Archive for the ‘Serie’ Category

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.

Posted in Cigar Reviews, Cigars, cubana, General, lagloria, n, Serie | No Comments »

Carlos Torano Single Region-Serie Jalapa

Thursday, November 4th, 2010

The sickness I had last month really threw me off of reviews. It goes to show just how much a simple sinus issue can effect your palate. It wouldn’t have been fair to do reviews in that condition. I recovered some time ago, but it also threw off my reviewing rhythm. So now, I am finally getting back into the swing of things. Enough idiotic rambling…

I picked up today’s review at a local shop. The Single Region name is pretty self explanatory. This cigar was blended using tobacco grown in Jalapa Valley. The concept of blending a cigar in this fashion sounded interesting, and I had to pick a couple up. I paired this cigar with a glass of water, I offer you my thoughts…

 

Wrapper/Binder/Filler: Nicaragua (Jalapa Valley)

Size: Robusto 5 x 50

Price: Around $6.50

 

Pre-Smoke & Construction:

The wrapper looked nice, with minimal flaws and small to medium veins. The odor coming off of the wrapper and foot was earthy with a little poo. It sounds bad, but a tinge of poo can often mean a nice flavor profile. Overall the cigar was evenly rolled and packed. The pre-light draw was free, and had a prominently natural tobacco taste, with a tinge of wood and earth.

The ash held for about 1.5 inches, and the burn required several minor touch-up’s.

1ToranoSingleRegionSerieJalapa

Flavor:

The first third had simple but good flavors. A well balanced mix of wood and sweetness was pretty much it. Way in the background lurked earthiness. When passing smoke through the nose, there was a smooth and easy sweet peppery spice. As I got further in, the smoke feel became thicker feeling but stayed dry.

2ToranoSingleRegionSerieJalapa

The second third kept that woodiness, but the sweetness opened up and became mocha. When retro-haling, the peppery spice really mellowed out and became an easy smooth sweetness. Smoke volume increased. This thing just billowed clouds with a nice aroma. The smoke feel kept this thick feel, but became creamy and coated the mouth.

3ToranoSingleRegionSerieJalapa

The last third kept the same core flavors that I wrote about in the second third. The difference was that some draws were crisp with dominant woody flavors. Other draws were creamy with sweet mocha. Other draws were a combination of both.

4ToranoSingleRegionSerieJalapa

Conclusion:

This was a very good medium to full bodied cigar. I am not a big Torano smoker. It’s not that I don’t like their cigars. For whatever reason, I usually am not drawn to them. The Single Region blend may have changed that for me. The flavor profile was simple but refined and, well, nice. I’d gladly smoke more of these. I’d recommend that you at least give them a chance. I’d be curious of your opinions.

Posted in carlos, Cigar Reviews, Cigars, jalpap, region, Serie, single, torano | No Comments »

Smoke a JJ for JJ

Wednesday, July 21st, 2010

I usually try to keep this site focused on cigars and minimize personal subject matter. There are always exceptions, and this is one of them.

1SeriesJJToday, July 22nd, is the 3rd annual “Smoke a JJ for JJ day.” Jerry from The Stogie Review would appreciate if you would take a moment and smoke a Don Pepin Garcia Series JJ in remembrance of his son. JJ was born on this day three years ago, and died of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) only 3.5 months into his life.

My pal Barry at acigarsmoker.com is also holding a fundraiser. Barry runs a great cigar review site and is going above and beyond. Go HERE to find out more.

It is that simple. Just sit back, relax, enjoy life and enjoy the smoke.

Posted in Cigars, don, Events, garcia, Jerry, jj, Misc, pepin, Serie, stogiereview | 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 »

Tabacos Baez Serie SF

Thursday, January 14th, 2010

This cigar is from Don Pepin Garcia. What turned me on to this smoke was the price, the blender (Pepin), as well as the good reviews by Jerry and Chris. A friend of mine Matt pointed me to a decent deal, so I took a chance and picked up a box from a site supporter, Bonita Smoke Shop. I’m always searching for a good economical daily cigar. Let’s see how the Tabacos Baez Serie SF rates.

 

Wrapper: Nicaraguan Habano

Binder: Nicaraguan

Filler: Nicaraguan (70% long filler, 30% short filler)

Size: Toro 6 x 50

Price: $41.90 for a box of 20 or around $3.00 for a single.

 

 

Pre-Smoke & Construction:

The wrapper was a little rough looking and bumpy, but had no major flaws. It had a basic earthy sweet smell. The foot had a similar smell with a slight spice. When I squeezed the cigar, it was a little spongy with a couple soft spots. The pre-light draw was free, and the flavor reminded me of hay.

The burn required no corrections, and the ash held for a little under one inch.

1TabacosBaezSerieSF

Flavor:

The first third started with a smooth pepper. After a few puffs a slight sweetness joined in, with a mild earthy undertone that was hard to detect at times. The smoke volume was nice, with fairly large white cloud plumes.

2TabacosBaezSerieSF

The second third didn’t see any major changes. The flavors essentially stayed the same. The spicy pepper had a slight increase in strength and bite, but kept it’s smoothness. The sweet flavors remained, but I couldn’t pin down an exactly what the sweetness tasted like. And like before, very slight earthy notes lingered in the background from time to time.

3TabacosBaezSerieSF

Like before, there wasn’t anything major to mention, but I’ll mention it anyway. The sweetness developed into a dry cocoa type of flavor. The spicy pepper was nice, and didn’t change at all. The earthy notes almost went away, but I noticed them from time to time.

4TabacosBaezSerieSF

Conclusion:

This is a good medium bodied smoke. Although one dimensional, I enjoyed this cigar. It is easily worth the price, and lately I find myself reaching for one of these when I just want a simple relaxing smoke. If you are looking for a good budget cigar, this one is worth trying.

Posted in baez, Cigar Reviews, Cigars, don, garcia, pepin, Serie, sf, tabacos, Value Cigar | No Comments »

601 Serie black

Sunday, November 22nd, 2009

Those of you who follow this site probably read my reviews of other 601 cigars. So far I’ve enjoyed them. They are blended by Don Pepin Garcia for United Tobacco. For me, a typical Pepin blend punches you in the face to start, and then calms to what the cigar will become. As always, I smoked a couple of these with water and wrote my thoughts on the 601 black label.

 

Wrapper: Ecuador Connecticut

Binder: Nicaragua

Filler: Nicaragua

Size: Robusto 5 x 50

Price: Around $6.00

 

Pre-smoke & Construction:

The wrapper didn’t quite look like a typical Connecticut, and had a strange hue to the color. It was a little bumpy with medium veins. I picked up woody, earthy, and spicy notes when sniffing the wrapper. The cigar was consistently packed, and a little on the soft side. The draw was perfect, and had an interesting taste of spice, wood, and possibly leather or earth. It was a dark and dense flavor if that makes sense.

I didn’t do any burn corrections, and the ash held on for just over an inch.

1601Black

Flavor:

The first third… Just as I suspected, I was greeted with a nice blast of pepper. It wasn’t a harsh or intense pepper, just a smooth and somewhat strong. Enough to grab your attention. Next in line was a woody flavor that was undeniable.

2601Black

As I got into the second third, that full peppery sensation turned into more of a sweet spice. The smoke feel became thick and creamy. This led to a slight earthy and cedary aftertaste. The combination of these basic flavors were somehow unique and interesting.

3601Black

The last third didn’t offer too much change. Most notably was an interesting earthy flavor that bordered on leather. The sweet spice remained along with the thick, creamy smoke feel. The woody component remained as well. Like I said, not a lot of change, but still enjoyable.

4601Black

Conclusion:

This was a good medium to full bodied cigar. I could see some people being turned off if they were expecting a mild cigar which is common to most Connecticut wrapped cigars. For me that wasn’t the case, and I really enjoyed the experience. Pick some up!

Posted in 601, black, Cigar Reviews, Cigars, don, garcia, label, pepin, Serie, tobacco, united | No Comments »

Oliva Serie O Natural

Sunday, August 9th, 2009

It was time for me to reach into the grab bag Cigars Direct sent me. Thanks to them, this review was possible. The Oliva Serie O was reviewed by Jeremiah in a guest review awhile back. He had a good experience with it, so I was more then happy to grab a glass of water and get started on my review of the Oliva Serie O.

 

Wrapper: Sun Grown Nicaraguan Habano

Binder: Nicaraguan Habano

Filler: Nicaraguan Habano

Size: 5×50

Price: Around $5.00

 

Pre-Smoke & Construction:

The oily wrapper had a few bumps in it, with small to medium sized veins. The cigar was evenly packed with tobacco with no soft or hard spots. I had trouble pinning down what the wrapper and foot smelled like. It was basically a natural tobacco smell with an interesting spice at the foot that made my nose tingle a little. The pre-light draw was perfect, and had a simple tobacco/earthy taste.

The burn was great. I only corrected it once, and I probably didn’t need to. As expected, the ash was firm, required a firm tap on the ashtray at around an inch.

1OlivaSerieONatural

Flavor:

The first third went well. The first flavor I noticed was wood, cedar to be exact. A smooth pepper was noticed when passing through the sinus. I also felt the spicy sensation on my tongue and sides of the mouth. The peppery spice remained, but also took on a sweet tone, much like cinnamon.

2OlivaSerieONatural

The second third kicked things off with the addition of black coffee. Other then that, there were not any significant flavor changes. Something that should be noted is… The addition of coffee really went nicely with the pepper, sweet spice and wood. They melded together into a very interesting overall flavor with an added punch, or “Zing.”

3OlivaSerieONatural

The last third kept black coffee notes. The pepper took a back seat, but the sweet spice remained. I’ll have to call it cinnamon or a spice similar to it. The smoke feel became thicker with a caramelish feeling but not necessarily the flavor of caramel. The woody flavor was there and quite noticeable as it was in the first two thirds. At times I had problems picking the flavors apart. Everything melded together into a soup of great flavor.

4OlivaSerieONatural

Conclusion:

Yea, I used the word “soup” to help me describe this cigar. It’s a first, but probably not the last. I’d have to say this is a very good medium to full bodied cigar. If you are an Oliva fan like I am, you definitely need to try the Serie O. Even when the body went into the full spectrum, it was still an easy smoke, yet had a nice punch. If this sounds like a cigar you’d like, you can find a variety or Oliva cigars over at Cigars Direct.

Posted in Cigar Reviews, Cigars, natural, O, Oliva, Serie | No Comments »

Saint Luis Rey Serie G Maduro

Monday, August 3rd, 2009

I’m not sure where I picked up tonight’s cigar. As is the case in the late afternoon, I looked through the humidor for something that looked fuller bodied. This is what I came up with. The wrapper and binder share Connecticut maduro tobaccos. You’d think this would mean full bodied. Maybe it does, maybe it doesn’t. I grabbed the usual cup of water and got to reviewing the Saint Luis Rey Serie G.

 

Wrapper: Black Connecticut Broadleaf

Binder: Connecticut Broadleaf

Filler: Nicaraguan

Size: Belicoso 6 1/8 x 54

Price: 4 – $5.00

 

Pre-smoke & Construction:

Overall the cigar looked nice. The dark maduro wrapper was slightly bumpy with medium veins. I could only detect a sweet tobacco smell and slight pepper when sniffing the wrapper and foot. There were only a few slight soft spots when squeezing the length of the cigar. The pre-light draw was a tad stiff, and had subtle fruity notes.

The burn was great, needing no corrections. The ash was strong, and took effort to knock off at one or more inches. The draw opened up quickly once I lit up.

1StLuisReySerieGMaduro 

Flavor:

The first started out on a mellow note. I had an interesting flavor that was similar to the pre-light draw. I can only describe it as a slight fruitiness mixed with smooth sweetness. That pre-light flavor lasted for around an inch before fading. Sweet chocolaty notes took it’s place. Surprisingly, the body was more in the low to mid medium range.

2StLuisReySerieGMaduro

The second third didn’t offer a lot in terms of change. The base flavor was a mocha/chocolate, and it mingled with smooth earthy notes. A very, very slight spicy pepper and sweetness was noticed when passing the smoke through the sinus. The body of the cigar did not change.

3StLuisReySerieGMaduro

The last third… Honestly I was getting a little bored at this point. It’s not that the flavors were bad. In fact, the chocolaty flavors were good. They mixed well with that slight sweep spice and pepper. The earthy notes went away as well. Simple and decent to sum it up.

4StLuisReySerieGMaduro

 

Conclusion:

This was an OK medium bodied cigar. I was a little surprised and even disappointed in this cigar. I guess I was expecting more power and body. I was expecting more of a Camacho Triple Maduro or even a CAO MX2. Instead what I got was a simple maduro cigar that I’d call “Just another cigar.” This would be a great cigar to introduce someone to what maduro flavors are like without having the punch of a full bodied cigar.

Posted in Cigar Reviews, Cigars, g, luis, maduro, rey, saint, Serie | No Comments »

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