Archive for the ‘toro’ Category

New from Nicaragua- the Fabulous H. Upmann by AJ Fernandez cigars.

Thursday, May 4th, 2017

A famous name in the world of Premium cigars, the H.Upmann brand has a long history of top-selling blends that date back to Cuba in 1844. Eventually forming a sister brand in the Dominican Republic where the legacy of excellence continues today, American smokers have come to rely on the Dominican H.Upmann cigar for its smooth and rich medium body flavor, along with a fabulous aroma.

We are excited to say that this storied brand has received a makeover, and its coming out of Nicaragua from one of the world’s hottest cigar makers. H. Upmann by AJ Fernandez cigars bring to the vanguard a selection of the finest aged tobaccos that include a seamless Sumatra wrapper from Ecuador over a vintage Nicaraguan Corojo 99 binder and fillers from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic. These superb vitolas are offered in three popular sizes, the Churchill, at 7 inches by 54 ring gauge; Toro, 6 by 54; and the Robusto which weighs in at 5 by 52. The cigars ship in 20-count cedar boxes with powder blue trim, and each stick comes adorned with elegant powder blue and gold bands.

Already a huge hit with our in house “herfers”, H. Upmann by AJ Fernandez cigars deliver a rich tobacco sweetness accented with medium to full flavored notes of  dark roast coffee, hazelnut, cedar, and subtle hints of spice. Not only are these new smokes super-delicious, but in true AJ and H.Upmann fashion, you can count on outstanding construction, a very slow and even burn, and an effortless draw.

From the stunning bands and boxes to the super-premium quality and flavor, H. Upmann by AJ Fernandez offers the discerning aficionado the utmost in beauty and cigar smoking perfection.

Gurkha Avenger G5

Friday, August 10th, 2012

Since Ed had a Gurkha smoker event recently, like a good customer, I picked a few up. In my sampler pack was the Avenger G5. In Gurkha fashion, the wacky box mimics the front end of a car. The thought that came to my mind was, “That’s different.” The only thing I care about is, how does the cigar deliver? Let’s find out…

 

Wrapper: Nicaragua

Binder & Filler: Nicaragua

Size: Toro 6 x 50

Price: $10.50

 

Pre-smoke & Construction:

The dark wrapper had small veins, and no construction flaws to speak of. The most picky smoker may have noticed a wrinkle or two from being box pressed. I picked up a pungent barnyard odor from the wrapper, while the foot reminded me of a mild pipe tobacco and earthiness. There was only a slight resistance on the draw, just the way I like it. The pre-light flavor was sweet earthiness, and maybe a touch of cedar.

The burn required three corrections, and the ash held for an inch or so.

1 Gurkha_Avenger_G5 cigars

Flavor:

An even mixture of earthiness and Coffee dominated the first third. Retrohaling revealed a fairly easy black pepper. Unlike traditional black pepper, this had just a touch of that familiar Nicaraguan zing.

2 Gurkha_Avenger_G5 cigars

In the second third, that maduro sweetness I was expecting finally showed up. I can only compare it to a dry, somewhat bitter cocoa. The earthy flavor I mentioned before now seemed leathery, and the pepper became sweet and tingly. Coffee got pushed into the background. The smoke feel became thick and creamy, and lingered on the palate for a minute or so.

3 Gurkha_Avenger_G5 cigars

The last third kept the same core flavors, and nothing stood out over the other. The only change I could pick up was the smoke feel. There was a cooling effect on the tongue and lips. It reminded me of menthol, but only in terms of feel, not flavor.

4 Gurkha_Avenger_G5 cigars

Conclusion:

This was a good medium to full bodied cigar. Gimmicky presentation aside, it delivered solid flavors and complexities. Honestly, I can’t think of anything bad to say about the cigar itself. As for the fancy box, I can’t help but wonder how it effects the price. The bottom line is, this was a good smoke!

Los Nietos Cigars-Luca Del Toro

Sunday, September 19th, 2010

The Luca Del Toro blend was created by George Rico exclusively for Los Nietos Cigars. It is available exclusively at Olde Punta Gorda Cigar shop or online at the Los Nietos website. This is not a typical cigar shop “House Blend.” It is basically a small boutique brand with only a couple distribution points.

Joel Sorrentino was kind enough to contact me, and offered to send some samples to review. I figured why not, this is a cigar review site after all. After a few weeks of rest in my humidor, I paired the Lucia Del Toro with water and offer you my thoughts.

 

Wrapper: Nicaraguan Habano Hybrid

Binder: Honduras

Filler: Honduras

Size: Toro Pequeno 5.5 x 52

Price: $6.00

 

Pre-Smoke & Construction:

The wrapper was a little toothy, with bumps here and there. There were a few small to medium sized veins, and the seams were hard to find (not a bad thing). The odor from the wrapper was woody and sweet with a slight spice. The foot had a similar odor, but leaned more towards earthy. Overall the cigar was pretty evenly packed, and bounced back when squeezed. The pre-light draw was free, and had notes of earth, mild pepper, and wood.

The burn got a little wavy from time to time but needed no corrections. The ash held for a little over an inch.

1Los Nietos_Lucia Del Toro

Flavor:

The first third had a nice spicy zing when passing smoke through the nose. The aftertaste was a mild earthiness. There was a nice mixture of flavors – Wood, coffee, and a chocolaty sweetness. Nothing really dominated the flavor profile. It was basically a nice mixture of flavors.

2Los Nietos_Lucia Del Toro

Second third: The peppery spicy zing went down a notch in terms of strength and became very sweet. The earthiness went away almost completely. The dominant flavor was sweet chocolate. Behind that were the woody and coffee notes I mentioned in the first third.

3Los Nietos_Lucia Del Toro

The last third: While there was still a nice spice when passing smoke through the nose, it really mellowed and became almost creamy. Dominant flavors would change from draw to draw. Sometimes it was sweet chocolate, other draws were like coffee with sugar. The aftertaste was creamy and coated the mouth and lips with a cinnamon spice.

4Los Nietos_Lucia Del Toro

Conclusion:

This was a very good medium to full bodied cigar. I smoked about 5 of these are they are consistent in flavors and construction. This is a nice boutique brand worth paying attention to, and is easily worth the price. For the price, I would consider them box worthy. Thanks to Joel and Los Nietos for letting me try these cigars. I’d recommend them for sure.

Fall Has Fell & It’s Friggin Freezing, Folks

Monday, October 19th, 2009

This past week in northern New Jersey has been incredibly cold, including a full day of snow on Thursday. I guess I’m used to this stuff after five decades in the Soprano State, but it doesn’t mean I’m not sick and tired of it. There’s definitely a reason why people from the north move to Florida or Arizona. Although there’s unlimited warmth, sunshine, and rounds of golf, I think if I were to move, the main reason would be to be able to smoke cigars outdoors all year round.

_40510753_smokingbanpa203Up until about two weeks ago I was sitting on my patio with a stogie every night and there’s really almost nothing I enjoy more. It’s so tranquil and soothing for the mind and the soul. In fact, I do a lot of writing out there. But this past week was just impossible as high winds and close to freezing temperatures made it way too uncomfortable. I sat in the garage but it was too cold with the door open, so I shut the door, figuring that the high ceiling would gather the smoke and I could just leave the door open afterwards. But of course, my nagging wife (is there any other kind?) bitched for days that the garage stunk.

Man CaveWhat’s a BOTL to do?

I’m really giving serious thought into spending a few bucks and getting a good heater for the garage because I detest going weeks without a smoke in the winter. I saw some of those new radiant heaters in Home Depot and I’m serious about making the purchase. I’ll have to leave the door open at least halfway to let out the smoke, so I’ll need something that makes it bearable for a good 45 minutes to an hour.

GARAGE FLOOR REDONE 027I think it’s really time that I finally clear out a small section of the garage for my own little personal man cave space. I say this every year, but there comes a time to grow a pair and step up to the plate (along with any other cliché euphemisms I can dig up.) Heating and ventilation are the concerns (along with the  optimum safety) so I’m reaching out to the reading audience for any suggestions. Of course those of you in the south don’t have to deal with this problem, but some of you do have to deal with horrendous heat. We all have our cross to bear.

Harley_Davidson_Garage_bar_man_cave_1Now I’m not looking to do an all out man cave, by any means, I just need a small space with some comfort amongst the vehicle, lawn tractor, tools, and whatnot – I already have a fridge in there and a decent boombox stereo.  (But click to enlarge this Harley Man Cave photo and give yerself a big ol’ woody. Wow, that is sweet.)But then again, I love to watch hockey in the winter and I was thinking of getting a cheapie flat screen and running some coaxial out into the garage. I don’t think that’s a bad idea, but since it’s not heated in there and can get to freezing temperatures, I’m asking the experts out there…can a tv stay in there all the time under those conditions? It’s not damp, just cold.

So guys, if any of you have done anything similar, please chime in cuz the Zman needs some help. Now I know some of you have run baseboard heat and put vent fans into the wall and things of that nature, but I’m just not ready to go there as there are a hundred other things that need to be done first in my home and that would really piss off the living hell out of the nag – I mean my lovely and most sweetest better half. Plus, any suggestion for other amenities or to just make it a decent place to hang would be greatly appreciated.

SI4TOnto cigars…
I have to say that if you guys haven’t tried the new Siglo Limited Reserve, it is really one terrific smoke. I’ve had several already and I’m impressed with what has gone into making these. Okay, some of you need to get over the fact that they kind of imitated the Cohiba look – big whoop, get over it. The cigar is excellent and that’s all that matters. It’s a medium bodied smoke with a gorgeous silky wrapper with a lot of flavor, a good portion of that coming from the broadleaf binder.

According to our prestigious website…

SIGLO LIMITED RESERVE CIGARS
Handmade NIC
Wrapper: ECSU    Binder: CTBL    Filler: NIC/DR
Medium-Full Bodied

Hand selected, light-brown Ecuador Cubano wrapper leaves with the finest vein structure, combined with a flavorful broadleaf binder and an aged blend of rich Nicaraguan and Dominican long filler tobaccos provide the smoker with the Frank Llaneza “Cubanesque” heavier bodied “touch” that made brands like Hoyo, Punch, Excalibur, El Rey del Mundo, and others that he has created such mainstays in today’s premium cigar business. Another winner in the new chapter of fine cigars for Frank!

Order ‘em right here, my amigos, you won’t be disappointed…

siglo-limited-reserve-cigarsCLICK HERE>NoI: 4 ¼ x 44
CLICK HERE> NoII: 5 1/2 x 45
CLICK HERE> NoIII: 6 ½ x 44
CLICK HERE> NoIV: 5 x 54
CLICK HERE> NoIV Tubo: 5 x 54
CLICK HERE> NoVI: 6 x 54
CLICK HERE> NoVI Tubo: 6 x 54
CLICK HERE> NoVI: 7 x 48
CLICK HERE> NoX Belicoso: 6 x 54
CLICK HERE> NoXXI: 5 Tins of 5: 4 ½ x 38

So that’s it for today…let’s talk about man caving up the garage with a few suggestions for us cold weather brothers of the frozen Leaf.

Take care my bruthas and sistas,
Tommy Z.
JR Cigars Blog With the Zman

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!