Cigar Reviews
Tue 18 Mar 2008
I remember getting this stick a while and thinking, hmm… this bad boy looks like it will need some age. So I put it away, forgot about it and it wasn’t until now that it began calling me from the bottom drawer of my humidor.
Now I’m a huge fan of Rocky Patel, especially of the […]
Tue 5 Feb 2008
If you are a wine enthusiast like me, there is one trip that comes just about as close to a religious pilgrimage for us as can be. That is a trip to the Bordeaux province, and more importantly, to the Médoc region.
Having visited the area on a recent trip, I can also say that, regardless […]
Tue 22 Jan 2008
With so many cigars out there, both old and new, it sometimes boggles my mind as to how manufacturers expect to differentiate new cigars with any success in such an already crowded market. I recently tried a 601 Habano robusto by Don Pepin Garcia and was enlightened a bit: You have to shoot for something […]
Thu 3 Jan 2008
As a big fan of Rocky Patel, I was really looking forward to sampling it’s R4 Corojo creation. Now, I normally tend to associate Patel sticks with robust, dark and full cigars that are generally on the stronger side. The Rocky Patel R4 Torpedo is in a completely different philosophy altogether.
Perhaps geared toward the mild […]
Thu 20 Dec 2007
A relatively new comer to the cigar scene, the Padilla brand has already received accolades from well known cigar magazines and discussion groups. I recently enjoyed the Padilla Miami Torpedo and was impressed by what seems to be a good blend with excellent aging potential.
As good and as solid as the cigar is now, it […]
Tue 11 Dec 2007
I admit to knowing relatively little about the GrayCliff line of cigars, since, as you could imagine, they are rather rare in Europe. After getting acquainted with the cigars in the last few months, I can heartily recommend them.
We’re not talking here about a cigar that will knock your socks off with power. The cigar […]
Mon 26 Nov 2007
The Cusano Corojo ‘97 Torpedo has earned great marks from prestigious publications like Cigar Aficionado and others. It’s also touted as “Dark and Spicy” on the manufacturer website. Since I have also heard them described as very full-bodied cigars, I set my expectation “gears” up for a powerhouse smoke and reached for the stick.
I had […]
Fri 16 Nov 2007
I reached into the humidor this week and a relatively new addition came out, a Camacho SLR Maduro Rothschild. You may have noticed that Camacho has launched a new and zippier ad campaign in an effort to create a new image. Whether or not their new “image” will be a success, I can’t say, but […]
Tue 6 Nov 2007
With the exception of the Robusto Extra, which I found much too bland, monochromatic and linear, I have always enjoyed a good Trinidad. They are pricey, but here, in my opinion, you pay for something very special and very hard to duplicate. They are mild to medium bodied, and yet have darker notes that you […]
Tue 16 Oct 2007
This week I moved on to a full-bodied cigar that has graced my humidor from the early days of my endless cigar search. I don’t always feel like smoking a power house, but when I do, the Cuban Punch Punch is a popular choice.
I pulled this from the humidor and was pleasantly surprised by the […]
Mon 8 Oct 2007
Who can deny that the general quality of Cuban cigars has steadily declined over the years? At the same time, the American market driven non-Cuban brands have done the exact opposite. I maintain that it is entirely possible for a seasoned smoker of quality Nicaraguan, Dominican, or Honduran cigars to find their first experience with […]
Mon 1 Oct 2007
Going around from tobacco shop to tobacco shop, during my vacation in southern Spain, I finally managed, on the last day of our trip, to find an offering of Cuban leaf in down town Sevilla. Interestingly, they only had Romeo y Julieta No. 2 Tubos. Of course, I jumped at my first sighting of a […]
Mon 17 Sep 2007
There’s no hiding the fact that I’ve been spending more time at work in recent months, but it is with great elation that I report the completion of a major project of grand importance in my company which has entitled me to a couple months vacation!
I already went away to Andalusia for a two week […]
Fri 23 Mar 2007
Every now and gain I’ll smoke a renowned and relatively expensive cigar and come away thinking that the stick is an absolute rip-off. One such disappointment, to the surprise of many of the readers of this blog, was the Trinidad Robusto Extra (Cuba).
This review of the Zino Platinum Scepter Chubby made me think of that […]
Mon 15 Jan 2007
Happy New Year everyone! a belated one at that… well, you can’t live in Spain and not make good use of the holidays by traveling around. I went way South to the Mediterranean coast, stopped over in Cadiz on the way back—picking up some prized sherry while there, of course—and passed through Granada before finally […]
Fri 24 Nov 2006
Though I am definitely a full-bodied cigar kind of guy, I’ve always felt there is a time and a place for a milder cigar. Usually when it’s late at night, when in a crowded restaurant or just when I feel like having a cigar that I don’t have to think too much about—like if I’m […]
Wed 15 Nov 2006
There is something about a Cuban cigar’s wrapper that I find very distinct and appealing. They are generally buttery and come packed with a generous dose of chilli pepper that can be sensed from the moment the cigar is tasted before lighting—I just love that sweet spicy hot sensation.
In general, I find that even the […]
Tue 7 Nov 2006
I was getting ready for Monday night football and decided I would allow the rough looking Aliados Robusto that had been stabilizing in my humidor for about five weeks to keep me company during the game. I had read in several vendors’ websites about the Aliados and I believe they were touted as Rolando’s labor […]
Mon 23 Oct 2006
I had been wanting to review La Flor Dominicana El Jocko Number 2 for a while now, but had been hindered by the fact that the only way I can get them is by online order. I rarely buy cigars online and hate to wait so long to receive things in the mail. Well, I’ve […]
Tue 3 Oct 2006
There’s a certain mystique about Cuban cigars that would have many believe that Cuban tobacco is all about sheer power. Actually, in my experience, nothing could be further from the truth. When I think of a Cuban cigar, what really comes to mind is a good balance between flavor, ease of smoke, and punch; the […]
