Archive for the ‘la’ Category

La Floridita Limited Edition

Friday, November 26th, 2010

Up for review today is a boutique cigar blended by Nestor Plasencia for the Famous Smoke Shop. The folks at Famous were kind enough to send me a couple to try out and review. Famous’ website touts this as a hearty, flavorful premium cigar. With that in mind, I got my usual glass of water and took some notes.

 

Wrapper: Mata Fina-Brazil

Binder: Indonesian

Filler: Nicaraguan, Mexican

Size: Magnum 5 x 60

Price: $5.75

 

Pre-Smoke & Construction:

The darn Brazilian wrapper was virtually flawless, with small veins and no bumps visible. Sniffing the wrapper gave me hints of sweet tobacco, slight earthiness, and perhaps a tinge of wood. The foot smelled similar, but had a mild spicy pepper component. The cigar was solidly and evenly packed, offering no give when squeezed. The pre-light draw was a little snug, but was within my tolerances of being good. The flavor from the pre-light draw was basically a simple dark natural earthy tobacco.

The burn required a few minor corrections, and the ash held for about 1.5 inches.

1La_Floridita_Limited_Edition

Flavor:

The first third started off with simple earthy, almost grassy flavors. After about a half of an inch, a smooth peppery spice was noticed when passing smoke through the nose. While it wasn’t bad, things just didn’t seem to meld together as good as they could have.

2La_Floridita_Limited_Edition

During the second third, things seemed to come together. The grassy flavors diminished, and the earthiness was a prominent flavor. The woody notes remained in the background. The smoke feel became thicker and had a tinge of sweetness. Otherwise, there really wasn’t any groundbreaking changes. Like I said, things just seemed to come together and blended well. This was much more enjoyable then the first third.

3La_Floridita_Limited_Edition

The last third basically remained the same as the second third. The only real difference was in the smoke feel. It became creamier and sweeter. Otherwise, copy my comments from the second third, and paste it here.

4La_Floridita_Limited_Edition

Conclusion:

This was a decent medium bodied, slow burning cigar. First, the good – The flavors were good, and overall I found it to be a relaxing experience. The price isn’t bad either. The bad – Nothing unique was brought to the table. As my pal Ed would say, it was just another cigar.

Thanks again to Famous Smoke Shop for giving me a chance to try this cigar. If it sounds like something that would appeal to you, look them up at the Famous Smoke Shop website.

Posted in Cigar Reviews, Cigars, edition, famous, floridita, la, limited, shop, smoke | No Comments »

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.

Posted in artesanos, cigar, Cigar Reviews, Cigars, cubana, de, General, gloria, la, tabaqueros | No Comments »

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!

Posted in Cigar Reviews, Cigars, cubana, General, gloria, la, r, Serie | No Comments »

Drew Estate – La Vieja Habana

Friday, April 23rd, 2010

The La Vieja Habana is Drew Estates first brand, which was introduced in the mid 90’s. They come in four wrapper variations, the Cuban Corojo, Cameroon, Maduro, and Connecticut. I am doing the Cuban Corojo version. Unlike their flagship Acid line, this is a traditional cigar with no infused flavoring, and it  contains mixed filler. They claim this to be medium bodied with lots of flavors. I paired up with water and jotted down my thoughts.

 

Wrapper: Cuban Corojo

Binder/Filler: Esteli & Jalapa Valley, Nicaragua

Size: 6 x 54

Price: Around $3.00

 

Pre-Smoke & Construction:

The wrapper was a little rough looking, with medium veins and quite a few bumps. Squeezing the cigar, I found it to be very spongy. The wrapper had a strange sweet, almost floral odor to it. The foot had that same odor along with woody notes. The pre-light draw was free, and had an earthy and woody flavor.

The burn required a few minor corrections, and the ash held for about half an inch. Pretty much typical of a short or mixed filler cigar.

1DrewEstate_LaViejaHabanaCorojo

Flavor:

The first third began with an easy earthy and natural tobacco taste. After about an inch, a slight spice kicked in. As I progressed towards the end of this third, the spice became a little peppery and increased in strength, but remained in the mild to medium bodied range.

2DrewEstate_LaViejaHabanaCorojo

The second third had the spice overtaking the earthy flavors. Every now and then I would get a slight sweetness, but it wasn’t consistent. The smoke became someone creamy, with a lot of smoke volume.

3DrewEstate_LaViejaHabanaCorojo

The last third had no new flavors. The earthy flavors were there along with the spice. The creaminess of the smoke increased slightly, as did the sweetness. The smoke volume remained huge. Clouds of smoke billowed out of this ting at all times.

4DrewEstate_LaViejaHabanaCorojo

Conclusion:

For the price, this was a decent mild to medium bodied cigar. It is pretty much in line with what I expected. There is no wow factor, and it is basically one dimensional. I enjoyed the huge smoke volume and smoothness. If I were to complain, I would say it was the burn rate. I didn’t time it, but I burnt though this cigar quickly. If you are trying cheaper cigars, I’d say this is worth checking out.

Posted in Cigar Reviews, Cigars, drew, estate, habana, la, Value Cigar, vieja | No Comments »

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.

Posted in cigar, Cigar Reviews, Cigars, company, escepcion, General, la | No Comments »

La Gloria Cubana Maduro

Thursday, March 25th, 2010

While browsing the humidor over at The Cigar Loft, I ran across the cigar up for review today. I smoked one at the shop, and took another home to review now. Staying with my usual routine, I filled my glass with water and started smoking.

 

Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro

Binder: Nicaraguan

Filler: Dominican, Nicaraguan

Size: Double Corona 7.75 x 49

Price: Around $6.00

 

Pre-smoke & Construction:

The dark maduro wrapper looked great, with small to medium veins and minimal flaws. The wrapper had virtually no smell at all, while the foot had a sweet natural tobacco odor. Overall the cigar was firmly packed and pretty hard. The pre-light draw had some resistance with a simple earthy flavor.

The ash held for under an inch. The first third required some major burn corrections, but after that all went well.

1LaGloriaCubanaMaduro

Flavor:

The first third started off with an interesting note that reminded me of pipe tobacco that wasn’t strong. If anything, it was easy to miss. That flavor didn’t last long, and I started to notice a more peppery, spicy flavor. Other then that, I could only pick up on a familiar earthy taste.

2LaGloriaCubanaMaduro

The second third began with the addition of nutty flavors combined with a very slight dry sweetness. The peppery spice remained, as did the earthiness.

3LaGloriaCubanaMaduro

The last third had a slight uptick in sweetness. The spicy pepper remained strong and smooth. The nuttiness lessened and allowed the earthy flavor to come though a little more.

4LaGloriaCubanaMaduro

Conclusion:

This was an OK medium to full bodied cigar. When I smoked it at the shop, I enjoyed it more. I think this was due to the hanging out factor. Once I was alone and could completely focus on the flavors, I found myself getting a little bored. Is this cigar worth trying? Yea I think so, but don’t expect a wow cigar.

Posted in Cigar Reviews, Cigars, cubana, gloria, la | No Comments »

La Flor Dominicana – Coronado

Tuesday, January 12th, 2010

Ed and I are back for our monthly visit to The Stogie Review. The La Flor Dominicana Coronado is a nice full bodied cigar that has been known to take down a few seasoned smokers. Although it is full bodied and strong, the focus remains on flavor first, then strength. See how it went in this 20 minute video.

MP3 Audio Only

Posted in Cigar Video Reviews, Cigars, coronado, dominicana, flor, la | No Comments »

CAO La Traviata

Tuesday, December 22nd, 2009

Today’s review is a fairly new line from CAO. From what I can tell, the target audience is regular people who don’t have a ton of money to blow on cigars. I was immediately drawn to this cigar after seeing it in Ed’s cigar shop. Once again, I filled my glass with water, smoked, and bring you my thoughts on the CAO La Traviata.

 

Wrapper: Ecuador

Binder: Cameroon

Filler: Nicaragua, Dominican Republic

Size: Divino 5 x 50

Price: Around $4 to $5.00

 

Pre-Smoke & Construction:

The first thing that struck me about this cigar was the oily wrapper. It had a sheen to it that made it look delicious. I couldn’t find any major flaws at all, just normal small to medium sized veins here and there. The foot had a sweet, almost pipe tobacco type of smell. The wrapper shared the sweet pipe tobacco-ish smells with added cedar notes. The pre-light draw was a little stiff, and had sweet spicy notes complimented with cedar.

The ash held for about one inch, and I did no burn corrections.

1CAOLaTraviata

Flavor:

The first third greeted me with smooth earthy and sweet cedar flavors. When exhaling through the sinus there was a sweet spice that wasn’t too strong.

2CAOLaTraviata

The second third began with the spice mellowing out quite a bit. It was still present but only with a slight kick. At around half way in, a very nice nutty flavor combined with coffee came about. I can’t think of any other way to describe it other then saying it was very nice. Woody and earthy notes lurked in the back ground. As this third came to a close, the smoke started to coat the inside of the mouth.

3CAOLaTraviata

The last third crept into the full bodied range. The peppery spice increased in strength a bit but I wouldn’t say it was strong. For experimental purposes, I exhaled an entire draw through the nose. It did punch me in the face a little, but I recovered quickly with no real pain. Woody cedary notes mixed with nuts and coffee for an interesting blend. The earthy flavors went away completely.

4CAOLaTraviata

Conclusion:

This cigar is a winner for CAO. It is affordable and you easily get your moneys worth. If I had to pick a flaw, it would be the snug draw. But even that bothered me less and less as I smoked. This is my go to stick many times when I walk into a cigar shop. I suggest you give it a try!

Posted in cao, Cigar Reviews, Cigars, la, traviata | No Comments »

A Quick Smoke With Ed and Tom – La Aroma De Cuba

Wednesday, June 3rd, 2009

This is a new segment called “A Quick Smoke with Ed and Tom.” This video runs about 15 minutes. The name explains it all. The idea is to review smaller ring gage and length cigars in a quick, to the point format. Ed and I figured a little extra content couldn’t hurt, so we did a quick review of the La Aroma De Cuba.

I am not sure how often we’ll do these, but we are shooting for one quick smoke in addition to a full length review each month. These segments will be featured here, and on St. Pete Pipe & Cigars. Let us know what you think. Is it a good or bad idea? Should the reviews be shorter or longer? All feedback is welcome, good or bad.

Posted in aroma, Cigar Video Reviews, Cigars, Cuba, de, ed, la, quick, smoke, stpetepipecigars, tom | No Comments »

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