Review: Illusione no. 23 (Culebra)

 

On Saturday February 27th, my buddy Red (redbeerd9er on Twitter) and I celebrated his birthday with an all-day herf at our local B&M, House of Cigar. We had just finished smoking a fantastic newly-released cigar (I have something special coming up for that review, so more on that soon) when Red dove into the walk-in humidor and surfaced with this: the Illusione Cigars Number 23 (Culebra). He said that it was his birthday and he wanted to share one of these. Who am I to turn down someone's birthday wish? So we untied it and lit it up.

Specifics

Vitola: (Culebra)
Length: 7
Ring Gauge: 36
Wrapper: Nicaragua
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Price: $21 (for all three cigars)
Smoking Location: House of Cigar, Columbus, Ohio
Beverage: Coke

Pre-Light

 

Culebras are always crazy-looking cigars.  I'm not sure how they bend them that way and when you smoke them, I'm not sure how they burn straight, but they do. The Illusione no. 23 had a very nice dark chocolate wrapper that had some pretty big veins. The un-lit aroma from the cigar was sweet and had a slight barnyard smell to it. After clipping the head and taking a few cold draws, I could tell that this no. 23 was very tight. It didn't have much flavor on the cold draw and the resistance was very troublesome.

First Third

 

This first third of my Illusione no. 23 tasted great. The problem was the draw. This cigar was so tight that pulling any smoke through it took four or five puffs. Red noted that it was like trying to drink a McDonald's milk shake. When I did get smoke through it, I was tasting a really nice leather flavor, mixed with some very mild white pepper notes. The smoke had a thick creamy texture to it that coated your palate for a long time between draws. The body was a solid medium.

Second Third

 

I had hoped that the draw would free up after burning the cigar past the first bend in the Culebra shape. Unfortunately, that didn't happen. This stick was plugged. Again, when I did get smoke through it, I got a great smooth leather taste mixed with a stronger white pepper flavor and some mild cocoa notes. The body had picked up a bit and pushed more into the full range.

Final Third and Final Thoughts

 

I didn't get far into the final third of my Illusione 23. The draw was so tight that I had to put the stick down. I was constantly relighting, trying to get it to smoke and get those great flavors back. During this process, the cigar just got too hot. The only thing I tasted was an unpleasant, over-powering spice.

Would I buy it again? I have really liked everything I have smoked from Illusione until this cigar. With that said, I would buy this cigar again (I didn't buy this one) and hope for one that was not plugged. The flavors were really good when I did get smoke and right on par with all of the other Illusione sticks. I think it warrants another shot sometime soon. The best part about this stick today was sharing it with a friend on his birthday. For that reason alone, I really wish it would have performed better.

Would I buy a box? Culebras are more of a novelty cigar so I'm not sure I'd buy a box of them. However, with only 3 in a box, I might get one and share them at another special occasion.

Review: Nestor Miranda Special Selection

This weeks cigar is another that came to me in a trade with a fellow BOTL.  The Nestor Miranda Special Selection seems to have lots of different information written about it all over the web. So much information, in fact, that I'm not exactly sure what to believe and what to discredit. After reading countless websites, I think it's pretty safe to say that is cigar is now (from 2009 and on) produced by Pepin Garcia in his Tabacalera Cubana factory in Nicaragua. A variety of information is on the web about it's production prior to 2009, but I think I'll keep this review to what is most current. With that said, I'm not sure how old this stick is, so I'm not positive this is the Pepin blend. The Nestor Miranda Special Selection was ranked in Cigar Aficionado's Top 25 of 2009. This was a bit of a gamble smoke, but a gamble I was willing to take.

Specifics (Someone please correct me if I'm wrong.)

Vitola: Robusto Grande
Length: 5.50
Ring Gauge: 54
Wrapper: Nicaragua
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Honduran
Price: $5.50
Smoking Location: House of Cigar, Columbus, Ohio
Beverage: Coke

Pre-Light

 

My first impression of this Nestor Miranda Special Selection was a good one.  The cigar had a nice to look, with a dark oscuro wrapper, minimal veins, and a oily sheen. The stick was well packed, lacking any soft spots, and the band was a nice twist on something modern but not cheesy-modern like a few bands I've seen recently. The un-lit cigar gave off no aroma and when clipped, the cold draw only had a very slight, sweet tobacco taste.

First Third

  

After the slightly difficult time torching my Nestor, the cigar burned very well. Large clouds of thick smoke were easly pulled from the cigar on each draw. The smoke had a creamy texture to it and almost felt like I had been drinking something rich after every exhale. The initial flavors were black pepper mixed with some cedar wood notes. Neither of these flavors were very strong. The body of the cigar was medium.

Second Third

 

The second third started out with a much stronger flavor profile than the first. The black pepper had weakend a bit, but I was now getting a interesting black cherry flavor mixed with charred wood notes. Unfortunately, this didn't last for the entire second third because it was really a great taste. As I inched towards the band, all I got again was a mild black peppery spice. The burn on the cigar was great and the smoke volume was terrific, but I was finding myself hoping that the flavors would return to make it better. The body of the cigar was again a solid medium.

Final Third and Final Thoughts

 

Sadly, the final third of my Nestor Miranda Special Selection was dissapointing. I never got that nice black cherry flavor back and once I was past the band, the cigar started to taste somewhat metallic. I did not enjoy that at all so I decided to put the stick down. The burn was still great but I couldn't get past that flavor. The body ramped up a bit in the final third to what I would call a medium to medium full.

Would I buy it again? I don't think so, but I wouldn't be upset if I got some in a trade now and again. In the middle of the stick, there were about ten minutes that I really enjoyed and actually told my smoking buddy, "Hey, this got pretty good." It was unfortunate for me that those flavors were short lived.



Would I buy a box? No. There are too many other cigars in this price range that I like more.


Dan

Review: CAO Escaparate #7 Blend

Tonight's review is a cigar that was generously sent to me by Kevin at Butthead's Tobacco Emporium. The CAO #7 Blend is the latest release from the CAO Escaparate collection and is exclusive to Butthead's. The Escaparate line are cigar blends that CAO does not have enough tobacco (for one reason or another) to produce enough sticks for a full release. That said, these cigars are always somewhat limited and I, almost always, find fun to smoke. 

Some details on the #7, taken from the sales sheet I received with the cigars.

The Escaparate #7 blend is the prototype blend for the CAO Vision. Although the specific tobaccos that comprise the #7 remains a secret, the Dominican Corojo wrapper and Dominican Binder as well as the Nicaraguan and Brazilian fillers that became the Vision are certainly assumed and very well blended in the mild/medium cigar.

Specifics

Vitola: Belicoso
Length: 6.25
Ring Gauge: 54
Wrapper: Proprietary to CAO
Filler: Proprietary to CAO
Binder: Proprietary to CAO
MSRP: 
Smoking Location: House of Cigar, Columbus, Ohio
Beverage: Coke

Pre-Light

 

The CAO Escaparate #7 is a tightly packed, hefty cigar. I've been leaning towards smaller ring gauges recently, so it was interesting to smoke something a little thicker. The wrapper was silky smooth and had no visible veins. The torpedo cap was constructed to perfection and it clipped evenly and cleanly.  The pre-light aroma from the cigar was of faint earthy tobacco and the cold draw was similar in taste.

First Third

    

After toasting the foot of my CAO Escaparate #7 I was hit with a rather rough, bitter spice. The smoke was dry and didn't leave a nice finish on my palate. Luckily, after a few puffs, that profile went away and I was greeted by a much nicer, rich tobacco flavor with hints of almond.  I can only assume that the cigar heated up too quickly or some dust was in the foot of the cigar which produced that initial unpleasant taste. As I burned through the first third, the cigar mellowed out even more and the body came in at a mild to mild-medium.

Second Third

 

In the second third of my CAO Escaparate #7 is when the flavors really picked up. The spice from the first third was completely gone and now some complex notes of molasses and a strong roasted peanut taste had emerged. I found both of these to be very interesting and kept me wanting more. The burn on this cigar was perfectly straight and required no touch-ups. The finish of the smoke was also very interesting, as it seemed to leave your mouth with a cold, fresh feeling. I haven't smoked many cigars with this kind of finish, so it was definitely worth noting in this review. Again, like in the first third, the body was a mild to mild-medium.

Final Third and Final thoughts

 

The final third of this cigar was very similar to the second third.  The flavors stayed the same with a creamy molasses and a strong roasted peanut taste. The flavors seemed to blend very well together and were really pleasant. Toward the very end of the cigar, I did pick up some leather notes that were not present before. I wished these flavors would have come on sooner to further add to the mix. 

Overall, this is the best stick I have smoked from the Escaparate line from CAO. I don't think I would rank it as high as the La Traviata, but I would put it right up there with the LX2 and the Brazilia as far as some of my favorite CAOs.  The burn is perfect and, right in the middle of the cigar, it was producing some excellent flavors and smoke profiles. A big thanks again goes out to Kevin at Butthead's Tobacco Emporium for sending me a few of these cigars to review.

Would I buy it again? I would most certainly buy this cigar again and keep five or so on hand.  With the Escaparate line, you never know how long they will be around and I would love to smoke more of these in the future.

Would I buy a box? I'm not sure what a box of these goes for, but my guess it is not on the cheap side. I would lean more to 5 packs than a box purchase.

Dan

Review: New Havana Cigars House E.L. #2

For this weekend's review, I have a very interesting cigar that was personally handed to me by Dan Welsh of New Havana Cigars. The New Havana Cigars House E.L. #2 are Nicaraguan puros that come from the Raices Cubanas factory, which is also where a better-known brand (and my current personal favorite cigars) are created. The #2's feature a Cuban style triple cap, a Corojo wrapper, and, I am told, smoke full-bodied.  I had a good meal before this one, so let's see how it panned out.

Specifics

Vitola: Corona Gorda
Length: 5.625
Ring Gauge: 46
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Corojo
Filler: Nicaraguan
Binder: Nicaraguan
MSRP: Approx. $5.35
Smoking Location: House of Cigar, Columbus, Ohio
Beverage: Coke

Pre-Light

 The E.L.#2 has a sharp, classic appearance. The color of the Corojo wrapper is a medium-dark brown and the triple cap is expertly applied. I squeezed the cigar from head to foot and it had a very nice firmness. The aroma of the un-lit stick is of earthy tobacco and cold draw gives off some sweetness.

First Third

After a very easy toasting, the E.L. #2 opened up with a strong natural tobacco flavor which was very smooth and silky. I also detected slight notes of nuttiness and caramel. The draw on the cigar was perfect and produced lots of very dense smoke. What I didn't get from this cigar was that Nicaraguan zing that most Nicaraguan puros produce. This was a very nice surprise because I was in the mood for something a little more relaxing and less in-your-face spicy.

Second Third

The second third of my E.L. #2 brought a few new flavors to the front that I did not get at all in the first third. A nice leather flavor dominated, along with a light cedar/woody taste. The smooth smoke maintained and the earthy natural tobacco flavors were still present, just now in a more backseat role. Again, the construction of the cigar was flawless. I did not have to even up the burn once and the amount of smoke the cigar produced was excellent. The body of the cigar was in the medium-full range, fitting in directly with other popular Nicaraguan cigars.

Final Third and Final Thoughts

 

In the final third of my E.L.#2, the flavors really married together. I could pick out the different tastes of leather and wood, each complimenting the other nicely. The sweeter caramel flavor did reapear for a few puffs when getting down to the nub, but I couldn't smoke the cigar anymore without burning the tips of my fingers, so I'm not sure how long that would have lasted. The body was consistent with the first two thirds in staying a nice relaxing medium-full.

As you can see from the last picture, I smoked this cigar as long as I could (without a spike) and I did for good reason -- the New Havana Cigars House E.L. #2 is an absolutely fantastic cigar. I love Nicaraguan puros and, when not reviewing other cigars, that is about all I smoke. I can honestly say that, for me, this one ranks up in the top five Nicaraguan cigars I have ever smoked.  The construction is flawless down to the nub and the flavors continuously come at you. The body is perfectly relaxing and made for a great afternoon smoke.

 Would I buy it again? Not the cheapest house brand you will find but, after my experience, I'm willing to bet it's one of the best.

Would I buy a box? At $119.95 for a bundle of 25 ($4.80 a stick), this cigar is a steal. I will be picking up a bundle and maybe even more when my budget allows for it (if New Havana doesn't run out by then.)

Dan

Review: Brickhouse

Wednesday's review this week is a highly talked about cigar on the web.  The Brickhouse from J.C. Newman Cigars was released in 2009 at a shockingly low price point compared to most recently released, premium brand cigars. This reason alone was good enough for most cigar reviewers to give it a try early on, but now that the cigar has been on the shelves for awhile and positive reviews have been written, it seems everyone is looking to get their hands on this stick. To know the long history of the name of this line of cigars, please visit this link

Specifics (taken from Toasted foot)

Vitola: Corona Larga
Length: 6.25
Ring Gauge: 46
Wrapper: Dominican Habano (’98)
Filler: Dominican
Binder: Dominican Criollo (’98)
MSRP: I'm not sure what the MSRP is but at my local shop they are $5.22
Smoking Location: House of Cigar, Columbus, Ohio
Beverage: Diet Pepsi 

Pre-Light

 

The Brickhouse is a decent looking cigar. The Habano wrapper gives it a nice milk chocolate color and a slightly oily sheen. My cigar did have two pretty prominent veins that could have been smoothed out more but nothing that was too distracting from the overall appearance. The cigar gave off a sweet tobacco aroma when un-lit and also had a sweet flavor on the slightly tight cold draw.

First Third

  

Once the foot was torched evenly and the cigar started producing smoke, the Brickhouse instantly gave off a zing of spice that lingered awhile on my palette. After the first few puffs, a rich earthy flavor also started to set in that was enjoyable but slightly harsh on the finish. The burn line on the cigar was razor sharp and needed absolutely no touch ups or maintenance.The body of the cigar started out as a nice medium, but that harsh flavored finish stopped me from completely enjoying the experience thus far.

Second Third

  

The second third of my Brickhouse still had that nice earthy flavor to it but also developed a very strong leather taste that, again, lasted long on the finish. The difference between the spice from the first third to the leather on the second was that the leather flavors were very smooth, not at all like the previously harsh finish. The burn line was still razor sharp and the smoke was relaxing into a medium body without any bitter tastes. 

Final Third and Final thoughts

 

The final third of this cigar was dominated by the leather taste that had come through in the second third.  The only difference I picked up from the second third to the final were cedar notes and the cigar's smoke seemed to become a bit more creamy. All of the harsh flavors from the start of the cigar were gone and smoking this slow burning stick was now a really nice experience.

The Brickhouse by J.C. Newman Cigars is a good cigar. Although it might not be all that complex in the flavor profile, it is definitely a good "bang-for-your-buck" kind of stick. A word to the wise, however. If you smoke this cigar, take it sloooow.  I noticed that after I increased my time between draws, some of the harshness I experienced went away. The cigar does not produce a ton of resting smoke, so don't let that fool you into puffing away on it like a mad man. I never had any issues with this cigar going out on me, so just take your time and enjoy your Brickhouse.

Would I buy it again? At this price, I will most certainly pick up a few more and keep them laying around my humidor for simple occasions.

Would I buy a box? I don't think I'd buy a full box of these because I tend to like cigars that have lots of changes in the flavor profile. However, if you prefer a single-note, simple profile cigar, this is a good one.

Dan

  

Review: Murcielago Belicoso

 

Happy Superbowl Sunday! For today's special day in American sports, I chose to smoke a cigar that I've been looking forward to since I got it in a trade back in early December. If you've been reading cigar blogs in the last few months, I'm sure you've come across countless glowing reviews of the Murcielago from EO/United Tobacco. Espinosa and Ortega are an extremely hot duo in the cigar world currently and have been scoring high with almost all traditional and non-traditional cigar media outlets. Time to fire up "the bat" for myself and see if I agree with the experts.

Specifics (taken from Stogie Review)

Vitola: Belicoso
Length: 5.5
Ring Gauge: 52
Wrapper: Mexican San Andreas Maduro
Filler: Nicaraguan
Binder: Mexican
MSRP: Approx. $9.61
Smoking Location: House of Cigar, Columbus, Ohio
Beverage: Pepsi

Pre-Light

 

The Murcielago was a beautiful cigar to look at. The maduro wrapper was a very dark color, has an oily glimmer and was as smooth as silk. The cigar was very well packed. I felt no soft spots, but it also had a nice give to it that I was sure would produce an excellent draw. There was very little aroma from the unlit cigar, but after I clipped the head, the cold draw had a nice cocoa flavor to it. Before I get into the smoking part of the review, I have to mention the very cool looking band. I'd be doing  this cigar an injustice if I didn't. The bright red color and black bat graphic is an awesome contrast to the dark wrapper. This is most certainly a band that would catch your eye if you saw someone smoking this stick in your local lounge.

First Third

 

Firing up this cigar was effortless. The burn was immediately perfect and produced tons of dense smoke. The initial flavors of my Murcielago were black pepper mixed with nutty and cocoa notes. The finish was very clean and left a nice spicy flavor in the back of my throat. The draw, as expected, was free and very enjoyable. Something to also note was the strength of the ash. I smoked this cigar for a good two inches before dropping the ash in the ashtray for fear of wearing it. Even then, it took a few good knocks for the ash to fall. I'd say the body of the first third was a solid medium.

Second Third

  

The second third of my Murcielago stayed very similar to the first third. The cigar had a nice black pepper spice that was balanced brilliantly with the cocoa and nuttiness. Some creamy notes did start to take shape toward the end of the second third and I hoped that they'd increase even more in the final third. The body of the cigar stayed medium and, again, the ash was very strong and tight.

Final Third and Final thoughts

The final third of my Murcielago was dominated by two flavors -- cream and chocolate. The spice and nutty flavors of the cigar dissipated and the rich cream and chocolate dominated my palette. This was actually a nice change up to the cigar and made what would have been an enjoyable (but somewhat simple) cigar just that much better. The body also picked up slightly and made for a very relaxing finish to this stick.

Smoking the Murcielago is an absolute treat. The construction is second to none and the flavors are bold and up front. I think a person new to cigar smoking would be able to pick out the differences. The change-up in the final third's flavors and body were unexpected. I'm thinking I may need to smoke more of these to get the whole experience.

Would I buy it again? The price tag is slightly steep, but I think it is justified. I will seek out a few more single sticks and consider a box split with another BOTL.

Would I buy a box? A full box is out of my budget at this time, but I'd recommend it if you can afford it.

Dan

Review: Isla de Cuba Aged Maduro

Tonight's cigar was sent to me in a trade I had with another stogiereview fan forum member.  I love doing cigar trades because you almost always end up with exactly what you were looking for and a few extra surprises.  This Isla de Cuba Aged Maduro was one of those surprises.  To be honest, when I got this cigar, I had never heard of it, so off to Google I went for some information.  Isla De Cuba is another Florida-based manufacturer that set up shop in 2008. President Darryl Lieser says that the brand is based on the legendary 1956 Montecristo No. 3 (quote taken from The Stogie Guys).  I've never smoked the "legendary 1956 Montecristo No. 3" or this cigar, so I was in for something new.

Specifics (taken from Stogie Review)
Vitola: Belicoso
Length: 6.125
Ring Gauge: 52
Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
Filler: Dominican & Nicaraguan
Binder: Honduras
MSRP: Approx. $6.70
Smoking Location: House of Cigar, Columbus, Ohio
Beverage: Pepsi

Pre-Light

 

The first thing that stands out when going over my pre-lit at my Isla de Cuba Aged Maduro is the really dry, dark wrapper.  This cigar has one of the darkest, smoothest maduro wrappers I've seen in awhile and shows almost no oil or shine. Pinching the cigar from head to foot, I was a bit concerned because it had almost no give. This thing was solid as a rock and there was absolutely no aroma coming off the cigar which made me think that this stick might have dried out at one time in it's life.  After clipping the head, I was pleasantly surprised that the draw was quite free. The cigar still had no taste on the cold draw, but at least I knew once it was lit I would be able to puff on it.

First Third

  

I put my triple flame torch to the foot and, right from the start, the burn was very even and produced a lot of smoke. All my fears were put to rest, as the draw on the cigar was close to perfect. The initial flavors coming from the smoke were of a nice sweet tobacco mixed with espresso and a hint of  mild spice.  The finish had a slight bitter bite to it, but did not last long and played nicely on my taste buds. I would say the body of the cigar was a mild to mild-medium at this point.

Second Third

 

At the end of the first third and the start of the second third is where the Isla de Cuba Aged Maduro showed it's true colors.  The flavors had switched up from the espresso and spice into a mild cocoa and an extremely rich cream.  Although the cocoa flavors was certainly there, they were well over-powered by the cream flavor that coated my mouth before drying off with that small bitter bite. The body on the cigar was still a mild medium but with the added cream it became much more relaxing.

Final Third and Final Thoughts

 

Like I said in the above portion of the review, the true colors of the Isla de Cuba Aged Maduro really showed then and continued into the final third the same way.  The flavors were exactly the same with mild cocoa and rich cream right until the nubbing point.  The burn was still as perfect as when first light and the volume of smoke never changed. The only part of the cigar that did change in the final third was the body ramped up a bit more into the medium to a slight medium-full.  Still very relaxing and not to the point of a nicotine buzz or anything like that.

All in all, I was pretty happy with this experience. Going into smoking a cigar without knowing anything about it  is not always a treat. I've taken some risks in the past with cigars I have no knowledge of and it has bit me hard.  I'm happy to say this was not the case with the Isla de Cuba Aged Maduro.

Would I buy it again? I would buy this cigar again if I found a 5-pack discount or single sticks on sale. It's a nice mild-to-medium body cigar with construction that doesn't require much attention. At $6.70 a stick, I think it's a bit overpriced. If I got more in a trade sometime I'd be happy.

Would I buy a box? Only if heavily discounted

Dan