Sosa Auric Perfectum wavell (5x50)

Here is the press release on the Auric Perfectum :
November 5, 2012 (Miami, FL) — Antillian Cigar Corporation, owner of popular cigar brands such as Sosa, 60 by Sosa and Underground, will be releasing a new Connecticut cigar on November 19, 2012. Known as the Auric Perfectum, this cigar will only be made available to fifty brick and mortar establishments across the United States. The cigar will come from the Tabacos M.P.S.A. factory in Jalapa, Nicaragua and will be available in the three sizes of Wavell, Governor and Piramides #2. Auric Perfectum will be made with an Ecuador Connecticut wrapper, Nicaraguan binder and Nicaraguan and Dominican filler. The strength of this cigar is a flavorful mild to medium. Most interesting is that the cigars will be packaged in smaller boxes of 12 and will retail from $5.75 to $8.00 per cigar.
Arby Sosa, creative director and sales manager for Antillian Cigar Corporation and son of Juan B. Sosa, stated, “I am really looking forward to the development of the Auric Perfectum because it is going to be a dynamic project. We are going to start with 50 accounts and then will only add 25 more accounts in 2014 when we add a new size to the line. Promotion of the cigar will also include two advertisements in Cigar Snob Magazine starting in 2013 and will list every retailer carrying it. The reason why we are being so limited with the product and promoting the individual establishments is because we understand that B&M stores are important to this industry and we want to help where we can. I hope that the Auric Perfectum compliments our established lines and fills a gap being that we are using a wrapper and country of origin that is not currently found in the Sosa line.”

Arby and Celina gifted be some of their new line, the Auric Perfectum. They said in the press release above that they hoped it would fill a gap in their line since it's country of origin and wrapper are new to the Sosa line. I was very eager to get into these and see if it does just that. I have smoked pretty much every other offering from Sosa Cigars and several of their offerings are I my favorite 10 smokes list. I tried to find the meaning of the name and all I could come up with is that it is Latin and Auric refers to an ion of gold. The Perfectum I would assume is Latin for perfect or perfection. If that be the case then this is golden perfection. I know, get to the review already right? So here we go.

The wrapper is an Ecuadorean Connecticut with only very small veins and a golden caramel color. The binder is Nicaraguan and the filler is a blend of Nicaraguan and Dominican tobaccos. It is firm with only a little give and no soft spots or imperfections that I can find. The body offers notes of hay and the foot offers notes of molasses and sweet field grass. I used my Xikar Xi2 to clip the cap and found a perfect cold draw with notes of sweet grass. I used a Xikar executive 2 to toast the foot and get things started with no problems.

The initial third opened up with an explosion of flavors and a bit more spice than I had anticipated. The spice soon calms and the flavors start to align shortly after the light. There are coffee and roast nut flavors that jump out front. About 3/4 of an inch into the burn the coffee has become more rich and so has the texture of the smoke. I would say a medium finish with a caramel-like flavor. The coffee and roast nut are really working well together.

As I go into the second third there are some woodsy notes starting to emerge. The coffee and roast nut are still in full swing as the smoke becomes more creamy. There are a few light notes of cinnamon that pop in and out, they are subtle but noticeable. The finish has become longer and more toasty than the first third. The construction so far has been outstanding with no burn corrections and ash holding on to over an inch at a time. I have not had to correct burn on any of these I have smoked so far.

I the final third the woody notes take on more of an aged cedar flavor. The coffee notes started to fade a bit and n flavor dominates the others. Each puff seems to bring a different flavor to the foreground as if you are tasting the grand finale at a fireworks show. The cinnamon notes did develop a bit more in the final third but still hung out in the background for the most part.

This was indeed a perfect addition to the already stellar lineup for Sosa Cigars. The Auric Perfectum is full of flavor and maintained a body on the medium side of mild-medium throughout the burn. If your local h&k doesn't carry Sosa I would say bug the crap out of them and get them on board before all the slots for distribution of these are filled. This is an instant hit in my book and is one of my top 3 Connecticut wrapped sticks. Thank you to Celina and Arby Sosa for sending me the Auric Perfectum, this is an excellent cigar!
You can find more information on Sosa Cigars and the Antillian Cigar Corp at www.antilliancigars.com
And also on twitter
And Facebook
Arby is a sports fan and posts frequently about sports, even sports related contests with cigar prizes. Give them a follow and say hello, they are some of the nicest people in the industry and make some of the finest cigars you'll ever smoke.

Sosa Exclusive Series Grand Cetro Maduro (6x50)

This is one of the sticks I picked up on my trip to Sosa Family Cigars in Orlando, FL. so it has been marinating in the humidor for a few months. After a long week and watching my little sister get married, it was time for a celebration. What better way to celebrate than with a Sosa Cigar right? My thoughts exactly! I managed to get my son in bed a little early and had enough time to smoke something larger than a robusto size. This one had a dark brown, velvety smooth wrapper with a couple of noticeable veins but shouldn't be anything that would hinder the burn. The wrapper is a Connecticut broadleaf maduro which houses binder and filler from the Dominican Republic. The Sosa website says these are a limited production cigar due to their use of only the finest tobaccos. The wrapper had a light cocoa aroma with a hint of sweetness and the smell at the foot was of cocoa and molasses. It was firm to the pinch with little give and no soft spots that I could find. I clipped the cap with my new Xikar MTX multi-tool and found a perfect cold draw with hints of molasses and cocoa. After a quick toasting of the foot, it lit easily with the handy single flame torch. The Initial third opened up with light notes of red pepper, coffee, and leather. There was a very light caramel note that snuck in about 1/2 and inch into the burn. The sweetness of the maduro wrapper was mild and pleasant with just enough spice on the retrohale to compliment it perfectly. Body in the first inch or so was a solid medium for me. In the second third body picks up a bit to a solid medium. A cedary wood note along with some cream come into play in the second third as the smoke takes on a more creamy texture. In the final third the coffee note, that was more in the background in the first two thirds, moves to the foreground as a slight nuttiness joins the profile. The spice kicks up a notch going into the final third but is still mild and pleasant. There is a barely noticeable note of dark chocolate that seemed to make itself known at about the half way point that picks up just a bit in the final third. The final third seemed to bring a slightly bitter sensation to the tongue but was not harsh or unpleasant at all as the body kicked up to medium-full. The construction on this stick is exactly what you would expect from a Sosa Cigar, it was well made with perfect burn. The burn did get a bit wavy but always corrected itself, requiring no help from me. The resting smoke had a slightly sweet woody aroma. The ash held to around 2 inches at a time and was light gray in color. It's sticks like this, Underground, and the Super Selection that keep Sosa Cigars in my top 3 favorite brands. A solid cigar with a nice complexity and great flavors, yep it's a Sosa! I paid 10.00 for this stick at their shop in Downtown Disney. I believe they can be found online for less than that but even at the 10.00 price point it's a great cigar for the money. Burn time was around 2 hours and required no re-touches or re-lights. You can find more information on Sosa Cigars at www.SosaCigars.com and you can find Arby Sosa on twitter at http://twitter.com/sosacigars. He is a super nice guy and always a joy to talk to, so stop by twitter and say hey. They are also on facebook at www.facebook.com/sosafamilycigars

 

 

 

 

Sosa Wavell Maduro (5x50)

Save 10% on Sosa Cigars through 8/31 at http://CigarStix.com. Use Coupon Code "SHAGGYSOSA10".
 Thanks for the exclusive code Brad!


This was my cigar choice for the night before my son's fourth birthday party. The wife and I had been up most of the night (until 4:30a.m.) making sure everything was ready and perfect. We made a cake from scratch this year instead of trying to find someone who could make a decent one for us. The cigar choices for my birthday smokes this year will be Sosa Cigars most likely, so it seemed fitting that I enjoy one on my son's special day as well. I picked this one up at Sosa Family Cigars in Pleasure Island, downtown Disney on our vacation trip a few months ago. The wrapper was a beautiful Connecticut braodleaf maduro with only one noticeable vein and prefect seems. The slightly oily, dark wrapper houses a Honduran binder and fillers from Central America and the Dominican Republic. The wrapper smelled of hay and the foot smelled of rich tobacco. It was tightly packed with no soft spots or visible wrapper flaws. I clipped the expertly applied cap with my scissors and found the draw to be perfect with nutty and rich tobacco flavors. There were no problems on toasting and lighting with the single flame torch. The flavors exploded with a leathery punch for the first 1/4 inch and then mellowed to a pleasant taste of wood and toasted nuts. There is a very pleasant mild sweetness on the finish from the maduro wrapper. The retrohale has a bit of spice to it, but is the perfect  compliment to the mild sweetness of the wrapper. In the second third the the leather faded a bit as the woody flavor became more of a sweet cedar and notes of red pepper and a hint of cinnamon came to the mix. Somewhere close the half-way point the spice picked up just a touch as the flavors really became more pronounced to me. In the final third occasional notes of coffee and dark chocolate made themselves known. The ash held to about 2 inches and was a nice charcoal gray. These are made in the Dominican Republic in the A. Fuente factory and construction is flawless. The burn required no corrections and draw remained perfect. The wavell is available in a Natural and Maduro wrapper. I paid $7.25 for this complex and flavorful stick. Burn time was around an hour and twenty minutes. They are available at www.cigarstix.com and the direct link is HERE. I made a list of the things I Love and a list of the things I hate about sosa cigars, the two are the same length. Love = Everything, Hate = Nothing. You can find more information about Sosa Cigars at www.Antilliancigars.com and you can find them on twitter at http://twitter.com/sosacigars. If you have never tried any of Sosa cigars you are certainly missing out. Now it's back to the decision of which to make my official 30th birthday cigar, I have at least narrowed it down to either the Underground or the Super Selection. It is a good thing I have until November, or just get a box of  both.

  

 

 

 

 

Wavell Natural/Maduro	5		x	50

Sosa Sungrown Belicoso (6x54)

I received the new Cigars International catalog and flipped through it one afternoon after work. I noticed a familiar favorite brand but a unrecognized stick. This particular stick was advertised as low as 1.50 a stick for the robusto size. I put it on my list to try and went about my work week as usual. While running the rounds at work, my cell phone buzzed with an email notification from Cigars International. It was to inform me that their weekly deal was a bundle of sosa sungrown in the belicoso or churchill size for the same price that the robusto is usually offered for. Well that sealed the deal and I placed my order for the belicoso and waited in anticipation. As I have said before, I have never had a bad cigar with the Sosa name on the band. When these arrived a couple of days later I opened the box and was greeted with the smell of cocoa. They had the most wonderful chocolaty aroma when I opened the cellophane holding the bundle together. I almost forgot they were cigars and not candy bars, but caught myself before taking a bite. The only information offered on the Cigars international site is that these were maduro wrapped with a Dominican and Honduran long filler. I have smoked about 5 of these and so the time for a formal review is at hand. The dark oily wrapper was smooth and shiny with minimal veins and fantastic construction. The smell radiating from the body was cocoa but had mellowed a bit after about a week in the humidor. The aroma at the foot was also of cocoa and rich tobacco. I straight cut the pointy cap with scissors and pre light draw was perfect with a hint of cocoa and earth. Upon lighting the initial flavors that make themselves known are of cocoa and earth with a nice mild sweetness from the maduro wrapper. Burn through the first third was excellent with no corrections needed and produced a tight salt-and-pepper ash. Going into the second third the cocoa notes mellowed a bit and notes of cedar and spice joined in with the earthy tones of the rich tobacco with a hint of leather starting to shine through. The ash was still holding through the second third. the ash finally fell after the start of the final third. In the final third the leather tone came to the front as the cocoa faded to more of a light coffee with a faint pepper tone. The burn did get a bit erratic before the final third but corrected itself without any help from the torch. It maintained a consistent medium body through the entire cigar and produced ample amounts of smoke even at rest. I have to be honest, I didn't expect this to be such a complex or well constructed cigar for the price despite being a sosa cigar. I will absolutely be purchasing more of these as part of my normal rotation and look forward to trying the other sizes as well. A homerun from Sosa Cigars and Cigars International. Get more information about Sosa Cigars on twitter at www.twitter.com/sosacigars and at their website www.antilliancigars.com and Cigars International at www.cigarsinternational.com. The link to this particular cigar can be found HERE. With a price point of $1.50-$2.00 per stick at the time of this review, this is a super bargain on a tasty smoke!

 

 

The ash had just fallen.

Surprised at the ash strength

Sosa Cigars Super Selection

"As you may already know, Juan B. Sosa, Arby’s father, is a master blender for Fuente and runs the Fuente factory No. 4 in the DR, which is where our Sosa Classic and Sosa Super Selections are made."

 "Sosa Super Selection premiered in 1999.  Sosa Super Selection is handmade at the Tabacalera A. Fuente #4 Factory in the Dominican Republic under the supervision of master blender Juan B. Sosa.  This cigar consists of five sizes available in a dark Mexican Maduro wrapper from the San Andreas region.  All tobacco used in this cigar is aged for a minimum of five years.  The exceptional tobacco blended in Sosa Super creates a very smooth, complex, balanced and full-bodied cigar.  Packaged in boxes of 24.""

It's Sunday which is the first day of my "weekend" as I work a tuesday through satuday shift at my job. i was hoping to take the day relaxing and smoke a few cigars so I could get some reviews posted. My wife had other plans and informed me there were flower beds to be dug and flowers to be planted. After half a day of planting flowers and fighting off what seemed like hundreds of yellow jackets I was beat. We had a nice dinner with family and then started the nightly ritual to get my son in the bed. When he goes to bed it usually takes an hour or more for him to stop fighting sleep and just give in to the sand man. He finally crashed out around 10:30pm and I decided I was overdue for my first cigar of the day. I chose a Sosa Super Selection in 5x50. It's beautiful dark San Andreas maduro wrapper jumped out at me as if to say "pick me!" My wife decided she wasn't going to join me on the front patio so I rounded up my tools and big glass of water and headed outside. The construction was superb and upon cutting the cap with my scissors I tested the draw. The draw was absolutely perfect. The wrapper, dark and smooth with only a couple of slightly visible veins. I toasted the foot and lit it up. The sweet spiciness flooded my palate with notes of leather and cocoa. There was a slight nuttiness to the finish and a slight sweetness on the lips. The second third brought more of the same but also a slight oak flavor with some sort of spice and a hint of pepper. The Last third picked up a tad more body to what had been on the medium-full side and I also picked up a hint of cinnamon and coffee. The flavor profile was rather complex and seemed to change with each puff. It was very well balanced and extremely enjoyable. It took me right at an hour to nub this one. The burn was even and required no touch ups, the ash held tight with a nice salt and pepper until the final third. I have not had a Sosa cigar yet that I didn't enjoy but if I had to pick my favorite Sosa it would be a tie between the Super Selection and the Underground. I may have to have a smoke-off to determine a favorite. Either way both land in my top 5 favorite cigars. you can find their site at http://www.antilliancigars.com and on twitter as @sosacigars