The Borons Cigar Blog

I found this cigar at a local shop, as you know by now… If I haven’t reviewed it, I’ll usually pick a few up. The Diamondback is a product of Altadis. It is said to be smooth, mild and aromatic with a touch of sweetness. It was blended by Omor Ortez, and that’s about all I know about this cigar. I paired this review with water.

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut

Binder: Nicaraguan

Filler: Nicaraguan

Size: Robusto 54 x 6

Price: Around $4.00

Pre-Smoke & Construction:

The tax wrapper was a little toothy looking, but had no major flaws. The odor of the wrapper was sweet cedar. The foot was similar, but had a little spice. The cigar was fairly evenly packed, and bounced back when squeezed. The pre-light draw had slight resistance, and the pre-light flavor was earthy with cedar.

The ash held for around an inch, and the burn required no corrections.

Flavor:

The first third: I didn’t notice this on the pre-light draws… There was a sweetness that reminded me of a sweetened cap. I don’t know if that was the case or not. Otherwise, the dominant flavor was earthiness and natural tobacco. Through the nose was a slight spice. The smoke feel was dry and crisp.

The second third was still earthy with woody notes. There may have been a tinge of nuttiness mixed in at times. The cap still seemed to leave a sweet taste on the lips. It tasted like a sweetened cap to me, as opposed to a natural sweetness. The retrohale didn’t change. Passing smoke through the nose was the same as well. The smoke feel took on a thicker feel and was almost creamy.

The last third pretty much stayed the same in terms of flavor. The body may have increased in strength a little bit, but remained upper mild. Nothing new to report in the last third.

Conclusion:

This was a decent mild to upper mild bodied cigar. The flavors were good and simple. It basically was a typical Connecticut, but with a sweetened cap flavor added. That would probably be my biggest complaint. The sweetness wasn’t’ bad, but had an artificial taste. I could see myself smoking these in the morning with coffee. For me it isn’t suited for anything more than that.

Earlier this year I reviewed the Robusto size of this cigar. The blends are the same, but it is said that each size provides a different smoking experience. These cigars are Brazilian puros. You don’t run across that very often. When Wesley from Tabacos Mata Fina USA asked if I’d like to try the Monte Pascoal Corona I jumped at the chance.

I’ve been a fan of Dona Flor, another Brazilian puro, for years. I wonder what ever happened to them anyway. Anyone out there know? They literally just went quiet and dropped off of the face of the earth.

Anyway… I was sent a five pack and smoked a few before doing this review.

Wrapper: Brazil Mata Fina

Binder: Brazil Mata Fina

Filler: Brazil Mata Fina and Mata Norte

Size: 5 5/8 x 42

Price: Around $6.00

Pre-Smoke & Construction:

It is common for these wrappers to look very rugged, yet they look velvety at the same time. This was no exception. The odor from the wrapper was a smooth, sweet earthiness. The foot was basically the same. The cigar was pretty evenly packed, and had a slight give when pinched. The pre-light draw had slight resistance, and there was a smooth sweet earthiness with notes of cedar.

The ash held for about an inch, and the burn required no corrections.

Flavor:

The first third was woody with wispy earthy notes. There was something else going on with the aftertaste, but my palate may be too crude to find something to compare it to. When passing smoke through the nose, I picked up an easy pepper and wood.

The second third kept the same dominant woody flavor with earthy notes. What changed was the smoke feel became thicker and clung to the mouth and lips. The aftertaste hung around for awhile, and eventually developed a nice sweet note. Like before, the pepper didn’t go anywhere when passing smoke through the nose. Occasionally I got bitter sweetness, similar to what you’d find in dark chocolate (not the Hershy candy bar), if you know what I mean.

The last third developed into a focused combination of wood, chocolate, and peppery spice. The smoke feel became creamier and sweeter. Basically the flavors blended together and became more focused.

Conclusion:

This was a very good, solid medium bodied cigar. I can’t recall if the other 3 I smoked were this rich. I only recall getting that from the large ring gauges. No matter, this cigar hit the spot. As always, I have to point out any negative aspects, and that would be the price. I’d hope to pay a little less for a corona size, but these Brazilian puro’s tend to cost a little more. Since my old favorite Dona Flor went MIA, these would easily satisfy a craving for Brazilian tobacco. Although the flavors are common, something about tobacco from this region is unique. I can’t quite explain it. Monte Pascoal is definitely worth checking out.

Early October is simply a beautiful time of year, here in my neck of the woods in northern New Jersey. The weather is sensational, mid to high 60’s, the leaves are just about starting to turn, my lawn looks plush and amazing, and the air is crisp and clean. This is absolutely optimal cigar smoking weather, gorgeous and comfortable by day, and relaxing and warm by a fire at night.

While I have to say that this is my favorite time of the year, it’s not just because of the weather or the scenery. This is the time of year when a man’s fancy turns to not only cigar smoking up a storm, but now we have a plethora of sports, sports, sports, and even more sports to fulfill our otherwise empty and meaningless existence. The NFL just started playing over a month ago and college football is in full swing. The National Hockey League just started play this past week with four teams, including my New York Rangers opening up the season in Stockholm, Sweden. And the World Series playoffs are into Round Two, as the Motor City Tigers knocked off the Evil Empire of Steinbrenerland, in an amazing five game series. Okay, I admit that I’m a lowly Mets fan and my only ‘real’ thrill is watching the Bronx Bombers implode, while Alex Rodriguez lays another egg when it comes down to crunch time. I know I need a life, but for now, I’ll live with this one, thank you.

There is not a day or evening that will go by for the next month without a multitude of games being played in a vast array of sporting events across all of North America. And while a sports fanatic like myself revels in the constant flow of quarters, periods, and innings played, it is for certain the most painful time of the year for the wives we are married to, the ones who take on the moniker of “sports widows” every Fall season.

I’m just so lucky that my wife doesn’t like sports and completely loathes the smell of my cigars, so I get lots of bonding time with my equally addicted buddies. One neighbor has a flat screen outside on his patio, where we spend the day watching football, and the nights watching hockey and baseball, all while puffing and pounding the likes of Alec Bradley, Rocky Patel, La Aurora, San Cristobal, Don Pepin, OLIVA CAIN & NUB, CAO, and EP Carillo… (yeah that’s right, tough guy… don’t look so surprised… we carry all that good stuff here at JR Cigars… go to the website and see for yourself!) A couple of my other buddies have iPads and we watch under the stars while enjoying our premium sticks. I’m always glad to hook up with my cromag crew to guzzle some brewzers and fire up the stoags, all while ragging the refs, cursing the coaches, and hopefully celebrating a home team victory! Unless your supposed better half digs team sports, she will be the woeful widow for a solid month, this Autumn time of year.

But hey… make sure to let the ladies know that things will become a tad more normal pretty soon, as baseball will end in a few weeks, and NBA may never get off the ground this season. You’ll be relegated to watching football only on Saturday, Sunday, Monday, and Thursday, and hockey only several times a week. Wait a minute… that’s still like every single day, isn’t it? All right, we’ll just keep that to ourselves and deal with it as it rears its ugly head. In the meantime, I am seriously gearing up for a megaton of finely aged premium tobacco, hours of cromag camaraderie, and game after game of bone crunching sports, all to fill that empty void until pitchers and catchers start up again next spring. So, if you see my wife, tell her not to wait up, I’m sure there’s a west coast game on somewhere.

Til Next time,

Tommy Z . JR Cigars Blog With the Zman

Have we got a deal for you!

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The Diamond Crown is made by Fuente and JC Newman. It was developed in celebration of JC Newman Cigar Co’s 100th anniversary in 1995. They boast the wrapper is fermented twice, which is said to boost the smooth sweet flavors.

I should mention that this is a first impression review, meaning I’ve only smoked one. The cigar was sent to me awhile back from Bonita Smoke Shop. Given the $11.80 MSRP for a Robusto, I probably would have passed up buying this cigar.

Wrapper: Connecticut

Binder: Dominican

Filler: Dominican

Size: Robusto 5.5 x 54

Price: $11.80

Pre-Smoke & Construction:

The light tan Connecticut wrapper was shiny with small veins. It had a somewhat toothy (bumpy) appearance, but no visible flaws. The smell of the wrapper was cedar. The foot had a mild tobacco odor. The cigar was very solidly packed. It was a bit harder to the touch towards the cap. The pre-light draw had slight resistance and had a mild cedar and earthy flavor.

The burn required one minor correction, and the ash was solid, holding for around 1.5 inches.

Flavor:

The first third went pretty much the way I expected of a Connecticut wrapped cigar. Cedar and nuttiness were the main flavors. Through the nose, a smooth, mild spice was present. It was almost like a mild pepper (not black pepper). Overall the smoke was silky smooth and pleasant. The further I dug in, the more richer the flavors became.

The second third continued that develop a rich flavor profile. It was simple, but rich. The flavors were basically unchanged – Nuttiness and some cedar. The spice increased in strength but remained smooth and easy to pass through the nose. Occasionally I found earthiness very far in the background. The smoke feel bordered on creaminess, but never quite got there.

The spice kicked up another notch in the last third. It left a nice sweet tingle on the lips and palate. The nuttiness became the dominant flavor. Cedar was there but didn’t seem as prominent. The smoke feel became crisp and went well with the increased spice. Like before, wispy earthy notes were in the background.

Conclusion:

This was a good mild to medium bodied cigar. It started off mild, and crept into the mid-medium range. The flavors were simple but very rich and refined. Construction was another plus. While many aspects of the flavor profile were typical Connecticut, there was a bit more going on here. The only downside I see is the price. If it were cheaper, I could easily smoke this often with coffee. Price aside, anyone who likes Connecticut wrapped cigars could appreciate the Diamond Crown. I’d sum it up as a Connecticut wrapped cigar with a spicy twist.

Once again I am reviewing a Falto cigar. I was sent a variety of blends, and I’ve sporadically reviewed each one over the past year. Since this is a small boutique company, Luis can be directly involved in all aspects of his blends. I was introduced to Falto Cigars, as well as Luis himself, at an event Bonita Smoke Shop was having awhile ago. Needless to say, all of us enjoyed the cigars. Luis was also a cool laid back guy to hang out with.

Today I am reviewing the Ingenio #10. They come in a nice presentation. Each cigar is enclosed in it’s own cedar coffin as well. I smoked a few of these, and this time around I paired with water.

Wrapper: Ecuador Corojo

Binder: Nicaraguan, Estelí

Filler: Nicaragua, Brazilian, Dominican, and Cameroon

Size: Perfecto 6 x 60

Price: ?

Pre-Smoke & Construction:

The chocolaty brown wrapper had an oily appearance with few veins or flaws. The odor coming off of the wrapper and foot was cedar. The cigar was very solid and evenly packed. The draw was a little snug but within my tolerances. When taking a pre-light draw, I got an interesting flavor that was hard to pin down. I’d say it was cedar, earth, and a sweet fruitiness.

As you’d expect in a Perfecto, as I dug into the larger parts of the cigar, the draw opened up and was perfect. The ash held for about 1.5 inches, and the burn required a few minor corrections.

Flavor:

The first third opened up with cedar and spice. When passing smoke through the nose, I picked up that classic Nicaraguan peppery zing. After about an inch of smoking, the smoke feel took on a sweet creaminess that resembled cocoa.

The second third kept that sweet creaminess. Cedar, earth, and sweetness dominated the flavor profile. Fruity notes lingered in the background and in the aftertaste. Overall the flavor profile opened up and became fuller in flavors. This may be attributed to the taper in the cigar. The larger the ring gage got, the more fuller the flavors became. As I headed to the last third, the ring gage of the cigar obviously became smaller. The flavor profile reflected this as you’d expect.

The last third had dominant cedar, cocoa, coffee, and notes of earthiness. The sweetness remained, but coffee sometimes took it’s place. Through the nose is where the sweet spicy zing was really noticeable. Every now and then that fruity note I mentioned before would appear and go away.

Conclusion:

This was a very good, solid medium to full bodied cigar. Since I don’t know the price, I can’t use that to influence my opinion. The cigar holds it’s own, price aside. The flavors changed up and had a full, refined feel. There is really nothing bad to report. Since Falto is a small boutique company, distribution is limited. I know Bonita Smoke Shop carries their lines, and I think Falto is worth looking into.

Today, my cigar-smoking friends, is a most glorious day for all of us here in JR land! Yes, indeed, it is time to break out your finest smokes, the one’s at the bottom of the humidor that you have been saving for such a momentous occasion. Today is one of those reasons why we fire up a celebratory cigar and enjoy it with those we love and cherish most. Okay, without keeping you in suspense any longer, it was four years ago this day that your very own Tommy Zman posted the very first blog here on the JR Cigar Blog with the Zman! Four freakin years, man… that’s 208 weeks of stogie packed enjoyment for all of you tobacco crazed maniacs. And for those of you not counting, that’s one thousand, four hundred and sixty days of premium hand rolled joy that I have brought to the masses. Wow, what a rush, I feel so alive!

So, how ’bout a Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy, to me and the JR Blog!

Lets go back to the late Summer of 2007, when the great Lew Rothman sent me an email, asking me to come into the JR offices for lunch to discuss a new project that came up, one they felt I was worthy of taking on. And while new work is always great, in my head I was seriously wondering who was buying lunch. (I get a little worked up when it comes to mealtime and cigars.) He told me that JR wanted to start a blog and that I was the guy they knew could pull it off. And while I’m pretty sure Lew didn’t have much of a clue what a blog really was, I assured him that I could kick ash with this thing!

For those of you who haven’t been here from the start, for the first two years I wrote the blog five days a week, Monday-Friday, a type of writing assignment I had never attempted before. Coming up with fresh content every single day was a hell of a challenge, but I will say that it really improved my writing dramatically and I NEVER failed to come up with a new angle. Lew actually didn’t even want me to write much about cigars, but rather current events (like slaying politicians) as he thought it would have broader appeal and give me more to talk about. Then, when the S-Chip bill was signed and everyone was pulling in the reigns, the blog went to one day a week, which admittedly bummed me out, but I quickly adjusted and found a Tuesday through Thursday gig where I disguised myself as an old guy and posed as a Walmart greeter. I have written about so many different things, and it’s pretty amazing actually, as I look back through the blog’s archives. (You can also go back and find all of the the insane crap I’ve written about in the archives section in the right hand column of the archives.)

Now the one thing I really do love to write about is of course, cigars. I have an incredible love affair with this leafy brown creature, born in a place where they drink café con leche and play dominos ‘til the sun goes down. My wife claims it is an addiction, and curses the day I started my so-called stinking habit, but I constantly remind her to thank this beloved industry that has helped to pay our mortgage and put chow on the table week after week. I think after all these years I now realize that she’s actually jealous of my robusto romances and my figurado flings, and doesn’t care for the attention I place on these inanimate objects of Latin American descent. But really, guys, too bad, I say to my bride of two plus decades… smoking cigars really is one of the greatest treasures I have ever known and I will not put an end to this love affair that has relaxed me and given me thousands of hours of enjoyment over the past two decades. So, yes, my puro patriots, I will continue to toke my Trinidads, pound my Pepins, do my Don Tomas, hammer my Hoyos, and nurture my NUB (the cigar, ya pervert, come on, this is a family site.)

So a big hearty thanks to all of you who read and support my work and this blog, as we continue to fight for our right to smoke the good smoke.

Tommy Z . JR Cigars Blog With the Zman

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Bering has been a popular choice among many smokers since 1905. We just received a shipment of Bering Vintage Connecticut. These cigars were handcrafted at the Plasencia factory in Nicaragua for the European market, but the deal never went through. So what did we do? We bought ‘em all!

This week you have the chance to grab yourself a box… or two… or three for just $49.95 each! That’s only $2.50 per cigar. Normally these boxes would retail for up to $120 bucks apiece so the savings are enormous. You’ll only find these beauties at J·R and once they’re gone, you’ll never see them again!

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