REVIEW: Tatuaje Fausto

It is time for probably the most most talked about, cigar-geek anticipated releases of the year...the Fausto from Tatuaje. All the information has been leaked out about these sticks for awhile now, so I won't bore you with all the rumors, truths and legends that have been written about this release over the last year.  The description from New Havana Cigars pretty much says it all:

Quote New Havana Cigars: Based on the T110 (Thermonuclear) blend, Fausto is a much anticipated new lineup from Pete Johnson.  Fausto features an Ecuador Habano Maduro wrapper and a very strong blend of Nicaraguan filler that includes mostly ligero from Jalapa and Esteli.  As strong as the blend is, this full bodied smoke is filled with flavor and will be a daily staple for many who love a bigger smoke.  

I asked Pete about this stick at the show and he said, "It is what it is. It's for those guys who loved the T110 power and wanted more of it." 


Here's my post-dinner review.

Specifics

Vitola: Robusto Extra
Length: 5 1/2
Ring Gauge: 52
Wrapper: Ecuador Habano Maduro
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Price:  $8.25 in 5 packs
Smoking Location: New Havana Cigars
Beverage: nothing

Pre-Light 

My Fausto was a beautiful looking cigar. After smoking so many cigars with broadleaf wrappers recently (which can be ugly a lot of the time) it was nice to see a silky smooth Habano Maduro. There were some small veins on the wrapper, but not anything that took away from the cigar's appearance. The black and red band had a nice contrast and was a modern version of a classic Cuban style. The pre-lit aroma was peppery, especially at the foot, where it made me sneeze. The cold draw is nice and free and tasted earthy with a slight vegetable garden flavor. You know when you smell a growing tomato plant? It doesn't smell like tomatoes. It has that vegetable garden smell.  That was this flavor.

First Third   

At first, I didn't get right from the cigar what I thought would come from the Fausto. I remember the T110 being right up in your face from the get-go. This stick started pretty mellow with a lot of graham cracker flavor on the front. The finish was more what I expected with some black pepper flavor, but not as strong as I thought it would be. The stick gave off a medium amount of smoke and the strength was obviously there, but not head strong, more body or gut strong. The ash was solid and the construction top notch, as always with My Father factory-produced cigars.

Second Third  

The second third of my Fausto had some transitions in the flavors but they were difficult for me to pick out.  There was a lot of flavor for sure, but I was wracking my brain for what the tastes were. I settled on a light milk chocolate mixing with some leathery notes, and still the pepper on the finish.  That sounds crazy, and is almost embarrassing to write, but it was the best I could do at this point.  What I think was evident in my not being able to decipher the exact flavor profiles was just how balanced the flavors were. Nothing stood out too much and nothing was so weak that it didn't come through on my palate. The strength of the cigar was showing through at this point also, but I must restate: it was more of a body/gut strength than a head spinner.

Final Third and Final Thoughts 

The final third of Fausto was pretty similar to the second half, except I would now describe the milk chocolate flavor from before as more of a dry cocoa taste. Again in the final third, the flavor profile was strong, but hard to pick out the individual flavors. The only real obvious flavor was the black pepper on the finish that never really took off, but was always there for a nice treat at the end of each draw. Full strength in the final third, so watch out if you have not had a nice meal before smoking this cigar.

My final thoughts on the tatuaje Fausto? Like I wrote above: The Fausto is not what I was expecting it to be. I was expecting that pepper bomb that I fondly remember from the T110. The flavors of the cigar were strong and the strength was there for sure, but I found it hard to pick out what the predominant flavor was. Overall, I enjoyed the cigar and I would buy it again, but it didn't floor me like some of Pete's other new releases. Strangely, I smoked the Avion recently (the same blend) and found it to be much more to my liking.  Guess it's true what they say: size matters, and maybe for me, this blend will be more to my liking in other sizes.

Would I buy it again? Yup, the price is right and it's a great full power cigar that doesn't go to far over the top into the sickly range. I'll try the other sizes in the line before I grab this one again though.

Would I buy a box? Right now I'd pass on a box, although I think they will really get nice with age. I'm not sure why I think that; just a personal feeling.

Dan

REVIEW: E.P. CARRILLO Core Line Maduro

A few weeks ago I came home to a nice little package waiting for me at my front door. E.P.C. has been kind enough to include me on some early samples of their last few releases and this was the surprise waiting for me. Included in the package were a few things, but most exciting to me was the new E.P.C. Core Line Maduro. The Core Line Maduro is obviously based off the Core Line from E.P.C,. but with some slight differences.

I spoke to Ernesto on the phone and this is what he had to say about the E.P.C. Core Line Maduro:
"We went with a Connecticut broadleaf wrapper for the core line. I have been blending with broadleaf since 1972 so I am very comfortable with the tobacco.  I tried the blend with many other maduros, and I probably will use some of those maduros on different projects, but for this one that distinguishable broadleaf flavor was the right fit. The only other change in this cigar from the Core Line is we changed the binder leaf. We found that a Sumatra binder just worked better."

Thank you Ernesto for taking the time to talk to me both on the phone and at the IPCPR show. These are some great looking cigars so on to the review.

Specifics
Vitola: Encantos
Length: 4 7/8
Ring Gauge: 50
Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
Binder: Ecuador Sumatra
Filler: Dominican Republic and Nicaraguan
Price: $?
Smoking Location: House of Cigar
Beverage: none

Pre-Light 

"Classic Maduro look" was the first thing that came to mind when examining my EPC Core line Maduro. The wrapper was a very dark brown, with shades of lighter brown mixed in here and there. It was definitely dark in color, but not the unnaturally dark color we have seen on some other "maduro" cigars recently. The leaf did have some medium sized veins and when held up to a light showed a lot of oils. The pre-lit aroma was very earthy and leathery. The cold draw had an interesting hazelnut taste. It threw me for a bit of a loop because I didn't get any of that from the aroma of the stick. From squeezing the cigar you can tell it was expertly constructed and evenly packed.

First Third   

My EPC Core Line Maduro lit up letting clouds of smoke into the air. No, really. This thing put off more smoke than a raging bonfire. I barely had to draw on this stick to get a full, flavorful mouthful of smoke. Talking of flavor, this cigar started off with a lot of dark roasted coffee notes on the front mixing nicely with a mild pepper spice on the finish. Not a strong peppery bite, just a subtle flavor that awakened the taste buds. Another interesting note was the sweetness the wrapper left on my lips. I know this cigar is not tipped with sugar or anything like that, but it had a nice sweetness that reminded me of that. The strength was in the medium range and the burn performed beautifully.

Second Third  

The second third of my EPC Core Line Maduro brought on some pretty significant flavor changes. The roasted coffee flavors from the first third had dissipated and were replaced by a dark bitter chocolate taste. What was perfect about this flavor was, because it did have a bit of a bitterness to it, it was expertly balanced out by the finish that had now changed from that pepper note to a sweet, sugary flavor. I told you things had changed right? The stick still produced a lot of smoke and easily filled the part of the room I was sitting in at the shop. The strength was consistently medium like the first third.

Final Third and Final Thoughts 

Rounding out the final third or my EPC Core Line Maduro, things were going just fine. The flavors were pretty much the same as the second third with dark chocolate on the front and sugary sweetness on the finish. I did taste something that was particularly unusual, so I thought I'd mention it even if it sounds a little crazy: on a small section of the final third, I tasted port wine. I don't drink port wine, but that was definitely the flavor I tasted. Who knows, right? One other note of difference in the final third was just how slow the cigar burned. The first two thirds burned at a rate of a normal cigar, but the final third of the EPC Core Line Maduro really slowed down. Again, the strength never moved above the medium range and I never had any issues with the construction.

My final thoughts on the E.P. Carrillo Core Line Maduro? This is what a true maduro cigar should taste like. I loved the coffee flavors at the start and the transition into the chocolate and sweetness in the second and final thirds of the stick were a true balance of flavors. E.P. Carrillo and team keep putting out great products and this is another one to add to the list. I can't wait for the 2011 special edition and what ever else they might be working on for the future.

Would I buy it again? I will be keeping a stock of these around. I actually have smoked the other sizes of this stick and I really enjoy the smallest size it comes in. That's the one I will be buying the most of.

Would I buy a box? I don't know what the price is going to be for a box, but if it's in the same range as the other Core Line products, I could see myself getting one.

Dan

REVIEW: Illusione MK Ultra

Hell to the yes. I finally got to sit down and smoke the new Illusione MK Ultra and today I get to talk about it.  Before I went to the IPCPR tradeshow this year, I told everyone that the number one cigar I wanted to get a sample of was the MK Ultra. Jonathan Drew even made it a point to grab me an Ultra at the Fumar Smoke shop grand opening in Reno, NV the night before the show began. Thank you, Jonathan, for thinking of me. I ran into Dion Giolito (owner of Illusione cigars) on the first night of IPCPR at the Brothers of the Leaf party where he slipped me an Ultra in a much bigger size. I asked him what he thought of the cigar and he had this to say:

Quote Dion Giolito: This sticks are just awesome. They are full of flavor that I love and have an extra boost of power that will make a lot of people very happy.

For more information on the MK Ultra, and all of Dion's new offers from Illusione, please check out the video interview we did with him that last months IPCPR here.

Time for the "teaching machine" to take to fire. (teaching machine is the nickname of this cigar)


Due to the size of this cigar, this review is only in two parts instead of the traditional thirds. 

Specifics

Vitola: Corona
Length: 5 1/8
Ring Gauge: 42
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Corojo.
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Price:  $7.80 in full boxes of 25
Smoking Location: New Havana Cigars
Beverage: nothing

Pre-Light  

The Illusione MK Ultra had a pristine wrapper. The dark brown color with reddish hues was almost uniformly even all around the cigar. The veins were there, but they were small and actually added to the look of the stick. This is not something I normally would think when it comes to the aesthetics of a cigar, but in this one it just worked. The pre-lit aroma was slightly sweet from the wrapper, but the open foot had a very deep earthy musk. I clipped the cap and the cold draw was free with just a slight tug of resistance. The flavor was nice natural sweet tobacco . I forgot to mention in the intro that the MK is my favorite size and blend in the regular Illusione line so yeah, I dig the size.

First Half  

The "teaching" begins on the first puff of the MK Ultra. My palate was bombed right away with a spice that quickly coated both my tongue and the roof of my mouth. To the people thinking 'bombed' is a bad thing, this was quite the opposite. The spice was strong, but it was extremely tasty and had a soft characteristic to it. There was no burning or unpleasant feeling going on. Something of interest (and Dion mentioned it in our video) is that, even with all the power coming through, this cigar does not hit your throat. About ten puffs in, the spice mellows out a bit and I was greeted by a warm woodsy flavor mixing in. It was not cedar, nor oak, just a refined non-descriptive woodsy flavor. The strength of the cigar is in the lower full range at this point.

Second Half and Final Thoughts  

The first thing I want to mention right away that I didn't put in the first half of this review was look how black the ash was on this cigar.  I mean that is B-L-A-C-K! But don't let it scare you away because if the first half wasn't good enough, the second half was where I got what I wanted. The flavor profile on the second half switched over to the classic Illusione flavor I love with tastes of black cherry on the front mixing with an earthy spiciness on the finish. The difference between this and normal Illusione with similar profiles is this one ramped it up to 10 in flavor power. Most of the time I describe flavors with terms like "hints" or "a touch of" but not in this cigar. This one told me what the flavor was and there was no denying it. At this point the strength of the cigar was in the full range, but nothing that makes me feel uncomfortable or lightheaded. The cigar did need one re-lite, but they are very new, so that could have been the issue.

My final thoughts on the Illusione MK Ultra? I hyped this cigar for months in my head before it came out. I did the same thing with the Nosotros last year.  I am very happy to say that unlike last year, this stick was exactly what I was hoping for and passed my self-projected hype with flying colors. Strong classic Illusione taste ramped up into a  more powerful cigar. It's not going to knock over a seasoned smoker with nicotine (always a good thing in my book), but you will feel it and it's relaxing.

Would I buy it again? I will be keeping a stash of these on hand at all times and since it's a full production, that shouldn't be to hard to do.

Would I buy a box? It's not the cheapest high quality, small cigar you will find out there, but if you have the cash I say it's box worthy for sure. I'll be grabbing one when I get some extra scratch.

These cigars went on sale today at New Havana Cigars. When i was over there he had a pretty good stash of these but I am guessing this first delivery will go pretty quickly.
 
Dan

REVIEW: My Father El Hijo

Today's cigar review is for the third installment of Smoke Inn's fifteenth anniversary celebration releases. A little background: Smoke Inn is a group of shops in Florida that commissioned some of today's top manufacturers to make special releases for their fifteenth year in business. Last November we had the Tatuaje Anarchy (which I reviewed here) and, in April, the Padron SI-15 (which I reviewed here). Now it's July and Abe (Owner of Smoke Inn) sent to me two of the next release -- 'the My Father El Hijo (translates to 'the son' in English).

The My Father El Hijo is a slightly box pressed robusto with a small open brush foot. From what I am told, it's similar to the My Father blend used in the full line releases, but with a specially-selected wrapper.  There were only 650 boxes of these little guys made, so I suggest if you want some to put in a pre-order on Smoke Inn's website very soon.

Specifics

Vitola: Robusto
Length: 5.5
Ring Gauge: 52
Wrapper: 2009 Ecuadorian habano
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Price:  $9.75 in full boxes of 15
Smoking Location: New Havana Cigars
Beverage: water

Pre-Light 

The My Father El Hijo is a beautiful looking cigar. The wrapper is a nice medium brown tone with minimal veins and a perfectly-hidden seam. The slight box press reminds me of what Padron does to a lot of their cigars and it felt nice in my hand. I know they left the foot of the cigar unfinished intentionally, so you can "get the taste of the blend without the wrapper", but with about an eighth of an inch unwrapped, how much of that is just going to burn off while lighting the cigar? It looks interesting though, so no harm, no foul. The pre-lit aroma was earthy and leathery. The cold draw tasted like cedar with a touch of spice. The wrapper had a great cold draw flavor that reminded me of dried fruit, or a citrus-y orange flavor. Very tasty.

First Third   

Lighting my My Father El Hijo was easy, and yes -- maybe I did get one or two puffs of the unfinished foot part of the cigar before hitting the wrapper. The flavors blasted out from the beginning were some classic Pepin spice (which was most dominate taste-wise on the roof of my mouth) mixed with a nice sweet cedar flavor on the finish. The spice and sweet played nicely with one other and had a perfect melting point where they met on the flavor profile. The cigar produced a lot of smoke with each draw and quickly filled the room where my smoking partner and I were sitting. The strength was in the medium to full range and was very relaxing. No construction problems and no burn issues at all.

Second Third  

The second third of my My Father El Hijo was where the cigar, in my opinion, went from good to really great. The flavors took a switch up and the overall feel of the smoke got thick and slick smooth. There were still hints of the peppery spicy flavor I love (especially when mingling with my sinuses), but now the front end of the profile was dominated by a robust caramel flavor. My smoking partner described it to me as a Hershey's Rolos taste. Mixing along with this caramel taste was a sweet cedar, which seemed to pick up in strength on the finish. This was a fantastically delicious part of the cigar. I really felt like I was smoking a new classic. The strength of the cigar picked up slightly and reached more into the full range, but not enough to make me uncomfortable.

Final Third and Final Thoughts 

The final third of my My Father El Hijo didn't have much more to report in contrast from the second third (for which I can gladly say that I was happy.) The flavors from the second third -- the spice, caramel, and cedar -- were all in perfect balance and tasted great. As I neared the nub, it started to heat up a bit so I put it down because I didn't want to ruin the great flavors I had going on. The strength stayed right about the same in the lower end of full, and the construction/burn was never anything to be worried about from start to finish.

My final thoughts on the My Father El Hijo? This is the best release in the My Father line of cigars to date. I've smoked most of the releases in this line (including both years Limited Editions) and I think they all are sub-par to this one. The flavors in this stick were so strong, yet not overpowering, which made for a fantastic and enjoyable smoking experience. I would even go so far as to suggest making it the regular release blend, as Smoke Inn really has a winner on their hands here. Once these hit the market, I don't think they will last long.

Would I buy it again? I will be buying more of this cigar. This is a stick that I could smoke on a weekly basis. I love the size, too. Great for just over an hour of smoking time.

Would I buy a box? With the limited amount of these being made, I would hate to miss out on them. These are box-worthy.

Dan

REVIEW: Tatuaje The 7th Capa Especial

I love getting my hands on new cigars. I love it even more when it happens to come from one of my top five favorite brands on the market. Tonight's cigar is the first new full line release in 2011 from Pete Johnson's Tatuaje brand, the Tatuaje "The 7th Capa Especial". What makes this different from previously released "Tatuaje 7th"  is this stick is wrapped in a Sumatra leaf. Pete and the whole My Father company (who make Tatuaje cigars) have been using a lot of Sumatra lately, so it only seemed fitting that one of the core Tatuaje sticks would eventually be made with this wrapper.  The 7th Reserva was my number two cigar of the year last year, so I was very excited to smoke this rendition to see how it tasted.

Something to note: This cigar is  made at the My Father factory in Esteli, Nicaragua and not in Miami like most other brown label Tatuaje cigars.

Specifics
Vitola: Corona Gorda
Length: 5 5/8
Ring Gauge: 46
Wrapper: Sumatra
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Price: $9.00 in full boxes
Smoking Location: My back deck
Beverage: water

Pre-Light 

The wrapper on my Tatuaje 7th Capa Especial was a rustic medium brown color with a decent amount of veins running all over the stick. The veins were smoothed down nicely, but still very apparent on the leaf. The new white band added to the stick looks classy and adds a bit of interest to the simply stated brown band that we are all accustomed to. The pre-lit aroma of the cigar was very bread-like, with some hints of sweetness. Not strong fresh baked bread, but more of a raw whole grain smell. The cold draw mimicked the pre-lit aroma and had a heavy bread flavor that sat thick on my palate. 

First Third   

I lit my Tatuaje 7th Capa Especial with a soft flame lighter and was greeted right away with the classic black pepper spice of a Pepin blend. The spice was so strong that it tingled the sides of my tongue and was apparent in the back of my throat. The finish of the profile was very interesting because after exhaling the smoke the pepper seemed to mellow out, but a minute later between puffs the pepper came right back. The smoke itself is very thick and coated my taste buds from the first puff. The draw was perfect and the body sat in the medium to medium full range.

Second Third  

Burning into the second third of my Tatuaje 7 Capa Especial the flavor profile really changed. The finish was still dominated by the black pepper, but the front now had a very strong nutty flavor mixed in with some obvious graham cracker. I described it to my smoking partner as not a sweetened graham taste, but a raw bread-y graham. These flavors mixed nicely and added a great change up from the pepper power from the first third. The finish was still long in flavor and I could taste it well-over the sitting time I normally take between puffs. Moving toward the end of the second third, the body started to pick up also and moved into the full range. Again, no problems with the burn/draw/construction.

Final Third and Final Thoughts 

The final third of my Tatuaje7th Capa Especial was similar to the second third except the pepper started to pick back up again on the front of the profile and the finish now had a butter characteristic to it. It's worth mentioning again that the smoke of this cigar is very heavy and feels like you could chew it. Another thing to note in the final third was the strength of the cigar went well into the full range. By the end I could really feel it in my system and had my head spinning just slightly.

My final thoughts on the Tatuaje The 7th Capa Especial? This is a solid, complex cigar with lots of flavor and the strength to back it up. The cigar to me tasted completely different from anything else in the brown label line from Tatuaje. I hear people all the time say they shy away from Sumatra wrapped sticks. I will point out that most people say the same thing about Connecticut shade-wrapped cigars, but we have seen that leaf gain great popularity recently with the EPC New Wave cigar. Maybe the Tatuaje Capa Especial can do the same for Sumatra? I think it can. 

Would I buy it again? I absolutely will buy more of this cigar because it is just that much different than other sticks in the brown label and will be a nice change up. I smoke A LOT of brown label, and I see this one being added to my rotation.

Would I buy a box? I could see myself going for a box of these to sit on because I have no idea what this wrapper will do to the blend with age. They are smoking great ROTT, but some age intrigues me.

I got my cigars from Dan (NHCDAN on twitter) at New Havana Cigars. When I left his shop he still had a small amount of these left for sale on his site. They are a full release cigar, so I am sure there will be at some time be plenty to go around. If you want some now though, I'd not waste any time.

Dan

REVIEW: Emilio AF1

The cigar I am reviewing today is starting to make some buzz online, thanks to some other sites posting reviews and due to Emilio Cigars having a pretty active Facebook presence. Emilio Cigars is a new(ish) boutique brand from creator Gary Griffith. The AF in the name AF1 stands for A.J. Fernandez who is the blender of this particular stick. All cigar geeks know who A.J. Fernandez is, but if you're a more casual smoker, just know that he is one of the hottest cigar blenders out there and, chances are, you have had one of his sticks without even knowing it.

A quote from the Emilio Cigars website: Now available, the Emilio AF-1 cigars are produced in Esteli, Nicaragua and named in honor of our friend A.J. Fernandez, blender and manufacturer.  Two years in the making, the cigars are loaded with flavor from the Nicaraguan tobaccos of the filler, and clothed with a slow fermented maduro wrapper, dark and rich with spice and sweetness.

That is one nice sounding quote and I hoped the cigar can hold up to it. On to the review.

Specifics
Vitola: Robusto
Length: 5
Ring Gauge: 50
Wrapper: Mexican San Andreas
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Price:
Smoking Location: House of Cigar
Beverage: water

Pre-Light  

The Emilio AF1 (referred to as AF1 for the rest of this entry) had a visually-enticing dark wrapper with just a few light spots that look as if they could be from water. Overall it was a very smooth wrapper with minimal veins and a smoothed-out seam. The pre-lit aroma had a earthy musk tone, mixed in with some hints of leather and maybe molasses. Squeezing the cigar from head to foot, I could tell that it was evenly packed and had no soft spots. I clipped the cap easily and the cold draw was nice and free. The pre-lit flavor consisted entirely of a natural tobacco taste.
 
First Third

With minimal effort my AF1 lit up and started producing think clouds of smoke. Like the pre-lit promised, the draw was free and very enjoyable. The initial flavors had a little peppery spice on the front mixed with a dark chocolate finish. The flavors weren't extraordinarily strong, but they were strong enough that I could pick up the differences and changes going on. About a inch in, the cigar started to mellow and the dark chocolate flavor took over the front of the profile as well as holding down the finish. The burn was excellent and the body was right in the medium range.

Second Third 

The second third of my Af1 was similar to the first third with really only one change. The flavor profile was still dominated by a dark chocolate taste, but right about half way though the cigar, I started to notice just a hint of espresso on the finish. It was very very light, but it was there for me. I enjoyed this part of the cigar the most because the tastes really melted nicely and reminded me of nice after-dinner drink. I have not mentioned that ash yet in this review. The ash isn't typically that important in my reviews, but I though I would point out that this cigar has a very flaky ash. If you are not careful, you will end up with it on your lap. The body was still a consistent medium.

Final Third and Final Thoughts

I wish there was more to say in the final third to make this review more exciting that hadn't already been said, but the reality is there is not. The cigar smoked right along with the same dominate dark chocolate, mixed with a hint of espresso. The construction was spot on and the smoke volume never let up. The body never pushed into the full range and I think even a new smoker could handle this stick's power.

My final thoughts on the Emilio AF1?  If you are a chocolate person, you are going to love this stick. If you're someone who is looking for lots of changes thought the smoking experience, you might want to pass. Overall I thought it was a solid smoke and an easy stick to have while talking with friends. It's not going to distract you from a conversation, but it's also not going to give you a disappointing  smoke.
.
Would I buy it again? Depending on the price, I would pick up some more of these to keep in my humidor.

Would I buy a box? Right now we are getting so many new cigars on the market, I don't think this would be one of the ones I would rush out to get a box right away.

Dan

REVIEW: Pre-release 601 La Bomba

Last Saturday I received a gift in the mail from Eddie Ortega (Co-owner of 601 cigars) for participating in 601's latest promo. I don't know much about these cigars and, from doing some Google searching, it doesn't seem that there is a whole lot of information public yet. What I do know about this pre-release was taken from a post on the BOTL cigar message board and one email exchange I had with Eddie.

BOTL POST
"Just got the the samplers of the new 601 La Bomba. Will start shipping them to all who participated in the promo at the end of this week, hope you enjoy full bodied smokes,,,,this is a Bomb. Smoke after a good dinner...:-))

3 sizes will be available:

La Bomba – 5-1/2 x 46
La Bomba – 6 x 50
La Bomba – 5 x 52"

EMAIL exchange

"The only thing I can tell you, is that it’s very full body and has lots of flavor and that its made in Esteli, Nicaragua.  All else, We plan to keep under wraps"

So that's that. I don't know what factory these are being made in nor what the blend is made up of.  This is going to be fun...on to the review!

Specifics
Vitola: Robusto
Length: 5
Ring Gauge: 52
Wrapper: ?
Binder: ?
Filler: ?
Price: ?
Smoking Location: House of Cigar
Beverage: water

Pre-Light  

The first thing you will notice about the 601 La Bomba is the fuse-like pig tail that finishes the cap of the cigar. We've seen this done a few times recently and some will say it's a copy of this or that, but I, for one, am all for it. Call me crazy, but I like little additions like this to cigars now and again just for some added fun to the vitola. Does it really add anything? No, but I still enjoy seeing some creativity. The wrapper on the cigar was very dark and felt oily to the touch. Squeezing the cigar, I could tell it was evenly packed from head to foot. The pre-lit aroma was strong and smelled of leather and earthy grass. The pig-tailed cap clipped easily and the draw was very free with hardly any resistance. The cold draw flavors were a mixture of natural sweetness and vanilla. 

First Third

My 601 La Bomba only took a short time toasting to really get going and when it did, it bellowed huge clouds of smoke. The first few draws on the cigar tasted very strongly of white pepper -- it was actually a little harsh on the finish. I was a little worried about what this could turn out to be, so I let my cigar sit in an ashtray for a few minutes to give it some time to settle. This was a good idea because the draws following that rest period tasted much better. The flavor I picked up then was primarily leather, mixed with some earthy notes, just like the pre-lit aroma. The draw was great and the construction of the cigar was high quality. The body was in the medium to lower full at this point.

Second Third 

The second third of my 601 la Bomba smoked nicely along. The flavors stayed consistent to the first third with the leathery, earthy tastes both on the front, and on the finish. The amount of smoke this cigar was putting off was very impressive. Right about the half way point of the stick, the body kicked in to full gear. This cigar went from the medium/full range right into head spinning power. I grabbed myself a sugary drink to try to balance out some of the strength.

Final Third and Final Thoughts

The final third of my 601 La Bomba had a slight change in the flavor profile. Just like from the start of the cigar, the major flavor player was leather, but on the finish I started to taste just a hint of black pepper mixing in. It was a nice way to end the cigar because it brought, although slight, a little change to the experience. The body still was rocking in the upper full range all the way to the nub.

My final thoughts on the pre-release sample of the 601 La Bomba? In my opinion, this is a fairly simple cigar and pretty straight-forward from start to finish. With that said, I did enjoy the consistent leather flavor and top-notch construction, which made the stick effortless to smoke. Look for these, you FULL FULL body guys, because I think you will really enjoy the power that it brings to the table.

Would I buy it again? I will buy a few more when they are officially released and sit on them. I am curious to see if, with some age, the flavor profile will mature and become a little more complex.

Would I buy a box? If these are priced similar to other 601 lines I think I would pass on a box, and go with a 601 blue because it fits my taste a little better.

Dan

REVIEW: E.P.Carrillo New Wave Connecticut

Everyone else is doing it, so I thought I'd join the party. The cigar I smoked for today's review has been featured throughout the cigar blogosphere a lot this past month. Most of us (I am assuming) got the same 4-pack sampler (2 of this stick, 2 of the EP Carrillo Elencos) from Ernie Carrillo and quickly unwrapped them with excitement. At first glance, I was more interested in the Elencos included in the pack, but after hearing all the praise on Twitter about the Conny, I thought I'd take this stick to task first.

The EP Carrillo Short Run was in my Top Three new cigars of last year. Let's see if I think the (albeit just a few days) of hype surrounding this stick is warranted.

On to the review...

Specifics
Vitola: Brillantes (robusto)
Length: 5
Ring Gauge: 50
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua and Dominican
Price: $5.25
Smoking Location: House of Cigar
Beverage: water

Pre-Light  

My sample of the E.P.C. New Wave Connecticut had a very light wrapper (expected with all Connecticuts) with medium-sized veins. To the touch, the wrapper felt very dry, but not brittle by any means. Squeezing the stick I could tell it was nicely packed and had a bit of a bounce back from the pressure applied. The pre-lit aroma was very strong and smelled of sweetness and hazelnuts. The cap clipped easily and the cold draw also had a strong flavor of hazelnut, mixed with some notes of raisin.

First Third

When I first lit my E.P.C. Conny, I immediately got a tingly zingy feeling on the top of my tongue. What shocked me was this was a very similar feeling that I experience when smoking Cuban cigars. Interesting to say the least. The flavor profile was nice also, consisting of a sweet mild spice mixed with nutty flavors on the front and finished off with a raw honey taste that lasted well over a minute between draws. The flavors were strong, which I don't normally think of when it comes to Connecticut wrapper cigars. The draw/burn was perfect and the body was in the mild to lower-medium range.

Second Third 

The second third of my E.P.C. Conny was similar in flavor to the first third at the start, but changed right at about the halfway point of the stick. I still got a lot of hazelnut and sweet spice on the front, but the finish flavors became very woody and thick -- not a cedar flavor, but more a flavor of cut raw wood. Think of walking down the lumber section at a hardware store; that smell was similar to this taste. I found it to be enjoyable, even if it doesn't sound as good as the raw honey from the first third. It added a nice bit of complexity to the smoke, which is always a plus. The draw and burn were still excellent and the smoke volume seemed to pick up when I got past the halfway point. The body did not change; it stayed right in the mild to lower medium range.

Final Third and Final Thoughts

Not much new to report on in the final third of my E.P.C. Conny. The flavors kept coming with the sweet spice, hazelnuts, and wood tastes. The one thing that might have changed a little was the smoke volume. As I got closer to the nub of the cigar, the stick was really drawing huge clouds of smoke. This is a stick that you are going to want to smoke outside or in a well-ventilated room. The body stayed consistently mild and made for a really easy cigar to smoke -- one that is full of flavors and not lacking in entertainment.

My final thoughts on the E.P. Carrillo New Wave Connecticut? This cigar really shows what a Connecticut wrapper cigar can be with a solid blend filling it. I admit, I don't smoke a lot of Connecticuts because I tend to like a spicier cigar, but this one is a winner in my book. EPC keeps putting out quality cigars and this is another one to add to the list.

Would I buy it again? I will definitely be picking up more of these.

Would I buy a box? These are a great price and I would buy a box to share with my friends who like lighter cigars.

Dan

REVIEW: 601 MACHO Edicion Limitada

The cigar up for review tonight was generously sent to me by fellow BOTL Steve Valle (@SteveVlilo on twitter) of smokingstogie.com fame. If you don't know about SmokingStogie.com or haven't visited in awhile, I suggest you head over there and check it out right after you read this review. Brooks and Steve have one of the best (and in my opinion THE best) cigar review sites on the web. Keep up the good work, guys.

There isn't much info to be had around the web on this specific cigar, so I emailed Eddie Ortega (@eddieor on twitter), co-owner of EO Cigars (the makers of 601), for some details.

The Limited Edition 601 “Macho,” was just a short and very limited release produced

to accompany a book signing by Roberto Martin Perez.  Mr. Perez was a long time political prisoner in Cuba before finally being released and seeking asylum in the US.

We wanted to commemorate the occasion by making something really special for him, he loves the 601.

We only made 364 boxes and were only available at Sabor Havana Cigars in Miami, don't even know if they have any left.

The cigar was made at Pepin's factory.  Is really a great cigar.

-regards

 Eddie

Thanks for responding to my email Eddie and thanks for the info. The cigar looked great so I was stoked to light it up.


(Editor's Note: I had some problems with our camera for this review, so I only have a final third photo.)

Specifics  
Vitola: Toro
Length: 6
Ring Gauge: 52
Wrapper: Niaraguan
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Price: ??
Smoking Location: House of Cigar
Beverage: water
Manufacture's Website: http://www.unitedtobaccoinc.com/

Pre-Light

The 601 Macho had a medium brown, very natural-looking tobacco wrapper. The wrapper did have quite a lot of veins, but all were small enough that they posed no problem to the burn. Squeezing the stick, I could tell it was evenly packed and not too tightly bunched, as it had a nice subtle give to it. The unlit aroma was surprising strong, smelling intensely of cedar with hints of black coffee. The cap clipped easily and the cold draw tasted very sweet. I would describe the flavor as raw/brown sugar.

First Third

My 601 Macho lit very easily with a soft flame lighter. Right off the first two puffs, the flavors were coming through strongly. I love when a cigar roars out of the gate and this stick was feeding that love. The initial flavors were of a lot of cedar on the front with a sweetened spice on the finish. The finish lingered awhile on my palate and seemed to get sweeter the longer I waited between draws. Speaking of the draw, it was perfect for my preference. Just enough resistance that you don't feel like you're sucking air and the smoke coated my taste buds slowly. About two inches into the stick, the flavors on the finish started to fade and the spice was replaced by just slight hints of coffee. The body was in the medium range and the burn was excellent. (Sorry I can't show you.)

Second Third

The second third of my 601 Macho had that previously-mentioned coffee flavor really pick up. Unlike the pre-lit aroma, where it was more of a black coffee note, this flavor was blending evenly with the sweetness on the finish to create a coffee with sugar taste. The cedar notes were still very strong on the front of each draw, but it was the finish that really had me smiling. The flavor sounds simple when I read my notes, but remembering the smoking experience, it was quite complex. Another nice change-up from the first third was that the texture of the smoke became very creamy. The first third was not dry or anything to be upset about, but the smoke in the second third was obviously much richer. The body was still a solid medium and the burn was great.

Final Third and Final Thoughts

The final third was an absolutely pleasurable smoking experience. The coffee and sugar flavors that were only dominate on the finish until now, started to keep into the strong cedar notes on front of the profile to make a very interesting taste. I can't describe it exactly, but imagine making a pot of sweetened coffee over an open wood fire and maybe that smell is similar? I'm not sure if that's it, but what I'm sure of is that I liked it a lot. Towars the nub of the cigar, some of the spice I had picked up at the start came back into the mix, but it was not for long as I was almost near finger burning zone by then and had to put the stick down. The body was exactly the same for the entire smoke, in a nice relaxing medium range, and the construction was top notch and had zero problems. 

My final thoughts on the 601 MACHO Edicion Limitada? This cigar had amazing flavors that really kept my interest from start to finish. The further I burned into the stick, the creamier the smoke became and the more relaxing and enjoyable the experience got. I was bummed when this stick had to be put down because it is the only one I have and I'm not sure if I will be able to get more. I like a 601 cigar every now and then to mix up my rotation of everyday smokes. I have smoked all of the lines and I have to say that this stick is the best of them all. Figures it's the limited release from 601 that I like the best, but maybe if enough people try this cigar and speak out about it, we'll get a larger re-release.
 
Would I buy it again? There is not one bad thing I could say about this cigar, so given the chance I would absolutely buy more of these sticks. If I can't buy them, I will be looking to some more BOTL for trades.

Would I buy a box?  I'm not sure what the price was on these, but if the price was right, these are 100% box-worthy.

Dan

REVIEW: Pre-production Liga Privada Unico Serie Ratzilla

Tonight's review is a pre-production sample of a new cigar in the Liga Privada Unico Serie line from Drew Estate -- the Ratzilla. Last year, Drew Estate released the Dirty Rat which became an instant favorite on many blogs (including mine.) The Ratzilla is the same blend of tobaccos as the Dirty Rat, just in a much larger size. Can you say yummy? Rumor has it that this stick is officially going to be released at this year's IPCPR show, but after spending some time with Steve Saka (president of Drew Estate), I know how personally he takes Liga Privada and these cigars will not be released until they are "ready" by his standards.

A little about this sample: This past January, I was invited to go the Drew Estate Cigar Safari with my partners at Cigar Explorer. We spent 3 days touring factories, trying many new cigars, and even blending two batches of our own sticks. This was an absolutely amazing trip and I am very thankful to the entire Drew Estate crew for making this a reality for me and my partners. This particular sample of the Ratzilla up for review was taken right off of the rolling table by Pedro Gomez (Drew Estate International Sales and Cigar Safari Guide) and handed to me while on the tour. I watched the woman roll this stick with my own eyes, so to say that it might be a little young might be a huge understatement.

The stick has spent three weeks resting in my cooler and I can't wait any longer to fire it up.

Specifics  
Vitola: Long Corona
Length: 6
Ring Gauge: 46
Wrapper: Stalk-Cut Sun-grown Habano
Binder: Brazilian Mata Fina
Filler: Dominican, Honduran, Nicaraguan
Price: $??
Smoking Location: Explorer Lounge
Beverage: water
Manufacture's Website: http://www.drewestate.com/

Pre-Light 

After a few weeks' rest, my first inspection of the pre-production sample of the Ratzilla, had me thinking it still was a bit "wet". The tobacco was a little spongy and soft, but firm enough that I thought it would smoke. Like I said above, I had only waited three weeks, as my temptation had the better of me. The stick did have some weight in my hand and felt evenly packed from head to foot. The wrapper was very toothy, with a few larger veins, but when rolling the stick the palm of my hand, it felt very smooth. The cigar did not give off much of an aroma and the cold draw had a faint natural tobacco taste mixed with some spice.    

First Third

I lit my Ratzilla with a triple flame torch and was immediately hit with what I was expecting. Delicious black peppery spice was blasted my taste buds. I am a big fan of this flavor (it's what I like so much about the Dirty Rat), so I was hoping for it. The first inch or so of the stick continued to produce a strong black pepper flavor, but after getting past that start the flavor started to mellow. The cigar was now producing a milder black pepper on the front, mixed with some earthy sweetness on the finish. The construction of the stick is well worth mentioning because the draw was perfect, the burn was perfect, and the volume of smoke was enjoyable. Unlike the Dirty Rat, the body at this point was more in the medium range and not full-on nicotine buzzing.

Second Third

In the second third of my Ratzilla, the pepper flavor really mellowed off, almost to non-existent. Actually, I would say the flavor was completely gone, but the feeling of the tingle on my tongue I got from the black pepper spice was still there. On the front of the flavor profile, I then picked up a mild, yet very distinct cedar taste. What I found most interesting about that taste is that this particular stick has never seen the inside of a cedar box. This cigar was literally taken off the rolling table, put into my travel humi, and moved straight into my cooler, yet the cedar was definitely the flavor I tasted. Along with the cedar on the front, I started to get some bitter chocolate notes on the finish. This too was a pretty mild taste, but very obvious and easy to pick out of the smoke. Again, the construction was top notch with zero issue keeping the cigar drawing well and burning evenly.

Final Third and Final Thoughts

The final third of my Ratzilla is where I think the cigar being young/fresh might have shown up. The flavors were still there from the second third: cedar on the front and bitter chocolate on the finish. However, the power of the flavors had diminished even more from the mild range into the almost-not-there range. I want to say certainly that it was not flavorless, just extremely mild at this point. In complete contrast to that, the body of the stick was now well into the full range and I could feel my heartbeat kicking up a few notches. Another change that seemed to happen in the final third is the smoke volume picked up even more than the first two portions of the cigar. I was getting plenty of smoke from the get go, but now I was getting really thick, full clouds. As you can see from the pictures, I had no problem nubbing the cigar, and the stick never got hot or sour.

My final thoughts on the pre-production Liga Privada Ratzilla? It's not fair at all to judge a cigar overall on a sample that is so fresh, or maybe even on just smoking one of them (that's always debated.) Like I always tell people who ask me about this blog and reviewing: I am reviewing the one stick I am smoking, not the entire brand/line. With that said, I feel like my Ratzilla sample is/was a sleeping monster. The flavors are all there and that pepper at the beginning is ready to jump up and bite you. In my opinion, the blend is ready and dead on. The cigars just need some time to fully mature. I think that would help prevent the flavor strength from dwindling like it did for me in the final third. This monster will wake up and it will be another instant favorite to many cigar smokers.  

Would I buy it again? I have no idea how much this cigar is going to cost, but I am sure I will be buying more of them when they are on the shelf and in full production.

Would I buy a box?  If it's anything like the Dirty Rat price, this is more than likely going to be out of my budget range for box purchases. But, if I fell into a lot of extra cash, this is a cigar that would be high on my box-buying list.

Dan

REVIEW: Illusione 88 Candela

We don't see a lot of green between December and February here in Columbus, so for today's review, I thought I get my fill by trying the new candela leaf-wrapped Illusione 88 from Dion Giolito (@vudu9 on twitter), owner of Illusione Cigars. Earlier in the year, Illusione put out another vitola with this wrapper (the HL) which received decent reviews. I smoked a few of them and thought they were very interesting; perhaps not an everyday kind of cigar, but something fun to mix it up. I asked Dion why he did the candelas via twitter and his response is below:

I've just always liked candelas. It's olde tyme flavor. Back in the day, all of the old cats that hung out in the casinos smoked them. --Dion Giolito


The "regular" Illusione 88 has been a staple in my humidor ever since I received a box as a wedding gift. It's not a vitola in the core Illusione line that gets a ton of praise around the web, but I have always been a big fan and try to keep some on hand (note to self: I am out - order some more). With all that said, this is my first time trying the blend with the candela wrapper, so let's see how it goes.

On to the review.

Specifics  
Vitola: Robusto
Length: 5
Ring Gauge: 52
Wrapper: Candela
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Price: $??
Smoking Location: Explorer Lounge
Beverage: water
Manufacture's Website: http://www.illusionecigars.com/


Pre-Light 

The waxy green wrapper color is a pretty crazy sight to behold on the Illusione 88 Candela. I smoke a lot of Illusione products, so seeing a very familiar band with a very unfamiliar color definitely made me take a extra minute or two staring at the cigar before cutting it. With that said, the color does stand out, but what also stands out just as much is the STRONG pre-lit aroma. I could be nice and say it smelled like hay, or barnyard, but really it smelled just like walking into the elephant house at the zoo. A little off-putting, yes, but we've all smoked cigars that smell awful before lighting them, and then the flavors are great after. The cigar cut easily and the cold draw tasted of natural tobacco mixed with some grassy notes.

First Third

The Illusione 88 Candela lit easily with my soft flame lighter and immediately produced thick clouds of smoke that had an interesting aroma. It was not a grassy aroma like I would expect from the cold draw, but more of a earthy aroma that you sometimes smell at your local garden nursery. The initial flavors were black peppery spice with hints of leather and earth on the front, but on the finish was where things got interesting. After blowing the smoke out of my mouth and nose, I was left with a sweet taste that reminded me of raw sugar; not so sweet that it was sickening or gross, but a nice, natural sweetness that is an unusual taste in cigars. Lots of cigars have sweet flavors, but not this flavor. When you smoke one, I think you will know what I'm talking about. The draw and filler burn of the stick was perfect in the first third, but the wrapper leaf had some issues burning straight. I'm not an expert on candelas but I would venture to say that this is common with that style of wrapper. The body was in the mild to medium range.

Second Third

In the second third of my Illusione 88 Candela, the flavor profile changed up a bit. On the front, the black peppery flavors diminished and the strong flavor coming through now was leather. I still got the tingly sensation on my taste buds that the pepper normally gives, but the taste of it was gone. The finish again was where this cigar was most interesting. Along with that natural sweetness from the first third I was now tasting some green tea flavors. I'm not sure if the color of the cigar played tricks on my flavor palate or what? But if you have ever had an Arizona Green Tea from your local corner shop, this is the flavor I was tasting. My smoking partner commented that the mixture of the sugar with the green tea reminded him of green tea ice cream. Again, just like the first third, the draw and filler burn were spot on, just the wrapper leaf needed a touch up here and there with my lighter.

Final Third and Final Thoughts

The final third of my Illusione 88 Candela was pretty much the same as the second third, except for the strength seemed to pick up quite a bit. I would put this part of the stick solidly on the medium range, if not reaching into the medium to full area. The flavors were like before, strong leathery tastes on the front, sweet sugar and green tea on the finish. Something I have not mentioned is just how clean tasting this cigar was. The smoke does not leave any heavy or thick feeling in my mouth, which for me is unusual for a cigar with a predominantly leather taste. Just something I thought worth mentioning. I nubbed the stick and never felt any heat or harshness at the end.

My final thoughts on the Illusione 88 Candela? This was a fun and easy cigar to smoke. Aside from the few touch ups to keep the wrapper burning straight, I never had any problems with the construction or getting full draws of smoke from the cigar. The flavor profile was pretty classic Illusione 88 style with that crazy finish (although I didn't get the black cherry flavor that I normally get when I think of this blend, maybe that's all in the wrapper?) . It was a nice change up from what I normally smoke and a great stick for sitting around with a friend and having a conversation.
 
Would I buy it again? Sure I'd buy a few of these to keep on hand. As I wrote in the top potion of this post, I am a big fan of the 88. I don't think this cigar replaces the regular 88 for my favorite in the blend, but it's still nice to have something different now and then.

Would I buy a box?  I don't think I'd buy a full box of these cigars. I did enjoy smoking it very much, but if I had to choose, I'd still go with the regular 88 in a box purchase. I hope other people review this cigar because I'd really like to read other peoples' experiences and see if they are similar.

Dan