Bonita's 18th Anniversary Blend Cigar

Tonight's cigar is a release to celebrate the 18th Anniversary of business for Bonita Smoke Shop in Bonita Springs, Florida. If you are not familiar with Bonita Smoke Shop, (website: http://www.bonitasmokeshop.com ) they are one of the finest online retailers and when it comes to social media and customer service, they might be at the very top for involvement. Jackie (@Bonitasmokeshop on twitter) has always been lightning fast to answer questions with me and I can't recommend them high enough. With that said, let's find out what this cigar is all about...


Quote and video from the Bonita Smoke shop webpage: Bonita's 18th Anniversary cigars epitomizes all that is desired in a high quality premium hand rolled cigar. Custom blended of the finest tobacco and made expressly for Bonita Smoke Shop. Available in Limited Short Runs at our store and online. Enjoy one soon! Our sincere gratitude to Willie Herrera of ETB Cigars for helping us create a cigar that we are honored to put our name on. Bonita's 18th Anniversary cigar is an extremely well balanced cigar, with a delicious crescendo of flavor, in the medium flavor profile range.

They aren't many names as popular right now as Willie Herrera, so I can't wait to try another one of his custom blends.

Vitola: Robusto
Length: 6
Ring Gauge: 50
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sumatra
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan & Dominican
Price: $6.95
Smoking Location: New Havana Cigars
Beverage: Water 

Pre-Light 

I've smoked a lot of cigars this year with Ecuadorian Sumatra wrappers and I don't think a single one had been this light in color. It was a light peanut butter colored wrapper with just a few small veins. The construction was very nice, especially at the cap, which was perfectly applied. No sloppy glue or uneven application here. The pre-lit aroma smelled strongly of walnuts. I've been picking this up a lot recently and I relate it to the big bag of walnuts my mother-in-law got me for Christmas that I'm still working my way through. The pre-lit draw also had a nutty taste, mixed with some sweetness.

First Third   

My Bonita's 18th lit up very easily and produced very thick clouds of smoke. I had to turn on an extra fan in the smoking lounge just to clear the air a bit. The initial flavors were wonderful with lots of black pepper (hitting hard on the taste buds in the middle of my tongue) in the front of the profile, with a very interesting plum, or dark pitted fruit finish. Unlike the walnuts from the pre-light, this is not a flavor I pick up a lot in cigars and not something that eat a lot of in my monthly diet. So for me, it was definitely surprising. The burn and draw were just fine and cigar was easy to smoke. The strength through the first third was in the medium range. 

Second Third  

The second third of my Bonita's 18th saw the black pepper move away from the front of the profile and become a staple on the finish. I was kind of bummed to see the plum/jam flavor leave the cigar altogether, but if it were going to go away, a spicy finish is a good replacement because it's what I typically prefer in cigars. The front of each draw had a new flavor now and it was graham cracker. I know a lot of people who are a fan of this graham/pepper combo and I am one, too. The construction was just as good as the first third and the strength still a solid medium.

Final Third and Final Thoughts 

The final third of my Bonita's 18th was pretty much a clone of the second third albeit a little milder in taste. I still got the graham cracker flavor front with the pepper kick on the finish, but it wasn't nearly as in your face as the second third. A little flat, but still enjoyable. I'm not sure if the cigar is designed this way, but in the final third when the flavor was getting mild, the nicotine punch of the cigar was ramping up. The cigar finished in the full strength range for me. Not a head spinner, but a lot stronger finish than what I was expecting.

My final thoughts on Bonita's 18th Anniversary Blend? I'll be 100% honest: this cigar surprised me a lot. I'm not sure why, but I wasn't expecting a lot and a lot was what I got. The flavors in the first and second third were right in my wheelhouse for what I reach for every time I'm at a shop or open my humidor. Before you blow this off and think I wrote a good review because I consider Bonita a friend or because they are a sponsor of this site, please do yourself a solid and try one of these. If you're a peppery cigar fan, I'd be shocked if you didn't like it.

Would I buy it again? Yes

Would I buy a box? At that low a price, for me it's a no-brainer. Definitely box worthy.


Dan 

Kristoff Corojo Limitada

Up for review today was the newest offering from Kristoff Cigars the Corojo Limitada. I keep a nice supply of Kristoff products in my humidor because I have found that, when I have friends over, it's a brand that normally goes over well from the most experienced smokers to the new guys/gals. 

From what I can find online, and from what Glen Case (owner of Kristoff cigars and all around one of the nicest guys you will meet in the cigar industry), told me the Corojo Limitada is the fullest in strength cigar they have in production at this time. 

A quote from the Kristoff Cigars Official webpage "The new Corojo Limitada is for the fan of Nicaraguan tobacco. Nearly a puros Nicaraguan blend, this medium-full bodied cigar is loaded with spice, nutmeg, toasted nut and a sweet-spicy finish. Made with 100% Habano seed tobacco that is double and triple fermented, the Corojo Limitada maintains the Kristoff tradition of flavor and smoothness. The signature of Kristoff Cigars."

I tend to lean more towards Nicaraguan cigars in my personal taste, so the quote above sounded good. On to the review...

Vitola: Robusto
Length: 5.5
Ring Gauge: 54
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Corojo
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan & Dominican
Price: $8
Smoking Location: New Havana Cigars
Beverage: Water

Pre-Light 

The first thing I noticed when I got my hands on a Corojo Limitada was the expertly-constructed pig tail cap. Even though the cap has nothing really to do with how the cigar preforms, it's little finishes like this that I notice when walking in a B&M humidor with hundreds of brands to choose from. The other end of the cigar had a closed foot which was a rugged contrast to the cap. The wrapper color was a shiny medium brown that had some darker shades mixed in spots. All in all, it was a very natural processed leaf look. The un-lit aroma was mostly hay, but I did get some port wine scents. The cold draw was tight do to the unfinished foot with a simple, natural tobacco flavor.

First Third   

My Corojo Limitada opened up with a lot of thick smoke with a dominate leather flavor. The flavor was present both on the front of the profile, which made it a little dry, and on the finish which actually smoothed things out. It was kind of strange to have the same flavor, but two distinct textures all in one draw, but hey, that's what I got. The construction was excellent and the cigar draw and burn had zero issues. The thing that was a bit surprising to me was the strength of the cigar. I would put it at this point in the mild to lower-medium range; not typical for what I normally expect from Nicaraguan tobacco.  

Second Third  

The second third of my Corojo Limitada still had a lot of the leather flavor on the front of each puff and on the finish. What did change and come into play was a nice little pepper kick at the absolute back of each draw. I liked this addition because it took what was really a one-dimensional cigar up until now to a new level. The pepper was in no way a front runner in the flavor profile, but just a side note. The strength in the cigar continued to be in the mild to lower medium.

Final Third and Final Thoughts 

Finishing off my Corojo Limitada i was greeted yet again with another small change in the flavor profile. Each draw I took now had some sweet cedar on the front, though leather was still the most dominate flavor all over this stick This little difference here, and the little pepper difference in the second third, changed things up a bit. The construction throughout was perfect, and I was able to nub this cigar with ease. The strength of the cigar toward the end was a solid medium.

My final thoughts on Kristoff Corojo Limitada? While it's not the strong cigar I thought I was getting, it was still a very entertaining cigar. After burning an inch in, I thought to myself that this might be kind of boring, but I was wrong when met with the pepper in the second and the cedar in the third. Like I mentioned in my intro to this post, I would say this is another blend from Kristoff that a hardcore smoker or someone new to the hobby could smoke and enjoy.

Would I buy it again? Yes, I will keep some of these around.

Would I buy a box? This is not my personal favorite in terms of flavor profile, so I would pass on a full box.