I'm fairly new to cigars and to cigar.com as well, but I must say that I like your style of writing. I read the first 3 pages of this thread then skipped to the end to see if you were still around. Glad to see that you are! I'll go back and finish this thread over the coming week. I'll add a couple of your likes to my list.
See my first review and take out all the negatives. This cigar captured all that is good with the Lot 23 but without the crazy nic kick I always get with that blend. This was smooth yet still had some flavor and strength. I paired it with a Great Lakes Dortmunder Lager which might have taken away some of the nuance, so I won't go into all the flavors. It was good; I'll leave it at that.
Avo Heritage Lancero
Great aroma of Kelner musk on this stick. I bought a box back last September, and this is only the second one I've smoked, the other being ROTT. Flavors were fantastic, but construction, as I've had happen with other skinny cigars, resulted in a tight draw and some resultant burn problems in the second half. Touch ups didn't help much as the burn went wonky. Puffing harder/faster resulted in ruining the flavors, which were really good otherwise. The first half would get a high score; second half gets a frustrated low score because it could have been good.
Shameless Plug
If you're in the Denver/Boulder area, an old buddy of mine is the new owner of Barlow'sin Lafayette. His name is Benny, and all Benny and the Jets jokes are welcome and appreciated. Great, caring guy.
Intelligence is knowing that a tomato is a fruit; wisdom is knowing not to put it in a fruit salad.
I like Oliva and Quesada (including Regius) a lot. I will smoke anything, though.
Great aroma of Kelner musk on this stick. I bought a box back last September, and this is only the second one I've smoked, the other being ROTT. Flavors were fantastic, but construction, as I've had happen with other skinny cigars, resulted in a tight draw and some resultant burn problems in the second half. Touch ups didn't help much as the burn went wonky. Puffing harder/faster resulted in ruining the flavors, which were really good otherwise. The first half would get a high score; second half gets a frustrated low score because it could have been good.
Smoking one now and after getting through a small plug and some wonky burning on the first third it has opened up nicely with a great burn and smoke.
"I drink a great deal. I sleep a little, and I smoke cigar after cigar. That is why I am in two-hundred-percent form." -- Winston Churchill "LET'S GO FRANCIS" Peter
Great aroma of Kelner musk on this stick. I bought a box back last September, and this is only the second one I've smoked, the other being ROTT. Flavors were fantastic, but construction, as I've had happen with other skinny cigars, resulted in a tight draw and some resultant burn problems in the second half. Touch ups didn't help much as the burn went wonky. Puffing harder/faster resulted in ruining the flavors, which were really good otherwise. The first half would get a high score; second half gets a frustrated low score because it could have been good.
Smoking one now and after getting through a small plug and some wonky burning on the first third it has opened up nicely with a great burn and smoke.
I've noticed that Lanceros as a vitola seem prone to plugs, but I like them in general. I got a good deal on these from Ccom and couldn't pass it up even though they're not my favorite Avo. This one was significantly better than the one ROTT. I hope I don't have a bad box, but instead just had one rough stick.
Intelligence is knowing that a tomato is a fruit; wisdom is knowing not to put it in a fruit salad.
I like Oliva and Quesada (including Regius) a lot. I will smoke anything, though.
Needed to burn some brush and wanted something I wouldn't care about too much if it got out of hand and I had to set it down. Frankly, this was one of the best yard gars I've smoked...of course I'm sure Gurkha says it's a top of the line premi premi premi better than ISOM, worth a billion times it's weight in Gold (but buy it for 98.5% off and be grateful for your savings when it's "only" $18/stick or something).
That said, it was gifted to me, and it was more than decent. Of course, it started to unravel, but it didn't actually split! I smoked a little more than half before my wife had a medical need I had to help with just as the brush burned out.
I knew there was a reason I kept these things around. It's richness and nuttiness stood up well to the burning weeds and dead rhododendron I pulled out of the flowerbed a few weeks ago.
Intelligence is knowing that a tomato is a fruit; wisdom is knowing not to put it in a fruit salad.
I like Oliva and Quesada (including Regius) a lot. I will smoke anything, though.
So, what do you want to do except kick back with a nice smoke. The problem was that I was tired. Sunday's crappiness carried over into Monday (but I'm feeling better about the situation, now). So, to make a long story short, I picked cigars I knew would be great! I'm not 100% I've reviewed one of these, but the other is a favorite.
So, on Sunday evening, around 8:30, I was about ready for bed, but I was agitated and knew I couldn't sleep. The wife suggested I hit the man-shed and smoke, then come back in and watch some Firefly episodes if I still couldn't sleep. Not wanting to take long, I picked out a cigarillo-Davidoff Primeros Nicaragua-from the little smoke stash. It was perfect. I smoked until it got really hot and almost didn't want to stop then, because I've had worse tasting cigars that weren't overheating! 30 minutes and I'm starting to feel better. Still, I go inside and watch "The Train Job" with my wife before falling asleep.
On Monday, I'm still agitated. I get to attempt to resolve the situation, but one method I need some advice about. I ask my wife (yeah, I trust her opinion-go figure) and she says my idea should be a no go. I don't like hearing it, because I've already invested about 3.5 hours of my day in prepping for it, expecting then that I'd only make some slight alterations after her suggestions. It's an idea now on the scrap heap, and for the better I realize even before dinner is finished cooking. That's my other Zen activity. I made a great frittata last night. I know the wife was right, so back to the drawing board and I call some other advisors. Leave a message with one. Talk to another. Call my Dad, get interrupted by a call from a friend. Call Dad back. But during all this, I'm enjoying a La Riqueza No. 3. I am never disappointed by these things. I'll only have them if it's immediately after a rich meal. They don't do (as) well on my palate if it's fresh or my stomach if it's empty. There are some days where I think I could just buy Tats/anything by Pete Johnson. Add Jaime Garcia to this and no wonder it's good. I am going to be serious here, if I knew someone who was serious about cigars but didn't have a lot of experience, as much as people think I'm an Oliva ho, I would probably tell them to smoke one of these and a San Cristobal Elegancia as must tries. Oh, I have cigars I like more, but these are easily found and very user friendly. I love the feel of the box press on this cigar. It burns well unlike some pressed sticks. Toothy wrapper is pleasing to touch. Flavors are strong but power is not too strong--rich and complex--and it produces lots of smoke. Very satisfying. If YOU haven't tried one, call that 800 number down at the bottom of the page and order some now. They might become your go-to on a rainy (figurative and literal) day as well.
Intelligence is knowing that a tomato is a fruit; wisdom is knowing not to put it in a fruit salad.
I like Oliva and Quesada (including Regius) a lot. I will smoke anything, though.
It was a gorgeous evening last night. When I got home about 8:45, my wife was sitting on the front porch with a cigar. She usually only smokes with me, so that shows how nice it was! Of course I decide to join her.
The Nub Cameroon is a good looking cigar. Some cinnamon and pepper from the cap. Easy draw prelight. This winds up being a jawbreaker with a loose draw. Some good flavors were noticeable from the wrapper but something struck me as weird about this smoke. I got a sense of strength, but for the most part I just felt the flavors were lacking--like I was smoking air. I was tired while smoking this and nearly fell asleep relaxing with it. It burned great, even with me nodding off. I didn't finish it, but that wasn't its fault. I went to bed instead. I look forward to trying one of these again, when I'm more alert. But, first impressions (even incomplete ones) would have me rank this below the Nub Dub, Nub CT, and Nub Maduro, even. I have to revisit the Habano before giving the full lineup.
Intelligence is knowing that a tomato is a fruit; wisdom is knowing not to put it in a fruit salad.
I like Oliva and Quesada (including Regius) a lot. I will smoke anything, though.
It was a gorgeous evening last night. When I got home about 8:45, my wife was sitting on the front porch with a cigar. She usually only smokes with me, so that shows how nice it was! Of course I decide to join her.
The Nub Cameroon is a good looking cigar. Some cinnamon and pepper from the cap. Easy draw prelight. This winds up being a jawbreaker with a loose draw. Some good flavors were noticeable from the wrapper but something struck me as weird about this smoke. I got a sense of strength, but for the most part I just felt the flavors were lacking--like I was smoking air. I was tired while smoking this and nearly fell asleep relaxing with it. It burned great, even with me nodding off. I didn't finish it, but that wasn't its fault. I went to bed instead. I look forward to trying one of these again, when I'm more alert. But, first impressions (even incomplete ones) would have me rank this below the Nub Dub, Nub CT, and Nub Maduro, even. I have to revisit the Habano before giving the full lineup.
I really enjoyed the nub Cameroon. More so than the nub dub.
"I drink a great deal. I sleep a little, and I smoke cigar after cigar. That is why I am in two-hundred-percent form." -- Winston Churchill "LET'S GO FRANCIS" Peter
I bought a box and after sitting a week pulled out one precious cigar. Fantastic is all I'm saying now. I'll give another one a try in a few months and give a full review.
Graycliff Crystal Robusto
I've had bad experiences with Graycliff and not found them to be worth their price. Because of that, this has sat for over 2 years in my humi. I guess I found the secret...it was really good. But, I'm getting ahead of myself.
This was an ugly cigar. Seams and small veins were very noticeable as were variations in color on the wrapper. It had very little flavor when licked or on the pre-light draw. The cigar lit nicely, although the wrapper seemed like it wanted to scorch despite my best efforts. All in all, it was a pretty good light with just the tiniest bit of scorch on the end. Can't have 'em all perfect.
From the first puff, I was pleasantly surprised. I really can't say much to describe the flavor except that it was very floral. Not quite pot pourri or stepping into a flower shop, but a light floral overtone to a creamy smoke. There was maybe a slight touch of citrus, but it was a fleeting impression. My wife was smoking next to me and even commented on how "that smells interesting...good interesting." Indeed it was.
The cigar had a loose draw and before I even got to the final third it started to burn hot, despite perfect ash and a razor straight cherry. Once it got mushy, I had to toss it. So, I guess there were some negatives to this cigar; however, for just a fleeting moment in time, it might have been one of the best first third cigars I've had. I won't use this one as an excuse not to buy a sampler, although I still wouldn't pay nearly twenty bucks for it as a single. If that's indeed what it goes for, I'll continue to pass on the brand.
Intelligence is knowing that a tomato is a fruit; wisdom is knowing not to put it in a fruit salad.
I like Oliva and Quesada (including Regius) a lot. I will smoke anything, though.
The family took me on an excursion for Father's Day over the weekend. It was a complete surprise that my wife had arranged for me to miss a meeting at work and instead kidnapped me to take a day trip down to Harper's Ferry, WV. I've been through the town but never stopped despite wanting to.
I plan on going back to the town, a lot. I was still in rough shape after spraining my knee on a backpacking trip last weekend. I had a brace and used a hiking stick, but a fairly easy trail and lots of walking around town that day did me in. Still, as it recovers, this would be a great place to get some practice hiking in before the next try. The town is home to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, which stocks any souvenir, book, video, or map you might want about the AT. I've always been fascinated by John Brown, so that was my initial interest in the town. It's history is really fascinating even beyond Brown. If you're anywhere near, it's worth a day trip, or more when you consider the opportunities for tubing and rafting if those are up your alley.
After a hard day, the family told me to pick a place for dinner but with one stipulation...they had to have fried chicken, because I've been craving it for a while. We wound up at Family Meal in Frederick. It's owned by a Top Chef runner up and James Beard semi-finalist. Great food and highly affordable for the quality and portion size. It gets a recommend, for sure. Best fried chicken I've had since leaving Memphis and it might beat both Gus's and Uncle Lou's, although I wish it had had some of Uncle Lou's sauce-sweet spicy love.
The restaurant also happens to be right in front of a cigar lounge (I swear I didn't know this when I picked the place!) called Quartermasters. I decided to duck in for a look. Friendly but hands-off staff allowed me free range of their humidor. The humidity seemed about right although I question the temperature a little. It seemed really high. Their hygrometer reading was fine for humidity, but I couldn't glimpse a temp reading. The lounge looked comfortable, with pool table and TV's, which come to find out include Apple TV and lots of other options. Looking on their site, membership comes with some cool perks including 24/7 access. It's an hour-twenty from me, otherwise I know where all my birthday/Christmas/anniversary gifts would be going if it were even half the distance. I wish I could have stayed to smoke the couple of sticks I purchased, but the family was waiting. Their humidor wasn't the largest selection I've seen, but there were some quality choices from Camacho, Fuente, Tatuaje, and Drew Estates. And I think I only saw one Gurkha! If anyone in or visiting the area wants to herf, I'll gladly meet here!
Intelligence is knowing that a tomato is a fruit; wisdom is knowing not to put it in a fruit salad.
I like Oliva and Quesada (including Regius) a lot. I will smoke anything, though.
Arturo Fuente Gran Reserva Chateau (4.5x50 Robusto, Natural)
Usual Fuente (over)packaging with the foot ribbon over the cedar band below the cigar band itself. Once removed from it's extra wrappings, the cigar carries a pleasant, if mild, aroma of cedar and tobacco. There's not much else to a taste of the cap except some mild pepper notes, and those aren't in the draw after clipping the cap. The draw is a little loose, but not overly so. The cigar's appearance is about what you'd expect from a Connecticut wrapped cigar at this price. It's a natural product with some spots and color variation, but nothing unpleasant or of concern. A long toast has the foot wanting to darken if you're not careful with it. DO NOT light this too fast. I got some slight hints of scorch despite taking my time and being careful over a soft flame.
First third of the smoke starts with an overwhelming flavor of grass. It's not bitter like a young tobacco. In fact, it's even somewhat pleasant for a limited duration. Any harsh flavor beyond this is probably a remnant of the lighting process. Just when it gets to the point where I'm thinking, "if this profile doesn't evolve soon, I'm not going to enjoy this," the grass starts to lessen a bit. Cedar starts to become prominent. I'm wondering how much this flavor is because of the wrap and how much is simply inherent in the tobacco? At any rate, near the end of this third, the cedar starts to pleasantly compliment the grassy flavors as it melds into a far different profile.
The second third starts with those flavors fading as well. The grass flavor continues to lessen and it morphs into something dryer, more like a hayride than freshly mown grass. The cedar notes dissipate to a slight note as well. What you're left with is sweet, mild tobacco flavor with just hints of anything else.
The final third is much the same, but it's never boring. The sweetness is complimented by some creaminess. Hay and cedar notes remain in the background. In all, this cigar is just tasting like fine tobacco but with enough nuance to keep you interested in its development throughout. The loose-ish draw results in its downfall by creating a hot burn before I could even think of nubbing it with a toothpick or something. I set it down just before the burn line reaches my fingers so it doesn't have a chance to disappoint. After a start that had me worried, this became a very pleasant cigar. It's certainly mild in flavor, but that doesn't mean it lacks for complexity. It's not the best cigar I've ever smoked, nor is it the best mild Connecticut I've had, but it was excellent nevertheless. I will definitely smoke one again.
Intelligence is knowing that a tomato is a fruit; wisdom is knowing not to put it in a fruit salad.
I like Oliva and Quesada (including Regius) a lot. I will smoke anything, though.
If you're in the Denver/Boulder area, an old buddy of mine is the new owner of Barlow'sin Lafayette. His name is Benny, and all Benny and the Jets jokes are welcome and appreciated. Great, caring guy.
Martel, how soon ago did this shop change hands? For about 3+ years this was my home shop but about a year ago I was in with my Uncle treating him to some hooch and a smoke and the then owner, a guy named Sam, flipped out on me and even waved a weapon in my face screaming at the top of his lungs calling me stupid. Ever since then I refused to go back, which is a shame as I rather enjoyed the place. When did Benny buy Barlow's? The original owner Trey Barlow is a friend and was the one who gave me the CC Partagas 155th Anniversary Solomon from dinner in Havana with Castro as well as the original cigar that Jonathan Drew and company made the La Vieja Habana that they sold on plastic fold up card tables in the bottom of the World Trade center. I miss talking with Trey who was a frequent visitor there as well as many others, its been a regret that I haven't been back but I just have no desire to subject myself to that level of malice or ignorance again. Anything you can share is worthwhile to me to hear.
Thanks, Brett
"When walking in open territory bother no one. If someone bothers you, ask them to stop. If they do not stop, destroy them."
Benny got the shop in either Jan or Feb this year. He had a "grand re-opening" in late April after some cleaning and sprucing up. Benny has worked there a couple of years to help support his family's work with a ministry serving the homeless in the area. He's a great guy and would love to have you back, I'm sure.
Intelligence is knowing that a tomato is a fruit; wisdom is knowing not to put it in a fruit salad.
I like Oliva and Quesada (including Regius) a lot. I will smoke anything, though.
I have really liked this blend in the robustos. I used to find them at a great price at a B&M in Memphis but since the move, I really don't have a convenient place to go looking for them, but at the lounge I visited for Father's Day, they had a couple vitola, and I snagged a long 'n skinny. Price was prem, but they looked well cared for. The guy at the register said it was his favorite of their stock. I wasn't surprised to hear it. From the little pigtail to the foot, the cigar looks a little rough, but nothing that makes you think it's going to be bad because of it. Smells just like premium tobacco ought to smell and not much else. Cap has a little peppper. After a long slow toast, it lights up perfectly and never gives me a burn problem through the rest of the cigar. This was fantastic. Even better than the robusto. I really think these may become my go-to cigar when I can't decide and want a little more body than the Connecticuts I've been enjoying. Tasty, tasty, tasty.
Intelligence is knowing that a tomato is a fruit; wisdom is knowing not to put it in a fruit salad.
I like Oliva and Quesada (including Regius) a lot. I will smoke anything, though.
Martel, I'm still waiting for some fuller thoughts on the Room 101 Daruma... I bought some in lancero, and had my first one a few days ago, and was hoping to compare notes to see how our palates align.
Martel, I'm still waiting for some fuller thoughts on the Room 101 Daruma... I bought some in lancero, and had my first one a few days ago, and was hoping to compare notes to see how our palates align.
Patience; patience. I was thinking of smoking one last night, but after a quick trip up to Binghamton, NY and back I was too tired. I might get to one tonight if I don't get caught up arguing with the collision center that's got my wife's car right now.
Intelligence is knowing that a tomato is a fruit; wisdom is knowing not to put it in a fruit salad.
I like Oliva and Quesada (including Regius) a lot. I will smoke anything, though.
We have a car in the shop, and my wife had a late meeting at work, so I was trapped at home. Of course I'll be smoking a cigar. I grab this one partly because of Peter's request and partly because I know they're good. I'm heading out and my son wants to come outside, too. So picture if you will a guy 6'5", 250# with a long skinny cigar throwing a 200 gram frisbee with his 12 YO kid, and you've got an image of me last night. Needless to say, I didn't take detailed notes. Kid time is more important than the cigar. Still, I enjoyed it.
The first third of this put out a flavor that I initially had trouble placing. There's a kind of intense sweetness and a lot of floral notes. After a good chunk in, it hit me. Root Beer. This tastes like good craft root beer. Yum. Almost a birch beer, even.
The cigar smokes very smooth with a good mouth feel and long finish. It produces lots of smoke. In the second third, some of the sweetness disappears so it loses a bit of its suggestion of soft drinks. There's some added wood flavors and a hint of pepepr to go along with the floral/herbal flavors which are receding into the background some.
This is my third cigar out of this box. It's the first to burn wonky. I'm blaming the frisbee playing.for this, even though the unevenness doesn't start until the end of the middle third. It's seriously one-sided at the start of the final third as I sit down to finish it off and take a break from tossing the disc while the boy transitions to catching lightning bugs. It's only a minute or two later that it plugs on me. It's been a good smoke and I'm not inclined to be pessimistic about my chances of a bad box since two burned fine. The little bit of the final third I smoked was very similar to the second third but maybe mellower wood and pepper and a resurgence of the floral notes and slightly more sweetness.
Good progression of flavors. Some decent strength and nic kick, but approachable enough for me to hand one to just about anyone. I'm probably waiting to smoke more of these until at least 6mos from now, if not longer.
Intelligence is knowing that a tomato is a fruit; wisdom is knowing not to put it in a fruit salad.
I like Oliva and Quesada (including Regius) a lot. I will smoke anything, though.
Lots of Nicaraugua. I've had this cigar nearly 2 years.
This cigar looks pretty good. Prelight aroma is of musk and tobacco. Lick is a little peppery. I tried to toast it easy, but it was quick to char. Be careful! I never touched the flame, but it wanted to scorch on me. I still got it to light nice and easy.
Initial flavors were mostly leather and pepper. Nary a note of the musk I noticed prelight. Some cedar came into play once the initial kick wore down.
Into the second third, the flavors were mostly the same. Pepper and leather dominated. While the spice didn't kick up, the intensity of the flavors started to increase.
In the final third, a subtle cream that I think was lurking all along really started to poke through. Unfortunately, it started to burn hot with almost 2 inches to go. I tried to tough it out to 1.5 inches but had to put it down. The hot burn started to overpower the cream. Had this cream been in the flavor profile more prominently at the start, I would have loved this cigar. The way it is left it a little out of my preferred profile, but I could see many people really liking this cigar.
A note on the burn to conclude. The ash on this was flaky and didn't want to hold on very long. The burn was wavy, even though it was consistent and never needed a touch up. This contributed to the first ash fall, as it was all cattywampus. I had to have some extra puffs to keep it even, which might have contributed to the hot burn at the end. As it was, I smoked for an hour-fifteen. It really wasn't a bad pace and I was generally okay with the burn for a rainy day.
I'd try this again, for sure.
Intelligence is knowing that a tomato is a fruit; wisdom is knowing not to put it in a fruit salad.
I like Oliva and Quesada (including Regius) a lot. I will smoke anything, though.
Lots of Nicaraugua. I've had this cigar nearly 2 years.
This cigar looks pretty good. Prelight aroma is of musk and tobacco. Lick is a little peppery. I tried to toast it easy, but it was quick to char. Be careful! I never touched the flame, but it wanted to scorch on me. I still got it to light nice and easy.
Initial flavors were mostly leather and pepper. Nary a note of the musk I noticed prelight. Some cedar came into play once the initial kick wore down.
Into the second third, the flavors were mostly the same. Pepper and leather dominated. While the spice didn't kick up, the intensity of the flavors started to increase.
In the final third, a subtle cream that I think was lurking all along really started to poke through. Unfortunately, it started to burn hot with almost 2 inches to go. I tried to tough it out to 1.5 inches but had to put it down. The hot burn started to overpower the cream. Had this cream been in the flavor profile more prominently at the start, I would have loved this cigar. The way it is left it a little out of my preferred profile, but I could see many people really liking this cigar.
A note on the burn to conclude. The ash on this was flaky and didn't want to hold on very long. The burn was wavy, even though it was consistent and never needed a touch up. This contributed to the first ash fall, as it was all cattywampus. I had to have some extra puffs to keep it even, which might have contributed to the hot burn at the end. As it was, I smoked for an hour-fifteen. It really wasn't a bad pace and I was generally okay with the burn for a rainy day.
I'd try this again, for sure.
I met the owner and smoked one with him...it reminded me of a cross between the vsg and antono. It was enjoyable for me till the midway point where it just tarred up really bad and was bitter. I should try another since I hear good things about them.
This is more of a placeholder than a review for now. I really like this cigar. I can't find when it shipped with a COTM but it was sometime between October of 2015 and Jan. of 2016, so at least nine months to close to a year. Rich chocolate and coffee flavors.
It is a little large for my comfort, but on some occasions you want the larger RG. The flat head is a bit of a challenge to cut correctly. I couldn't find my punch, but that's probably your best bet. My guillotines faced some challenges. I have two "perfect" cutters which I like, but didn't seem like they would offer enough control to just shave a bit of cap off. My other won't take much more than a 54-56 RG. I tried to use it but just couldn't get it right. Went to the perfect and then had some unraveling. Oh well.
I'll try to get my complete thoughts down, but no guarantees. I really did enjoy it, so I wanted to at least get that down.
Intelligence is knowing that a tomato is a fruit; wisdom is knowing not to put it in a fruit salad.
I like Oliva and Quesada (including Regius) a lot. I will smoke anything, though.
This is more of a placeholder than a review for now. I really like this cigar. I can't find when it shipped with a COTM but it was sometime between October of 2015 and Jan. of 2016, so at least nine months to close to a year. Rich chocolate and coffee flavors.
It is a little large for my comfort, but on some occasions you want the larger RG. The flat head is a bit of a challenge to cut correctly. I couldn't find my punch, but that's probably your best bet. My guillotines faced some challenges. I have two "perfect" cutters which I like, but didn't seem like they would offer enough control to just shave a bit of cap off. My other won't take much more than a 54-56 RG. I tried to use it but just couldn't get it right. Went to the perfect and then had some unraveling. Oh well.
I'll try to get my complete thoughts down, but no guarantees. I really did enjoy it, so I wanted to at least get that down.
I am a big fan of the Flathead Series. I have also found that a punch is the best device for these sticks. The rich coffee and chocolate flavors make it very enjoyable.
I'm behind on a couple of reviews. Mostly mid-range type sticks between $4-$10. I might catch up on typing my notes on a couple, especially the Padilla 1932 Black. But today, I want to talk about the smoke I had last night. My Father Le Bijou 1922 Grand Robusto.
Great flavors in this cigar. A lot of strength, too. Perfect maduro blend of sweet, caramel, and chocolate with a wrapper thick enough to take forever to light and smoke dense enough to chew.
This cigar hit me hard. I had to stop in the final third to pull a @jliu , if you know what I mean. If that urge hadn't hit, I might have set it down anyway because the stomach was really noticing the nicotine, too. Here's the thing though, some cigars have done that too me and been okay enough to want to try again. Usually when I go back, I either get the same result or find out that they really are just okay and don't need to risk it again. With this one, I should add that I don't care if I puke for an hour during or after, I'm going back again. It was just that good.
I should add it has 2.3 years on it. May 2014. And it was worth the wait. And the poop.
Intelligence is knowing that a tomato is a fruit; wisdom is knowing not to put it in a fruit salad.
I like Oliva and Quesada (including Regius) a lot. I will smoke anything, though.
Four Kicks Corona Gorda So I bought this for way over online retail. I was best man in a wedding and forgot my herfador so I had to swing by a local shop. An extra four bucks a pop for all the cigars I bought was basically the standard markup. I could have gone to another store and saved some, but this one was the most convenient. Oh well. A guy's gotta do... This was the first new cigar I've smoked in a while. I absolutely loved it. Rich. Smooth. Caramel with a little black pepper later in the burn. I've had the Jericho Hill from Crowned Heads before and enjoyed it as well, but I think I liked this one better.
Undercrown Shade Corona Not up to snuff. It seemed like a knockoff of some of my favorite CT wrapped cigars but without any of the distinctive marks which wow me when it comes to some of those alternatives. Stronger than lots of the mild cigars out there. It had some creaminess and some pepper. Nothing really bad to mention in this smoke. I'd tried the first one after smoking the above cigar. Thinking that wasn't fair, I tried another a few days later. The flavors were more pronounced, but my initial impression didn't really change. I'll stick with MF CT, Oliva CT (and Nub), and the San Cristobal Elegancia.
Intelligence is knowing that a tomato is a fruit; wisdom is knowing not to put it in a fruit salad.
I like Oliva and Quesada (including Regius) a lot. I will smoke anything, though.
Comments
I'm fairly new to cigars and to cigar.com as well, but I must say that I like your style of writing. I read the first 3 pages of this thread then skipped to the end to see if you were still around. Glad to see that you are! I'll go back and finish this thread over the coming week. I'll add a couple of your likes to my list.
Thanks for taking the time to do what you do!
See my first review and take out all the negatives. This cigar captured all that is good with the Lot 23 but without the crazy nic kick I always get with that blend. This was smooth yet still had some flavor and strength. I paired it with a Great Lakes Dortmunder Lager which might have taken away some of the nuance, so I won't go into all the flavors. It was good; I'll leave it at that.
Avo Heritage Lancero
Great aroma of Kelner musk on this stick. I bought a box back last September, and this is only the second one I've smoked, the other being ROTT. Flavors were fantastic, but construction, as I've had happen with other skinny cigars, resulted in a tight draw and some resultant burn problems in the second half. Touch ups didn't help much as the burn went wonky. Puffing harder/faster resulted in ruining the flavors, which were really good otherwise. The first half would get a high score; second half gets a frustrated low score because it could have been good.
Shameless Plug
If you're in the Denver/Boulder area, an old buddy of mine is the new owner of Barlow's in Lafayette. His name is Benny, and all Benny and the Jets jokes are welcome and appreciated. Great, caring guy.
I like Oliva and Quesada (including Regius) a lot. I will smoke anything, though.
-- Winston Churchill
"LET'S GO FRANCIS" Peter
I like Oliva and Quesada (including Regius) a lot. I will smoke anything, though.
Needed to burn some brush and wanted something I wouldn't care about too much if it got out of hand and I had to set it down. Frankly, this was one of the best yard gars I've smoked...of course I'm sure Gurkha says it's a top of the line premi premi premi better than ISOM, worth a billion times it's weight in Gold (but buy it for 98.5% off and be grateful for your savings when it's "only" $18/stick or something).
That said, it was gifted to me, and it was more than decent. Of course, it started to unravel, but it didn't actually split! I smoked a little more than half before my wife had a medical need I had to help with just as the brush burned out.
I knew there was a reason I kept these things around. It's richness and nuttiness stood up well to the burning weeds and dead rhododendron I pulled out of the flowerbed a few weeks ago.
I like Oliva and Quesada (including Regius) a lot. I will smoke anything, though.
I like Oliva and Quesada (including Regius) a lot. I will smoke anything, though.
So, what do you want to do except kick back with a nice smoke. The problem was that I was tired. Sunday's crappiness carried over into Monday (but I'm feeling better about the situation, now). So, to make a long story short, I picked cigars I knew would be great! I'm not 100% I've reviewed one of these, but the other is a favorite.
So, on Sunday evening, around 8:30, I was about ready for bed, but I was agitated and knew I couldn't sleep. The wife suggested I hit the man-shed and smoke, then come back in and watch some Firefly episodes if I still couldn't sleep. Not wanting to take long, I picked out a cigarillo-Davidoff Primeros Nicaragua-from the little smoke stash. It was perfect. I smoked until it got really hot and almost didn't want to stop then, because I've had worse tasting cigars that weren't overheating! 30 minutes and I'm starting to feel better. Still, I go inside and watch "The Train Job" with my wife before falling asleep.
On Monday, I'm still agitated. I get to attempt to resolve the situation, but one method I need some advice about. I ask my wife (yeah, I trust her opinion-go figure) and she says my idea should be a no go. I don't like hearing it, because I've already invested about 3.5 hours of my day in prepping for it, expecting then that I'd only make some slight alterations after her suggestions. It's an idea now on the scrap heap, and for the better I realize even before dinner is finished cooking. That's my other Zen activity. I made a great frittata last night. I know the wife was right, so back to the drawing board and I call some other advisors. Leave a message with one. Talk to another. Call my Dad, get interrupted by a call from a friend. Call Dad back. But during all this, I'm enjoying a La Riqueza No. 3. I am never disappointed by these things. I'll only have them if it's immediately after a rich meal. They don't do (as) well on my palate if it's fresh or my stomach if it's empty. There are some days where I think I could just buy Tats/anything by Pete Johnson. Add Jaime Garcia to this and no wonder it's good. I am going to be serious here, if I knew someone who was serious about cigars but didn't have a lot of experience, as much as people think I'm an Oliva ho, I would probably tell them to smoke one of these and a San Cristobal Elegancia as must tries. Oh, I have cigars I like more, but these are easily found and very user friendly. I love the feel of the box press on this cigar. It burns well unlike some pressed sticks. Toothy wrapper is pleasing to touch. Flavors are strong but power is not too strong--rich and complex--and it produces lots of smoke. Very satisfying. If YOU haven't tried one, call that 800 number down at the bottom of the page and order some now. They might become your go-to on a rainy (figurative and literal) day as well.
I like Oliva and Quesada (including Regius) a lot. I will smoke anything, though.
It was a gorgeous evening last night. When I got home about 8:45, my wife was sitting on the front porch with a cigar. She usually only smokes with me, so that shows how nice it was! Of course I decide to join her.
The Nub Cameroon is a good looking cigar. Some cinnamon and pepper from the cap. Easy draw prelight. This winds up being a jawbreaker with a loose draw. Some good flavors were noticeable from the wrapper but something struck me as weird about this smoke. I got a sense of strength, but for the most part I just felt the flavors were lacking--like I was smoking air. I was tired while smoking this and nearly fell asleep relaxing with it. It burned great, even with me nodding off. I didn't finish it, but that wasn't its fault. I went to bed instead. I look forward to trying one of these again, when I'm more alert. But, first impressions (even incomplete ones) would have me rank this below the Nub Dub, Nub CT, and Nub Maduro, even. I have to revisit the Habano before giving the full lineup.
I like Oliva and Quesada (including Regius) a lot. I will smoke anything, though.
-- Winston Churchill
"LET'S GO FRANCIS" Peter
I bought a box and after sitting a week pulled out one precious cigar. Fantastic is all I'm saying now. I'll give another one a try in a few months and give a full review.
Graycliff Crystal Robusto
I've had bad experiences with Graycliff and not found them to be worth their price. Because of that, this has sat for over 2 years in my humi. I guess I found the secret...it was really good. But, I'm getting ahead of myself.
This was an ugly cigar. Seams and small veins were very noticeable as were variations in color on the wrapper. It had very little flavor when licked or on the pre-light draw. The cigar lit nicely, although the wrapper seemed like it wanted to scorch despite my best efforts. All in all, it was a pretty good light with just the tiniest bit of scorch on the end. Can't have 'em all perfect.
From the first puff, I was pleasantly surprised. I really can't say much to describe the flavor except that it was very floral. Not quite pot pourri or stepping into a flower shop, but a light floral overtone to a creamy smoke. There was maybe a slight touch of citrus, but it was a fleeting impression. My wife was smoking next to me and even commented on how "that smells interesting...good interesting." Indeed it was.
The cigar had a loose draw and before I even got to the final third it started to burn hot, despite perfect ash and a razor straight cherry. Once it got mushy, I had to toss it. So, I guess there were some negatives to this cigar; however, for just a fleeting moment in time, it might have been one of the best first third cigars I've had. I won't use this one as an excuse not to buy a sampler, although I still wouldn't pay nearly twenty bucks for it as a single. If that's indeed what it goes for, I'll continue to pass on the brand.
I like Oliva and Quesada (including Regius) a lot. I will smoke anything, though.
The family took me on an excursion for Father's Day over the weekend. It was a complete surprise that my wife had arranged for me to miss a meeting at work and instead kidnapped me to take a day trip down to Harper's Ferry, WV. I've been through the town but never stopped despite wanting to.
I plan on going back to the town, a lot. I was still in rough shape after spraining my knee on a backpacking trip last weekend. I had a brace and used a hiking stick, but a fairly easy trail and lots of walking around town that day did me in. Still, as it recovers, this would be a great place to get some practice hiking in before the next try. The town is home to the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, which stocks any souvenir, book, video, or map you might want about the AT. I've always been fascinated by John Brown, so that was my initial interest in the town. It's history is really fascinating even beyond Brown. If you're anywhere near, it's worth a day trip, or more when you consider the opportunities for tubing and rafting if those are up your alley.
After a hard day, the family told me to pick a place for dinner but with one stipulation...they had to have fried chicken, because I've been craving it for a while. We wound up at Family Meal in Frederick. It's owned by a Top Chef runner up and James Beard semi-finalist. Great food and highly affordable for the quality and portion size. It gets a recommend, for sure. Best fried chicken I've had since leaving Memphis and it might beat both Gus's and Uncle Lou's, although I wish it had had some of Uncle Lou's sauce-sweet spicy love.
The restaurant also happens to be right in front of a cigar lounge (I swear I didn't know this when I picked the place!) called Quartermasters. I decided to duck in for a look. Friendly but hands-off staff allowed me free range of their humidor. The humidity seemed about right although I question the temperature a little. It seemed really high. Their hygrometer reading was fine for humidity, but I couldn't glimpse a temp reading. The lounge looked comfortable, with pool table and TV's, which come to find out include Apple TV and lots of other options. Looking on their site, membership comes with some cool perks including 24/7 access. It's an hour-twenty from me, otherwise I know where all my birthday/Christmas/anniversary gifts would be going if it were even half the distance. I wish I could have stayed to smoke the couple of sticks I purchased, but the family was waiting. Their humidor wasn't the largest selection I've seen, but there were some quality choices from Camacho, Fuente, Tatuaje, and Drew Estates. And I think I only saw one Gurkha! If anyone in or visiting the area wants to herf, I'll gladly meet here!
I like Oliva and Quesada (including Regius) a lot. I will smoke anything, though.
Usual Fuente (over)packaging with the foot ribbon over the cedar band below the cigar band itself. Once removed from it's extra wrappings, the cigar carries a pleasant, if mild, aroma of cedar and tobacco. There's not much else to a taste of the cap except some mild pepper notes, and those aren't in the draw after clipping the cap. The draw is a little loose, but not overly so. The cigar's appearance is about what you'd expect from a Connecticut wrapped cigar at this price. It's a natural product with some spots and color variation, but nothing unpleasant or of concern.
A long toast has the foot wanting to darken if you're not careful with it. DO NOT light this too fast. I got some slight hints of scorch despite taking my time and being careful over a soft flame.
First third of the smoke starts with an overwhelming flavor of grass. It's not bitter like a young tobacco. In fact, it's even somewhat pleasant for a limited duration. Any harsh flavor beyond this is probably a remnant of the lighting process. Just when it gets to the point where I'm thinking, "if this profile doesn't evolve soon, I'm not going to enjoy this," the grass starts to lessen a bit. Cedar starts to become prominent. I'm wondering how much this flavor is because of the wrap and how much is simply inherent in the tobacco? At any rate, near the end of this third, the cedar starts to pleasantly compliment the grassy flavors as it melds into a far different profile.
The second third starts with those flavors fading as well. The grass flavor continues to lessen and it morphs into something dryer, more like a hayride than freshly mown grass. The cedar notes dissipate to a slight note as well. What you're left with is sweet, mild tobacco flavor with just hints of anything else.
The final third is much the same, but it's never boring. The sweetness is complimented by some creaminess. Hay and cedar notes remain in the background. In all, this cigar is just tasting like fine tobacco but with enough nuance to keep you interested in its development throughout. The loose-ish draw results in its downfall by creating a hot burn before I could even think of nubbing it with a toothpick or something. I set it down just before the burn line reaches my fingers so it doesn't have a chance to disappoint.
After a start that had me worried, this became a very pleasant cigar. It's certainly mild in flavor, but that doesn't mean it lacks for complexity. It's not the best cigar I've ever smoked, nor is it the best mild Connecticut I've had, but it was excellent nevertheless. I will definitely smoke one again.
I like Oliva and Quesada (including Regius) a lot. I will smoke anything, though.
Thanks,
Brett
Benny got the shop in either Jan or Feb this year. He had a "grand re-opening" in late April after some cleaning and sprucing up. Benny has worked there a couple of years to help support his family's work with a ministry serving the homeless in the area. He's a great guy and would love to have you back, I'm sure.
I like Oliva and Quesada (including Regius) a lot. I will smoke anything, though.
Brett
I have really liked this blend in the robustos. I used to find them at a great price at a B&M in Memphis but since the move, I really don't have a convenient place to go looking for them, but at the lounge I visited for Father's Day, they had a couple vitola, and I snagged a long 'n skinny. Price was prem, but they looked well cared for. The guy at the register said it was his favorite of their stock. I wasn't surprised to hear it.
From the little pigtail to the foot, the cigar looks a little rough, but nothing that makes you think it's going to be bad because of it. Smells just like premium tobacco ought to smell and not much else. Cap has a little peppper. After a long slow toast, it lights up perfectly and never gives me a burn problem through the rest of the cigar.
This was fantastic. Even better than the robusto. I really think these may become my go-to cigar when I can't decide and want a little more body than the Connecticuts I've been enjoying. Tasty, tasty, tasty.
I like Oliva and Quesada (including Regius) a lot. I will smoke anything, though.
I like Oliva and Quesada (including Regius) a lot. I will smoke anything, though.
Room 101 Daruma Lancero
We have a car in the shop, and my wife had a late meeting at work, so I was trapped at home. Of course I'll be smoking a cigar. I grab this one partly because of Peter's request and partly because I know they're good. I'm heading out and my son wants to come outside, too. So picture if you will a guy 6'5", 250# with a long skinny cigar throwing a 200 gram frisbee with his 12 YO kid, and you've got an image of me last night. Needless to say, I didn't take detailed notes. Kid time is more important than the cigar. Still, I enjoyed it.
The first third of this put out a flavor that I initially had trouble placing. There's a kind of intense sweetness and a lot of floral notes. After a good chunk in, it hit me. Root Beer. This tastes like good craft root beer. Yum. Almost a birch beer, even.
The cigar smokes very smooth with a good mouth feel and long finish. It produces lots of smoke. In the second third, some of the sweetness disappears so it loses a bit of its suggestion of soft drinks. There's some added wood flavors and a hint of pepepr to go along with the floral/herbal flavors which are receding into the background some.
This is my third cigar out of this box. It's the first to burn wonky. I'm blaming the frisbee playing.for this, even though the unevenness doesn't start until the end of the middle third. It's seriously one-sided at the start of the final third as I sit down to finish it off and take a break from tossing the disc while the boy transitions to catching lightning bugs. It's only a minute or two later that it plugs on me. It's been a good smoke and I'm not inclined to be pessimistic about my chances of a bad box since two burned fine. The little bit of the final third I smoked was very similar to the second third but maybe mellower wood and pepper and a resurgence of the floral notes and slightly more sweetness.
Good progression of flavors. Some decent strength and nic kick, but approachable enough for me to hand one to just about anyone. I'm probably waiting to smoke more of these until at least 6mos from now, if not longer.
I like Oliva and Quesada (including Regius) a lot. I will smoke anything, though.
Lots of Nicaraugua. I've had this cigar nearly 2 years.
This cigar looks pretty good. Prelight aroma is of musk and tobacco. Lick is a little peppery. I tried to toast it easy, but it was quick to char. Be careful! I never touched the flame, but it wanted to scorch on me. I still got it to light nice and easy.
Initial flavors were mostly leather and pepper. Nary a note of the musk I noticed prelight. Some cedar came into play once the initial kick wore down.
Into the second third, the flavors were mostly the same. Pepper and leather dominated. While the spice didn't kick up, the intensity of the flavors started to increase.
In the final third, a subtle cream that I think was lurking all along really started to poke through. Unfortunately, it started to burn hot with almost 2 inches to go. I tried to tough it out to 1.5 inches but had to put it down. The hot burn started to overpower the cream. Had this cream been in the flavor profile more prominently at the start, I would have loved this cigar. The way it is left it a little out of my preferred profile, but I could see many people really liking this cigar.
A note on the burn to conclude. The ash on this was flaky and didn't want to hold on very long. The burn was wavy, even though it was consistent and never needed a touch up. This contributed to the first ash fall, as it was all cattywampus. I had to have some extra puffs to keep it even, which might have contributed to the hot burn at the end. As it was, I smoked for an hour-fifteen. It really wasn't a bad pace and I was generally okay with the burn for a rainy day.
I'd try this again, for sure.
I like Oliva and Quesada (including Regius) a lot. I will smoke anything, though.
This is more of a placeholder than a review for now. I really like this cigar. I can't find when it shipped with a COTM but it was sometime between October of 2015 and Jan. of 2016, so at least nine months to close to a year. Rich chocolate and coffee flavors.
It is a little large for my comfort, but on some occasions you want the larger RG. The flat head is a bit of a challenge to cut correctly. I couldn't find my punch, but that's probably your best bet. My guillotines faced some challenges. I have two "perfect" cutters which I like, but didn't seem like they would offer enough control to just shave a bit of cap off. My other won't take much more than a 54-56 RG. I tried to use it but just couldn't get it right. Went to the perfect and then had some unraveling. Oh well.
I'll try to get my complete thoughts down, but no guarantees. I really did enjoy it, so I wanted to at least get that down.
I like Oliva and Quesada (including Regius) a lot. I will smoke anything, though.
Great flavors in this cigar. A lot of strength, too. Perfect maduro blend of sweet, caramel, and chocolate with a wrapper thick enough to take forever to light and smoke dense enough to chew.
This cigar hit me hard. I had to stop in the final third to pull a @jliu , if you know what I mean. If that urge hadn't hit, I might have set it down anyway because the stomach was really noticing the nicotine, too. Here's the thing though, some cigars have done that too me and been okay enough to want to try again. Usually when I go back, I either get the same result or find out that they really are just okay and don't need to risk it again. With this one, I should add that I don't care if I puke for an hour during or after, I'm going back again. It was just that good.
I should add it has 2.3 years on it. May 2014. And it was worth the wait. And the poop.
I like Oliva and Quesada (including Regius) a lot. I will smoke anything, though.
So I bought this for way over online retail. I was best man in a wedding and forgot my herfador so I had to swing by a local shop. An extra four bucks a pop for all the cigars I bought was basically the standard markup. I could have gone to another store and saved some, but this one was the most convenient. Oh well. A guy's gotta do...
This was the first new cigar I've smoked in a while. I absolutely loved it. Rich. Smooth. Caramel with a little black pepper later in the burn. I've had the Jericho Hill from Crowned Heads before and enjoyed it as well, but I think I liked this one better.
Undercrown Shade Corona
Not up to snuff. It seemed like a knockoff of some of my favorite CT wrapped cigars but without any of the distinctive marks which wow me when it comes to some of those alternatives. Stronger than lots of the mild cigars out there. It had some creaminess and some pepper. Nothing really bad to mention in this smoke. I'd tried the first one after smoking the above cigar. Thinking that wasn't fair, I tried another a few days later. The flavors were more pronounced, but my initial impression didn't really change. I'll stick with MF CT, Oliva CT (and Nub), and the San Cristobal Elegancia.
I like Oliva and Quesada (including Regius) a lot. I will smoke anything, though.