Weekend review; December 29th and 30th, 2007

We're at the end of 2007, but before I close the book on this year I got in one more weekend review. This weekend there are only 4 cigars reviewed, but I smoked several more. I have already posted reviews on the other ones I had, like the 5 Vegas Miami.


The cigars reviewed were:

• Alec Bradley Maxx, The Freak


• H. Upmann Vintage Cameroon Belicoso


• Camacho 11/18


• Camacho SLR Natural Robusto

NOTICE:
This review will also begin my new format for rating cigars. I am going with a 100 point system instead of the 10 point system I have been using. This way I can establish slight differences between cigars more easily. The final determination of a cigar's rating is based on the usual; appearance, burn, taste, spice, pepper, etc. I hope you like the new rating system!



Saturday, December 29th, 2007



Alec Bradley Maxx, The Freak (6.3x60)



This is a huge, dark, maduro cigar. Eventhough the cigar is a large ring gauge it has a very good draw. At first light up the cigar has a full bodied, coffee-like flavor. The burn was a little uneven but that's fairly typical of large ring cigars. After the first inch the cigar became sweeter but not to the point that I like maduro's to have. There was an average amount of pepper on the pallet. The spice kicked in after an inch or so and it greatly increased as the cigar progressed. Pepperness also increased. This cigar gives off a lot of smoke. As the cigar progressed the burn evened out. This was a nice, enjoyable cigar.


Score: 83





H. Upmann Vintage Cameroon Belicoso (6 1/8x52)



My initial reaction to lighting this cigar was: nice, flavorful Cameroon! And my opinion did not differ when I finished. This cigar has a rich caramel flavor. The cigar starts out fairly mild with a very good draw. I happen to love rich Cameroon flavor. The cigar had a perfect burn; absolutely perfect. The ash was very tight. Spice entered at the 1/3 point. At the mid-point the cigar became medium bodied, at best. Some pepper was noticed at the mid-point, also. The perfect burn continued to the very end! This was a pretty good cigar!


Score: 86





Camacho 11/18 (6x50/60/50)



This cigar has been sitting in my humidor for at least 2 years! The Camacho 11/18 has a unique shape. I believe it's named 11/18 for the birth of one of the Eiora's children or grandchildren. The cigar had a very good draw. Heavy caramel overtones were noticed initially. Spice followed close behind. The caramel flavor built to a full bodiness. The cigar had great flavor with a slight sweetness on the pallet. This cigar did not have the peppery characteristics of other Camacho's. I had one of these cigars about 2 years ago and it kicked my tail! My, how things have changed! Today, I found the cigar to be pretty much full bodied but very flavorful. The rich, caramel taste remained throughout the cigar; very consistent. I loved this cigar.


Score: 91





Camacho SLR Natural Robusto (4.50x50)



Great short cigar! It had a peppery, caramel flavor. Very full bodied. Lots of smoke. Very good draw. Not overly spicey, though. The ash was a light gray and tight but not very stiff. It easily fell (3/4"-1") when you lightly tapped the cigar. The cigar had a nearly perfect burn! This is a very good cigar.


Score: 89

Christmas review!

I hope everyone had a great and Merry Christmas this year! I did! My wife surprised me again! Just when I knew there was no possible way she'd ever get me anything cigar related she pops up and surprises me with another floor humidor! Yes! It's true! It's not as big as the one I received for my birthday but it's still very nice and they match perfectly! Here's a few pics of the new one:

It holds 300 cigars. I may have to combine some of my smaller humidors into this one; not quite sure yet. It's very nice and the key is SHE likes it!

Now, on to the reviews. I had plenty of time to review cigars as I was off 4 days straight. Here's the list of the reviewed cigars:

• Gurkha Boer
  
• Pontillo Paragon Churchill
  
• Pontillo Maduro Toro
  
• Montecristo No. 2 (Cuban)
  
• Montecristo No. 4 (Cuban)

I had other cigars but these are the ones I'm reviewing for now.

Gurkha Boer (6.5x54)

These cigars tend to have a fragile wrapper, or at least the one's I've had do. This particular cigar only had a short slit in it that ran the direction of the length of the cigar. It did not split any further so it really didn't affect the taste or burn. The cigar has a nice amount of spice with some splashes of pepper. It was quite fruity on the pallet with caramel undertones. I would say this cigar is medium bodied. It was very enjoyable.

Score: 7.5

Pontillo Paragon Double Corona (7.5x52)

Since all Pontillo bands are the same on the front, the way you can tell it's a Paragon is by the black on the back side of the band:

This is a very beautiful cigar. It is constructed very well with a superb draw. Mr. Pontillo draw tests all his cigars to ensure a perfect draw! The spice was immediately evident upon lighting. There was a generous amount of pepper noticed, too. Although this would be considered a full bodied cigar it is quite smooth; not bitter. The cigar did not change very much; it stayed quite consistent. This is a full bodied gem!

Score: 9.0

Pontillo Maduro Toro (5.75x54)

Again, the way to tell this is a maduro is by the back of the band; it's red:




As with the Paragon, the maduro is a beautifully constructed cigar. This is a true full bodied maduro cigar, quite sweet and peppery. Although I'm a huge Paragon fan, this may indeed be my favorite Pontillo cigar! It is so tasty!!!!! If you are a maduro fan you have to try these! I think you will be very pleased! The cigar had a great burn; very even. There's just something about a sweet maduro with pepper overtones! I love 'em. This is a great cigar folks!


Score: 9.0





Montecristo No. 2 (6x52)



This is a piramide vitola and one of the most popular Cuban cigars. It is full bodied by Cuban standards with a creamy caramel undertone. It is peppery on the pallet and quite spicey! The cigar is slow burning. I've found Cuban cigars burn best when kept at a lower humidity; around 65%. Take your time with this cigar and you'll get a nice even burn. The cigar has a nice, consistent flavor throughout.

I nubbed this one!!!!

Not much left when I finished with it!

Score: 9.5

Montecristo No. 4 (5x42)



This cigar has the same great taste profile as the Monte 2 but with a little more spice. This cigar is not as peppery as the Monte 2. This is a great short smoke, taking around an hour to smoke. The aftertaste is quite rich! The ash is a dark gray and black. The largest amount of pepper kicked in at the 1/2 way point and built from there. Nice cigar.

Score: 9.0

Now, let's get ready for New Year's Eve!!!

Midweek review! 12/20/07

I liked this cigar so much I had to write about it now! I got a 5 pack on cigarbid.com awhile back and they've been resting in the humidor ever since. I decided to try one tonight and I'm glad I did. What cigar am I talking about? The Gran Habano #3 Habano. (6x54)





This is a very dense cigar. It actually has a good amount of weight to it, yet it has a great draw! I like cigars like this. It has a very smooth taste to it. Not a lot of pepper and spice at first but really kicked in at the 1/3 point and it built from there. This cigar probably has the darkest ash I've ever seen! Take a look...






I reall enjoyed this cigar. Enough to give it a 9.0 rating! Not a bad price on these either. Cigars International has them for $65 for the robusto (6x54).



Score: 9.0

Weekend review; December 15th and 16th, 2007

Finally, it rained in South Carolina! Eventhough it was on a weekend, it was ok with most people. It's been many weeks since we've had any measurable rainfall!

This weekend's reviews have some nice cigars! I had fun with this one!



Cigars reviewed this weekend are:

• La Aurora 1495 Churchill



• Partagas Serie P No. 2 (Cuban)



• Montecristo Edmundo (Cuban)



• Perdomo Limited Golf Edition



• Oliva V Figurado



• Torano 1916 Robusto

Saturday, December 15th, 2007


After returning from watching my niece graduate from Newberry College on Saturday morning I relaxed in my leather recliner with a La Aurora 1495 Churchill. (7x50)




This was my first time smoking one of these. The cigar had nice construction. It had a dark, caramel flavor. I'd put this cigar between medium and full bodied. The ash was light gray and splintered. After the first inch or so the cigar developed a smooth creaminess. There was a slight amoung of pepper noticed at the 1/2 way point. This cigar did not put off a huge amount of smoke, yet it burned very evenly. It was slow burning, too. The cigar approached full bodied, but fell just short. Nice cigar.

Score: 8.5




Partagas Serie P No. 2 (6x52) Cuban


Since this cigar has a fat torpedo end, I decided to clip only the bare minimum so it would be as long as possible! Great tasting Cuban cigar. Medium bodied with some pepper and spice. Absolutely perfect burn; very even! This cigar has great flavor. Not overpowering but oh-so satisfying!

Score: 9.0




Montecristo Edmundo (5.3x52) Cuban


Nice full bodied Cuban cigar. Another cigar with great flavor. Much more full bodied than the PSP2 and has a lot more pepper to it! Nice construction with an even burn. This is a great cigar. If you like Cuban cigars, you need to try these!

Score: 9.5




Sunday, December 16th, 2007



Perdomo Reserve Edition Golf Double Eagle (7x54)


I love this cigar! It starts off with lots of Caramel flavor, and maintains it throughout! They say it has a Connecticut wrapper but it's much darker than your typical Connecticut, with much more taste! I don't typically like Connecticut wrapped cigars, but this one is full of Nicaraguan filler! This is a nice, fat cigar! It's medium-full bodied with a good amount of pepper thrown in. Great cigar!


Score: 9.0

Oliva V Figurado (6x60)

I lit this cigar at the start of the Cowboys game and the cigar was about the only thing good about the game! The Cowboys gave one to rival Philadelphia!

This is an absolutely beautiful cigar. I limited my cut of the cap to the bare minimum. The cigar started out smooth with caramel flavors. For a cigar that's suppose to have a lot of ligero in it, I don't taste it! Maybe I'm nuts but this cigar is more medium bodied than full bodied! It doesn't have a big punch to it! I started noticing some spice at the 1/3 point. The cigar had a tight ash. Not overly peppery but it really came in at the 1/2 way point. Very nice cigar.


Score: 9.0

Torano 1916 Robusto (5.5x52)

This is a great cameroon cigar! Lots of full bodied caramel flavor! The spiceyness is amazing!! It had a nice, even burn. This cigar was first gifted to me by VigorishSLC on the BlowinSmoke.com board. I have loved them ever since! This cigar has a wonderful flavor! Cameroon lovers, try this one!

Score: 9.0

Pontillo in Lexington...again!

A. J. Pontillo stopped by the Maduro Room again last night. As always, it was great to see him. From what I gathered, he's got a lot of irons in the fire and we can expect some amazing things in the first quarter next year! I won't say much, but this is going to be BIG! This will probably be the biggest news the American cigar world has heard in a long time, if not ever!

Grady was running the buy 3 get one 1 special again. This time you could pick from the natural, maduro, or Paragon robusto's for your freebie!

Below is a pic of myself, A.J. and Mark Lewis (I offer this as proof to Vikki that Mark was actually at the cigar event and NOT at the nudie bar!)

Weekend review; December 8th and 9th, 2007

Beautiful weekend here in central South Carolina. The temps for this upcoming week are near 80 derees all week! What month is this again? Don't worry, the temps get back to normal by Sunday; around 52! What a change!

Anyway, I reviewed 4 cigars this weekend. They are:

• CAO Brazilia Ipanema


• St. Luis Rey Serie G Short Robusto


• Hoyo Dark Sumatra Media Noche


• Gurkha Legend Churchill

Saturday, December 8th, 2008

CAO Brazilia Ipanema (7x50)

First off, let me state my bias FOR this cigar as I have had a zillion of them. (Well, maybe not a literal zillion, but a whole lot) In my humble opinion, this is the best cigar that CAO offers. I love all sizes of the Brazilia! This particular churchil sized edition is no different. The cigar has a great draw and very good construction. It is full bodied, but not overpowering. It has a rich, sweet maduro flavor. There are lots of caramel overtones. Not much pepper in this cigar but I experienced some at the 1/3 point. The cigar has tons of smoke. It is very consistent throughout. The ash is not very stiff. It may drop at the 1 inch mark, so be aware. That's the only negative I can find about the cigar. These are around $110 a box (20) online.

Score: 9.0

Saint Luis Rey Serie G Maduro Short Robusto (4.2x54)

This was the first SLR Serie G maduro Short Robusto I'd ever tried. It's a very full bodied, leathery cigar with lot's of sweetness. It has a rich maduro flavor. It's quite spicey with some pepper. Similar flavor profile to other full bodied maduro's that I've tried. Nice cigar. Price for these; $90 bucks for a box of 25, online.

Score: 8.5

Hoyo Dark Sumatra Media Noche (5.7x54)

This is probably my favorite of the HdM brand. Nice, medium-full bodied cigar. Nothing overpowering about it. Some spice, but no pepper. I love Sumatran cigars but although I enjoy this cigar it does not have a lot of typical Sumatra flavor! Still a decent cigar at a fairly good price. You can get these for around $80 a box (25) on line.

Score: 8.0

Gurkha Legend Churchill (7.5x52)

This is suppose to be a cigar with a maduro wrapper, but it's not very "maduro" looking. It's reddish/brown in color. It has very nice construction. The initial light up had lots of caramel flavor. It starts off with a slight amout of pepperness but that increases after an inch or so. The ash is very tight. The caramel ovetones continued throughout. This is my favorite of the Gurkha line. Not a cheap cigar, at $70 for a 5 pack, but you can get much better deals on these at cigarbid.com.

Finished the night off with a Camacho Coyolar (Black) toro. I've reviewed this cigar before, so look for it in my blog.

Score: 9.0

Weekend review; December 1st and 2nd, 2007

Welcome to December! Christmas is just around the corner!!!

This weekend I reviewed several cigars; here's the list:

• Alec Bradley Medallist maduro torpedo



• 5 Vegas Cask Strength toro



• Ramone Allones Gigante



• CAO MX2 Belicoso



• 5 Vegas Miami churchill



• Camacho Corojo Robusto



• Sol Cubano Sumatra Churchill

Saturday, December 1, 2007

Alec Bradley Medallist maduro torpedo (approx. 5.5" x 50)



This cigar has a nice maduro flavor; quite full bodied. It has very little pepper initially. The cigar burned fairly evenly. I had heard that these may burn very uneven but I didn't find that to be the case with this one. The cigar has a rough construction; not the prettiest one I've seen. The cigar developed slightly more pepper at the midpoint. This is a nice cigar for maduro lovers.

Score: 8.5



5 Vegas Cask Strength (6x54)

Rough looking wrapper on this cigar. Shortly after initial light-up, I determined the cigar seems to be overhumidified. There are crackes in wrapper and it's swelling! Not good! However, the taste of the cigar is great! It has a peppery, full bodied flavor. Reminds me of a Cameroon wrapper taste. There are hints of sweetness to this cigar, too. The wrapper wound up cracking terribly, but a little homemade cigar mender (fruit pectin) fixed the problem! It burned and held together nicely after that.

Score: 8.5*

* if wrapper does not crack this cigar gets a 9.0 rating!

Ramone Allones Gigante '04 (7.5x49)

This is an absolutely beautiful cigar! The picture does not do it justice! After a beautiful initial cut, the cigar lit and drew perfectly! The burn was perfect the whole cigar...and that's 3 hours worth of cigar smoking, too!!!! It has a nice, medium bodied flavor. The spice hit at the 1/3 point. Not overpowering, just good! Very good cigar!

Score: 9.5

CAO MX2 Belicoso (7x54)

This is one of the darkest cigars you'll ever see! It's almost jet black! It has a double maduro wrapper. The cigar is full bodied; one of the fullest bodied maduro's I've had. The flavor is typical maduro; some pepper but not too much, some sweetness, and has a burn that is a little uneven. I have bought a couple boxes of these and enjoy them alot.

Score: 8.5

5 Vegas Miami Churchill (7x50)

Very nice looking cigar. Construction appears to be very good. It feels very good in your hand; substantial. Very dense feeling cigar, yet the draw was great! The initial light-up had full of pepper and spice, yet smooth. Very full bodied cigar with a powerhouse of flavors. Although they are not the same cigar, this Pepin creation is very reminiscent of the San Cristobal. This is a very good cigar and I'm glad I bought a box of them!

Score: 9.0

Camacho Corojo Robusto (5x50)

First off, all Camacho cigars are good. I enjoy them all. But the corojo holds a special place in my heart. I love corojo cigars and Camacho uses only authentic corojo wrappers! The cigar is well made. Nice looking cigar. This is a full bodied corojo cigar. Lots of pepper and spice, but not as powerful as it's cousin; the Camacho Coyolar (Black). It's actually very smooth and comes just shy of overpowering. The cigar drew perfectly and had a dark gray ash.

Score: 9.0

Sol Cubano Sumatra Churchill (7x50)

This cigar is made by Oliva; enough said. Oliva makes some of the world's greatest cigars and this cigar is a nice addition to their list. I believe they make this cigar for Cigars International exclusively, but I may be wrong. It has a great Sumatra flavor with lots of caramel flavor. This is a great cigar and VERY affordable. You can get them for $3 each (or less) on cigarbid.com all the time. I'd say this cigar is medium bodied and works it's way toward full bodied. Very flavorful. Nice.

Score: 9.0