Camacho Coyolar Puro Rothschild (4.5x50)

I honestly don't recall where I ordered these from, I am sure that it was online but can't remember what site. I got a 5 pack and let them rest for about 4 months before firing them up. The Camacho Coyolar Puro is a Honduran Puro and all tobacco used to make them is grown on the Coyolar farm in Honduras. It boast enough body to make even the seasoned smoker say WOW. So let's see if it lives up to the claim. As stated before the wrapper, binder, and filler are all from honduras. The wrapper offered the scent of strong tobacco and barnyard, with the foot offering the smell of mildly sweet and rich tobacco. I clipped the cap with my Xikar MTX and found the draw to be near perfect with notes of semi-sweet cocoa. The body of the cigar is tightly packed with no soft spots and minimal veins on the oily med-dark brown wrapper. I used my old single flame pocket torch to toast the foot and get things going with no problems. The Initial third hits the ground running with a ton of flavor and a nice med-full strength. The flavors I noticed in the first third were earth, cinnamon, and leather with mild notes of molasses. The finish is long and nutty with a nice tingle left on the palate. There is a nice helping of spice on the retrohale but nothing that makes retrohale uncomfortable. It's actually very smooth for the amount of body and flavor that it has going. Going into the second third the spice becomes more of a black peppercorn and some toasted nut notes join the mix. The smoke takes on a buttery creaminess and the leather and cinnamon are still present. The body kicks up to a solid full as the second third started. Going into the final third rich coffee notes take the spotlight. The black peppercorn and toasted nut flavors are still present, and the cinnamon and leather are still present in the background. The Coyolar Puro produced a plethora of smoke for my enjoyment. The ash held tight to over 2 inches and, actually, put up a heck of a fight when I tried to ash it out of fear of it falling into my lap. The verdict on this one is YES it does live up to it's strenght claims. It is a stout smoke I wouldn't recommend for someone's first cigar. It was strong but smooth and never at anytime harsh. The construction was superb and the burn was spot on with no corrections or relights needed. I have a couple of these left in the humidor and I am interested to see what they smoke like after some more aging. The price point on these is around 6 bucks a stick. If you like the strong smokes, like I do, I believe this one will be right up your alley. www.famous-smoke.com has these in a 5 pack for 30 bucks HERE and also available in a variety of sampler offerings.

Arturo Fuente Special Selection Curly Head Deluxe (6.5x43)

I picked up a couple of these from Outman Knife and Cigar in Savannah, GA awhile back while at my sister's wedding. This was one of the very small selection of cigars still in stock, as Outman was going out of business. It saddened me to see a store closing it's doors that carry not only fine cigars, but bladed weapons as well. The Curly Head line of cigars is probably the most affordable offering from Arturo Fuente. It is not a long filler, but instead is labeled as a medium filler. This means it's a mix of tobacco left over from a making their main line cigars. I don't discriminate against mixed filler cigars the way some people do. As long as it tastes good and doesn't require a ton of burn corrections or relights I could honestly care less the length of the filler. With that said, how does the cigar smoke? It has a rustic look to the wrapper with variations in color along the body. There are a few rather small veins and even a couple of very small patches about mid-way down the body. The foot is not clean cut like most cigars and not really a shaggy foot, but is left unfinished with filler protruding from the body of the cigar just a tad. The body was a bit on the spongy side but didn't seem to have any real soft or loose spots on the two cigars I smoked for this review.  The wrapper is a Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro that houses a Dominican binder and a Dominican mixed length filler. The wrapper had a barnyard aroma and the foot shared the same barnyard but with a mild sweetness. I used my Xikar MTX to clip the pointy cap and found the draw to be just a touch tight and tasted of rich, sweet tobacco. I used a single flame pocket torch to toast and light the foot with no problems. The Initial third opened with a very earthy tone with notes of black licorice, espresso, and a mild maduro sweetness. There was a mild spice to the retrohale and the I found it to be very smooth and medium in body. The second third brought a few notes of leather as the espresso becomes more of a light roast coffee. There was a bitter sensation that started to linger on the palate at around the half-way point of the burn. It wasn't really enough to detract from the smoking experience but wasn't a welcome addition either.  Going into the final third the bitter sensation finally ceases as the coffee notes move to the front as some some toasted nut flavors start to emerge. The black licorice flavor that had faded in the second third makes a slight comeback as I near the end of the burn. The resting smoke on this one was rather aromatic and pleasant. The final verdict on this one? Not an Opus X, but not a bad stick with the Fuente name on it. The price point on these is around 3 bucks per stick.  The ash held to about an inch at a time and burn was a bit wavy but there were no burn corrections required. The fair amount of complexity and good flavors made this a decent smoke. I could see myself ordering a box to keep on hand as a knock around stick. You can grab a box of 25 from stogieboys.com for around 63 bucks HERE. For more information on the Arturo Fuente line of cigars visit www.arturofuente.com

Pinar Del Rio Oscuro Robusto (5x50)

I have a small sampling of Pinar Del Rio cigars that I got in a sampler from Cigars International a few months back. I decided on this one to kick of the series of reviews on them because this isn't the first one of these I have smoked. The presentation is nice with the double bands near the cap and a blue ribbon as the foot band. Pinar Del Rio is one of the brand offerings from A. Flores and J. Rodriguez crafted in their factory located in the Dominican Republic. This cigar has a Brazilian Oscuro wrapper that houses a Dominican binder and a blend of long filler from the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua. The wrapper was toothy with a nice oily sheen and one fairly big vein running the length of the body. The wrapper gave of a faint scent of hay and the foot had a mildly sweet honey-like aroma. It was firm to the squeeze with little give and no soft spots that I could find. I clipped the cap with my Xikar MTX and found a perfect draw with fruity notes with a bit of honey sweetness. I used my faithful single flame torch to toast the foot and light it up with little effort. The Initial third offered up nice woody oak notes with a touch of toasted nuts. There was a nice pepper spiciness to go with the natural sweetness on the retrohale. There were occasional notes of honey that popped in and out in the first third. Going into the second third some light coffee notes join the roasted nut and coffee. The notes of honey didn't last in to the second third. The finish remained crisp and nutty throughout the first two thirds. The final third didn't really change much from the second third except for a very subtle note that resembled oregano, it was very faint yet noticeable. It had a fair amount of complexity and it was a very enjoyable cigar. The ash was flaky, light-medium gray in color, and held to about an inch and a half at a time. This one did produce tons of smoke, even at rest. The burn went a bit erratic about an inch and half into the burn and required a total of 3 minor corrections to keep it on track. I look forward to giving the rest of the Pinar Del Rio cigars in my humidor a go and will post them here when I do. The price point on these is around 5.50 per stick and can be found in a variety of samplers at Cigars International. For more information on Pinar Del Rio Cigar Co. and their lines visit them at www.pdrcigars.com and find them on twitter at http://twitter.com/pdrcigars

 

 

 

 

Nestor Miranda Special Selection Coffee Break Oscuro (4.5x50)

I recently reviewed the Nestor Miranda Danno 2012 and the Don Lino Africa, which is also a blend by Nestor Miranda. They are brands of the Miami Cigar & Co. and so far I have found nothing to complain about with any of their offerings. I was gifted this stick by @Cigar_G on twitter via one of his giveaways, thanks G! Now to see if it fits in line with the excellent construction and flavors I have come to expect from Nestor Miranda. The wrapper is a Nicaraguan Oscuro which houses a Nicaraguan binder and filler from Nicaragua, Honduras, and the Dominican Republic. There are a couple of decent size veins on the milk chocolate brown wrapper, but I don't see them causing any radical burn issues. The body is solid and well packed with no soft spots that I could find. The wrapper offers the scent of cocoa and dark chocolate and the foot offers more of the same. I clipped the triple cap with my Xikar MTX and found a near perfect cold draw with the flavor of mildly sweet molasses. I used a single torch lighter to toast the foot and get the coffee break going. The initial third opened with notes of toasted nuts, coffee, and an earthy spice. There is a floral note that seemed to pop in at times in the first third. The finish is smooth with a mildly sweet caramel tone. The second third brings some cocoa and woody notes to the mix as the nut and coffee notes entertain my palate. The body remains medium throughout the first two thirds. Near the mid-way point of the cigar the coffee notes become more of an espresso as some black pepper starts to emerge. Going into the final third the black pepper kicks up just a touch. The floral notes disappear completely as some cinnamon notes join the espresso, wood, and toasted nut to finish the burn. The burn was perfect until the final third, when it went a bit wavy. It was not really enough to justify a correction since it was so near the point of being finished. The flavors on this little gem were rich and smooth and it produced tons of delicious smoke. I have only recently discovered the Nestor Miranda cigars and have been very pleased with each and everyone I have set ablaze so far. The price point on these is around 5 bucks a stick so it won't kill the wallet to give them a try. I am sure you won't be disappointed if you do. The Coffee Break size is available in the Oscuro wrapper along with a Connecticut and a Habano Rosado. Thanks again to Cigar_G for the stick smoked for this review!

Espinosa Habano Robusto (5x52)

This is another of the cigars Espinosa Cigars sent me with my "T-Shirt Tuesday" winnings to review on the site. This cigar differs from the La Zona cigars they sent me, in that it bears the Espinosa name and has a rather ornate band. Given my previous smoking experiences with EO Brands and the La Zona, this is going to be a good one for sure. The binder and filler are Nicaraguan tobaccos and they are housed inside a Habano seed wrapper. The wrapper has a nice oily sheen with a small amount of tooth and only 1 decent sized vein. It is well constructed, tightly packed and firm to the squeeze with no soft spots. The wrapper offers the aroma of cocoa with a hint of sweetness and the foot offers the same sweet cocoa smell. I clipped cap with my Xikar MTX and found a perfect cold draw with a smooth sweet tobacco flavor. I used the trusty single flame torch to toast and light the Espinosa. The initial third opened up with notes of sweet field grass, cocoa, cedar, and a mild nuttiness.. The finish was mildy sweet with a caramel tone. There was a fair amount of pepper, especially on the retrohale, that did calm a bit after the first half inch. I noticed a very light earthy spice that popped in a few times in the first third. The pepper was a nice zingy start but wasn't so powerful as to make retrohaling uncomfortable. Going into the second third the nutty flavors started to resemble pecan as the cocoa moves to the foreground, and notes of red pepper come and go. At somewhere near the mid-way point I noticed a fruity, berry-like note that came and went. Going into the final third the sweetness hit it's pinnacle as the cocoa moved to the background and some leather notes joined the red pepper, caramel, and pecan. The ash was a bit flaky but strong enough to hold to around 1.5" at a time. The body remained med-full and the flavor was full and rich throughout the burn. The burn was a bit wavy at time but nothing that required any burn corrections. This cigar is just what you would expect from Erik Espinosa, excellent construction with great flavors and good bit of complexity. The price point on these is around 6 bucks a stick if you buy by the box on cigarstix.com, which is not bad at all for a cigar of this caliber. They are available in the Habano wrapper and also a maduro wrapper. You can find more information on Erik Espinosa's brand at www.espinosacigars.com. Find them on twitter at http://twitter.com/espinosacigars and the link to this cigar in this size on cigarstix.com can be found HERE. As with anything Brad carries if you want to try them before committing to a box, just give him a call to create your own sampler. Thanks again to Espinosa Cigars for providing the sticks for this review, they were truly a pleasure to smoke.

Giveaway from RobbyRasReviews

Win a box of the Brand New @MiamiCigar Añoranzas or a Nestor Bobblehead. Only a few more days to get your entries in to the giveaway at RobbyRasReviews. http://robbyrasreviews.com/anoranzas-box-givaway-miami-cigar-co/ Contest ends on the 24 of October at noon PDT so hurry and get your entry in!

Home Infusion Take #3 (Bourbon)

I have had a few people contact be about my latest project so I figured I would share a bit here. I have tried a couple of home-infusions in the past with mixed results so what will one more attempt hurt, right? This time I decided to go with something that made more sense to start with. I tried a Moscato wine and a coffee infusion previously. The Moscato seemed to add a few fruity notes but brought a good bit of acidity with it. The Coffee infusion attempt went smoother, adding a few coffee notes but only to the first 1-1.5 inches of the burn. This time I used the same type of gel-humidifier jar but swapped the coffee container for a glass jar. I poured bourbon to the "full" line of the jar and put the screen back in, this makes it harder for me to spill the bourbon if I move the jar around. I placed a hygrometer in the jar this time and left it next to my humidor and avoided the refrigerator. I used the same blend but in 3 different wrapper offerings to see which comes out the best. One is a habano wrapper, one is sumatra, and one is a habano maduro. I tried the sumatra wrapper last night to see if they had made any progress. I could taste the bourbon faintly on the cold draw so there are some flavors sinking in. I could taste the flavor change till just past the half-way point. I believe with a couple of months these are going to be really tasty! I will keep a check and post more when I sample them again.

La Zona Habano robusto (5x52)

I won "T-shirt Tuesday" a couple of weeks ago from Espinosa Cigars on twitter. When I DM'd my address, they asked if I would like a few sticks to review for the blog. Well of course I said Yes please. I received a couple of the La Zona in Connecticut and Habano wrapper as well as the "Espinosa" branded stick. They all look and smell terrific, so first up for review is the La Zona Habano. The La Zona line of cigars offered by Erik Espinosa is named after his factory in Esteli, Nicaragua and is a Nicaraguan puro. The wrapper is a light-medium chocolate brown with very small veins and some oily sheen. It is tightly packed with no soft spots or visible wrapper imperfections. The wrapper offers up a light scent of hay and the foot offers the same hay scent with a touch of sweetness. I clipped the cap with my Xikar MTX and found a perfect draw with a fruit-like sweetness. After a quick toasting of the foot with the single flame torch I was up and smoking. The initial flavors were rich and delicious. The first flavored I noticed were caramel and toasted nuts with a mild sweetness. The finish was lingering and toasty with a bit of zing on the retrohale. The body starts out on the strong side of medium. About an inch in the smoke takes on a creamy component. The second third brought some buttery notes and coffee toasted nut becomes more of a toasted almond. The caramel flavor is still present as the body picks up to a solid med-full in the second third.
Somewhere around the midway point there were a few faint floral notes that would pop in on occasion. They were faint but enough to make you stop and take notice. The natural sweetness really shines in the final third as the caramel, coffee, and toasted almond are joined by notes of leather and some oaky woodiness. Body remains a med-full as the leather really moves to the foreground shortly into the final third. There was a slight bitter sensation that came in on the final third but was nothing that detracted from the enjoyment of the cigar. The ash held tight for about two inches at a time and was light-med gray in color. The burn was perfect and required no corrections. The draw remained perfect throughout the burn as well. This was a great full flavor cigar with excellent construction and good complexity. I have been able to find these at very few online retailers but my friend Brad at cigarstix.com does carry them. They are available in robusto (5x52) and super toro (6.5x52) and can even be had in 80 count crates. Price point on these is around 5 bucks per stick if purchased in a box and a bit cheaper if the crate is purchased. Brad offers a "make your own sampler" so check with him if you would like to give them a try without committing to a crate of 80. I must say though, 80 of these are welcome in my humidor anytime. Thanks to Erik and Espinosa Cigars for providing these samples for review, they are super! Keep an eye out as the other blends will be up on the site soon. You can find more information on Espinosa Cigars at www.espinosacigars.com www.facebook.com/espinosacigars and http://twitter.com/espinosacigars If you would like the link to this cigar at cigarstix.com it can be found HERE. Like I said, if you want to try them but don't want to commit to 80 at a time just contact Brad and see what he can do for you.