Archive for the ‘Emilio’ Category

Emilio Draig K 2012

Monday, March 4th, 2013

Once again, I am reviewing a product of Emilio Cigars. Thanks to Gary Griffith, owner of Emilio, for sending me a couple samples. According to the Emilio website, the Draig series is released once per year. The only other back story I could find is that “It’s a fitting tribute to a dear friend.” I’ve come to have high expectations of Emilio blends, so let’s see if the Draig K delivers where it counts.

 

Wrapper: Columbian Maduro

Binder: Unknown

Filler: Honduras and Nicaragua

Size: Toro 6 x 50

Price: Around $9.00

 

Pre-Smoke & Construction:

The dark wrapper was oily, smooth, and simply nice looking. The odor of the wrapper was earthy and bitter sweet. I found that the cigar was rolled fairly tight towards the head, which probably accounted for a slightly snug draw. The pre-light flavor was earthy and woody, with a bit of coffee.

The burn required a few minor corrections, and the ash held for just over an inch.

1 Emilio_Draig_K cigars

Flavor:

The first third started out with a simply earthy flavor. At the one inch mark, black coffee and an easy spice joined in. The aftertaste was smooth and woody.

2 Emilio_Draig_K cigars

The peppery spice developed some zing in the second third. At the half way point, a very dry cocoa joined the black coffee. The smoke feel was very dry, and the smoke volume was plentiful. The aftertaste was spicy and woody.

3 Emilio_Draig_K cigars

The last third took on more of a creamy smoke feel. Cocoa and coffee were the dominant flavors. There were woody and earthy notes in the background, but I only noticed them in the aftertaste.

4 Emilio_Draig_K cigars

Conclusion:

This was a good medium to full bodied cigar. The flavor profile was fairly simple, but good. I can’t say there was anything special or unique here, but nothing bad was experienced either. It was basically right down the middle for me. My only complaint may be the price. Needless to say, this is a solid cigar, and I could see it appealing to plenty of people. It’s definitely worth a try.

Ezra Zion Inception (AKA Jamais Vu)

Monday, February 18th, 2013

The cigar up for review is distributed by Emilio. If I am right, I think the Inception is now known as the Jamais Vu. You can find more information from their website. What caught my interest was the blend, as well as the double binder. I obtained a couple samples from Gary, of Emilio Cigars.

 

Wrapper: 1999 Cuban Seed, 2007 Crop, corojo

Binders #1: 1999 Cuban Seen, 2007 Crop, Corojo

Binder #2: 1998 Cuban Seed, 2006 Crop, Criollo

Filler: 1999 Cuban Seed, 2997 Crop, Medio Tiempo, Visio, and Ligero

Size: Gran Robusto 50 x 5.25

Price: ?

 

Pre-Smoke & Construction

The wrapper looked good, with some small to medium veins, and a mild earthy smell. The cigar was rock solidly packed, with minor soft spots here and there. The draw had resistance, but fell within my tolerances. The pre-light flavor was a mild cedar.

The ash held for about an inch, and the burn required around five minor corrections.

1 Ezra_Zion_Inception_Jamais_Vu cigars

Flavor:

The first third had a nice peppery spice, along with black coffee. At about an inch, mild cedar crept into the flavor profile. The smoke was thick and almost creamy. Cocoa joined in as I progressed out of this third.

2 Ezra_Zion_Inception_Jamais_Vu cigars

The second third had a dominant cocoa flavor, and coffee followed behind it. Cedar and earthy notes were in the background. The smoke feel was smooth and creamy. Peppery spice went down a notch in terms of strength. The tingly, spicy aftertaste stuck to the lips for a minute or two.

3 Ezra_Zion_Inception_Jamais_Vu cigars

The last third flip flopped between cocoa and coffee. I could barely detect pepper when retrohaling, but it was noticeable in the aftertaste, on the lips.

4 Ezra_Zion_Inception_Jamais_Vu cigars

Conclusion:

This was a very good medium to full bodied cigar. It was complex enough to hold my interest, slow burning, and well balanced. At the time of this review, I couldn’t get a price point, so I can’t factor that in. If it is within my comfort zone, I could see myself smoking more of these.

Top Cigars of 2012

Tuesday, December 25th, 2012

2012 was a good year. Site wise, traffic reached all time highs, readers have been positive, and a few haters really made it all worth while.

TC6-Hi-Res

You know the routine… All the cigar blogs are posting their top cigars of 2012. Like previous years, I’m far too lazy for that. Below are a few cigars that stood out to me in 2012. Most weren’t even released this year. There are plenty of good cigars that I had the pleasure to smoke, but these just stick out in my mind, at this very moment.

In no particular order:

 

Drew Estate Liga Privada No. 9 – Due to limited availability in my area, these are a rare treat. It took a cigar bomb from good friends reminded me that the No. 9 is a must try. The T52 is great as well.

1 Liga_Privada_no9 cigars Drew Estate

 

Ortega Serie D – Again, a hard smoke for me to find locally. Thanks to the generosity of a kind person, I was able to smoke quite a few of these. A nice treat.

1 Ortega_Serie_D cigars

 

Room 101 One Shot One Kill – This may be my favorite Room 101 blend. Flashy packaging made me want to hate it. But, the end product squashed the angry Asian hate.

1 Room_101_One_Shot_One_Kill cigars

 

Emilio AF1 – I described this cigar as “Damn good,” and I stand by that opinion. Don’t be fooled by the no frills band. This thing is complex, and packed with flavor. It’s all there.

1 Emilio_AF1 cigars

 

My Father Le Bijou – This is something I smoke at least once a week. Chances are, if it’s a Friday night at Ed’s shop, this is what you’ll see me with. It’s just a great cigar.

1MyFatherLaBijou

 

Quesada Oktoberfest – For the second year, this has been a go to cigar. It doesn’t have the most complex flavor profile, but flavor delivery is excellent.

1 Quesad_Oktoberfest cigars

 

Casa Magna Domus Magnus – Another favorite of mine for two years. This cigar packs in flavor and complexities. I have yet to grow tired of it.

1 Casa_Magna_Domus_Magns_Limitada cigar

 

And there you have it. Here’s to another year.

Guayacan by Noel Rojas

Friday, December 14th, 2012

Guayacan cigars, by Noel Rojas, is a brand distributed by Emilio Cigars. The brand lacks a proper website, but they are on the devil site FaceBook. A quick search will lead you there I’m sure. Other then that, I have very little information. Thanks to Gary Griffith for sending me some samples to try out. So far I’ve had good experiences with his stuff, so let’s see if that trend continues.

 

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano

Binder: Nicaraguan Corojo 98

Filler: Nicaraguan Corojo 98

Size: Toro 6 x 52

Price: Around $7.00

 

Pre-Smoke & Construction:

The wrapper was oily and toothy looking, but no major flaws were found. The odor coming off of the wrapper was hay and wood. Sniffing the foot, I picked up wood, earth, and a floral note. The cigar was rock solidly packed, almost to a fault. The draw was a bit snug, but wasn’t extreme. The pre-light flavor was dark, earthy, and leathery.

The burn required a few decent sized corrections in the first and second third, but it wasn’t anything that took away from the experience. The ash held for about 3/4 of an inch.

1 Guayacan_by_Noel_Rojas cigars

Flavor:

The first third had no build up. I was immediately introduced to a nice pepper. It didn’t burn, but it did have some zing, along with a tingly finish. Wood, leather, sweetness, and a thick smoke feel brought balance to the flavor profile.

2 Guayacan_by_Noel_Rojas cigars

The second third had bitter sweetness, wood, a pinch of earth, and peppery spice. Wrapped around everything was an interesting floral component. The smoke feel remained thick, and it had a nice sweet, sticky aftertaste.

3 Guayacan_by_Noel_Rojas cigars

The last third didn’t have any new flavors or big changes. The biggest difference was an increase in body. The flavors were rich and balanced.

4 Guayacan_by_Noel_Rojas cigars

Conclusion:

This was a very good medium to full bodied cigar. This thing packed in the flavors, and at times I didn’t even notice the snug draw. If I had to complain, the draw would be it. I don’t believe this afflicts them all, since the other one I smoked was fine. All in all, this was a solid cigar.

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