The Cigar Store

 

Wrapper: Brazilian Maduro
Binder: Olor Dominican and Cuban Seed
Filler: Olor Dominican, Cuban Seed, and Nicaraguan
Size: 5.5 x 54
Body: Medium/Full
Price: $6.40 by the box of 20. $8 by the 5 Pack

Written by Katmancross

Exclusive Cigars makes the Kristoff Maduro along with the balance of Kristoffs. The company started doing business in 2005.

Construction is solid. Nary a soft spot. The foot is closed so sniffing around there. It has a nice triple cap pig tail.

The body is redolent of cocoa. And sweet sage honey.

The first taste is of cocoa and cedar with a bit of leather.

The sweetness from the cocoa is extremely satisfying. So I grab my Diet Coke to recreate the chocolate phosphate experience.

Shortly after that, the red pepper arrives. Typical of the Kristoff blends. There is a tad bit of saltiness here and there.

I have been a Kristoff fan for the last couple of years. It is a solid brand with solid blends.

The first third ends uneventfully. The flavors are just starting to spread their wings. As the second third begins, the spiciness ramps up. I like this.

It is here that the stick begins to become complex. The cocoa is augmented by some lovely creaminess. And the sweetness turns to caramel. I can also taste some strong coffee. But it is the cocoa that dominates the profile.

This blend is not as strong as the Ligero line. Which is full on strength and body. This is more of the beginning of the day cigar.

The second third really shows off the flavors. While the body remains medium in tone.

The last third is where this stick really shines. The spiciness is pushing for top billing. But a buttery smooth creaminess keeps it from being a total spice bomb.

I don’t drink so I cannot recommend a good libation to accompany this. Although a good Glen Livet would be nice. Unfortunately, as an old man, certain meds don’t agree with alcohol. I miss the combo of a good cigar and scotch.

The creaminess is now over the top. It swirls around my mouth like a Creamsicle. Absolutely gorgeous.

I don’t know much about Glen Case, the owner. Other than he brought this line of cigars out of the dark alleys of boutique cigars into the main stream. He carefully blended each new cigar to augment and compliment the rest of his line.

As I am only a couple inches away from nubbing it, I get some tart citrus. A cross between sweet grapefruit and lemon.

The cigar ends nicely without harshness or bitterness. And no nicotine buzz. No fear of my pants falling to my sneakers.

This is a cigar you can easily nub. The slight tartness disappears and is replaced by an even stronger cocoa and creaminess combination. The spiciness is nicely engaged but never overwhelming.

The only caveat is that this stick needs some time in your humidor to rest/age. The longer, the better.

I cannot find my nubber tool so I grab my cigar ice pick and use that instead. Even as the cigar turns into nothing, the flavors are still expanding and getting stronger.

I must now retract an earlier statement. I am starting to get a buzz from the nub.

I highly recommend this cigar and everything in the Kristoff line. These are solid, no nonsense, well made cigars.

At the $8 and under pricing, this brand is certainly a deal.

 

Wrapper: Honduras OSA
Binder: Connecticut Broadleaf
Filler: Nicaraguan, Honduran
Size: 6.5 x 58
Body: Medium
Price: $132.98 for box of 25 ~ $34.39 for 5 pack

Written by Katmancross

The OSA name is short for Olancho San Augustin….a region in Honduras.

The CAO OSA Sol marks the first new blend released under the CAO brand since it was produced under the umbrella of General Cigars in 2010.

Supposedly, this stick is a big departure from the CAO blends. A move to get into the boutique movement. And keeping the price very low.

I do the sniff-o-rama and can detect a bit of baking spices, some spiciness, and cocoa all intensified at the foot.

I light up.

Oh my. A delicious surprise of sweetness and cocoa and baking spices and very, very creamy. I had gone through a few of these soon after I got them and was disappointed. I am very pleased now.

Construction is pretty solid. It has a very mottled wrapper. Lot of veins but tight seams.

I am not getting any spiciness. The char line is close to perfection. I was dreading this review because it’s the last stick I had and what if I didn’t like it? Oy vay.

But like all good things….patience is the key. This cigar is really more like a stick of dynamite…more so the Viaje TNT. It’s huge. I generally don’t like sticks this big. It’s a statement. If you are out and about and have this stick in your mouth, you are telling everyone that you escaped the hit on Tony Soprano.

I always read what other reviewers have to say about a cigar before I review it to get a feeling of what I might expect. About half the time, I disagree completely. But I read one review where the taste of roasted marshmallows was described and that is right on!! That is the sweetness flavor I couldn’t put a finger on. Marshmallows. Brilliant assessment by that reviewer.

This cigar is going to take 2-1/2 hours to smoke…or longer so I will be taking breaks from writing to give this log a chance to burn…while I enjoy it.

It’s 15 minutes later….and I have now hit the 1” mark! Oy Gavalt! But realistically, that’s just fine with me. I’m low on sticks and this will keep me happy for several hours. $4 for a 2-3 hour stick. That’s around $1.33-$2.00 per hour. Can’t find cheaper entertainment.

As the first third comes to a close I decide I like this cigar. The body is just barely medium. And I like the flavors that remind me of a chocolate pie with the buttery crust, the creamy topping and the dark chocolate.

There is a slight tingle of black pepper in the back of my throat.

This cigar isn’t all that complex. It has some nice flavors but it’s not a Tat.

But then, I still have 5” to smoke. I’ve only smoked 1-1/2”. So anything can happen.

I’m into the second third. Flavors are the same. No major shift in the cigar.  Just more of the afore mentioned flavors.

The last third is more of the same. Except now, there is a nice component of spiciness.

The cigar never really becomes complex.

It’s a solid medium.

But for a $5 stick, this is a great stick to hand out to newbies, your golf buddies, and moochers. They get a very nice stick with a nice flavor profile and you didn’t dump $9 on someone who whines.

It’s a nice morning cigar. Nothing in its body attacks your stomach and the flavors are constant and get stronger near the end.

It’s also a great cigar if you’re on a budget. It is a pleasant smoke. It just doesn’t challenge you.

 

Wrapper: Shade grown Criollo – Nicaragua
Binder: Sun grown Criollo – Nicaragua
Filler: Honduras, Nicaragua
Size: Belicoso  6 x 52
Body:  Medium/Full
Price: $125.84 for box of 21 ~ $38.03 for 5 Pack

Written by Katmancross

Rated 91 by Cigar Aficionado

Each Xikar HC Criollo cigar is handmade at the Nestor Plasencia factory. The four-vitola Criollo line features a two-country filler blend of Honduran and Nicaraguan tobaccos along with a sun-grown Criollo binder and a five-year-old Nicaraguan shade-grown Criollo wrapper.

I did the sniff-o-rama and could smell a faint cocoa and dried fruit aroma in the pre light. And a very rich chocolate on the foot

The cigar is packed a little too tightly at the top  so I grab my cigar ice pick…but use it very carefully as not to crack the wrapper.

The stick is very firm. No soft spots and yet it had a perfect draw.

Upon light up, I got a blast of spice, but also, the cocoa was ruminating in my mouth.

The first third develops an earthy, nutty, creamy group of flavors with a spicy pepper and baking spice finish. It’s full flavored and medium body in strength. I smiled like the Cheshire Cat.

As I continued to smoke it down, the profile changed a little, in terms of flavor. The earthiness was still present.  But a sweetness, that was somewhere between mocha and caramel, became apparent.  The caramel side was very prominent.

The spiciness held its own.

During the last third, the cigar transitioned into a very complex cigar. All that creaminess, and cocoa, just a hint of coffee, and the peppery zing was a wonderful combination.

I smoked it to the nub. It had no harshness or nicotine bitterness or buzz.

Wrapper: Honduran Trojes
Binder: Indonesian
Filler: Nicaraguan, Honduran
Size: 5.5 x 50
Body: Medium
Price: $104.50 for Box of 20 ~ $33.56 for a 5 Pack

Written by Katmancross

 

This Alec Bradley Family Blend cigar was awarded #16 in Cigar Aficionado‘s best cigars of 2009. According to Alec Bradley’s website, the cigars were created “expressly” for the fathers of the firm’s three top execs.

The Family Blend cigars are blended at Tabacos Raices Cubanas in Honduras, the factory that also makes Alec Bradley Tempus and Prensado cigars. Family Blend is made up of specially selected Honduran & Nicaraguan longfillers, plus an Indonesian binder rolled in a beautifully aged Honduran Trojes wrapper.

The pre light offered an earthy, nutty aroma, with a sweetness at the foot.

There are a few medium sized veins that stand out on this stick, but all in all, the construction is excellent. The pigtail cap provides an attractive look. The cigar is firm and has no soft spots.

Upon light up, I could taste a sweet spice, a hint of leather and some earthy tobacco flavors that round out this little flavor profile. It has a perfect draw and a dead even burn.

During the first third, the sweetness and the spice grew a little bit. The sweetness slowly becomes a dark fruit, maybe raisins or dark cherries, and the spice turns into a  dark, earthy spice,  like cinnamon.

Into the second third, I got notes of earth and creaminess. The creaminess warms the palate and makes the mouth smile.  There was also a heavy dose of sweetness from the fruity component.

As I approach the last third, the body has ramped up into the medium range and the stick has a little more bite. Zesty, as the Alec Bradley folks proclaim.

The last inch brings out red pepper flavors in full force.  The other flavors are keeping the spice tamped down. The creaminess is just lovely and so is the sweetness and earthiness.

It’s never harsh or bitter and very easy to nub it.

 

Wrapper: Havana Subido
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaraguan
Size: 6 x 60 Mighty-Mighty
Body: Medium/Full
Price: $115.44 for box of 25

Written by Katmancross

On the pre-light, I am overwhelmed with bulbous aromas of walnuts, cedar spice, 0ak, pepper, and grass. For the first time, the foot does not intensify the aromas. They lay most prominent on the barrel of the cigar.

The Brick House is such a delight because J.C. Newman decided to put the price point at around $5 per stick. And Cigar Aficionado gave it a highly respected 91.

It is densely packed and firm to the touch with no soft spots. The aroma is sweet and syrupy. It appears slightly rustic and takes on some raw and earthy flavors. The nicely weighted cigar has some tooth to it.

The first notes are  peppery. About an inch in, the pepper fades and the cigar develops a sweetness that is like molasses. This is a huge cigar. 6.25″ x 60 ring gauge. This will take up my entire morning to smoke and review.

As in every part of the country, the weatherman has screwed up. The Days of Summer were to be upon us all week. I woke up this morning to thunderstorms and lots of rain. And now the predictions have changed for more of the same. Every old and achy bone is screaming out, “Move to Arizona!”

The Havana Subido wrapper has a mahogany-red color with some visible veins. The wrapper just oozes oil which makes it very silky and smooth to the touch.  The aroma from the cigar has a floral smell with a note of nutmeg.

The ash falls off at the 1/2″ mark. This is very unusual. But the burn is dead even.

The second third has a sweet tobacco aroma with leather as an undertone and notes of spice and fruits. I get the distinct taste of dark cherries.

The creaminess picks up and the draw opens slightly and smoke billows to the ceiling. The oak, cherries, molasses and black walnuts weave their flavors amongst the more prominent wood, leather, and earthiness flavors.
At the halfway point, anise sticks its little head into the circus of flavors. Definitely black licorice dances in the background.

The second half of the cigar is nuttier and sweet. As the end of the smoke approaches, the sweet notes disappear, while the nutty flavors of almond, black walnut and hazelnut emerge as the prominent flavor of the cigar.

The flavors are easy to pick out and the finish is very long and smooth.

As the creaminess picks up, it overwhelms everything and I realize flavors are being masked underneath it. It ends tasting like a fresh butter churn from the morning milking.

 

Wrapper: Mexican San Andres Maduro
Binder: Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro
Filler: Nicaraguan, Mexican, Honduras
Size: 6 x 5
Body: Medium
Price: $125.26 for box of 21 ~ $35.33 for 5 Pack

Written by Katmancross

It’s called the Triple Play because the leaves are all Maduro. And that the wrapper came from the San Andres Mountains in Mexico. The binder and fillers were made up of Nicaraguan, Honduran, and Mexican. The wrapper is a beautiful USA Connecticut Broad leaf.

Now most cigar snobs lift their noses at Mexican cigars. But these are guys not following the huge forward moves being made in the cultivation of Mexican tobacco.

If anyone checked the February, 2011 Cigar Aficionado, they would discover that this stick came in at #14 of the Top 25 Cigars of 2010. Very Impressive! And it was rated a 93. This cigar competes with some of the greatest cigars being made and holds its head up high.

The sniff-o-rama detects a lovely espresso bean and sweet cedar.

It has a very oily sheen. It’s firm in the hand. No soft spots. It appears to be packed perfectly.

Into the first third, we get a sweet cedar flavor profile. And just the right touch of spiciness.

These flavors dominate the first third. It is difficult not to smoke it quickly.

The second third ramps up the power. It starts out as a medium body cigar but is quickly becoming a full body, full flavored, complex cigar.

The taste of dark coffee mixes with the sweetness.

The cigar takes 90 minutes to smoke and every second is enjoyed. The flavors of sweet cedar, coffee, butter cream, are maintained throughout the smoke. This cigar is a lollipop of flavors and just perfect the way it is.

Flavor characteristics summary: Creamy, mild spices, well-balanced, notes of coffee and cocoa on the finish.

The result, a 93-rated smoke boasting dark espresso flavors with sweet cedar, toast, and earth. The finish is long and toasty with a slight maduro sweetness, completing a slow-burning, highly rated handmade.

 

Wrapper: USA/Connecticut
Binder: Dominican
Filler: Dominican
Size: 6 x 50 Double Magnum
Body: Mild/Medium
Price: $218.85 for box of 25 ~ $54.10 for 5 Pack

Written by Katmancross

The prelight smells of graham cracker and butter. There is a little grassiness to it as well.

I snip the cap and light up. 

The flavor of the Ashton Classic Double Magnum is mild with notes of oak and espresso. These cigars boast superb construction with a solid form and no soft spots. There are a few veins.

The burn line is razor sharp. I like the size…. the flavors evolve in a relaxed manner. You’re not bombarded by all the flavors at once. The Ashton line is famous for its construction, consistency and flavors. The Classic is the creamiest of all the blends. It starts off that way and continues through the entire smoke. It ebbs and flows.

And I like the graham cracker sweetness. A little bit of pepper shows up, in the first inch, to give it some zing.

The ash falls off at the 1” mark. For some reason, the Classic doesn’t have a tough ash. 1″ is about the most you’re going to get unless you stand it up vertically as a challenge. The spiciness fades into a creaminess and nuttiness, with some hints of nutmeg and cinnamon.

The gentle smooth flavors of a capuccino and a subtle hint of vanilla rise to the occasion. I pick up cedar and toasted almond as well as some grassiness, but the creamy, light coffee and cream flavors remain dominant throughout.

Halfway through, I taste spicy cinnamon and cloves. The flavors are intense…. earth, leather, cinnamon, spice, pepper, cocoa, coffee, mocha and cream in various combinations as the stick burns down.  The body becomes medium while the cigar becomes full flavored.

Just like every Ashton I’ve ever smoked, this cigar was immaculate, from the exquisite Connecticut wrapper to the smooth, creamy heart.

 

The stick does not get any more complex than this, as it burns down. But that’s OK because, for a mild cigar, this was a carnival of flavors and sensations.

 

Wrapper: Nicaraguan Habano

Binder: Nicaragua

Filler: Nicaragua

Size: 5 x 52 Napalm

Body: Extremely Full

Price: $64.74 for box of 10

Written by Katmancross

This  blend  is one of my favorites. I bought the 601 La Bombas when they first came out and have bought them ever since. This cigar gives you the most bang for the buck than just about any cigar I can think of.

I think Eddie Ortega is a genius. He knows how to bring the right team members together and, as a team, they put out one of the finest line of cigars of all time.

Part of that team is Pepin Garcia. The cigars are made in Nicaragua at the My Father Factory.

The La Bomba line is all Nicaraguan puros that is renowned for a dark, oily habano wrapper. There are  four sizes are available: Atom (5.5 x 46), Napalm (5 x 52), Atomic (6 x 60), and Nuclear (6 x 50). Personally, I prefer the Atom and the Napalm.

The stick I am using today has a tiny pig tail instead of the huge one as shown in the two photos. I broke it off by being too rough with it moving sticks around in my humidor. So you can say, that I am reviewing the Jewish circumcised version.

CIRCUMCISED

 

NON CIRCUMCISED

Construction is on the rustic side with lots of veins, big and small. Who gives a shit?

The stick is slightly toothy. The dark brown wrapper is gorgeous. And the band at the foot is clever and eye catching.

I attack the sniff-o-rama and get some wood, earthiness, and spice. Actually, very mild in the aroma arena.

I carefully remove the pig tail and hope the hole won’t require any tools to make it larger. It’s a no-go. The pig tail is glued too tight at the point it does a 90 degree turn to the body of the cigar and I can’t risk pulling it off so I use a guillotine cutter.

I use a triple torch lighter and do a crappy job of lighting it so I’ve ruined the chance of a good photo showing a perfect char line.

The initial few puffs are spicy and full of chocolate. I love that this cigar is a spice bomb at first. There isn’t a cigar made that is too spicy for me. And almost immediately, the creaminess shows up to twirl in its dancing shoes. The draw is dead nuts perfect.

And the burn line is fixing itself like an automaton. No help needed from me.

 

Oh…this is heaven for me. The flavor profile becomes exotic and complex half an inch in. There is a dark, sweet cherry note. And due to the high content of cocoa, I grab a Diet Coke so I can have my chocolate phosphate experience while smoking.

This stick ain’t so much a spice bomb as it is a flavor bomb!

This cigar reminds me of a well aged Casa Fernandez Miami Reserva.

The ash is at the 1” mark and has made me a happy man. I would love to be able to keep a box in my humidor at all times. This cigar is addictive.

The cigar is a very slow burner. The second third smooths out into a delectable treat of cocoa, dark cherry, creaminess, and red pepper.

The complexity is always there providing a nice intertwining of flavors and strength. The body is medium/full at this point…but having smoked my share, I know what’s coming. I’m already getting a nicotine buzz.

I made sure to eat breakfast before lighting this stick.

I would like to add that this stick has a little over a month’s rest on it.

The Ortega D which comes from Eddie’s new brand is a monster cigar also. He has a couple other blends that are supposed to be released this Summer. Can’t wait.

I take my first sips of water and I detect a finite amount of cinnamon in the profile. And wood and leather. This is the epitome of a meaty cigar.

I get a slight tear in the wrapper as I enter the last third. I grab some El Ligador cigar glue and fix it. That stuff is worth its weight in La Bombas. You can get it on Ebay for about $5 a bottle. Well worth it….and a must in your box of cigar paraphernalia.

The last third becomes a symphony. I highly recommend that you let yours rest a month. If you don’t, you get a huge pepper bomb that is so strong, it drowns out the complexity.

I’m getting a real buzz now and I think I see my dead relatives motioning me to the brightly lit tunnel. I decide to put the stick down and walk it off.

I come back to it 15 minutes later and visions of dead relatives are gone.

The cigar finishes off as a dreamy, creamy, delectable delight.

If you’ve never tried this stick, you are missing out on a true experience. Rocky’s prices are as good, if not better, than anyone else out there. Pounce!

by Tim Rolins

I am not a fan of hot weather and the last few days have been miserable. Temperatures in the 100 degree range mean I stay indoors and keep the A/C company, but this also means a lack of things to get into! I decided to take an old antique cuckoo clock down that hasn’t worked in years to see if I could do something with it. This is a beautiful old German clock thats older than I am. When I was around 10 years old, I would go to the coast to spend a week with an aunt and uncle who had been for years in SAC in many countries. While in Germany they had made friends with an older couple and they gave them this clock that had been in their family for years, and it was given to me around 20 years ago.

Before starting, I selected from the humi a E.P. Carrillo New Wave Connecticut. I know I am known as a maduro fan but this is one beautiful cigar, with a delicate wrapper that has a mild toasty aroma with a raw nutty smell mixed in. The cap is very nice and deciding against a clip, used my punch cutter on it which worked like a champ.Torching up the delightful cigar, the initial thrilling smoke had flavors of spice with a noticeable velvety feel to the smoke that gave hints of buttered and toasted French bread. An inch in, and the toasted buttered French bread continued with a mix of parched nuts ever so mildly with hints of a sweet flavor I had yet to put my finger on. As I delved into the cigar, I started on the clock, at first cleaning the years of build up dust from the many cuts and creases that decorated the clock in a myriad of hand carved woodwork.

You can see in the work how the artist took great care with his tools in the intricate detail. Looking at the masterful work involved, I noticed a date on the bottom which said 1930., which told me much about the time this person lived in. I proceeded to the internal parts to see if I could find what was preventing this master piece from working and doing so, came to the middle of this cigar. A smokey, woody flavor somewhat akin to hickory that had been aged was mixing effortlessly with a grand array of tastes including spice and every so often hints of leather, but with the continued presence of parched nuts. The sweetness I detected earlier now seemed much like sweet light syrup, which, combined with the ever present velvety smoke makes the palate awake at each puff. Getting into the inner workings, there was a noticeable amount of dust that had crept in over the decades of use.

Taking a very small model vacuum, I carefully cleaned the mechanisms from top to bottom, applying a little lubricant where I thought needed. As I cleaned, I noticed a small chain that seemed to be off some sort of runner, and with a pair of tweezers put it back in place. Once back together, I carefully rubbed the wood to a shine with some wood care oil, making it look almost new but still having the look of its well aged construction. Putting the clock back on the wall, I set the time and pulled the long cords to set it in motion, and to my delight it began to work just as I remembered. Sitting back in my chair to wait for the grand entrance of the yellow and white bird hidden within, I finished my cigar, which at the close brought to my joy a great mix of leather, the wood, spice mix and the sweetness which gave a enjoyable finish to a wonderful smoking cigar.

As I finish this review, I am hearing in the background that wonderful “Cuuuuckoooo” that I heard as a child. The E.P. Carrillo New Wave Connecticut is one that should be tried and if your like me, will be kept in supply in the humi.