La Gloria Cubana Artesanos de Obelisco (5x44/57)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The History

Created as a tribute to the virtuoso cigar makers at El Credito’s “fabrica” in Santiago, Dominican Republic, La Gloria Cubana Artesanos de Obelisco is the third installment in the Artesanos trilogy. Inspired by the iconic Monument to the Heroes of the Restoration situated high atop the center of Santiago, La Gloria Cubana Artesanos de Obelisco heightens the innovation that has become a trademark of the Artesanos series.

The Cigar

Handcrafted of a blend of Dominican and double Nicaraguan ligero, this ground breaking figurado is a feat of cigar-making artistry, for it replicates the shape of the monument that inspired its creation. Novel construction evident at the first blush is bolstered by a triumph of superior blending by Yuri Guillen, Michael Giannini and Rick Rodriguez, aka Team La Gloria Cubana. A cigar of such ingenuity demands an equally alluring package. In this, Team La Gloria Cubana developed a wooden demilune box, a first for the premium cigar category. This visually stunning presentation spotlights 25 of the 5” x 44 x 57 Obelisco cigars.


Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sumatra
Binder: Connecticut Broadleaf
Filler: Dominican, Double Nicaraguan Ligero
Country: Dominican Republic
Factory: El Credito Cigar Factory in the Dominican Republic

Video review HERE.


This La Gloria Cubana Artesanos de Obelisco was provided by Cigars Direct.


In short, this is a beautiful cigar! The shape is stunning. Top notch construction. It is dark brown in color. The cigar had good density.

I cut the very tip of the pyramid cap and gave a test draw. It was perfect! The initial flavors after lighting the large foot were tons of leather with slightly sweet cinnamon and plenty of black pepper. The finish had lightly roasted almond notes.


About one half inch in the flavors have settled somewhat. I now get a mix of cinnamon and orange citrus and both are engulfed in leather and black pepper. The finish is a semi-sweet vanilla at this point. But...it's still early.

The cigar shows signs of being complex. Just a bit further, maybe 3/4 inch total, the flavors have switched a little. Leather is still the main flavor with a nice even mix of cinnamon and rich orange citrus. The black pepper is quite obvious. The burn is very good for a box pressed cigar. The finish is indeed vanilla and there is some lingering pepper.

At about 1 1/2 inches in the flavor has really settled down nicely. On the draw you taste the cinnamon. When you work the smoke a little you get the rich orange citrus and tingling black pepper. The leather is everywhere; on the front and back of the spice. The finish is a creamy vanilla with lingering pepper. The cigar is fairly full bodied at this point. The ash is very tight and looked great before it finally fell off.

At the midpoint the leather notes decreased and the rich orange citrus and cinnamon became prominent. The pepper actually increased! The finish remains about the same; creamy vanilla. The burn continues to be very good.


At the 2/3 point the leather came back! Now it's forefront again. The orange citrus has decreased. The rich cinamon is pretty much tied with the leather in intensity. The finish is the one thing that has remained consistent; creamy vanilla. I believe this cigar could be considered complex.

At the end of the cigar it finished with changes on the finish. Some of the leather notes crept over to the vanilla finish. The main spice flavors remained leather and rich cinnamon. The orange citrus has pretty much gone away. I very much enjoyed this cigar. The changes made the cigar very enjoyable. This would be considered a full bodied cigar.


Score: 90

Arturo Fuente Magnum R Vitola 52 (5x52)

After years of development, Arturo Fuente proudly presents the Magnum R line of cigars. The Magnum R line features an exclusive Rosado sungrown wrapper, culled from the lower primings of fine Ecuadorian tobacco plants and aged for nearly a decade.

This Magnum R cigar was provided by CigarsDirect.com.

Wrapper: Ecudorian Rosado
Binder: Dominican
Filler: Dominican

Video review HERE.

After cutting the cap the test draw was very good. The cigar is well made and quite dense. The foot is square pressed.

The initial flavors were a leathery cinnamon with nice sweetness and pepper. The finish was one of vanilla. It is mild bodied at this point.

After about one inch into the cigar the cinnamon notes are nice and rich. The leather notes compliment the cinnamon nicely. The pepper remains very good and the finish is a creamy, sweet vanilla. The rich notes make this a very nice cigar.


If you are wondering how this Rosado compares to the 8-5-8 Rosado that I reviewed last month this cigar is milder, but still quite flavorful and rich. Plus, this is a mass produced cigar while the 8-5-8 is a limited release cigar. These are much easier to get and have a great price point.


At the midpoint the cinnamon is still rich and there are now some vanilla notes. The leather has decreased. The vanilla finish is still the same.





After about 2/3 of the cigar the cigar is now medium bodied. The leather notes are back to their previous amount with the rich cinnamon. The pepper remains good and is somewhat lingering on the finish now.

At the end of the cigar it wraps up as a nice, medium bodied cigar with rich cinnamon notes and complimenting leather. There are faint vanilla notes in the spice but it really carries over to the finish where the vanilla is sweet and creamy. The pepper is very good on the spice and carries over somewhat to the finish. I enjoyed this cigar and would purchase it again.

Score: 91

E. P. Carrillo New Wave Connecticut Short Run 2012 Exquisitos (4 7/8 x 50)

As you may remember, I reviewed the Invictos version of this cigar back on February 11th, 2012. In that review I described how much I liked the cigar and gave it a final score of 94. As we all know, different sizes of the same cigar often times have slightly different tastes. So, let's see how this cigar stacks up against it's longer brother.

This cigar is perfectly made and is a lighter shade of brown. That's makes sense since it has a Connecticut wrapper. The cool thing about this cigar, as with all in in the New Wave Connecticut Short Run is Carrillo's use of a maduro binder! I know of no other cigar that does this; a Connecticut wrapper over a maduro binder! The guts of the cigar are the same as the Core Maduro, using Nicaraguan and Dominican tobaccos.

• Wrapper: Ecuador Connecticut (wrapper from New Wave Connecticut)
• Binder: Connecticut Broadleaf (wrapper from Core Maduro)
• Filler: Nicaragua, Dominican Republic (filler from Core Maduro)

These cigars come in boxes of 24 cigars and have a retail price of $152.40 per box, or $6.35 per stick.


Since this is a mid-week review there is no video review. However, there is one more size of this cigar that I am yet to review; the 6 1/4x60 Reinados. I will be reviewing this cigar soon and will include a video review with it because large ring cigars tend to have a slightly different taste when compared to the smaller ring versions. Look for it soon.

After cutting the cap the test draw was a little firm. The initial flavors were the beginnings of a rich vanilla combined with sweet tangerine citrus and lightly roasted almonds. There is also a nice amount of pepper mixed in the spice. The finish, at this early point, is roasted almonds.






At the 1/2 inch point the cigar has already developed richness. The almond notes have dropped off but what you're left with is a rich, sweet, tangerine citrus and great accompanying vanilla and a perfect amount of black pepper. The finish has changed from roasted almonds to sweet vanilla and the pepper is lingering now. There also seems to be a faint taste of white chocolate. It's best tasted as you expel the smoke.

After about 2 inches the cigar developed what I like to refer to as port-like flavors. The cigar actually reminds me of a rich, tawny port. I love this! It's so rich! The flavors of tangerine citrus and vanilla are still there but they are so rich it tastes like tawny port. The finish is still a sweet, rich vanilla and the pepper is still lingering nicely but there are also notes of lightly roasted almonds. Look at that ash! It's very tight.

At the midpoint I can say this is a medium bodied cigar at best. Although it lacks power it more than makes up for it in flavor. The cigar is burning very evenly.

In the final third the intense tawny port flavors subsided just a bit but not enough to do the cigar's score much damage. The richness is still there and it's great. The cigar's pepper really make this a very enjoyable cigar. The finish is now more of a straight, sweet, rich vanilla and the roasted almond notes  have vanished.

The cigar continued to be very enjoyable to the end. This is one of those cigars that you'll nub. Get a toothpick or some other low tech device and get every draw you can. This sucker should burn your fingers or the toothpick you stick in the side before you put it down. It's great! This cigar ended up medium bodied and took approximately 1 1/2 hours to smoke when smoked slowly for best taste. The Carillo's have really come up with another great cigar. These should be on store shelves now. Look for them and give them a try!

Score: 94

My Uzi Weighs a Ton Robusto (5x60)

My UZI Weighs A Ton cigars are the fruit of a collaboration between Drew Estate and Joya de Nicaragua. Brazilian Mata Fina Oscuro, Nicaraguan Esteli Ligero, Nicaraguan Seco Jalapa and Nicaraguan Viso Condega longfillers are framed in CT Broadleaf Maduro binders, and wrapped in San Andreas Negro capas. Their quirky name stems from Drew Estate founder Jonathan Drew's favorite 6 x 60 vitola, lovingly called it his "Uzi." Picking up a wheel of them, he exclaimed, "Damn, my UZI weighs a TON!"

This cigar is part of Drew's Subculture line. Only created in small batches, Subculture offers Drew Estate fans blends that are a bit more exclusive than their standard lines such as ACID or Natural. In fact, some ACID and Natural cigars can be found under the Subculture line, among others. These cigars are created with the finest Nicaraguan tobaccos and rolled by Drew Estate’s top torcedors. In addition, the tobaccos found in each Subculture cigar have been aged for an entire year longer than any tobaccos used in Drew Estate’s other phenomenal blends.

My Uzi Weighs A Ton begins with a San Andres maduro wrapper from Mexico - a rich, super flavorful leaf with a raw earthy finish and a touch of bittersweet chocolate - which conceals a special Connecticut Capote binder on top of Nicaraguan and Brazilia Mata Fina long fillers. Complex from head to foot, you can expect thick smoke with an effortless draw as these enormous cigars are only available in 3 sizes, 5.0"x60, 6.0"x60, and 7.0"x60. Today I am reviewing the 5.0x60 Robusto.


Video review HERE.


This is a well made, dense cigar. It is dark in color thanks to the maduro San Andres wrapper.

The test draw after cutting the cap was very good, especially for a cigar this large. The initial flavors were dark chocolate, citrus, vanilla and a lot of pepper. There is faint vanilla on the finish along with some pepper.

Just a little further down the road the cigar has settled down and it is now a grapefruit citrus with sweet vanilla notes from the Mata Fina tobacco. The dark semi-sweet chocolate is the primary flavor. This cigar puts off a lot of smoke. The vanilla finish is now much thicker and creamier. The pepper is nice and strong and it's definitely black pepper.

At the 3/4" point the cigar developed a very nice richness. The vanilla appears to be where the richness is coming from. It's very much like a grapefruit and vanilla center of a chocolate candy. The pepper is not overbearing. In fact, it balances the cigar. The finish continues to have the creamy vanilla flavor with lingering pepper.

The ash reach a length of approximately 1 1/2 inches before dropping off. (in the ashtray, thank goodness) The cigar is burning very evenly.

At the midpoint the only change is on the finish. A few of those grapefruit notes slip over to the finish from time to time. Primarily the finish is one of vanilla.  The cigar is indeed medium bodied and I do not expect it to get much fuller. I found this to be a little odd for a maduro but that's the way this cigar is. The cigar is going along nicely.


In the final third the grapefruit notes are now the lead flavor followed by the dark chocolate and vanilla. The cigar continues to burn very evenly.

As the cigar wound down it remained rich. The name of the cigar is somewhat misleading. You might expect it to be very heavy and full bodied but it isn't. It is medium bodied. The chocolate notes combined with the citrus and rich vanilla have made this a very good cigar.

Score: 91

Camacho Room 101 Ltd. Namakubi Sucio (7x48)

Introducing the newest installment of the LTD series, the new Room101 LTD Namakubi. Although in many ways long gone, Samurai culture is believed to live on in spirit within certain groups. In ancient times when two Samurai clans would gather for competition there was a great deal at stake. Normally, the losing party would die as a result of wounds sustained in battle or be executed upon defeat. The Namakubi, or freshly severed head of the losing party would be prepared on a wooden tray then tagged in a regimented manner and presented to the leader of the winning clan as a gift.


Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano
Binder: Generoso (Honduras)
Filler: Dominican, Nicaraguan and Honduran

Video review HERE.


The cigar is a medium brown in color and feels very dense in the hand.

After cutting the cap the test draw was just a bit firm but very manageable. The initial flavors were heavy with cinnamon and pepper. There were undertones of vanilla and leather. The finish was one of vanilla and some lingering pepper.

After 1/2 inch in the burn got off a bit but that was my fault. The cigar is very dense and must be smoked very slowly. The cigar is now one of intense cinnamon with rich vanilla. The pepper is very good, as you would expect of a Camacho cigar. The finish is a creamy vanilla and lingering pepper. The cigar is very good so far. I use the term "candy like" when describing some cigars and this one is an example of that.

Within 5 minutes of the previous segment the cigar's burn had evened out nicely. Again, smoke this cigar slowly for the best burn. The cigar still has the same great flavors!

About 1 1/2 inches in the flavors had the addition of orange citrus. They are subtle and mixed in with the vanilla but they add a nice touch. The leather notes  have decreased. The main flavor of cinnamon remains. Now the cigar is sweet and rich with cinnamon notes and a mix of vanilla and orange citrus. The finish is still one of vanilla but I also detect a sweet almond.

At the two hour point I made it to the band. The flavors remain the same. This cigar is very consistent. There is nothing wrong with a consistent cigar as long as it's good...and this one is!

At the end of the cigar it remained consistent. I have enjoyed this cigar a lot. The rich cinnamon was simply great. The additional flavors of vanilla and subtle orange citrus made the cigar even better. The pepper was very good on both ends. The creamy vanilla finish was quite nice. I commend Camacho and Room 101 on making a great cigar!

Score: 93

Casa Magna Colorado Pikito (4.75x42)

The Casa Magna represents the ultimate collaboration between two cigar legends, Manuel Quesada of the Fonseca enterprise and Nestor Plasencia. Nestor’s farms produced the Nicaraguan puro leaves used in the construction of this very new cigar introduced to the world in 2008. The Nicaraguan filler is embraced by a very special Cuban-seeded Colorado Ligero wrapper also grown in Nicaragua. This deluxe oily wrapper augments the complexity of the filler, delivering one memorable smoke to the enthusiast lucky enough to procure a box of these beautiful cigars.


This Casa Magna Pikito was provided by Cigars Direct


Video review HERE.




These cigars come in boxes of 55 cigars! Small, yes, but many times smaller cigars have the most flavor. I want to see if this cigar is one of those.

The cigar is very well made and packed nicely.

The test draw was very good. Immediately after lighting the cigar the flavors were leather, cinnamon, faint vanilla and very nice pepper. The cinnamon seems to have a mix of citrus but it's early and not easily detectable.

After the cigar settled down the flavors remained the same; leather, cinnamon, back end vanilla and nice pepper. This is a very leathery cigar which I find unusual for a Nicaraguan. The finish is a subtle vanilla; not overly sweet, and some lingering pepper.


At 1 1/4 inches into the cigar the flavors remain the same.


At the point I had to remove the band the flavors are still the same. The finish has more sweetness on the vanilla.


With about 1 1/2 inches left the cinnamon shows signs of developing richness; not overly rich which would be a very good thing, but a subtle richness which greatly improved the cigar. The richness seems to be coming a little late in the cigar. The pepper is a 6 or 7 on a scale of 10. The vanilla is more prominent on the finish and it's creamy. The sweetness in this cigar is on the finish.

As the cigar wound down the richness in the cinnamon remained. This is a very leathery cigar. For those of you who like cigars with a lot of leather and cinnamon notes you will really enjoy this cigar. I am not the biggest leather fan out there but I enjoyed the cigar. The vanilla finish was very nice. The pepper was very good on both ends. I could smoke this cigar again.


Score: 87

Partagas Serie D no. 4 (4.88x50) Box code Oct. 10

Year of foundation: 1845
Tobacco Country: Cuba
Tobacco Procedence: Vuelta Abajo
Factory: Partagas

This brand is named for it's founder, Don Jaime Partagas, who began manufacturing cigars in 1827, but put his own name on his line of cigars in 1845. After his death, the brand passed to Ramon Cifuentes in 1889 and was owned by Cifuentes y Cia. prior to nationalization, earning a mention by name in English novelist Evelyn Waugh's 1945 work, Brideshead Revisited. Partagas cigars also won gold medals in at least three international expositions between 1867 and 1884. They are still produced in the Partagas factory, renamed Fernando Perez after nationalization.

Video review HERE.

The Habanos Festival just finished in Havana yesterday so it seemed like a good time to review this cigar. This cigar is a reddish brown in color and nicely packed.

The test draw after cutting the cap was very good. Many consider this to be a "young" cigar since it was produced in October of 2010. Aging  seems to help Cuban cigars so no matter what this cigar is like it will only improve with some time in the humidor.


The initial flavors were a blast of pepper along with vanilla, subtle grapefruit citrus and lightly roasted almonds. The finish is one of vanilla custard and some lingering pepper.


About 1/4 inch in the vanilla and grapefruit notes are event. The almond notes are on the tail end of the spice. The pepper continues to be very good. The finish is still one of a nice vanilla and lingering pepper. In the Cuban cigar world this cigar is considered to be full bodied. When compared to other cigars from the Caribbean region this cigar would be considered to be medium bodied.

About an inch in the cigar has developed a richness in the vanilla. The grapefruit citrus is now secondary. The almond notes continue to be subtle. The vanilla has carried over nicely into the finish. It is now a rich vanilla pudding flavor. The pepper remains very good and is now extremely good on the finish.

The ash is a nice salt and pepper color. The burn was, for the most part, very even. As always, smoke this cigar slowly. The flavors continue to be in line with the last assessment.

At the end of the cigar the flavors remained consistent. This cigar is not overly complex. It does not make major changes from point to point but it is a very flavorful cigar. The rich vanilla flavors were quite nice when combined with the grapefruit citrus. The almond notes remained subtle and were hardly detected at the end of the cigar. The pepper was quite good on both ends. The vanilla finish was extremely good. This cigar, although young, will only improve with age. I found this cigar to be very good and I look forward to sampling more in the future.

Score: 92