Partagas Salamone LCDH Edition

Partagas Salomone LCDH Edition (7.2x57) [2008]

I picked up this cigar in the La Casa del Habano in Cozumel, Mexico in September. It has a manufacture date of 2008. You may remember it from pictures in my write-up on our cruise. I have been saving it for New Year's Eve and tonight is the night!

The cigar is simply beautiful. Great construction. There are two bands on the cigar; the typical Partagas band and the La Casa del Habano band. This particular Partagas was produced for sale only in La Casa del Habanos.

Prices at LCDH's are a little high. This cigar cost me $28. Since I love the PSD4's and Partagas in general purchasing this cigar was a no brainer.

After a small clip of the cap the test draw was very good. I lit the small tip of the foot and sat back to enjoy. The flavors were sweet vanilla, raw almond and some cedar notes with nice pepper. The cigar is mild to medium at this point.

After an inch the cigar became one of a very rich vanilla primarily with underlying cedar and roasted almonds. The sweetness of the rich vanilla is great. The pepper sort of hangs around subtly.

About 1/2 inch further and there were some coffee notes. The cedar notes are more prominent now along with the roasted almonds and vanilla. The cigar seems to be more medium bodied now and the pepper is more intense. The finish is one of sweet, raw almonds.

Another 1/2 inch or so and the rich vanilla takes the lead flavor with a mix of cedar and coffee notes with roasted almonds. The pepper continues to improve. The finish is lightly roasted almonds with a touch of lingering pepper. The richness of the vanilla is very nice.

At the midpoint the favors are evenly mixed. I can detect the vanilla, cedar, coffee, and roasted almonds but they appear to be evenly distributed. No one flavor has the lead. The pepper is now at a very good amount. It started off very subtle but now is very good. The ash is very tight. At this point I have only ashed the cigar twice and both times I was afraid it was about to fall so I broke it off. I normally do not like to do this but again, I thought it would fall in my lap due to it's length. It was so tight that I actually had to apply pressure to it to break it! That's a tight ash! The cigar is approaching medium to full bodied too.

With about 3 inches left the cigar is now one of mainly cedar and rich almond notes. The vanilla notes are subtle. The pepper continues to be very good. For a typical Cuban cigar it's just about at the full bodied point. The finish now has cedar notes with some vanilla and almond notes with lingering pepper.

With 2 inches left the cedar notes are again prominent and they are rich! I believe the richness is achieved with the almond notes. The vanilla notes have disappeared at this point but the cedar and almonds are doing quite nicely on their own. The pepper remains great. The finish, however has cedar and vanilla notes along with nice lingering pepper.

The cigar continued with the same great flavors to the end. This is a monster of a cigar that lasted a little over 2 1/2  hours! It finished fairly full bodied.

These are only available at La Casa del Habanos so if you can get your hands on one you won't be disappointed!

Score: 92

Top cigars of 2011

I reviewed 94 cigars this year. Now, it's time to talk about the best of the best. Below are my picks for top cigars of the year. 11 cigars achieved a score of 94 or higher! For a complete list of cigars reviewed you can email me at ticotych@hotmail.com and I will send the "word formatted" list.


 Click on the cigar name of the top rated cigars for a direct link to the review. Most of the reviews in the direct link also have a video review.

This year's top reviewed cigars are...

97 pts.

Ashton VSG Spellbound (7.5x49) *BEST CIGAR OF 2011*

This has to be one of the most complex cigars I've ever smoked! It is easily the best cigar I've had this year. I absolutely loved it!

96 pts. (2 cigars with this rating)

E. P. Carrillo Elenco Series Elites (6x54)

The Carrillo's should be very proud of this cigar. The richness of this cigar makes it a joy to smoke. I highly recommend it. This cigar seems to be a little richer than the Limitada 2010 and the price point is better giving this cigar a higher score.

Padron Family Reserve no. 45 natural toro (6x52) 

At the end of the cigar I found myself thinking back over the many flavors it had. It changed so many times. This is a great cigar worthy of high praise.

95 pts. (5 cigars with this rating)

Illusione mj12 (6x54)

This was an excellent cigar. Numerous changes. A full bodied, flavorful cigar that has a tremendous amount of black pepper. Any lover of Nicaraguan cigars will love it. I highly recommend it.

Fuente Opus X D'Chateau (7x48)

To sum up, the cigar was one of cinnamon, rich orange citrus and a ton of black pepper. The finish was long with vanilla notes, then changed to rich vanilla, then to rich vanilla with almond. I really enjoyed this cigar and highly recommend it.

Monte Pascoal Minutos (4 3/8x42)

I brought out my nubbing tool to enjoy the last bits of this cigar. I is a pronged device sort of like what you would use to eat corn on the cob. This cigar is amazingly good. If you like rich cinnamon, citrus, and almonds you will love this cigar. If you love pepper you'll love this cigar. This cigar is simply great.

Perdomo Exhibicion Sun Grown Robusto (5x54)

As the cigar burns it gets richer. The cigar continued it's great flavor right to the end. The cigar did not change much at all making it very consistent. I am a huge fan of rich, sweet citrus and I absolutely loved this cigar. They are new to the market so get out and grab a few for yourself. You won't be disappointed.

Fuente Opus X Double Corona (7 5/8x49) 

The cinnamon and vanilla flavors remained strong and I enjoyed the port flavors. The finish was very good with vanilla and port flavors. The pepper was very good on both ends. A great cigar and among the best Opus X cigars that I have smoked.

94 pts. (3 cigars with this rating)
Arturo Fuente Anejo Reserva no. 48 (7x48)

This is a very good, sweet cigar with lots of coffee notes and tawny port flavors. There are also leather and cedar notes. The pepper is very good. The finish is one of primarily vanilla but at times there is the addition of raw almond notes. This is a great cigar that you should try.

Litto Gomez Diez Americano 2009 (5 3/4x46)

I found this to be a great cigar. The sweet cinnamon, rich vanilla, and orange citrus along with the powerful black pepper last throughout the entire smoke. Lovers of full bodied cigars will really enjoy this cigar. I have to be honest, I smoke a lot of cigars and this cigar hit me like a ton of bricks.

E. P. Carrillo New Wave Connecticut El Decano (6x60)

This cigar was very consistent from the 1 1/2 inch point onward. The rich orange citrus notes combined with the vanilla and almond notes make for a wonderful experience. The cigar is ultra rich. Another great addition to the New Wave Connecticut family.

The best of the rest...

93 pts.
Sencillo robusto (5 1/4x50
E. P. Carrillo Core Line Maduro Golosos (6 1/8x60)
Amilcar Perez Castro robusto (5x50)
Savinelli Special Selection 2006 (5 1/2x50)
Perdomo2 Limited Edition 2008 torpedo (6.2x54)
Pride Cigars Bandolero Billy the Kid (5x50)
Arturo Fuente Don Arturo Gran AniverXario Sungrown (6 1/4x44)
Vegas de Santiago Don Luis Secretos de Maestro Barber Pole torpedo (6 1/8x52)

92 pts.
Vegas de Santiago Don Luis Gordo (6x60)
La Gloria Cubana Serie N #58 (6 1/2x58)
Arturo Fuente Anejo Reserva #77 Shark (5 5/8x54)
Opus X Perfecxion no. 4 (5 3/16x43)
Warlock Churchill (7x54)
Room 101 LTD Conjura (4 3/4x50)
E. P. Carrillo New Wave Connecticut Divinos (6x52)
Graycliff Maroon torpedo (6x54)
E. P. Carrillo New Wave Connecticut Brillantes (5x50)
Don Pepin Garcia Los Imperialistas torpedo (6 1/8x52)
La Herencia de Cuba White Label torpedo (6 1/8x52)
Casa Magna Domus Magus Limitada (6 1/2x55)
Perdomo Exhibicion Connecticut churchill (7x54)
Savinelli Dos Compeones Coraje Esteliano (4 1/2x48)
Perdomo ESV 2002 Maduro Epicure (6x54)
Pride Ritual torpedo (6 1/4x54)
La Gloria Cubana Artesanos Retro Especiale Club (5 3/4x47)
Liga Undercrown Gran Toro (6x52)

There were many more very good cigars but these are the best. I enjoyed smoking each one of them and look forward to 2011 and a whole new batch of great cigars! I would like to thank you for reading my blog and please feel free to comment. Here's wishing everyone a great 2012!

Torano Family Cigar Co. hosts 2nd annual toy drive in Miami

(Miami, FL) December 19, 2011— Toraño Family Cigar Co. partnered up with media sponsors Cigar Snob Magazine, Social Florida Magazine, and South Florida Luxury Magazine along with local radio station 880 AM The Biz for the second annual Toraño Family Holiday Toy Drive this past Wednesday, December 7. This toy drive benefits Neat Stuff for Kids which is a Miami based non for profit organization whose main focus is to provide brand new clothing to children who come from abused and underprivileged homes.  

Jorge Guevara of 880 the Biz, Franklin Monjarrez of Neat Stuff for Kids and Carlos Llaca-Torano with toys collected at Toy Drive.

Toraño Family Cigar Co. hosted over 300 guests at Andalus restaurant located in the vibrant Design District in Miami. Guests were asked to bring an unwrapped toy to be part of this amazing gathering which featured Torano family’s award winning cigars and cocktails courtesy of Abuelo Rum and Chambord Vodka. Guests were also treated to delicious bites courtesy of Andalus which specializes in gourmet Spanish cuisine.

Jack Torano and Carlos Llaca-Torano

Toraño Family Cigar Co. was represented by Carlos Llaca-Toraño and Jack Toraño who provided a wide array of Toraño cigars to include new release Loyal. Guests smoked Toraño’s best under the Miami stars in Andalus’ smoker friendly terrace. Carlos and Jack were only happy to cut and light cigars for guests while sharing information with event goers about Toraño family history and its cigars blends.

Guests enjoying Torano cigars

Franklin Monjarrez, Executive Director of Neat Stuff for Kids who is a Toraño cigar smoker himself said, “It is special when a local company like Torano Family Cigar Co. cares enough about the community to once again host this amazing event benefiting our charity which helps those children who need help the most.

Charlie Toraño, President of Toraño Family Cigar Co. said,” We appreciate the support we receive from our community here in South Florida and the best way to show that appreciation is to give back to those who need help the most. Neat Stuff for Kids is truly an amazing organization that touches the lives of underprivileged children every day. We are grateful to have had the opportunity to host this Holiday event for the second time which brought awareness to its cause.”  

Arturo Fuente Anejo #48

Arturo Fuente Anejo #48 (7x48)

A dark, well made cigar. Arturo Fuente Anejo is one of the world’s rarest cigars. It features a dark maduro wrapper that is aged in cognac barrels. Each cigar is aged for 5 years and then cured an additional 6-8 months in cognac barrels to bring out the full potential of the tobacco used. The anejo features a blend of select tobaccos from the Opus X, Hemingway, and Don Carlos line, giving it a rich and vibrant flavor. Usually only available during Christmas time and Fathers Day.

 

I actually reviewed this cigar way back on January 9th or this year but let's take another shot at it. This cigar was provided by Cigars Direct.

 

 

Video review HERE.

 

 

The band clearly says Anejo on the bottom.

 

 

 

The test draw was very good. It is quite dense.

 

 

 

The cigar started off with coffee, molasses, and vanilla notes with a ton of black pepper. The cigar feels full bodied even at the outset.

 

About 1/2 inch in the cigar settled down into the same notes as above with the addition of leather notes. All the flavors in this cigar at this point are "dark". This cigar would probably pair well with coffee or bourbon (straight bourbon; no water or coke) The cigar is expected to take several turns. The finish is one of thick, sweet vanilla with some faint almond notes. The pepper lingers along the palate and on the tongue. The cigar is burning very evenly.

 

After only another 1/2 inch the cigar made a change to one of rich, sweet orange citrus. The coffee and leather notes are still there along with the black pepper. The cigar is quite rich at this point. You can taste the richness immediately on the draw! There are slight hints of almonds also; lightly roasted almonds.

 

About another 1/2 inch or so I decided to reevaluate my description of the rich notes. They now seem to be one of a rich tawny port. Yes, you could describe them as orange citrus but I'll stick with the tawny port description. The leather notes are more noticeable. All the flavors work well together.

 

With about 2 1/2 inches remaining the cigar has not changed much from my last description. The finish has more of a raw almond flavor along with the vanilla. The pepper has remained quite good. The last description of the main flavor as one of tawny port is still accurate. They are somewhat subdued at this point however. There was an addition of cedar notes. Other than that the cigar remains about the same.

 

 

 

At the end of the cigar it wrapped up very similar to my original review back in January. This is a very good, sweet cigar with lots of coffee notes and tawny port flavors. There are also leather and cedar notes. The pepper is very good. The finish is one of primarily vanilla but at times there is the addition of raw almond notes. This is a great cigar that you should try. They tend to not stay around long at local shops so act fast!

 

Score: 94

Cigar(s) of the Year coming!

I have reviewed 94 cigars so far this year with many of them including video reviews. There have been some very good cigars and I will highlight the top ones. 11 cigars actually achieved a rating of 94 or higher! That's impressive. Some were not as fortunate. Remember, these ratings are all based on my opinion and while you may not always agree with me the point of the review is to describe the cigar in such a way that you know what it's like before you try it. Then, after you have the cigar you can see what you think. Every one's tastes are different. I strive to be honest with my reviews. If I like a cigar you'll know it. I will never berate a cigar but if it's not for me I'll be sure to tell you that also.

Look for the year end recap of the top cigars next week!

As always, thank you for reading my blog and feel free to comment on anything you see here. I like to hear your feedback, be it good or bad.

Vegas de Santiago Don Luis Secretos del Maestro Barber Pole Torpedo

Vegas de Santiago Don Luis Secretos del Maestro Barber Pole Torpedo (6 1/8x52)

Vegas de Santiago is a small cigar factory in Costa Rica. Long time sponsors of our S.C. Sit Down, several of their cigars have been reviewed by me with very high marks. The VdS site describes the Don Luis this way:

We have created this cigar in memory of our late Cuban master Don Luis Lamas who was one of the 10 best in the world. We have chosen the finest tobaccos available in Nicaragua and Costa Rica for the filler plus a special leaf for a more sophisticated taste with an Indonesian binder and a Connecticut wrapper from Ecuador.

They also offer this cigar with an H2000 wrapper. This cigar appears to be made with a combination of the Connecticut and H2000 wrapper. It is a beautifully made barber pole torpedo with flawless construction. The cigar is very dense.

After cutting the cap the test draw was effortless. The initial flavors were a sweet combination of vanilla and raw almond with orange citrus and nice pepper. There are hints of cedar. The finish is one of sweet citrus with vanilla.

The cigar quickly gains richness. At the 3/4" point the orange citrus notes become more prominent and combine nicely with the vanilla. The almond notes take a lessor roll.  The pepper is starting to linger somewhat on the finish which is still a thick, sweet citrus with vanilla undertones. The cedar notes are still hanging around.

Perhaps the most amazing point about the VdS cigars is their price point. They are extremely affordable. Make no mistake, these are world class cigars. Holding one in your hand and inspecting it makes you aware of just how well made these cigars are. They are simply flawlessly made!

At the midpoint the raw almond notes are combining with the cedar notes much more. The vanilla notes  are also stronger. The orange citrus notes are subtle at this point. The finish is an interesting combination of cedar, vanilla, and subtle citrus. There is some lingering pepper.

This cigar would be described as medium bodied.

With 2 inches left the cigar  has changed back to one of rich orange citrus notes and vanilla! The cedar is also back with subtle almond notes. The pepper has increased slightly from the beginning of the cigar. The finish is back to sweet orange citrus, vanilla, and subtle almonds.

Just a bit further, with about an inch and a half left, the cigar has become quite rich. The richness appears to be coming from the almonds. The cedar notes are playing second place with the vanilla completing the flavors. The orange citrus notes appear to be subtle.

The cigar finished up with those citrus notes appearing again with the rich almond notes and nice pepper. The cedar notes are somewhat subtle along with the vanilla notes. The finish was more of a rich vanilla with cedar notes. Quite a good cigar that made some nice changes.

I am not sure if these cigars are a regular production of VdS but you should try them. They are quite good and have a fantastic price point! VdS makes some great cigars!

Score: 93

Casa Magna Colorado Belicoso

Casa Magna Colorado Belicoso (6 1/4x54)

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.

Casa Magna means great house. It is a Nicaraguan Puro. Casa Magna cigars are rolled in Nestor Plascencia's Segovia factory in Esteli, Nicaragua. Made with an oily Colorado wrapper and blended with Nicaraguan fillers and binder.

Casa Magna cigars are available at Cigars Direct.

The cigar has a beautiful reddish brown wrapper. Upon cutting the cap I gave it a test draw and it was effortless. I was a little concerned since the cigar is so dense.

(Because of time restrictions there is no video review.)

The first draws were heavy, sweet cinnamon and cedar with hints of citrus and almond with nice pepper. The finish was one of sweet vanilla.

About 3/4 inch in, where normally a cigar settles down into it's main flavors, this cigar remained one of heavy sweet cinnamon and cedar mainly. There are notes of coffee, vanilla and almond also. The hints of citrus are gone for now. We'll see if they return. The finish is still vanilla but now there are light almond notes.

At the 1 1/2 inch point the coffee notes are much stronger. They mix well with the cinnamon notes which are still the main flavor. There is still sweet vanilla and some roasted almond notes. The pepper is good but not heavy. The finish remains the same; vanilla and light almond notes.

At the midpoint the cigar has really not changed. I guess you could say it's consistent. For a Nicaraguan I'm a little surprised at the heavy cinnamon and cedar but it's a pleasing flavor.

The cigar all along has shown hints of becoming very rich but it just hasn't quite reached it. Oh, it's quite sweet but not fully rich. Here, with about 2 1/2 inches left the cigar show signs of ruby port flavors. These are just hints at this point and I'm curious is they will develop further.

The finish continues to be a very sweet vanilla with light almond notes. The cigar is full bodied.

As the cigar wound down it remained one of heavy, sweet cinnamon and cedar. The ruby port notes are still very faint and do not appear to be getting any stronger. There are still vanilla and almond notes but they are subtle. The pepper has really not changed and remains good but not overly strong. If you like cigars with lots of cinnamon and cedar notes you'll love this cigar.

Score: 90

Ashton VSG Spellbound

Ashton VSG Spellbound (7.50x54)

The Ashton cigars were born in 1985 when Robert Levin sought the creation of a marque cigar to revitalize his family’s Philadelphia-based company. Combining a Dominican filler with the finest Connecticut leaf wrapper, Levin unveiled a masterpiece renowned for its consistently high quality and aromatic excellence.

Continuous improvement and innovation have been the hallmarks of Ashton Cigars since its inception, and this visionary trait gave rise to the development and launch of the Ashton VSG in 1999. Retaining the excellent Dominican filler Levin’s company has always employed, the Ashton VSG would be made with the almost ethereal Ecuadorian “cloud leaf” wrapper, imparting a potency mellowed by a curiously sweet undertone.

The Ashton VSG has been consistently ranked among the best of the non-Cuban cigars since its debut. The VSG’s deep, rich, and dark color belies its tobacco’s affinity for the sun.

VSG is an abbreviation for Virgin Sun Grown.

Wrapper: Virgin Sun Grown Ecuadorian
Binder: Dominican Republic
Filler: Dominican Republic

Ashton VSG cigars are available at Cigars Direct.

Video review HERE. (the video has audio problems during the first segment. Those clear up after that point.)

The test draw was effortless especially for a very dense cigar.

The initial flavors were leather, cinnamon and light citrus notes. The finish was one of leather. It's early so let's see how it progresses.

 

 

About 1/4 inch in the flavors were leather, slightly sweet grapefruit citrus and vanilla. The finish is a citrus vanilla and some lingering pepper.

At about the one inch point the cigar developed a very nice richness. The vanilla became quite rich and it carried over to the finish.

 

 

 

Just a bit further the cigar developed notes of cinnamon. The burn is very even. The cigar has already shown signs of being quite complex.

The ash was very tight and easily got to 1 1/2 inches before it dropped off. The cigar is still very rich. It is full bodied. The pepper is nice on both ends. The finish has notes of ruby port and is very sweet.

Just a bit further the cigar had those ruby port flavors on the draw. They combine with the vanilla notes to give a very nice flavor. It seems the cigar changes almost every other minute! The cigar has flavors of ruby port, cinnamon and vanilla with hints of almond.

Just past the midpoint the ruby port flavors gave way to cinnamon and vanilla. The port flavors are still there but just subtle.

With about 2 inches left the cinnamon notes are in the lead. The vanilla notes round out the cigar. The finish is one of a thick, rich vanilla. Again the cigar has changed.

With about 1 1/2 inches left the leather notes are much more noticeable. The mix well with the cinnamon. The port flavors seem to be strong at some points and weaker at others. Vanilla seems to surround the other flavors. The pepper remains good on both ends. The finish is vanilla with subtle almond notes. At this point the cigar has been burning for 2 hours.

At the end of the cigar it had nice cinnamon notes with vanilla and subtle ruby port notes. The finish is one of thick, rich vanilla notes. This has to be one of the most complex cigars I've ever smoked! It is easily the best cigar I've had this year. I absolutely loved it!

 

 

Score: 97