CAO Brazilia Carnivale (6 1/2 x 60)

 

 

 

 

Video review HERE.

 

 

Named after the world’s hottest party, CAO Brazilia Carnivale is a spicy new twist on the Brazilia blend. By using the original Brazilia wrapper as a binder, cranking the blend up with more ligero and adding a rare Habano Grueso leaf, Rick Rodriguez and the CAO blending team developed this box-pressed beauty for the true CAO fan. This small batch cigar will only be available until the limited supply is sold out, so be on the lookout for the bright yellow, 12-count boxes at your favorite smoke shop.

Wrapper: Habano Grueso
Binder: Brazilian
Filler: Dominican, Honduran, Nicaraguan

 

 

 

 

This is the prototypical example of a "chocolate bar" cigar. It is beautiful to look at. The wrapper is oily, very oily. The box press lines are sharp. CAO did a great job on the esthetics's of this cigar. Now, what does it taste like?

 

 

The cigar has fantastic density. It feels very heavy in the hand.

 

 

The test draw after cutting the cap was great. For an extremely dense cigar the draw was fantastic! The initial flavors were a very strong espresso, sweet cedar, and light cream with some nutmeg. You can taste/feel the ligero already. The espresso overshadows the other flavors quite a bit.



About 1/2 inch in the cigar is not burning evenly. I am hopeful that it will self correct and it shows signs it will. The cedar and nutmeg are secondary to the espresso notes. There are also oak notes that have appeared. The cream has transitioned to the finish. The pepper is about a 5 but it may be overshadowed by the intense espresso. The cigar is medium to full bodied.

A few minutes later the cigar did indeed self correct.

About 1 1/2 inches in the cigar has settled down into a nice even mix of espresso, cedar, and nutmeg. The espresso notes have decreased somewhat to a more workable amount. The cigar is just shy of having some richness. The pepper has intensified to a 7 and that could be explained with the reduction in espresso.







The flavors are about the same at this point, which is the one hour point. The cigar became full bodied at about this point.

At the band the espresso and cedar notes are still nice and the nutmeg notes have decreased somewhat. The oak notes have really made a jump forward. The finish is about the same. At this point I'm at 1 hour 45 minutes. The burn is still off a little but it will also self correct in a few minutes.






At the end, which is 2 hours and 15 minutes, the cedar notes have a little sweetness but not a lot. The espresso is still your primary flavor. The nutmeg has about disappeared. The oak notes are still strong. The pepper and finish remained about the same. The cigar is full bodied and hit that at about the midpoint. For those of you who are familiar with the regular production Brazilia this cigar is nothing like it at all. This cigar is heavy with espresso notes. If you like heavy espresso/coffee noted cigars you will really like this cigar. For me, I could not smoke this cigar every day but it would make a great after dinner cigar, although it would be a very long smoke. If you missed your morning coffee this cigar would satisfy that need!

Score: 90

Saint Luis Rey Gen2 Toro (6 x 54)

Video review HERE.


Altadis has revamped their blend of the Saint Luis Rey and debuted the new Gen2. This cigar is fuller bodied than the original blend. The cigar consists of:

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sumatra
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan and Honduran


In an interview with Cigar Aficionado executive editor Gordon Mott, Altadis U.S.A.'s general manager Javier Estades said of the new line, "This is a fuller-bodied Saint Luis Rey. The traditional Saint Luis Rey was medium bodied, so this newer Saint Luis Rey is a completely different blend, but has the same identity to play off those same sweet spots."

The Gen2 comes  in three sizes: Robusto at 4 1/2 inches by 54 ring, Toro at 6 by 54 and Titan at 6 by 60. They all come in boxes of 21, and will range in price from $5.75 to $6.75 per cigar.

The cigar has nice density and feels weighty in the hand.

 

 

 

 

The test draw after cutting the cap was very good, just shy of effortless. The initial flavors were a sweet cedar and orange citrus in about a 50/50 split. The pepper is rated at a 6 and it's black pepper. There is a touch of cream in the cedar/citrus combination. The cigar is medium bodied at this point.

 

At the 1 inch point the flavors are about the same with the addition of leather notes at the base of the main flavors. The cedar/citrus combination is light but sweet. The finish is one of cream with a touch of lingering pepper. The cigar is still medium bodied but shows signs of moving further.







A couple inches in the citrus notes have changed to nutmeg. The cedar and leather are still about the same. The finish is now cream with some oak notes. The cigar is close to medium to full bodied now. The cigar is burning very evenly; not perfect but evenly.








About 2/3 the way in the sweet cedar is still prominent, with light nutmeg, light leather and some charred oak notes. The finish is one of cream and oak with hints of charred flavor. The cigar is medium to full bodied. As you can see I have removed the lower band.

The cigar ended much the same as it was in the last segment. This cigar lacked richness. The flavors stayed fairly consistent. Overall, the cigar didn't seem to hit on all cylinders for me but it was good. You certainly can't beat the price point. It is definitely worth trying and these should be on shelves now.

Score: 88

Cult Blood Red Moon Mini Corona (4 3/4 x 42)

Video review HERE.



Over the past several weeks I have reviewed the various Cult Cigars and I've been very impressed with all of them. Today I am reviewing the Blood Red Moon mini corona. This is a small ring cigar that comes in 5 packs. The picture above is the back of the Blood Red Moon pack.

The cigar is nice looking and a medium brown in color. Being a short cigar it is nicely designed for a fairly short smoke.

The cigar consists of:

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano
Binder: Nicaraguan
Premium Long Filler: Nicaraguan


Here is a shot of the foot:

 

 

 

 

 

The test draw after cutting the cap was very good with a touch of firmness. The initial flavors were dry cedar, sweet orange citrus, nutmeg, and dry oak notes. The pepper is pretty good at a 7 or 8 rating. The finish is one of a cream with some sweetness and nice lingering pepper.

 

 

 

About 1 inch in the burn is almost perfect. The nutmeg notes are very prominent now. The cedar notes have decreased but the citrus notes are still around, as well as the oak notes. The finish is a thick, long cream. The pepper is very good on both ends. I would call the cigar medium bodied but appears to be working it's way toward medium to full.

Just a bit further I noticed there are now cream notes on the back end of the nutmeg. They have taken the place of the cedar and citrus for the most part. The cream gives a smooth flavor finish on the front end. The actual finish is about the same, as well as the pepper intensity.










With about 1 1/2 inches remaining the nutmeg is still prominent. There are subtle cedar notes to go along with the cream. The oak is back and it's charred. The cigar seems to be somewhere between medium and medium to full. The cigar does not have a great deal of sweetness.

Here at the end the cedar made a resurgence. The nutmeg and cedar combine nicely. The cream notes have dissipated. The charred oak also made a tick upward. The finish, strength, and pepper remained the same. I wish the cigar had a little more sweetness. If it did it would be unstoppable! However, the flavor combination was very good and I enjoyed the cigar a lot. I am hopeful that my local shops will consider carrying this cigar. I think it would do very well. Again, I have been very impressed with the entire Cult line.

Score: 89

 

Martin Family Limited Edition 2013 (6x54)

 

 

 

 

Video review HERE.

 

 

This blend from Martin Family of Cigars was actually developed 10 years ago by the master blender himself, Pedro Martin. Not much is known about this cigar but it uses a vintage aged seven year wrapper. I suspect it is all Nicaraguan. The cigar is box pressed and very limited in production. Each box is numbered. Only 500 cigars are made due to the limited amount of wrapper. They were scheduled to be in shops in mid-April so they should be on shelves now.

 

 

As you can see this cigar is unbanded. The cigars that will appear in shops will have a band and I believe it will look like this:

 

 

 

The cigar is a dark brown and well made. It had a nice feel in the hand and was quite dense.

 

The test draw after cutting the cap was effortless. The initial flavors were a very light, sweet, citrus/cedar combination with pepper at about a 7 or 7 1/2.




About 3/4 inch in the flavors are a cocoa/cedar combination with light earth notes. The pepper remains very good. The finish is a sweet cream with cedar notes with some lingering pepper. At this point the cigar is medium bodied.

About 1 1/2 inch in the cedar has a charred taste. The cocoa is still nice. The combination of the two is starting to show signs of richness. The earth notes are subtle and are noticed at the end of the spice. The finish is more of a toasted cream with light cedar notes. The cigar is still medium bodied.




About 2/3 the way in the cedar notes are now dry. They are still charred and combine nicely with the thick cocoa flavor. The two are about a 50/50 split. The richness is not there anymore but the cigar still has a subtle sweetness. The cigar is now medium to full bodied and is burning nicely.

Here at the end the flavors stayed consistent. This cigar is full of cocoa notes and they combine nicely with the dry, charred cedar. The cigar has some sweetness but it's not overly sweet. The finish is long and pleasing with the toasted cream notes. The pepper has been very good on both ends. These cigars are very limited and if you can find them you should buy them quickly as they will not be around long!

Score: 92

MOYA RUIZ CIGARS IS ADDING A 6 x 60 VITOLA TO LA JUGADA - PRIETO LINE

May 17, 2013 (Miami, FL) - Moya Ruiz Cigars has announced they are adding a 6 x 60 vitola called Ancho to their La Jugada - Prieto line. The line is available in five sizes, Robusto (5 x 52), Belicoso (6-1/8 x 52), Toro (6 x 52), Doble Corona (7-1/2x49), and now Ancho (6 x 60).

The Ancho vitola is now available and ready to ship to retailers. It is presented in boxes of 20 cigars with an MSRP of $8.80 a cigar.

Moya Ruiz Cigars introduced their first cigar brand in late 2012 called La Jugada - Prieto, which is Spanish for “the move” or “the play”. This was an ode to their love for dominoes and poker. La Jugada - Prieto is med-to-full bodied and comes in a dark San Andres Maduro wrapper with binder and filler from Nicaragua. The La Jugada - Prieto is full of complex flavors like, cedar, sweet spice, expresso, and dark chocolate. This is one of the first side lines blended and rolled at Erik Espinosa’s La Zona Factory in Esteli, Nicaragua. Danny Moya and Nelson Ruiz are the men behind the Moya Ruiz Cigar company. For more information visit their Facebook page at facebook.com/moyaruizcigars

LA GLORIA CUBANA TO LAUNCH ITS FIRST NICARAGUAN CIGARS

La Gloria Cubana® is making a bold departure from its Dominican roots with the launch of two new Nicaraguan collections, the first-ever La Glorias to have Nicaragua as the country of origin. Both expressions will mark the expansion of the top-selling Serie R line which started the large ring, full flavor craze back in 1999.

According to Michael Giannini, General Cigar’s director of innovation, “When Serie R debuted, we established a market for bold cigars, and inspired other manufacturers to follow suit. We’re shaking things up again, by further expanding the size and flavor spectrum of our cigars with two unique and different full-flavored Nicaraguan blends, each in ultra-large ring gauges. Both new collections are trend setters in the making.”

The first of the two new Nicaraguan collections is a puro called Serie R Black. The blend features viso leaves from Jalapa and Esteli, and a Jalapa viso binder. The use of Jalapa viso as a binder and in the blend speaks to the spectacular characteristics of this tobacco, which was cultivated by a small, independent grower named Pedro Joaquin Guardian. It was Pedro who took a bold step by raising the tobacco on several small, unconnected plots on the craggy Jalapa mountainside. The blend is punctuated with an audacious Jalapa ligero wrapper. Harvested from the 2009 crop, this flavorful tobacco was fermented for an entire year, and aged for two and a half years.

Serie R Black debuts with a trio of brawny frontmarks, each in 18-count boxes. This includes: No 58 (6.87” x 58, SRP $6.99); No 60 (6” x 60, SRP $7.24) and No 64 (6.25” x 64, SRP $7.49). This collection will only be available for purchase through Internet/catalog retailers.

Initial details about the second Serie R offering will be released in June, with a full reveal in July at the IPCPR trade show in Las Vegas. This new line will be a brick and mortar exclusive.

Giannini noted, “What’s also significant about both new blends is that they have the full flavor that’s characteristic of Nicaraguan tobacco, but they’re not about power. They are meant to deliver the smoking experience of a well-aged, refined and balanced Nicaraguan smoke, and we believe we’re delivering that in spades.”

About La Gloria Cubana

La Gloria Cubana cigars are produced by General Cigar Co. Inc., a division of Scandinavian Tobacco Group, which manufactures and markets handcrafted cigars for the premium market. Committed to delivering cigars of the finest quality, General Cigar’s skilled artisans produce Macanudo®, Cohiba®,  La Gloria Cubana, Punch®, CAO®, Partagas®, Hoyo de Monterrey®, Excalibur® and several other leading premium brands in the company’s Dominican, Honduran and Nicaraguan factories. In addition, the company cultivates proprietary tobacco which is used exclusively in its blends. General Cigar also operates Club Macanudo®, a cigar bar in New York City. Based in Richmond, VA, General Cigar sells through tobacconists nationwide and also exports select products to 62 countries. For more information, please visit www.cigarworld.com.

® La Gloria Cubana, El Credito, Macanudo, Cohiba, Punch, Partagas, Hoyo de Monterrey, Excalibur and Club Macanudo are registered trademarks of General Cigar Co. Inc.

4/19 Robusto by Juanitos Cigarros (5 x 50)

Video review HERE.


Juanitos Cigarros is a boutique cigar company which makes their cigars in the Dominican Republic. They utilize tobaccos from various regions in the Caribbean. The owner, Juan Carlos Jimenez, makes his home in Beaufort, South Carolina.

A month before this year's S.C. Sit Down Juan paid me a visit at my office. He is a very nice guy with a great sense of humor. Juan was born in Cuba and left many years ago. He became interested in the cigar industry at the age of 5 when he took his first puff of a cigar. He fell in love with them immediately. In 1997 he founded Juanitos Cigarros which primarily makes private label cigars with many of them going to the European market.

Today's cigar is probably Juan's favorite. The numbers 4/19 signify the date he left Cuba. This cigar is comprised of:

Wrapper:  Connecticut Shade / Ecuador - Natural

Filler:  Blend of Four Aged Tobaccos: Cuban seed, Habano (Nicaragua / Honduras), Olor (Cibao Valley) & Ligero / Seco Piloto Cubano (Dominican Republic)

​

Binder:  de Olor / Dominican Republic 

 

The cigar is well made and has a nice density. 

The test draw after cutting the cap was effortless. The initial flavors were a sweet cedar with some nice cream notes. The pepper is at a 4 or 5 at this early stage. There is a touch of citrus which add some sweetness. The cigar is mild to medium at this point.




About 1 inch in the flavors now are a nice, sweet cedar/orange citrus combination. The sweetness is very thick but not rich at this point. There are also earth and a touch of coffee. The pepper has intensified to a 6. The finish is a toasted cream with oak notes. The cigar has also increased to medium bodied. The cigar is burning very evenly also.

With a couple inches remaining the cigar is very nice. From the 2 inch point until now the combination of sweet cedar and orange citrus kept increasing in intensity. There is a touch of richness now. In the place of the earth notes you now have a charred oak flavor. The cedar and citrus combination was so sweet and intense it tasted like a cherry syrup. This cigar must be smoked very slowly or will miss a lot of these flavors. The cigar is medium bodied and very enjoyable.

This cigar could easily be a great morning cigar for me. The sweet cedar/orange citrus notes remained very good. The lightly charred oak notes gave it a nice base. The finish remained consistent at a toasted cream with oak notes. The pepper remained at a 6 rating. This cigar took about one hour to smoke. I appreciate Juan sending this cigar for me to try. Obviously he took a lot of time to create this cigar. For inquiries about purchasing his cigars go to his website.

Score: 89