Archive for the ‘General’ Category

Hoyo De Monterry Reposado en Cedros

Thursday, January 6th, 2011

I picked up a couple of these cigars locally. What caught my eye was the nice presentation and decent price. This cigar uses a new “Immersion process,” which I have no idea what that means. Thee is a little more information over at the General Cigars web site. As always, I paired this review with water.

 

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sumatra

Binder: Connecticut broadleaf

Filler: Honduran, Nicaraguan, Dominican

Size: Marco – 6 1/4 x 54

Price: $6.15

 

Pre-smoke & Construction:

Peeling away the cedar liner revealed a nice looking brown wrapper. There were a couple good sized veins, but overall flaws were minimal. The smell coming off of the cigar was a mild earthiness and cedar. The cigar was packed with tobacco. Towards the head, there was literally no give when you squeezed. This, along with the restrictive nipple at the foot, led to a tight draw. Too tight for my liking. The pre-light draw had an earthy natural tobacco taste.

The burn required no corrections, and the ash held for around 1.5 inches. The draw stayed pretty tight, but loosened up a little as I got past the half way point.

1_Hoyo de Monterrey Reposado en Cedros

Flavor:

The first third: There wasn’t a lot going on. Simple woody flavors along with natural tobacco. A slight tingle was left in the mouth after exhaling, and there was an ever so slight spice through the nose.

2_Hoyo de Monterrey Reposado en Cedros

The second third had an increase in that cedary, woody flavor, and it dominated the flavor profile for the most part. Right along side it was a strange floral note. I can’t think of a better way to describe it. Earthiness lingered in the back ground. Through the nose, it still tasted woody with a dry mild pepper. Like before, the smoke left a tingle on the lips and tongue.

3_Hoyo de Monterrey Reposado en Cedros

The last third had an interesting smoke feel. It was that fruitiness along with a tingling sensation. It was a little stronger then previous thirds. Through the nose, there was a distinct pepper that was medium in strength. Next up was that woodiness, which I mentioned before. Those elusive earthy notes were in the back ground like before.

4_Hoyo de Monterrey Reposado en Cedros

Conclusion:

This mild to medium bodied cigar was all right. It struck me as nothing special though. On the positive side, the smoke feel combined with the simple flavors for a unique experience. I never got any bad flavors, and I could see this appealing to someone. In the end, to me it just seemed to fall a little short. It was aight…

Tom’s Favorites of 2010

Wednesday, December 22nd, 2010

It’s that time of the year again. Every cigar blog out there has their top 10, and I am not above making my own list.

My top cigars for 2010 list is a little different. My criteria is simple. I picked out some cigars that stood out throughout the year. The list isn’t limited to release date, popularity, or even the best tasting. Simply put… Any cigar that really stood out in my mind made this list.

Some of my choices may have some of you scratching your head. I bring to you my most memorable cigars of 2010:

T Logo 2

5 – Tabacos Baez Serie SF – Before you say “What?!” Let me say, this doesn’t have a complex flavor profile. It isn’t the prettiest or best cigar out there. I even called it “One dimensional” in my review. But for the price point, I found myself reaching for these when I wanted a decent, CHEAP cigar.

 

4 – La Gloria Cubana Artesanoa De Tabaqueros – This cigar takes you on a journey by offering you two different wrappers on one cigar. From almost mild to full, along with nice flavors. Smoking this is a lesson on just how much the wrapper plays in the over all flavor profile.

 

3 – Cubao Maduro – What can I say… I loved the original Cubao. The maduro version was great as well. I went through a couple of boxes in 2010.

 

2 – Don Pepin Garcia My Father Le Bijou 1922 – Being a Don Pepin fan, I had high expectations, and they were met. This is just full bodied goodness.

 

And my number one pick is…

 

1 – Quesada Tributo – I probably smoked more of these then any other cigar this year. It took me a little while to warm up to them. But once I did, I couldn’t get enough. I still have a few of these a week.

 

And there you have it, my most memorable cigars of 2010.

La Gloria Cubana Serie N

Saturday, December 18th, 2010

While browsing a local cigar shop, the cigar up for review today caught my eye. I guess the glued on N is what made me wonder what the deal was. Turns out the N stands for Nicaragua. I’m a fan of Nicaraguan tobacco, so lets see what I thought of the La Gloria Cubana Serie N.

 

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sumatra

Binder: Nicaragua

Filler: Nicaragua

Size: Generoso 5 3/4 x 49

Price: $5.45

 

Pre-Smoke & Construction:

The oily wrapper was bumpy and rugged looking, with no major flaws. The odor coming off of the wrapper was almost barn-yardish, while the foot had a dark syrupy smell to it. This cigar was packed evenly and was rock solid. This led to a draw that was a just a little too tight for my liking. The pre-light draw had that dark syrupy taste I mentioned before.

The ash held for a little over one inch, and I had to do several burn corrections.

1_La Gloria Cubana Serie N

Flavor:

The first third began with simple natural tobacco and earthiness. After about an inch. there was a dry woody flavor. There was black pepper when passing smoke through the nose. It had a little punch, but nothing that would melt your face off.

2_La Gloria Cubana Serie N

The second third kept those dominant woody and earthy flavors. The pepper didn’t go anywhere, and maybe even went down a notch in terms of strength. There was something lurking in the background that I can only describe as fruity. It was so subtle that I may be way off on that one.

3_La Gloria Cubana Serie N

Unidentified sweet notes came about in the last third. They weren’t consistent and I can’t compare it to anything. The dominant flavor was wood, and earthiness followed behind it. The pepper became more of a smooth spice as opposed to black pepper.

4_La Gloria Cubana Serie N

Conclusion:

This was an good medium to full bodied cigar. The flavors were good, and I never got any harshness or bad flavors. For whatever reason, I was expecting something more out of it. The flavor profile was pretty simple and one dimensional. I also found myself becoming parched from the dry smoke feel. In the end, I’m on the fence with this cigar. While it wasn’t bad at all, it definitely didn’t WOW me. I suggest you draw your own conclusion on this one.

La Gloria Cubana Artesanos De Tabaqueros

Tuesday, August 17th, 2010

Once again the gracious people at the General Cigar Company sent me some samples of the cigar up for review today. I should mention that the last company I expected to want me to review their cigars was the General Cigar Company. To my surprise, they have been very generous to the bloggers out there, including myself. There is always a risk of a bad review, but they know that’s a risk worth taking.

You probably noticed something strange about the wrapper. The first third is wrapped with a Connecticut shade leaf, while the rest is covered in an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper. As many of you know, I’m not big on the back-stories about cigars. My focus is – Did it taste good? How did it burn? What about the draw? How much money? Where can I get it? At the end of the day that is all I am concerned with. I’ll catch the back stories sooner or later, but honestly I don’t care. So without further ado, I filled up a glass of water and here is my review.

2La Gloria Cubana_ 

Wrapper: Connecticut Shade & Ecuador Sumatra

Binder/Filler: ???

Size: Toro 6 x 50

Price: $8.00

 

Pre-Smoke & Construction:

Both wrappers had a toothy appearance. The Sumatra wrapper had larger veins but overall everything looked decent. Each wrapper had a slightly different odor – The Sumatra portion had an earthy smell with a slight spice. The Connecticut wrapper had a mellower earthy smell. I couldn’t detect any aroma from the foot. The pre-light draw was a ever so slightly snug, but not to the point of being a problem. Overall the cigar was firmly packed, with a soft spot here and there. The pre-smoke draw had a dark natural tobacco taste.

The burn required a couple corrections in the first third, but evened itself out. The ash held for just under an inch.

1La Gloria Cubana_ 

Flavor:

The first third is the Connecticut wrapper portion of this cigar. It had a nice mellow spice accompanied by earthy notes. After about an inch into this third, the smoke feel became thicker and had a creamy sensation. To round things up, a nice nutty component came about and completed the first third. I’d say the body was in the medium range, and wasn’t bad at all.

3La Gloria Cubana_ 

The second third is where I got into the Sumatra wrapped portion of the cigar. A dual wrapped cigar like this can help you realize how much the wrapper can effect the flavor. As soon as I hit this third, nice sweet coffee flavors entered the picture. When exhaling through the nose there was a smooth pepper with a tinge of sweetness. The smoke feel was a little creamy. As progressed to the end of this third, I picked up some cocoa flavors. To round things out were pleasant earthy notes. The body remained in the medium range.

4La Gloria Cubana_ 

The last third went into the upper medium to lower full bodied range. The smoke feel became very smooth can creamy. The pepper really mellowed out but kept some of it’s zing. At times the dominant flavor was cocoa, and other times a spicy cinnamon-ish flavor would take over. All the while fairly strong black coffee flavors were present. Faint earthy and nutty notes were in the background as well.

5La Gloria Cubana_ 

Conclusion:

This was a good medium to full bodied cigar. I liked how it steadily ramped up in flavors and body. The flavors changed enough to hold my interest, and nothing was unpleasant. I think this is worth trying for yourself. I imagine they are available at some local shops, as well as online. I’d be curious of your experience differs from mine.

Punch Rare Corojo 2010

Sunday, August 1st, 2010

The General Cigar Company sent me a few cigars to review, which included today’s cigar. The Rare Corojo is released annually. I’m not sure of the back story, and I wonder why there is no Corojo tobacco in this cigar. Anyway, I enjoyed the 2007, 2008 and 2009 releases of this cigar, so lets see how the 2010 treats me.

 

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sumatra

Binder: Connecticut broadleaf

Filler: Honduran, Nicaraguan, Dominican (Piloto Cubano)

Size: Magnum 5.25 x 54

Price: Around $5.50

 

Pre-Smoke & Construction:

The wrapper had a couple medium sized veins, but no real flaws. The wrapper had almost no odor to it, and the foot had a mild earthy smell. I found the cigar to have a little sponginess, and it was consistent from head to foot. The draw was very free, and had an earthy/woody flavor.

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

1PunchRareCorojo2010

Flavor:

The first third: Smooth earthy notes combined with a woody flavor. A slight sweetness appeared after smoking an inch. The smoke volume was plentiful with a mild pepper.

2PunchRareCorojo2010

The second third saw a change in the smoke feel. It became thick and creamy. Woody flavors pretty much drowned out the earthiness. When exhaling through the nose, there was a nice smooth, sweet peppery spice that had very little kick.

3PunchRareCorojo2010

The last third didn’t have any major changes. Basically the earthy notes would come and go. The body crept up into the upper medium range. Other then that, it stayed consistent with the second third, which isn’t a bad thing.

4PunchRareCorojo2010

Conclusion:

This was a good medium to upper medium bodied cigar. The flavor profile, although simple, was enjoyable. There isn’t really anything more to add. I would recommend trying the 2010 Rare Corojo for a nice relaxing smoke. Thanks again to The General Cigar Company for sending these out!

La Gloria Cubana Serie R (Natural)

Monday, June 14th, 2010

The General Cigar Company asked if I’d like a couple cigars to try, and I replied “Sure!” What came in the mail shortly after were a couple La Gloria Cubana Serie R cigars. As always, I didn’t find too much information on this smoke, but it is all available at the General Cigar Company’s website. I do know that these come in a Maduro wrapped version. Up for review today is the Natural. Thanks to The General Cigar Company for sending these to me. As always, I smoked these cigars with water.

 

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sumatra (Natural)

Binder: Nicaraguan

Filler: Dominican, Nicaraguan

Size: “Number 3” 4.5 x 56

Price: Around $6.00

 

Pre-smoke & Inspection:

The wrapper had a somewhat rugged look, with small to medium veins. It had a mild odor of cedar, and the foot shared the same mild smell. The cigar was somewhat spongy and bounced back when squeezed. The pre-light draw was free, and had a sweet taste of cedar.

I only did one small burn correction, and the ash held for about one inch.

1LaGloriaCubanaSerieRNat

 

Flavor:

In the first third there were milder earthy and woody notes. A teeny tiny bit of spice was detected when exhaling through the nose.

2LaGloriaCubanaSerieRNat

The second third opened up a little. The woody flavor was there, but a nice coffee basically overtook it. The earthiness fell way back as well. The mild spice was still there as well. The smoke feel became a little creamy and coated the inside of the mouth.

3LaGloriaCubanaSerieRNat

For the last third, coffee was the dominant flavor. Up next was that familiar woody taste, and the earthy notes were very hard to detect. The spice increased a bit in strength but was not strong at all. There was a slight bitter sweetness that wasn’t bad. Once again, the smoke feel was a bit creamy.

4LaGloriaCubanaSerieRNat

Conclusion:

This was a good medium bodied cigar that I could smoke at any time of the day. It didn’t really bring anything new or exciting to the table, but based on it’s own merit, I can’t say anything bad about it. As I often do, I can only suggest you try it for yourself. It wasn’t bad at all!

La Escepcion 2009

Thursday, April 1st, 2010

Thanks to the General Cigar Company for sending me a few samples of the La Escepcion 2009 to try. From what I could gather, this is a limited release cigar. In other words, they will be available until the supply is depleted. I paired this cigar with water (as always) and here are my thoughts.

 

Wrapper: Honduran Habano Talanga

Binder: Ometepe Nicaragua

Filler: Nicaraguan

Size: Batet 5 x 54

Price: Around $6.00

 

Pre-Smoke & Construction:

While not perfect, the wrapper was nice looking with small to medium veins. The color was a little blotchy with a slight toothy appearance. The smell of the wrapper and foot was just a simple sweet earthiness. The pre-light draw had some resistance, but wasn’t bad. The pre-light flavor was sweet natural earthy tobacco. When squeezing the cigar, I found a few tight and soft spots, but nothing I would consider bad construction.

The burn required one minor correction in the second third, and the ash held for once inch.

1LaEscepcion2009 

Flavor:

The first third didn’t offer a lot of complexities. The dominant flavor was coffee, followed by spicy notes of pepper and hints of earth. As I dug further in, the earthy notes would come and go.

2LaEscepcion2009

The smoke became creamy in the second third. The main flavors were coffee and wood. Hints of earthy notes were far in the background, while a dry sweetness enveloped the entire flavor profile. The spice reduced in strength.

3LaEscepcion2009

Creamy smoke coated the inside of the mouth in the last third with a buttery aftertaste. The woody and coffee components continued to dominate the flavor profile. A dry mocha-ish flavor was present and varied in strength. All the while wisps of earthiness would come and go. The spice became almost non existent but hints remained.

4LaEscepcion2009

Conclusion:

This was a good medium bodied cigar. Although not overly complex, the subtle changes held my interest. While I wouldn’t go out of my way to find this cigar, I think they are worth trying. I say pick a few up and see for yourself.

Cohiba Red Dot

Monday, October 19th, 2009

Matt and I are back at The Stogie Review to try out the Cohiba. Thanks to The Cigar Nut for sending us these smokes to review. This review is posted here for archive purposes. Make sure to visit The Stogie Review now!

MP3 audio

Looking for something?

Use the form below to search the site:

Still not finding what you're looking for? Drop a comment on a post or contact us so we can take care of it!