Nice review. What you described is pretty much my favorite flavor profile. I wish I had three hours for a cigar. One of these days I should just take a day off from work and smoke the cigars I normally wouldn't have time for.
Yeah I don't usually like smoking that long unless I'm doing poker or risk but I figured I needed to do a good review of it so I did. I can't think of a cigar that lasted this long, even the beast didn't.. lol
I have an Opus X 'A' that will probably never get smoked unless I took a day off just to do it.
A local shop near me has these for around $20. I clearly need to pick up a couple one of these days. Or if you're buying a box, hit me up if you want to sell me or trade me a couple!
thanks guys. laker, I don't know. Maybe. Either way I'm going to let these sit for a year and then spark another one. Hopefully there's some nice changes.
for some reason I wish they were stronger in the cigar but the wrapper is really raiseny..
Just smoked my first. I let mine rest three weeks. Really, it wasn't as strong as I expected. Definitely not even close to the DL chisel. But all the flavors you mentioned were right one. Had a nice sweetness on the finish, with pepper through the nose. Lots of good natural tobacco flavor as well. It was easily the best constructed stick I've had. Only ashed twice to the band, once at halfway, second when it hit the band. The burn was razor sharp and the draw was great. I thoroughly thoroughly enjoyed it. So glad I have 4 left. And the smoke from the foot even smelled like raisins. I couldn't stop sniffing the thing.
First I want to thank a fellow member for telling me where to pick up these sticks!
member? singular?
i think a bunch of people around here were saying how good these are.
im not sure if i lead you that way but im glad you enjoyed it.
nah, I told him where to find em cheap online. I ordered the same fiver. $40 for 5. You were the one who convinced me to buy em though. When you said they were awesome, and to pick em up if I could find em, I did. haha. So thanks!
Not sure how many have had this stick but I'm going to let you all know how it tastes and how it stacks up to the rest of the line. I've had this since december 08 and it's been living at the bottom of my humi.
CAO Tony Soprano:
A Honduras with a dark and chewy Brazilian wrapper leaf, blend of Nicaraguan, Dominican and Columbian tobaccos with a Honduran-grown binder. This size is a limited run of the line boasting a 6.5 x 60 size. They were only available in 48 count black trunk humidors or in samplers for the line. After giving the cigar a good look-see I am amazed at how eye popping gorgeous this stick is. The 3 bands that cover the wrapper to the wrapper itself. The construction is top notch. This cigar is by far one of the best looking cigars I've ever seen. While removing the labels I can't help but smell the wrapper, a barnyard-ish aroma is very prominate. I seem to get this with a lot of maduros. I went ahead and used a large punch instead of my small one since the diameter is so big. A few dry puffs and I get tobacco, cocoa, and some spice. Moving on I start to toast the foot and the cigar comes to life!!!
Moving into the first few puffs I am getting a lot of flavor. Chocolate, earth, tobacco, and a better sweet roasted flavor. The flavors are really tasty all clumped together. The smoke is plentiful and has a nice rich aroma. For this stick I am enjoying a coca cola vanilla which seems to pair very nicely especially the vanilla which seems to strengthen the sweetness of the cocoa. After moving past the first 1/3rd the flavors stay consistent without changing much. The ash is tight, and seems to be sticking rather nicely. Now one thing about this line is how they burn. I've never had any Soprano burn well, they always seem to burn faster on one side. This stick is no exception. I've had it since December of 08 and it's been in the bottom of my humi since then so the time has not made any difference on the burn. Other than that the flavor and the smoke output is very pleasing.
After kicking the first bit of ash the curb (not that it fell but I didn't want it too) the smoke, the flavor and the draw are all top notch. The flavors really haven't changed all the much with the exception of the strength of the cocoa. It seems to have taken over the profile and the vanilla coke is making the taste so much more enjoyable. The burn seems to have started to get better after knocking off the ash but it's still not razor sharp.
After moving past the 2nd ash the Tony Soprano is still flavorful and smoky as ever. The Tastes have stayed much the same except more tobacco and some earth have moved in. The cocoa is stepping back a bit. There are some minor hints of wood and spice but the cigar has yet to move into a strong full bodied experience. The cigar has burned slow and cool this entire time which is a welcomed surprise. So many cigars start to get hot around this time but this guy is cool as can be.
Moving onto the last stretch of the cigar the strength picks up but not much. The tobacco is stronger and the sweetness has taken a back step. Though hints of sweet are present as is some earth, spice, coffee. I smoked this puppy until it became hard to hold with two fingers but the thing never really got too hot.
Overall this cigar was a very nice addition to the line. I feel that this cigar would be my go to Soprano however it's rarity makes that a no go. They pop up at times but at a 20 plus price tag that may not sit well with some people. The soldier/boss is a bit cheaper and though don't last as long I feel they taste very similar. I think the larger ring gauge and size allows the overall flavor come out more. The Tony lasted about 2.25 hours maybe a bit more since I didn't have a stop watch. I suggest if you haven't had any of the sopranos to check them out, however they can be found at a steep price. I'm glad that I have another of these sticks lying around as I'd like to see if they change after another year or so of rest.
Excellent cigar! I had it last night and your review is spot on man. I read your review before smoking and I looked for your descriptions while smoking. This is one monster of a cigar compared to the robustos I usually smoke. I put it out after 2 hours of smoking as I had to leave, but had just a tad bit left. But just a great. Agree on the price point of $20 each, but I picked em up for less than that. I had them rested for about 3 months, and still have about 6 left. Will def. have another once I know I have about 2+ hours to smoke. Oh, I had a Dr.Pepper while having this stogie.
With the popularity of the NUB line, a Cain F nub has been born. Not sure how many of you have had the Cain F or even the Nub but they are suppose to be a strong cigar, even stronger than the Cain. Now I enjoyed the Cain maddy, but after having a F, I wasn't too into it. Now I usually post pictures but since I'm having camera problems no pics, sorry.
This cigar was gifted to me by Rob from an event he went too. I was excited to try this cigar since it is suppose to be all about the best taste of the blend (as with all the nubs). The cigar had a barnyard/grass like smell to the wrapper. After punching it, I picked up some tobacco but it almost sweet. I lit the end and let is evenly get toasted and gently gave it the first few puffs. I didn't get much taste at first but quickly I picked up some sweetness, marshmallow and tobacco/leather.
Moving past the 1/3 mark, the sweetness and marshmallow has long gone and now I am left with a leathery tobacco with some minor spice. I do miss the sweetness but it's all going good. The burn is pretty nice, and the smoke output is light-medium.
Moving past the 1/2 way mark I am beginning to pick up some strength, but the flavors haven't changed. This cigar burns slow, much slower than the other nubs I've had. This cigar to me, is very one-dimensional. The flavors of tobacco/spice/leather haven't really changed since I first picked them up.
Moving into the last 3rd of the cigar I can say that I am enjoying this more than the first time I had a Cain F. Not sure if it's the nub sizing or what but it's a lot stronger than I remember of the F which is nice since I was expecting a stronger cigar. The flavor profile is rather plain however it is steady.
Overall I thought this cigar was alright. Now I never really enjoyed the Cain line all that much so those of you who did then you're probably going to like this little guy. Be sure to eat something or have some sugary liquid. hehe. Or you could just smoke it really slowly. Though it does burn slow too. I think it took about 95 or so minutes to finish. I want to thank Rob for sending me this.
You're very welcome, bro. Nice review. From my experience, the Fs are better in the larger ring gauge. The robustos I've had, I felt lacked flavor, complexity and even in strength. In the larger size, I felt there was a bit more in all departments.
I haven't gotten around to mine yet, but hopefully I'll get to have one before the winter hits and it's too cold.
The Cain F with Sam's signature on it? I actually haven't smoked one yet. Have a few of them just sitting. I honestly really enjoyed the Cain Habano and Cain Nub Habano. Not a huge fan of the maduro. I sent you the new Aroma de Cuba, right? I enjoyed that one.
I first want to thank Joeyjoe21_8 for helping me secure these!
I've smoked all of the Gurkha cognac cigars except the HMR and I can say without a doubt that they are pretty good. Sure Gurkha gets a lot of crap but they have some good smokes. My favorite from the line would have to be the platinum reserve as of right now I have smoked about 11 of them and they are pretty consistent however they are hard as hell to come by. The royal reserve is 2nd and though I have only smoked 2 of them I have had mixed results though as they are much more than the plat I do expect more. I do have about 4 left but don't smoke them that often. The Grand Reserve (maduro as well) are nice smokes too.
The Art Deco is a beautiful cigar. It's a torpedo and here are the stats:
6 x 52
1940 Pre-Embargo Cuban tobaccos
12-year-old Cameroon maduro wrapper
Louis XIII Cognac (where the cigars are infused while being placed in barrels) ---There is mixed stats on this cigar so if it's not 100 percent I am sorry--
First I have to say this cigar is down right a sight to see. The tube, the gold wax and the pretty writing on the tube. It is a very nice looking cigar. The wax is easily removed and once it is the cognac is empowering. Now with the other cigars in the line it is too so this is nothing new. The smell of the cigar is of cognac and tobacco, again no surprise.
How it Smokes?:
I'm not going to go too in depth as I already have done a review of at least one of the cigars in this line and the cigar is pretty much the same except with this:
The cigar is very smooth with flavors of tobacco and some nuts. The cognac is strong and stays all the way through the cigar. With the other cigars in the line the cognac isn't as strong even with the royal reserve which is suppose to use an entire bottle for the 22 cigars (though some mixed reports is 3x the amount). I'm not sure how much is used for the Art Deco's but the cigar really throws out the flavor. The cigar burned as to be expect, meaning not flawlessly however nothing horrible just a few touch up here and there. I have a couple more which I plan on hitting up in a while but perhaps I may pick up some more as they are nice smokes. Overall it was a nice cigar and will fit nicely in my small collection of cognac cigars from Gurkha.
Bottom line this cigar is rather nice. Is it worth 40 bucks or more, NO. I personally think no cigar is worth over 20 dollars though some may be depending, however worth/price is a sensitive subject in our hobby. Sure I'd buy a box of padron maduro 80ths but your damn sure I'm browsing for a good price. One could get the grand reserve and pay a lot less and though it's a good cigar the cognac isn't as strong and the tobacco isn't nearly as impressive. Mind you this tobacco in the art deco is of cuban seed and is aged very well.
My camera's battery died during the smoking of the cigar.. sorry.
wheelie and rob go a head an pm me with about how many you would like. I have to see how many are obtainable and how good a price, but from what I'm told it's really good.
After the success of LFD's Salomon release, a maduro wrapper has been added with this new release and yes it is a limited run unfortunately. If anyone has seen these monsters you will probably agree they are huge, and the box is overly big and I have no idea why it had to be as big but it is defiantly an attraction getter. Most of the LFD cigars I have had I have enjoyed and I really did enjoy the Salomon so I am hoping that the maduro bring even more enjoyment.
La Flor Dominicana Salomon Maduro:
7 x 64 perfecto
Ecuadorian Habano Maduro wrapper
Dominican Filler (undisclosed)
Pre Light:
This cigar screams with a sweet maduro wrapper. Much like most maduros it has that leathery smell but added to it is a sweetness, it's the best way I can describe it. After cutting it and a few puffs I can immediately pick up leather, cocoa, and coffee. - I'm very intrigued.
The Smoking Experience!!!!
After enjoying the flavor of the pre-light I start the tedious process of lighting the tip of this cigar. Making sure I center the flame on the tip and not hitting the sides as I want the best burn possible. Success is achieved and after the first few puffs I am blasted with leather, coffee, cocoa, sweetness, a bit of raisin/nut and a small amount of pepper. The smoke output is very large, and after several minutes the room is swamped in it.
After smoking for 40 or so minutes I move past the first third and I have been amazed at how well this cigar is burning and the amount of flavor. Things have stayed the same with the exception that the strength is picking up. Still much of the flavor is through the nose with the leather taking the for-front.
Moving onto the 1/2 way mark the burn is still doing well, smoke output is still large, and the flavor is still great!! Earlier where the leather was the strongest now things have shifted and now pepper and leather are competing for 1st place however through the nose there is more of a cocoa/sweetness. Mix is some coffee bean of sorts along with tobacco.
Past the half way mark and moving into the last 3rd, the strength of the cigar has picked up which is something I really enjoy, stronger cigars with lots of flavor. Now if you remember how I said that this thing puts out a lot of smoke? Well I am wishing I wasn't smoking this in such a small room. The room is engulfed with smoke and it's getting a bit unbearable. Even with the window open! I really need to get a fan in here.... Anyway, the flavors haven't changed much however they have shifted. The sweetness is still present though not as heavy, the leather has picked up, the tobacco has picked up, the coffee has picked up, and yes the pepper has picked up. It's hard to say which is stronger however if your not a smoker who uses the nose you won't pick up a lot of the flavors except for pepper and tobacco.
The cigar started with wonderful flavors and nearing the end I know that it will soon be over and while the flavors are still very much enjoyable I have to accept the fact that it's gonna end. I can't say that there are many cigars that have me still smoking them past the 2 hour mark and amazingly enough the flavors are what keeps me here. Now the flavors have shifted since the start and though they aren't say huge changes it is enough to keep me enjoying the cigar. I was hoping for the cigar to get stronger but instead it has stayed consistent and very full bodied.
Finishing the cigar I have to say that it has been enjoyable and met my expectations. I know going into this large of a cigar it will take some time smoking and though knowing that, at times you ask yourself, "Is this thing going to ever end?" Well it does, and the journey through is fantastic. Sure your ass gets soar but who cares, get up and walk around! hehe. Okay so overall this cigar is fantastic. Like with the natural that came out last year this guy is well worth the money and the time. Sure 18 bucks and higher seems like a lot, but almost 2 hours and 45 minutes for just one cigar (I mean one hell of a great cigar) alone should make it seem like a good deal. Either way I recommend this cigar as it has been one of the best cigars I've had all year and these just came out, I bet with some age these will be even better.
Comments
First I want to thank a fellow member for telling me where to pick up these sticks!
La Flor Dominicana Limitado IV
Wrapper: Nicaraguan
Binder: Dominican
Filler: Dominican
Made In: Dominican Republic
Size: 6.25
These have been on my "list" of ones to try. Nice review again!
i think a bunch of people around here were saying how good these are.
im not sure if i lead you that way but im glad you enjoyed it.
Thanks again for your review.
Shawn
This cigar was gifted to me by Rob from an event he went too. I was excited to try this cigar since it is suppose to be all about the best taste of the blend (as with all the nubs). The cigar had a barnyard/grass like smell to the wrapper. After punching it, I picked up some tobacco but it almost sweet. I lit the end and let is evenly get toasted and gently gave it the first few puffs. I didn't get much taste at first but quickly I picked up some sweetness, marshmallow and tobacco/leather.
Moving past the 1/3 mark, the sweetness and marshmallow has long gone and now I am left with a leathery tobacco with some minor spice. I do miss the sweetness but it's all going good. The burn is pretty nice, and the smoke output is light-medium.
Moving past the 1/2 way mark I am beginning to pick up some strength, but the flavors haven't changed. This cigar burns slow, much slower than the other nubs I've had. This cigar to me, is very one-dimensional. The flavors of tobacco/spice/leather haven't really changed since I first picked them up.
Moving into the last 3rd of the cigar I can say that I am enjoying this more than the first time I had a Cain F. Not sure if it's the nub sizing or what but it's a lot stronger than I remember of the F which is nice since I was expecting a stronger cigar. The flavor profile is rather plain however it is steady.
Overall I thought this cigar was alright. Now I never really enjoyed the Cain line all that much so those of you who did then you're probably going to like this little guy. Be sure to eat something or have some sugary liquid. hehe. Or you could just smoke it really slowly. Though it does burn slow too. I think it took about 95 or so minutes to finish. I want to thank Rob for sending me this.
I haven't gotten around to mine yet, but hopefully I'll get to have one before the winter hits and it's too cold.
I've smoked all of the Gurkha cognac cigars except the HMR and I can say without a doubt that they are pretty good. Sure Gurkha gets a lot of crap but they have some good smokes. My favorite from the line would have to be the platinum reserve as of right now I have smoked about 11 of them and they are pretty consistent however they are hard as hell to come by. The royal reserve is 2nd and though I have only smoked 2 of them I have had mixed results though as they are much more than the plat I do expect more. I do have about 4 left but don't smoke them that often. The Grand Reserve (maduro as well) are nice smokes too.
The Art Deco is a beautiful cigar. It's a torpedo and here are the stats:
6 x 52
1940 Pre-Embargo Cuban tobaccos
12-year-old Cameroon maduro wrapper
Louis XIII Cognac (where the cigars are infused while being placed in barrels)
---There is mixed stats on this cigar so if it's not 100 percent I am sorry--
First I have to say this cigar is down right a sight to see. The tube, the gold wax and the pretty writing on the tube. It is a very nice looking cigar. The wax is easily removed and once it is the cognac is empowering. Now with the other cigars in the line it is too so this is nothing new. The smell of the cigar is of cognac and tobacco, again no surprise.
How it Smokes?:
I'm not going to go too in depth as I already have done a review of at least one of the cigars in this line and the cigar is pretty much the same except with this:
The cigar is very smooth with flavors of tobacco and some nuts. The cognac is strong and stays all the way through the cigar. With the other cigars in the line the cognac isn't as strong even with the royal reserve which is suppose to use an entire bottle for the 22 cigars (though some mixed reports is 3x the amount). I'm not sure how much is used for the Art Deco's but the cigar really throws out the flavor. The cigar burned as to be expect, meaning not flawlessly however nothing horrible just a few touch up here and there. I have a couple more which I plan on hitting up in a while but perhaps I may pick up some more as they are nice smokes. Overall it was a nice cigar and will fit nicely in my small collection of cognac cigars from Gurkha.
Bottom line this cigar is rather nice. Is it worth 40 bucks or more, NO. I personally think no cigar is worth over 20 dollars though some may be depending, however worth/price is a sensitive subject in our hobby. Sure I'd buy a box of padron maduro 80ths but your damn sure I'm browsing for a good price. One could get the grand reserve and pay a lot less and though it's a good cigar the cognac isn't as strong and the tobacco isn't nearly as impressive. Mind you this tobacco in the art deco is of cuban seed and is aged very well.
My camera's battery died during the smoking of the cigar.. sorry.
La Flor Dominicana Salomon Maduro:
Pre Light:
This cigar screams with a sweet maduro wrapper. Much like most maduros it has that leathery smell but added to it is a sweetness, it's the best way I can describe it. After cutting it and a few puffs I can immediately pick up leather, cocoa, and coffee. - I'm very intrigued.
The Smoking Experience!!!!
After enjoying the flavor of the pre-light I start the tedious process of lighting the tip of this cigar. Making sure I center the flame on the tip and not hitting the sides as I want the best burn possible. Success is achieved and after the first few puffs I am blasted with leather, coffee, cocoa, sweetness, a bit of raisin/nut and a small amount of pepper. The smoke output is very large, and after several minutes the room is swamped in it.
After smoking for 40 or so minutes I move past the first third and I have been amazed at how well this cigar is burning and the amount of flavor. Things have stayed the same with the exception that the strength is picking up. Still much of the flavor is through the nose with the leather taking the for-front.
Moving onto the 1/2 way mark the burn is still doing well, smoke output is still large, and the flavor is still great!! Earlier where the leather was the strongest now things have shifted and now pepper and leather are competing for 1st place however through the nose there is more of a cocoa/sweetness. Mix is some coffee bean of sorts along with tobacco.
Past the half way mark and moving into the last 3rd, the strength of the cigar has picked up which is something I really enjoy, stronger cigars with lots of flavor. Now if you remember how I said that this thing puts out a lot of smoke? Well I am wishing I wasn't smoking this in such a small room. The room is engulfed with smoke and it's getting a bit unbearable. Even with the window open! I really need to get a fan in here.... Anyway, the flavors haven't changed much however they have shifted. The sweetness is still present though not as heavy, the leather has picked up, the tobacco has picked up, the coffee has picked up, and yes the pepper has picked up. It's hard to say which is stronger however if your not a smoker who uses the nose you won't pick up a lot of the flavors except for pepper and tobacco.
The cigar started with wonderful flavors and nearing the end I know that it will soon be over and while the flavors are still very much enjoyable I have to accept the fact that it's gonna end. I can't say that there are many cigars that have me still smoking them past the 2 hour mark and amazingly enough the flavors are what keeps me here. Now the flavors have shifted since the start and though they aren't say huge changes it is enough to keep me enjoying the cigar. I was hoping for the cigar to get stronger but instead it has stayed consistent and very full bodied.
Finishing the cigar I have to say that it has been enjoyable and met my expectations. I know going into this large of a cigar it will take some time smoking and though knowing that, at times you ask yourself, "Is this thing going to ever end?" Well it does, and the journey through is fantastic. Sure your ass gets soar but who cares, get up and walk around! hehe. Okay so overall this cigar is fantastic. Like with the natural that came out last year this guy is well worth the money and the time. Sure 18 bucks and higher seems like a lot, but almost 2 hours and 45 minutes for just one cigar (I mean one hell of a great cigar) alone should make it seem like a good deal. Either way I recommend this cigar as it has been one of the best cigars I've had all year and these just came out, I bet with some age these will be even better.
I have yet to try an LFD but they always sound awesome.