Well, the weather broke this week and we had a couple days of warmer weather (in the 50's) . Meatloaf invited me over to try a couple cigars he picked up at good prices. This review is for the Padilla Hybrid Maduro which comes only in 5 X 56 from Cigars International (http://www.cigarsinternational.com/) .
The ad describes it as Draped in a dark, broadleaf Maduro wrapper and loaded with a rich Nicaraguan long-filler blend, Hybrid Maduro is brimming with flavor. Notes of coffee, earth, spices, and a smooth, semi-sweet finish are perfectly balanced with a rich tobacco core.
I must say the wrappers are just beautifully dark with a nice oily sheen to them. Despite it feeling hard and not spongey, the cigar drew pretty well.
Upon light I was met with a blast of peppery spice which quickly mellowed out. Like the ad stated there were coffee notes throughout and with it I found sweets notes of chocolate. It ended with another peppery blast, but yet was clean on the palate. On the underside of medium in strength.
Ash was firm and flakey, yeilding a peppery ash, and a decent cone.
It was quite uneventful despite the peppery blasts, staying the same much throughout the smoke. But one thing I can say about this cigar is that it produced thick creamy smoke.
The cigar lasted about and hour and a half.
Buzz rating on this one was 8.5 out of 10: it really had a bit of a kick for me.
Overall rating 3 out of 5. Definately one to try and for the price a good choice, just don't expect anything spectacular. A good cigar to smoke while just sitting around with the boys.
Till next post...........Peace.
Monday, February 21, 2011
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Rocky Patel VUDU Review
I know, I know! I keep reviewing cigars that are a bit expensive to buy, but I got them in the sample pack deals from online catalog offers. Which by the way is THE best way to try the more expensive cigars at an affordable price.
This cigar came from Famous Cigars in a 12 Rocky Patel cigar sampler for $25 including the shipping. Thats just over $2 per stick! How can that not be a bargain? And as of this review you can be the proud tester of these cigars for $15 plus shipping for a 6 cigar Test Flight Sampler. Thats a great Price considering a box will set you back $76-$84 resulting in $3.80-$4.20 a stick.
The size was Robusto for this review. The description reads as boasting a diverse Nicaraguan core rolled in dark, flavorful Mexican Maduro wrappers brimming with earthy, spicy and sweet tobacco flavors.
Again I had this cigar in the company of my friend Meatloaf and another buddy "GunMan", on Meatloaf's semi-heated porch. We got the temp to a comfortable mid 50's despite the dropping temps outside.
To start, the cigar is very dark. It is firm to the touch, and has a prelight aroma of very sweet tobaccos. Prelight draw was slightly firm but not to the point it was like it was plugged. A sting to the lips from the wrapper was noticeable.
Upon light I got a spicy pepper up front with tastes of fresh baked bread. Definately full bodied in strength. The spice continued throughout the cigar and was very noticeable through the nose, but was not unpleasant. I also got a bit of wood and floral notes about half way through with a bit of caramel mocha. I really like the changing flavor profile which made this cigar very complex.
The burn was very even and consistent, for the most part, only needing relighting once due to my flapping gums, probably telling some very exagerated story. The ash was firm and silvery/black in color. The cigar only produced one cone which was perfect to say the least. But after that first "flick" it never had any cone at all.
This cigar lasted well to an hour or more. Quite a feet for a robusto. It is now one of my favorite RP cigars and was smoked right to the nub.
Buzz Rating I give it a 7.5 out 10. A bit of a buzz but not overpoweringly dizzy.
Actually the only thing I didn't like about this cigar was how difficult it was to remove the band. It was stuck very well to itself and thank God it didn't stick or damage the wrapper! I usually like to put the labels in my cigar diary, and it was a disappointment not to be able to do that beause the label had to be ripped apart to get it off.
Overall I give it a 4 out of 5. Very enjoyable, I would recommend it to anyone wanting a full flavored complex cigar that won't knock you on your ass. And like I said before, at the sampler price you can't go wrong.
Try the sampler yourself, and let me know what you think. Until next post............Peace.
This cigar came from Famous Cigars in a 12 Rocky Patel cigar sampler for $25 including the shipping. Thats just over $2 per stick! How can that not be a bargain? And as of this review you can be the proud tester of these cigars for $15 plus shipping for a 6 cigar Test Flight Sampler. Thats a great Price considering a box will set you back $76-$84 resulting in $3.80-$4.20 a stick.
The size was Robusto for this review. The description reads as boasting a diverse Nicaraguan core rolled in dark, flavorful Mexican Maduro wrappers brimming with earthy, spicy and sweet tobacco flavors.
Again I had this cigar in the company of my friend Meatloaf and another buddy "GunMan", on Meatloaf's semi-heated porch. We got the temp to a comfortable mid 50's despite the dropping temps outside.
To start, the cigar is very dark. It is firm to the touch, and has a prelight aroma of very sweet tobaccos. Prelight draw was slightly firm but not to the point it was like it was plugged. A sting to the lips from the wrapper was noticeable.
Upon light I got a spicy pepper up front with tastes of fresh baked bread. Definately full bodied in strength. The spice continued throughout the cigar and was very noticeable through the nose, but was not unpleasant. I also got a bit of wood and floral notes about half way through with a bit of caramel mocha. I really like the changing flavor profile which made this cigar very complex.
The burn was very even and consistent, for the most part, only needing relighting once due to my flapping gums, probably telling some very exagerated story. The ash was firm and silvery/black in color. The cigar only produced one cone which was perfect to say the least. But after that first "flick" it never had any cone at all.
This cigar lasted well to an hour or more. Quite a feet for a robusto. It is now one of my favorite RP cigars and was smoked right to the nub.
Buzz Rating I give it a 7.5 out 10. A bit of a buzz but not overpoweringly dizzy.
Actually the only thing I didn't like about this cigar was how difficult it was to remove the band. It was stuck very well to itself and thank God it didn't stick or damage the wrapper! I usually like to put the labels in my cigar diary, and it was a disappointment not to be able to do that beause the label had to be ripped apart to get it off.
Overall I give it a 4 out of 5. Very enjoyable, I would recommend it to anyone wanting a full flavored complex cigar that won't knock you on your ass. And like I said before, at the sampler price you can't go wrong.
Try the sampler yourself, and let me know what you think. Until next post............Peace.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Buying Advice
I dont know about you guys, but I am always looking for a deal on cigars. I subscribe to a few of the online catalog companies to recieve thier print catologs as well as thie email specials. A few stand out in my opinion and I would like take note of them.
First one that comes to mind is Cigars International (http://www.cigarsinternational.com/). You can go to thier website and sign up for thier free catolog and email offers. Lots of great deals, lots of bundle cigars and samplers. This is one of my favorite websites for ordering cigars because of the deals and fast shipping. Orders have arrived on my doorstep as soon as the next day with regular shipping, if purchased before 3 or 4 PM. Another plus for the site is one of the payment options is Bill Me Later, where you can purchase cigars and pay later. It's safe, it's fast, and you can get more info on it at http://www.billmelater.com/ .
Another website I like is Cigar.com (http://www.cigar.com/). This website I am sure is associated with Cigars International as they carry alot of the same Exclusive brands. It also uses the Bill Me Later payment and also has a free print catolog. The one thing that does stand out from the other sites is that it sells most of its cigars in singles too. You an expect to pay what you would from most boutique cigar stores for singles, but remember you also have to pay shipping. But if you dont have a good cigar store near you, this is a great way to try cigars you would normally have to buy a whole box. Still cheaper in the long run to find out if you like a cigar or not before you spend the big bucks on a whole box. They also offer good samplers at great prices.
Corona Cigar Company located in Orlando Florida is another good online store. I have actually visited this store and it is amazing! Thier staff is over the top helpful and will walk you through the store helping you to make choices based on your tastes. They offer the popular brands as well as budget cigars which really make this store stand out. I have ordered some of the buget brands, which I'll review at a later time, which are quite noteworthy. Unfortunately they dont utilize the Bill Me Later system. They offer some good deals via the email system, and usually include freebies with purchases of boxes of cigars. They also have a Free print catolog you can obtain from thier website.
I could review many more catologs, but the above are the ones I most frequent. Even though I want this site to review the more affordable cigars, it's not hard to admit that some of the great deals on sampler packs will give you access to more expensive cigars at a better price. It will not only give you access, but will also diversify the different types of cigars you can try, therefore alowing you to develop your tastes in cigars.
Until next post........Peace.
First one that comes to mind is Cigars International (http://www.cigarsinternational.com/). You can go to thier website and sign up for thier free catolog and email offers. Lots of great deals, lots of bundle cigars and samplers. This is one of my favorite websites for ordering cigars because of the deals and fast shipping. Orders have arrived on my doorstep as soon as the next day with regular shipping, if purchased before 3 or 4 PM. Another plus for the site is one of the payment options is Bill Me Later, where you can purchase cigars and pay later. It's safe, it's fast, and you can get more info on it at http://www.billmelater.com/ .
Another website I like is Cigar.com (http://www.cigar.com/). This website I am sure is associated with Cigars International as they carry alot of the same Exclusive brands. It also uses the Bill Me Later payment and also has a free print catolog. The one thing that does stand out from the other sites is that it sells most of its cigars in singles too. You an expect to pay what you would from most boutique cigar stores for singles, but remember you also have to pay shipping. But if you dont have a good cigar store near you, this is a great way to try cigars you would normally have to buy a whole box. Still cheaper in the long run to find out if you like a cigar or not before you spend the big bucks on a whole box. They also offer good samplers at great prices.
Corona Cigar Company located in Orlando Florida is another good online store. I have actually visited this store and it is amazing! Thier staff is over the top helpful and will walk you through the store helping you to make choices based on your tastes. They offer the popular brands as well as budget cigars which really make this store stand out. I have ordered some of the buget brands, which I'll review at a later time, which are quite noteworthy. Unfortunately they dont utilize the Bill Me Later system. They offer some good deals via the email system, and usually include freebies with purchases of boxes of cigars. They also have a Free print catolog you can obtain from thier website.
I could review many more catologs, but the above are the ones I most frequent. Even though I want this site to review the more affordable cigars, it's not hard to admit that some of the great deals on sampler packs will give you access to more expensive cigars at a better price. It will not only give you access, but will also diversify the different types of cigars you can try, therefore alowing you to develop your tastes in cigars.
Until next post........Peace.
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Victor Sinclair Bohemian Bamboo Cigar Review
It was such a nice break in the cold weather today I decided to have this cigar. So I started up the outdoor heater in the garage and fired it up! I obtained this cigar from my friend "Turk" for Xmas. It's good to have "Brothers of the Leaf".
Now this cigar can be obtained through Cigars International but as of this review could only be bought in the big 6" X 60 ring gauge for $49.99 for a bundle of 20. It is described as draped in a delicious, super-smooth Connecticut shade wrapper. Paired with a mellow blend of aged Dominican long-fillers, this mild to medium-bodied blend delivers a rich and flavorful smoke that’s smooth, creamy, and brimming with notes of cedar, pepper, and coffee.
Mine was in the Robusto size of around 5" X 50. The natural wrapper was a bit veiny and the cigar was very firm throughout. Prelight aromas were of sweet tobaccos and the draw was slight effort.
Upon light and throughout, Woody notes were abundant. The burn was slightly uneven and produced a blunt cone. The ash remained firm throughout and first dropped off a third of the way through. Now I have just started to practice to wait till the cigar has warmed up from smoking to remove the band, and when I did this with this cigar it still managed to take some of the wrapper with it. A minus in my book for construction. Also while smoking it, I could hear a noticable crackling like a camp fire when I would take a draw. I then noticed that it was coming from the damaged part of the wrapper, causing the cigar to start to crack unravel. Another minus.
Still with these flaws the cigar produced alot of creamy smoke. And the description of the flavor profile was right on with what I had. Coffee and woody cedar were noticable with a mild Jalepeno pepper sting to the tongue starting about halfway through.. Definatley mild to medium in character.
Unfortunately for me, when I had about an inch and a half left, The propane in my heater expired and I was left with a setting sun and and dropping temps. So I tossed the rest of the cigar as to avoid freezing to death.
Buzz Rating was sort of low with a 4 out of 10, but by no means took away from the cigar.
Overall I give it a 3 out of 5 mostly because of the construction. But it did hold up in taste and had nice volumes of smoke, and to me that is more important. I might just have had a bad wrapped cigar.
To date I have yet to have had a bad Victor Sinclair cigar, and this was no exception.So try it yourself and form your own opinion. Till next post..........Peace.
Now this cigar can be obtained through Cigars International but as of this review could only be bought in the big 6" X 60 ring gauge for $49.99 for a bundle of 20. It is described as draped in a delicious, super-smooth Connecticut shade wrapper. Paired with a mellow blend of aged Dominican long-fillers, this mild to medium-bodied blend delivers a rich and flavorful smoke that’s smooth, creamy, and brimming with notes of cedar, pepper, and coffee.
Mine was in the Robusto size of around 5" X 50. The natural wrapper was a bit veiny and the cigar was very firm throughout. Prelight aromas were of sweet tobaccos and the draw was slight effort.
Upon light and throughout, Woody notes were abundant. The burn was slightly uneven and produced a blunt cone. The ash remained firm throughout and first dropped off a third of the way through. Now I have just started to practice to wait till the cigar has warmed up from smoking to remove the band, and when I did this with this cigar it still managed to take some of the wrapper with it. A minus in my book for construction. Also while smoking it, I could hear a noticable crackling like a camp fire when I would take a draw. I then noticed that it was coming from the damaged part of the wrapper, causing the cigar to start to crack unravel. Another minus.
Still with these flaws the cigar produced alot of creamy smoke. And the description of the flavor profile was right on with what I had. Coffee and woody cedar were noticable with a mild Jalepeno pepper sting to the tongue starting about halfway through.. Definatley mild to medium in character.
Unfortunately for me, when I had about an inch and a half left, The propane in my heater expired and I was left with a setting sun and and dropping temps. So I tossed the rest of the cigar as to avoid freezing to death.
Buzz Rating was sort of low with a 4 out of 10, but by no means took away from the cigar.
Overall I give it a 3 out of 5 mostly because of the construction. But it did hold up in taste and had nice volumes of smoke, and to me that is more important. I might just have had a bad wrapped cigar.
To date I have yet to have had a bad Victor Sinclair cigar, and this was no exception.So try it yourself and form your own opinion. Till next post..........Peace.
Friday, January 28, 2011
Gran Habano Siglo 3 Review (Sort of)
Finally had a cigar the other night with a very good friend of mine, "Meatloaf", at his place. He is fortunate enough to have an enclosed porch which he heats up with a portable heater when he wants a smoke. It was the first cigar I have had in a long time since the winter came and slapped us in the face.
We ended up having a Gran Habano cigar that he got from a blowout sale, because the band they had put on it had to be taken off due to a lawsuit against them. I believe they are the Siglo 3 cigars. They actually were pretty good. I know they are a bit more expensive cigar, but at a blowout price they are a bargain. This isn't an official review, as I didn't keep any notes, I just wanted to enjoy the cigar with my buddy, so here is what I can remember.
These were Churchills, nice oily wrappers, and firm to the touch indicating well packed. Upon light you are greated with a good dose of peppery spice which mellowed rather quickly in a matter of a minute or so. Still with a bit of pepper, you get slightly sweet earthy tastes. The burn was really even with a decent draw, and a firm ash which held on very good despite the lack of a good cone. The cigar produced delightful plumes of creamy smoke with each puff. It was definately medium in strength. One noticable trait of the cigar noticed by Mrs. Cigar Moose later that night was that the smoke produced smelled really bad, even though I didn't notice as I was the one smoking it. So it's not a crowd pleaser. So after I was made to decontaminate (Shower, brush, and clothes change) I noticed that the ending was a clean finish on the palate and didn't linger.
Buzz rating on this one I give a 7 out of 10. Not real strong but enough for you to just feel its effects.
Overall I give this one a 3.5 out of 5. Better than average, but not the best I have had. And I don't want to say that in a negative sounding way, because it was quite enjoyable.
Till next post..........Peace.
We ended up having a Gran Habano cigar that he got from a blowout sale, because the band they had put on it had to be taken off due to a lawsuit against them. I believe they are the Siglo 3 cigars. They actually were pretty good. I know they are a bit more expensive cigar, but at a blowout price they are a bargain. This isn't an official review, as I didn't keep any notes, I just wanted to enjoy the cigar with my buddy, so here is what I can remember.
These were Churchills, nice oily wrappers, and firm to the touch indicating well packed. Upon light you are greated with a good dose of peppery spice which mellowed rather quickly in a matter of a minute or so. Still with a bit of pepper, you get slightly sweet earthy tastes. The burn was really even with a decent draw, and a firm ash which held on very good despite the lack of a good cone. The cigar produced delightful plumes of creamy smoke with each puff. It was definately medium in strength. One noticable trait of the cigar noticed by Mrs. Cigar Moose later that night was that the smoke produced smelled really bad, even though I didn't notice as I was the one smoking it. So it's not a crowd pleaser. So after I was made to decontaminate (Shower, brush, and clothes change) I noticed that the ending was a clean finish on the palate and didn't linger.
Buzz rating on this one I give a 7 out of 10. Not real strong but enough for you to just feel its effects.
Overall I give this one a 3.5 out of 5. Better than average, but not the best I have had. And I don't want to say that in a negative sounding way, because it was quite enjoyable.
Till next post..........Peace.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Calle Ocho Cigar Review
Today I would like to review one of my favorite cigars which has become a main staple in my humidor, the Calle Ocho. This cigar is quite affordable form Cigars International coming in six sizes from a Robusto for $32.99 up to the Presedente for $42.00. They come in bundles (mazos) of 20 and average $1.65 to $2.15 per stick.
Calle Ocho has a Nicaraguan blend with a Sumatra wrapper. It is decribed in its ad as boasting a nice tooth and sheen, as a medium-bodied Nicaraguan blend with an earthy profile, complemented by a natural sweetness, ample flavor but not overpowering.
The first thing I noticed was how nicely wrapped it was. Slightly shiny from it's natural oil, a good sign the tobacco was aged properly, with little veins throughout. The size I tested and normally buy was the Torpedo (6.5" X 52 ring guage). Tobacco at the foot smells sweet and pre light draw was perfect and also had a sweetness to the tongue.
Upon the light it had big toasted almond tastes to the palate. Different than the description but like I have said before, everyone has a different palate, therefore you might find it different even from me. To me while puffing, there was a surprisingly sweet taste with a bit of peppery spice.
Draw stayed decent, never firm, a bit less than medium draw, very slight effort. Ash was silvery white, which signifies alot of nitrogen in the growing soil. It doesn't produce a decent cone everytime, even blunt at times.
The strength of the cigar started off medium and then halfway through mellowed out more really nice. The smoke smells a little sweet, not like a Swisher Sweet, but more like Dominican cigars. Toasty notes with that peppery spice right to the end, very nice.
My Buzz Rating: 8 out of 10, Overall Rating: 4 out of 5.
Try some out. I think that the current "Brown Bag Sampler" for $20 from Cigars International usually contains one along with 9 other usually great Premium cigars.
Till next post........peace.
Calle Ocho has a Nicaraguan blend with a Sumatra wrapper. It is decribed in its ad as boasting a nice tooth and sheen, as a medium-bodied Nicaraguan blend with an earthy profile, complemented by a natural sweetness, ample flavor but not overpowering.
The first thing I noticed was how nicely wrapped it was. Slightly shiny from it's natural oil, a good sign the tobacco was aged properly, with little veins throughout. The size I tested and normally buy was the Torpedo (6.5" X 52 ring guage). Tobacco at the foot smells sweet and pre light draw was perfect and also had a sweetness to the tongue.
Upon the light it had big toasted almond tastes to the palate. Different than the description but like I have said before, everyone has a different palate, therefore you might find it different even from me. To me while puffing, there was a surprisingly sweet taste with a bit of peppery spice.
Draw stayed decent, never firm, a bit less than medium draw, very slight effort. Ash was silvery white, which signifies alot of nitrogen in the growing soil. It doesn't produce a decent cone everytime, even blunt at times.
The strength of the cigar started off medium and then halfway through mellowed out more really nice. The smoke smells a little sweet, not like a Swisher Sweet, but more like Dominican cigars. Toasty notes with that peppery spice right to the end, very nice.
My Buzz Rating: 8 out of 10, Overall Rating: 4 out of 5.
Try some out. I think that the current "Brown Bag Sampler" for $20 from Cigars International usually contains one along with 9 other usually great Premium cigars.
Till next post........peace.
My cigar rating system
When I rate cigars I give a Buzz Rating and an Overall Rating.
Buzz Rating is sort of expains itself. Its how much lightheadedness or Buzz I get by the finish of the cigar. I know that it all depends on alot of different factors such as how much you puff and strength of the cigar. Alot of the cigars I smoke, I take my time, usually about an hour, and not usually with an alchoholic beverage. If I do I note it in my reviews. Also I notice that most of the time the same buzz affects my buddies I smoke with. Ratings for this are on a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the best.
Overall Rating is affected by alot of different factors. Taste is the biggest one, because if it tastes bad then the other factors dont matter. Other factors include: the construction (does it fall apart when I smoke it?), Burn (does it burn even?), Draw (does it feel like I'm sucking through a plugged straw?), and of coarse price (is it worth the dough I make to buy it?). Ratings for this are on a scale of 1 to 5, 5 being the best.
So take these same factors in consideration when you smoke one of my reviews and form you own opinions.
Buzz Rating is sort of expains itself. Its how much lightheadedness or Buzz I get by the finish of the cigar. I know that it all depends on alot of different factors such as how much you puff and strength of the cigar. Alot of the cigars I smoke, I take my time, usually about an hour, and not usually with an alchoholic beverage. If I do I note it in my reviews. Also I notice that most of the time the same buzz affects my buddies I smoke with. Ratings for this are on a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being the best.
Overall Rating is affected by alot of different factors. Taste is the biggest one, because if it tastes bad then the other factors dont matter. Other factors include: the construction (does it fall apart when I smoke it?), Burn (does it burn even?), Draw (does it feel like I'm sucking through a plugged straw?), and of coarse price (is it worth the dough I make to buy it?). Ratings for this are on a scale of 1 to 5, 5 being the best.
So take these same factors in consideration when you smoke one of my reviews and form you own opinions.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
All about me
Ok where do I start? I live in a place in northern NY, where everyone talks with a French Canadian accent, or so we are told. I started smoking cigars in about 2006 with Mrs. Cigar Moose. It was a spur of the moment deal, which blossomed into the fair weather hobby we do today. By this I mean we smoke mostly in the warmer seasons, never in the house, and always outside. I like medium to full strength cigars (Nicaraguan/Honduran) usually of a ring gauge of around 50. I prefer torpedo shape cigars because to me they seem to cut better and are more comfy in my mouth. As stated in last post, I just wanted to review the affordable cigars the average guy can afford, which he gets from places like Cigar.com or Cigars International, the most common cigar catalogs you can obtain from the internet. Some of my reviews will from time to include more expensive cigars, but not regularly, because frankly, I like most guys don't have the cash to throw around in these hard economic times. Please feel free to comment on my posts, all relevent opinions are welome. My opinions are based on my tastes, and everyone has different particular tastes in cigars. So please, don't kill me if you don't agree. Till next post...........peace.
And so it begins.......
Well, I have been looking for a way to put out there a sort of site to put my own cigar reviews. Reviews unaffected by sponsors, or biased hype. I looked at other sites and only found a few that gave such reviews but found them lacking that "Everyday kind of guy" touch. I am just a "Regular Joe" looking to review cigars the average every day kind of guy can afford and relate to. Check back soon to hear more about me and my unbiased reviews of affordable cigars. This is my first time with blogs so bear with me as I figure out how everthing works. Till next blog.........peace.
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