and pushing his cigars on anyone who stepped foot into the humidor. His aggressiveness was nothing short of a used car salesmen and he even acted a little insulted and condescending when Matt picked out a cigar he wasn't selling. I made sure to ask him how often he comes to Victory and was pleased to find out that this was actually his annual trip for the year. We won't have to deal with him again.

We took our cigars and settled on one of the couches in front of the Celtics playoff game. There are cutters, matches, and huge ceramic ashtrays placed at every table. We lit up and I was pleased to find that the cigars here are kept pretty well. Everything we had that night smoked very well. We got our cigars going and then decided to see what the bar had to offer. Their drink menu is simply superb. They have over a dozen brands of scotch, both single malt and blended, several types of cognac, some nice bourbons, a few wine selections, and even some good Belgian Ales and Oatmeal stouts. They'll make any drink you'd like and will even pander to the idiots who insist on pairing their smoke with a bottled Bud Lite. We started to stand up when we found out that getting out of your comfortable seat and walking to the bar is practically unheard of. The staff there is attentive to the point where you actually feel guilty. We watched one employee that night tend the bar as well deal with about 15-20 other people seated throughout the room. They aren't annoying but always seem to be right there as soon as your glass is empty. I know they're just trying to drive up revenue, but there is also something to be said for the fact that they seem to appreciate what makes a good smoking experience, namely sitting down, zoning out, and not moving. Once again, Matt and I decided to go a little crazy for our first visit. He drank Johnny Walk Gold Label while I sipped on some very nice Macallan single malt aged 18 years.

We ended up spending quite a bit of money that night. 4 cigars + 4 top shelf scotches will do that, but we decided that finding this place was completely worth it. Sure, we went a little crazy this time around, but we could also have gotten 1 cigar along with a reasonably priced cognac, spent far less, and enjoyed the setting just as much. This is a great place to go whether we're celebrating something and going overboard, or just had a lousy week and need to unwind. As the owners describe it, this place is a haven for guys who are thrown out of the house because their wives or girlfriends won't allow them to smoke inside. It is exactly the type of place I needed. Overall, Victory Cigar bar was a definitive victory for us (sorry about the pun). We plan on going back often.

Camacho Coyolar Puro

This one is known as their powerhouse blend and since I'm a big fan of Camacho and their full bodied smokes, I have been looking forward to this one. As is usual for the Camacho brand, the wrapper, binder, and filler are all made from Jamastran Valley Honduran tobaccos. I bought a super toro for $7.50. Length is 6 inches, ring is size 52.

The wrapper feels somewhat dry but the stick still looks like it's in good condition. The cut is a little hard but it doesn't leave any frayed edges so I'm at least not worried about the cigar holding together.

The foot toasts surprisingly well releasing a nice tobacco odor and lights just as easily. However, within the first few puffs, I immediately identify the biggest downfall of this cigar. The draw. It's loose. Really loose. Frankly, I'm not even puffing on this thing. I'm just holding it to my lips and breathing. At the same time though, the smoke is still very full. I'm getting mouthfuls of thick smoke, not air, despite the unusually loose draw. But I'm still not sure I like it.

The stick needs a little help to burn evenly, but after a few minutes, its settles down and burns well for the rest of the smoke. The ash also stays on well, not falling off until at least 2 inches are still on.

As for the taste, one word describes this cigar: Overpowering. Right from the first puff of smoke, the only way I can describe the boldness of this cigar is by comparing it to getting repeatedly punched in the face. The flavors are very dark, very bitter, and even have a strong tar like taste. The nicotine also makes itself well known in this cigar. After smoking for a mere 5 minutes, I'm already feeling a bit lightheaded.

After a while, the nicotine presence backs off a little, giving me time to focus on the flavors. The problem is that the intensity of the smoke is making it difficult to distinguish between different tastes. Everything just tastes burnt. I think I can pick up on some coffee, but it's more like espresso that was left on the burner too long.

Time to suggest a drink pairing with this cigar. I think the only logical choice would be a straight shot of Bacardi 151.

As I get into the second half of the stick, things seem to calm down a little. Either that, or I'm just getting used to the boldness. I'm able to pick up on some nicer flavors, particularly roasted coffee and leather. I actually enjoy the rest of the smoke with these two primary tastes working together until the cigar finishes with a predictably intense ending.

I had some mixed feelings on how to rate this one. On the one hand, the draw was ridiculously loose. On the other hand, the smoke was still thick and full. On the one hand, everything was too bold even for my taste (I typically lean more towards the full bodied cigars). On the other hand, while the flavors were overpowering and a little burnt, they weren't exactly bad. This wasn't a poorly made cigar. I think it was exactly what the rollers had in mind and they figured there must be people out there who enjoy such an intense smoke. Would I smoke it again? Probably not. But would I encourage others to give it a try? Yes.

Overall Rating: 72

Arganese

One of the regulars at my cigar shop claimed this one to be a new up and coming brand. It's the next big thing. And after he pulled it off the shelf and handed it to me, I still bought it against my better judgement.

The Arganese Chairman double wrap, in my opinion, looks like something that would be more appropriately hung on a Christmas tree. I mean, look at it. I get it, there is a combinations of 2 wrappers here. But.....I mean......look at it. I bought this cigar for no reason other than curiosity. But we'll see if it surprises me.

This "double wrapper" is a twisting combination of Brazilian Maduros and Connecticut Shade. The filler and binder are both made of tobacco from the Dominican Republic. The double wrapper only comes in the Churchill size. 7 inch length, 50 ring. Priced at $6.80 a stick.

Putting aside the ridiculous looking candy cane design, at least the wrappers look smooth and free of any imperfections. However, the stick is a little too spongy which might create some problems while smoking.

My first few impressions of this cigar is that it is a pain to light, it burns unevenly at first, and the draw is mediocre at best being on the tight side. I don't get nearly as full of a smoke as I would like either. It's not awful by any means. The cigar is perfectly smokable. The smoking experience is just sort of........eh.

The flavors start out mild. They also seem to change with each puff of the cigar. For the first minute, I'm getting a nice wood taste, then it suddenly gets very bitter, then it's back to wood notes, then aburptly to dark chocolate. The flavors themselves are decent, but the cigar is all over the place with no real transitions. I'm also a little confused as to who decided to pair these two contrasting tastes.

After smoking for a while, things start to settle down. The burn fixes itself and is now nice and even, although the ash does keep falling off rather early. The smoke gets a little thicker and fuller. The tastes also seem to calm down a little. I'm now getting a nice spicy smoke although I would still categorize this cigar as mild, not really the medium bodied they claimed it was. Again, everything is just sort of.............eh.

The smoke ends on a nice spicy and bitter mixture. A stronger nicotine presence also emerges during the last part of the cigar but nothing too overpowering. All in all, other than the ridiculous looking stick itself, this cigar was perfectly average.

Overall rating: 75

Olivia Serie V

The V Serie is one of the newer cigars from Olivia. It's wrapper is a sun grown ligero from Nicaragua and the fillers are made of a blend of Nicaraguan tobaccos. Tonight's smoke is a Churchill Extra for $9.00. Length is 7. Ring is 52.

The cigar is a deep brown color and perfectly uniform throughout. It's well pliable and cuts perfectly without so much as a single frayed edge. It takes a few minutes to get the cigar fully lit but once it gets going, it burns evenly. The draw is a little on the tight side but not enough to lose any points for it.

The tastes are quite bold right off the bat. Incredibly spicy especially considering that we're talking about the first few puffs. Along with this is some very bitter coffee flavors all wrapped up in a dark creamy texture which makes the smoke feel thicker in the mouth. These dark bitter flavors would actually go well with a drink that's lighter with some fruity tastes. I think accompanying this smoke with bourbon would be overdoing it. The creamy texture here is quite strong so I definitely need a drink of some kind.......

We're back, along with some Allagash Duppel Reserve Belgian style ale. The light citrus notes of this type of drink excite the taste buds that the cigar isn't hitting adding to the whole experience. Sometimes drinking something that contrasts against the smoke flavors works well in this way.

I'm more than halfway through the cigar and bold creamy texture has remained consistent which is pretty impressive. Despite the fact that I wouldn't really classify it as complex, I'm still really enjoying this smoke.

As I work my way down the cigar, more earthy flavors emerge and the creaminess starts to fade. I also start to get a strong nicotine taste. These strong flavors remain prominent down to the end of the smoke which finishes off just as boldly as it started.

I liked this one. The flavors were simple but bold. They all came out at once, and remained consistent for the entire smoke rather than fade in and out and trying to mask it as "flavor transition". Sometimes, complexity isn't as important as just having a quality taste for the whole cigar.

Overall Score: 88

Montecristo

Years ago, I went on a trip to Canada with my family. It was there that I smoked by first Cuban cigar. It was a Montecristo Double Corona and it was one of the best smokes I had ever had. Since Cubans are pretty hard to get ahold of in the States, I obviously don't get to smoke too many and since the Cuban Montecristo will always remain one of my favorites, I have been avoiding the popular Dominican version for quite some time since there is no way it could have been as good. I didn't want a lousy imitation ruining the real thing for me.

Anyway, I finally broke down the other day because I realized that if I'm going to blog about cigars, I need to at least include all the well known brands. So I'm taking the hit here. I stopped by my local store and bought the Montecristo Double Corona. 7 1/2 inch length and a size 50 ring. Price: $8.50

Advertised as a medium bodied smoke, the Montecristo consists of Dominican Fillers with a Connecticut shade wrapper. I would also like to throw out the fact that some people have described this cigar as having a marshmallow taste. In a way, I'm dreading this.

The stick is a light brown and actually looks like it's in pretty good condition with no noticeable imperfections. It's also spongy which should ensure a decent draw.

The cigar is a bit of a pain to light. It takes more than a few minutes to toast the foot and really get it going. However, once I finally have the cigar fully lit, it burns quite well and consistently throughout the smoke. The ash is a very light gray and doesn't fall off until about 2 1/2 inches each time. The good burn eliminates any burning sensations in the mouth and allows the tastes to really be experienced.

Also, I find the construction to be great. The draw is perfect and the smoke is nice and full. A light puff gets the ideal amount of smoke into the mouth. So far, I'm actually impressed.

As for the flavors, everything starts off pretty mildly. There is some faint wood tastes along with some earthy notes, but everything is pretty light.

As the cigar burns, things start to pick up a little. The smoke develops a pleasant creamy texture, the wood flavors become more prominent, and a nice leather taste beings to come out more. Also, there is a spiciness that seems to come in and out which makes the cigar more complex as it burns. This second part of the cigar is quite good. The smoke is more on the mild side than medium bodied, but I'm still really enjoying this one.

The last part of the smoke gets a little bland as most of the flavors fade away except for the earthy tones. There is a slight sweetness that also emerges here but I don't think it works too well on it's own.

I definitely regret not smoking this one sooner. Is it anywhere near the level of the Cuban version? No. But it was still a good cigar. The flavors started off slowly, easing you into things, but when the smoke hit it's peak, there were a lot of flavors being thrown around at once in nice combinations. The end was somewhat boring, but throughout the whole smoke, the draw was great and the stick burned evenly. That always earns a cigar more points in my book. Montecristo offers a wide variety of cigars,and after enjoying this one, I'll definitely be trying some others.

Overall Rating: 87

Punch

When you into a store and just pick different cigars at random, you're going to get a few bad ones every now and then. To me, one of the most disappointing experiences to put up with is selecting a smoke, bringing it home, pouring a drink, going outside and lighting up with the intent to just zone out and enjoy for an hour or so, and quickly realizing you bought a lousy cigar. And sometimes you get a cigar that's so bad, it simply sets the bar for everything else. I know it's only been a few months, but I'm pretty sure the Humidor blog hit rock bottom a few days ago.

I bought a Punch Bolo, got a glass of cognac, and stepped outside with my laptop. It had been a few weeks since I did any review on my blog and considering the last one was a disappointing smoke (not to mention that I had a rather bad day as well) I was really hoping for something good.

I'm not even going to get into the details here. I'll just give you a quick recap of the highlights.

Wrapper and filler all from Honduras. Size was 7 inches long, 50 ring. Cost $7.

The wrapper was bone dry to the touch and almost flaked off in my fingers. There were imperfections everywhere and running veins more pronounced than the cigar itself. As soon as the cigar was cut, parts of the wrapper unraveled in my hand.

The stick was a pain to light, taking almost 5 full minutes before I actually got the thing going. It just wasn't taking because of what I was beginning to see was horrible construction.

The draw was ridiculously loose. I would take puffs that gave me nothing but a mouthful of air. Barely any smoke made it into my mouth. I could just imagine the enormous pockets undoubtedly throughout the inside of the stick holding nothing but empty tasteless air. Obviously, this also prevented the smoke from burning even halfway decently. Within the first part alone, I needed to relight the thing twice.

Perhaps it was the lack of smoke that got to my mouth, but this cigar wasn't even remotely close to the bold tasting smoke it is advertised as. The tastes and flavors ranged from faint to nonexistent. Anything I did pick up was simple. I light wood flavor, some soft earthy tones. Nothing enjoyable enough to get into.

The only positive attribute this Punch cigar gave was a mild pleasant cedar aroma. So I guess if you're looking for a $7 incense stick, head over to your local cigar store.

I have been smoking cigars of all kinds for 10 years. This was the worst one I ever had in my life, including the low rated ones on this very site. At least there is no way to go but up.

Overall Rating: 50 (lowest possible score)

Ashton VSG

I decided that my first sample of Ashton would be a cigar from the VSG series as the Fuente Family seems to be particularly proud of this one. Advertised as powerful, complex, and rich, it sounded like one I would enjoy.

Ashton VSG's wrapper is what draws the most attention. It's grown in a naturally cloudy region of Ecuador (as opposed to artificially cloudy?) which serves as a shading factor, similar to the Connecticut shade wrapper growing conditions. The filtered sunlight leads to a particularly bolder tasting leaf.

The filler of the cigar is made with a variety of Dominican tobaccos that have been aged 4-5 years which would theoretically lead to those more complex tastes.

I purchased an "illusion" (Ashton has some weird names for their cigar sizes including wizard, and sorcerer) for $12. It measures 7 inches long with a 44 ring.

The stick has a rugged look to it. There are several noticeable veins and a few too many imperfections. It almost seems like it was constructed this way on purpose as all the cigars in the store looked this way, but I don't particularly like it. Still, the medium brown color is uniform throughout and the cigar is nicely pliable which makes me feel more optimistic.

The cigar cuts very nicely and lights surprisingly well for its size. I enjoy the toast particularly on this one as it releases a very nice tobacco scent before I even go to puff on it.

The draw is well balanced with a full smoke although the texture of the smoke, while creamy, is still a little biting.

This cigar is certainly full bodied from the get go. The smoke starts off with a dark cream texture and bold peppery flavors. There seem to be some faint wood notes as well but the pepper is dominating the first part here.

The cigar seems to be burning just fine with a light ash gray. It stays on for about.....OH NO!!!

We have a serious problem here. Half of the wrapper literally just popped loose and unraveled. I have never seen that happen so quickly before. It was as if the wrapper was too tight and finally just snapped. I managed to carefully peel off the damaged areas and save half the cigar, but I am obviously not pleased right now.

The second part of the cigar lifts my spirits a little. The tastes transition nicely to a mixture of dark chocolate and coffee. A strong nicotine presence emerges here but not enough to actually overpower the smoke.

Unfortunately, these pleasant flavors do not last long at all. In fact, within a matter of minutes, they are all but gone. Replacing them are strong but very simple earthy tastes. The creamy texture of the smoke has also diminished. All of this seemingly happening at once leaves the cigar tasting flat. The draw has also gotten noticeably tighter although the smoke is still full. I keep waiting for another transition of flavors that never comes.

As I get to the last part of the stick, everything just goes to Hell. The cigar starts to burn very unevenly leaving me with nothing but a smoky burning flavor and biting smoke. I can't even finish it.

One of the most important things a cigar smoker should learn early on is that high prices do not necessarily translate into high quality. I'm pretty sure Ashton just made my point. While the cigar was certainly bold and full bodied as I had been expecting, I was very disappointed with the lack of complexity that I had been promised. Putting aside the unraveling wrapper and the horrible burn at the finish line, both which might have been the result of unluckily getting a dud, I really didn't find anything much enjoyable about this cigar that would have justified handing over $12. Plus, when it comes to things like unraveling wrappers, I don't like giving expensive cigars the benefit of the doubt. The draw was nice for the most part, and the brief chocolate flavors were enjoyable. But all things considered, this cigar dug itself into a hole that 2 minutes of enjoyable smoking certainly wasn't going to get itself out of. All I hear about is how much people love Ashton. I don't care. I'm not going back.

Overall Rating: 59

Drinks

Being a cigar smoker, it's fun to experiment in pairing drinks with smokes. Sometimes I'll have the same cigar multiple times with different drinks each time coming away with a different opinion. A good drink can accentuate different flavors of a cigar and vice versa. Sometimes I'll go with something that complements the flavors. Other times, I'll have a glass of something that excites taste buds completely different than the ones the cigar is. Each time, the experience can be drastically different.

Below is a quick list of my regular drinks along with a simple ranked breakdown of my preferences in each category.

Scotch: It's hard to go wrong with a good bottle of scotch. There is such a wide variety available that you can find one that will pair with any cigar you have.
1. Johnny Walker Blue Label
2. Dalmore Cigar Malt
3. Johnny Walker Gold Label
4. Macallan 12 year
5. Glenlivet 18 year
6. Glennfidditch 15 year
7. Johnny Walker Green Label
8. Glenlivet 12 year

Cognac: Lighter and almost sweet. If you normally don't drink things straight up, starts with this to ease you into it.
1. Remy Martin XO
2. Courvoissior VSOP
3. Remy Martin VSOP
4. Hennessey VSOP

Whiskey: Bourbon and other whiskeys often tend to have a little more of a kick to them. As a result, I usually reserve them for more full bodied cigars that can hold their own against a powerful tasting drink.
1. Makers Mark
2. Crown Royal
3. Single Barrel Jack
4. Knob Creek
5. Wild Turkey

Tequila: This sounded weird to me too so I haven't even tried much of a variety yet. Trust me, it's worth it.
1. Patron Silver
2. Jose Cuervo

Beer: No specific brewer, but these particular styles can go very well with a cigar if it's a quality brew. Check out Josh's Beer Blog for brewer ratings and recommendations.
1. Belgian Ale
2. Imperial Stout
3. Barely Wine
4. Scottish Ale

CAO Gold

Since I had been focusing on bold cigars, I figured it was time to change things up a little. CAO Gold is a mild to medium cigar from Nicaragua. I have enjoyed many cigars from CAO's collection so I figured it would be a good move to depend on them for my first mild smoke review.

The wrapper on this cigar is Ecuadorian. The binder and filler are all made from Nicaraguan tobaccos. I purchased a Churchill size stick for $8.00. The length is 7 inches and the ring is 48.

The wrapper is a light brown with a few visible veins. It seems a little dry and the cut is disappointing as it leaves some frayed and torn edges. The wrapper isn't quite to the point of unraveling, but if I'm not careful, it will be. And then I will flip out.

The cigar lights easily and the first few puffs release a pretty strong aroma considering this is a mild cigar. A very pleasant scent of cedar practically fills the whole room.

The draw is a little tight but not enough to ruin the smoking experience. Also, the construction is a little off as the stick seems a little too spongy. In fact, the draw becomes even tighter if too much pressure is applied by my fingers to random parts of the cigar.

The smoke is quite light and mild. I have heard some people refer to this cigar as "crisp" although I'm not sure I would go that far. The first part of the cigar has a light cream texture and an almost caramel sweet taste.

The next part sticks with its mild flavors. New tastes emerging now are vanilla and nutmeg. Some faint wood flavors are also present.

What earned this cigar major points in my book was the burn. The stick burned evenly and consistently. Sometimes as you smoke a cigar, it seems to have varying levels of burning throughout. This was not the case here as the draw and burn was exactly the same from start to finish. My favorite part of all this? The ash, a light gray, stayed on the cigar for a delightfully long time. I even found myself carefully puffing to see how long I could keep the ash from falling off. It actually stayed on for more than half the length of the cigar before falling into my ash tray. These kind of things really excite me.

Towards the end of the smoke, the flavors stay in the mild spectrum with the sweetness fading away to woody notes. A slight nicotine taste comes out here but mixes well which is unusual because the smoke is so mild. Normally, the emergence of a nicotine presence is my cue to put a mild smoke down since it will often overpower the delicate flavors. However, it seems to work right now.

At the end of the cigar, some stronger earthy flavors emerge. The faint vanilla tastes fade out and the smoke finishes off with a bit of a pop which even mild cigars sometimes do.

As I have said before, I usually lean more towards the full bodied smokes. That being said, mild cigars still have tastes and flavors to be appreciated. Consistency was one of this cigar's strong points. The smoke could stand to be a little more complex, but the flavors were still enjoyable. The construction and draw took away from the experience a little but the tastes were interesting enough that I would probably purchase this one again if I found myself in the mood for something on the smooth and light side. I found myself a little torn on whether this cigar finished in the high 70's for low 80's. Points were lost due to the fact that CAO Gold advertises itself not as mild, but as a medium bodied cigar. It's not. However, I gave out some very generous points for such a great burn, especially the ash lasting as long as it did which really does contribute quite a bit to the development of flavors. I'll admit, I may have put a little too much weight on this one characteristic. But it really was great.

Overall Rating: 81

Camacho Diploma

Camacho is a popular Honduran brand known for full bodied smokes. They have quite a wide range of selection too. For this review, I bought one a little more on the expensive side just to see if it was really worth it.

The cigar for tonight is a Camacho Corojo Diploma for $13. The length is 6 inches and the ring is 50. Its wrapper, binder, and filler are all made in Honduras. These tobaccos are grown in the Jamastran Valley of Honduras, a region where perfect soil and ideal climate can compare to Cuba's renowned Vuelta Abajo Region (to be fair, many cigar manufacturers like to claim the same thing so you should take that with a grain of salt.)

The stick is a medium to dark brown. The wrapper is almost seamless and completely smooth throughout. It's perfectly pliable and has an interesting construction as the middle of the cigar seems thicker than at the ends, basically coming to a bulge. Obviously, this was done on purpose and shows that this smoke will probably prove to be more complex that your average cigar.

It lights easily and the draw right from the first puff is perfect with a full mouth of smoke. It burns evenly and the draw remains the same throughout the entire cigar.

The taste starts off bold with a full bodied but not biting or overly bitter taste. There are a lot of strong wood flavors along with heavy tobacco tastes. Also, the texture of the smoke is particularly smooth which allows the flavors to be enjoyed even more.

After a few minutes, faint peppercorn and leather flavors come in and out. It's clear early on that this is a pretty complex smoke as the flavors are constantly changing and trading places. The taste goes from leather to wood to tobacco with very smooth blending transitions. Throughout all this, there remains a pleasant spice taste in the background.

The ash looks a little complex as well as it appears to be differing shades of gray throughout running up and down almost like a design. The ash stays on for a good amount and the cigar continues to smoke perfectly.

As I get into the next part of the stick, the spiciness and leathery flavors pick it up a notch or 2 making the overall taste a little bolder. Also coming out now is a dark creamy texture. The construction of this cigar is superb. The transitioning of flavors is great. You can tell that everything is well planned and the roller was well in control of how this cigar would burn and smoke.

As I get toward the final part of the cigar, a slight nicotine flavor begins to show itself. Also, the tobacco tastes take charge along with some new nut flavors. The wood, leather, and spice, all take a backseat to the tobacco for a while causing the cigar to finish off bold and strong.

I really enjoyed this one. It was definitely worth the few extra dollars. The smoke had excellent full bodied tastes without being overpowering. The flavors were quite complex which made the entire smoke enjoyable. And the draw was simply perfect from start to finish. The next time I earn a good cigar for one occasion or another, the Camacho Diploma will be on my list of ones to reach for.

Overall Rating: 94

La Flor Dominicana Double Ligero

Advertised as one of the most full bodied cigars on the market, I was excited to try this one. Ligero is the name of a priming from the tobacco plant that provides a leaf that is dark, full bodied, and spicy. It is used in many of the famous full bodied cigars to give them their distinctive full flavor. The guy at the store also claimed that the smoke was very complex and I would need to take some time to enjoy it.

The wrapper for this cigar is Ecuadorian and as the name suggest, the filler is made of Dominican tobaccos. I bought a DL600 for $7.00 which is 5 1/5 inches long with a 52 size ring. As I have said before, this is usually a little large for my liking but I decided to give it a try because sometimes the bigger sticks serve as a better presentation for full bodied flavors in terms of burning.

The appearance is a little worrisome once I remove the cigar from it's plastic wrap. The color is a robust brown and there doesn't seem to be many imperfections. However, It seems a little too pliable and the wrapper feels somewhat dry.

The cut is also a little disappointing. I was hoping I wouldn't have to get into this, but it seems like the time to bring up my single biggest pet peeve of cigars. When the wrapper begins to unravel.

Sometimes when the wrapper is too dry or it was rolled poorly, it simply flakes off or sometimes completely unravels from the cigar. This drives me absolutely crazy. When parts of the wrapper are coming off, not only does it prevent the cigar from burning properly, but I can't even enjoy the smoke because I'm dwelling on it. It actually infuriates me. It just does. I have often returned to cigar stores after making the cut to demand a refund for a lousy wrapped and poorly kept cigar. But it's late right now and the stores are closed. So it looks like I'll have to deal with it.

The cigar lights just fine and the burn starts evenly. The ash is a light gray, almost white, and stays on for a good amount during the first part of the smoke.

One thing is for sure, La Flor Dominicana is definitely the full bodied cigar it claims to be. The taste starts out with a wallop. Bold and overwhelming spicy flavors immediately come out within the first few puffs. Some people don't like to have their taste buds dominated like that but I actually quite enjoy this type of smoke. Also, while the taste is quite bold, the smoke is still smooth if that makes any sense. There is no unpleasant bite that sometimes accompanies spicy cigars. Along with the spiciness are very strong tobacco flavors and a pleasing aroma of cedar.

The draw is a little tight which surprised me, after feeling how spongy the cigar was, I was expecting the smoke to actually be too loose. To be fair, as the cigar burns, the draw does get a little better, but it remains to be one of the less impressive characteristics of the cigar.

As the smoke continues, the spicy peppery flavors back off a little. What comes through now is a red wine taste. This is pretty interesting because usually a glass of wine is the last thing on my list of drinks to pair with cigars as the flavors do not typically go together. However, in this case, some Cabernet may actually complement La Flor Dominicana as there would be an overlapping of flavors.

After a few minutes, I miss the bolder tastes. The wine flavor isn't bad, but I think it's something that should serve as a faint background presence rather than the primary flavor it is now.

Unfortunately, the cigar doesn't last much longer past the halfway mark. The wrapper almost completely unravels causing the cigar to burn horribly. This completely ruins the taste and I end up throwing out the rest of it. As a result, I obviously can't comment on the final part of the cigar.

Overall, I'm disappointed in the way the smoke went. I try not to deduct too many points for things like unraveling wrappers because sometimes you just pick up a dud. But I certainly take away a few. The boldness in the beginning was enjoyable, but the wine flavor didn't do it for me. Also apart from those two flavors, there isn't really anything complex about this cigar. It starts out full bodied and stays full bodied. There aren't many transitions of tastes and the flavors do not improve as the cigar burns which was what I was hoping for. Like I said, I never got the opportunity to experience the final part of the smoke, so I might consider trying it again and carefully selecting a better kept stick. However, given that I wasn't really wowed on this one, I don't think it will be any time soon.

Overall Rating: 67

Cusano 18 Year Maduro

This is a trendy brand made in the Dominican Republic. The wrapper is from Connecticut and the filler is made of Brazilian and Dominican tobaccos. I selected a maduro toro for $5.00. The length is 6 1/2 inches and the ring size is 46.

There are two special things about this cigar, the Connecticut shade wrapper and the 18 year aged Dominican tobacco filler.

The Connecticut shade wrapper has become rather popular lately as darker bolder cigars seem to be the trendier thing. It is made from a leaf actually grown in the shade, more specifically underneath tents that protect it from direct sunlight. This careful method causes the leaves to turn to their deep brown color and also leaves them with their oily shiny appearance, rather than dried out from the sun. Even more interestingly is the fact that the shade leafs only seem to turn the perfect color and produce their spicy flavor just right when grown in this specific area of Connecticut. It's been tried everywhere, even Cuba. It simply cannot be replicated. I'm not making this up.

Next is the Dominican Olor tobacco filler that has been aged for 18 years. I'm glad someone did it because I certainly wouldn't have the patience. When cigars are aged, even for just 6 months to a year, they mature and unlock new flavors. Theoretically, a tobacco filler that was harvested 18 years ago, should certainly be an experience.

The look of the cigar is one of its biggest draws. It's deep dark brown with a wrapper so oily that it shines. This one has a few noticeable veins running down it but it's still a great looking stick.

It cuts very nicely. I was able to just cleanly shave a little off the end. It also lights very easily and immediately has a very nice aroma.

Another great factor about this cigar is it's draw. Very easy, smooth, and full even though it has only started to burn.

The burn is decent although it does need a little help along the way. I even had to relight it once which is my 2nd biggest peeve of cigars (hopefully we wont have to address the 1st anytime soon) but I'll restrain myself from deducting too many points for that as sometimes its just the case of the individual cigar. The ash, a medium grey, stays on for about an inch at a time.

The smoke starts off with a bang. Its a bold taste with a full mouth of smoke and creamy but bitter textures. It gets progressively creamier throughout the first part. There are also easily detectable traces of pepper. However, the dominant flavor of this cigar is definitely coffee.

One draw back I notice as I get into the middle of the smoke is a strong nicotine presence. Normally this doesn't bother me. In my opinion, a nicotine taste can add to the overall flavor of the cigar in the same way that a strong alcohol flavor can be a good thing for an Imperial Stout. However, as I smoke this cigar, I swear there is a faint hint of vanilla trying to come out, but it's being overpowered by the nicotine. I little more balance overall would turn this smoke from good to great.

As I get towards the end, the creamy flavors fade away as the smoke gets quite spicy tastes of cedar emerge. Dark coffee still remains the prominent flavor here.

The last part is quite good. I really enjoy it. There is no burning in my mouth as the cigar is not overly heated. This allows me to concentrate on the very bold spicy peppery ending. This powerful flavor was definitely saved for last. Pepper is just consuming the taste buds and even now overpowers the coffee.

Overall, a very enjoyable medium-full bodied smoke. I've heard the churchill suits this filler better with the larger ring so I'll reach for that one next time. Even so, I find the smoke and flavors to be exceptional and greatly attributed to the unique wrapper. This one is definitely worth another try.

Overall Rating: 88

La Gloria Cubana

Before I get into my review, I want to remind everyone that I am not an expert so feel free to disagree with me or add some new insight of your own. However, keep in mind that I am not necessarily interested in having the same ideas and experiences as everyone else who writes reviews for the same cigars. I'm sure you will notice that most reviews by different people can have different perspectives on the same cigar based on their individual palates and personal tastes. Therefore, my goal is to draw my own conclusions and opinions independent of Cigar Aficionado Magazine and all other professional, but certainly credible, reviews.

I am keeping my rating system rather simple to start off with. I won't bother going over the specific formula. I'll be rating each cigar on a number of factors and then just converting everything into a grade on a simple 100-point scale.

90-100: Great smoke. Add it to my list of regular and special occasion cigars.
80-89: Very good and would definitely smoke again
70-79: Good, would consider smoking again
60-69: Fair, but would probably not smoke again
Below 60: Bad, will not smoke again

So let's just get to the first one.

La Gloria Cubana

I have heard this to be a rather popular brand. I bought a natural churchill for $6.00. The length is 7 inches and the ring is 50.

Gloria Cubana is made primarily in Miami, FL but a new factory was also opened fairly recently in the Dominican Republic. The wrapper for this cigar is Ecuadorian and the filler is made with Nicaraguan and Dominican tobaccos.

The cigar is a nice dark brown. There are no visible problems with the edges of the wrapper but there are a few small imperfections along the cigar. The construction seems good as the body is pliable and also does not feel too dry to the touch. The cut is very smooth (I use a double bladed cutter by the way, nothing fancy) and leaves no ragged edges.

It toasts and lights fairly easily. The burn is very good throughout most of the cigar. It burns quite evenly and the ash, a very light gray, stays on for close to 2 inches before falling off.

The Draw is halfway decent but a tad on the tight side for my liking. Also, I usually like to have a little more smoke fill my mouth with each puff.

The first part of the smoke starts off with a mild yet very creamy taste. A syrupy taste and texture controls the front of the mouth for a while. It's a nice way to ease into the cigar, but it's a very simple taste and after a while, I almost become bored with it.

As the second part starts to burn, the tastes are kicked up a notch. The smoke becomes much bolder and while the cream taste still remains, a spicier and peppery taste begins to take over. Also, I detect a faint presence of wood and nuts.

The last third of the cigar ends with more bitter flavors. The wood tastes stand out a lot more at this point and the creamy texture is all but gone. I think I'm also beginning to pick up on the after taste that I have heard accompanies this cigar, but it's nothing too overpowering.

I was a little disappointed with the final third of the cigar as it began to burn unevenly. The heat from the smoke also started to burn my mouth much earlier than I am used to, as there were still about 2 1/2 inches left.

I did like the transition of tastes. It definitely starts out quite mild before reminding you that La Gloria Cubana is meant to be more of a full bodied smoke as spicier flavors come out. I would categorize it between a medium and full bodied smoke. The flavors were enjoyable enough without overpowering the mouth. Considering also the low price, I would recommend people give this one a try.

Overall Rating: 74