Anastasia Habano Opera (6 x 52)

Video review HERE.

(Description taken from Cigar-Coop.com website)

The Caldwell Anastasia, a limited edition collaboration between Caldwell Cigar Company and Ernesto Perez-Carrillo Jr. that was introduced at the 2016 IPCPR Trade Show is back. At the 2018 Trade Show, Anastasia returns but this time with a slightly modified blend and slightly modified look.

According to Caldwell Cigar Company, the difference between the 2016 version and the 2018 version is the wrapper. The 2018 version uses a higher priming tobacco because of limited availability of the 2016 version. In terms of the specifics of the blend, Caldwell isn’t disclosing the details.

The Anastasia 2018 version is available in the same four sizes as before: Caspia (5 3/4 x 43), Kartel (5 x 49), Mercure (7 x 47), and Opera (6 x 52). Packaging also remains in 20-count boxes. The one difference is the secondary band for the 2018 version is blue as opposed to the green secondary version on the 2016 edition.

Anastasia pays homage to the Grand Duchess Anastasia, the daughter of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia. She and her family were executed at the hands of the Bolsheviks in 1918. Caldwell Cigars also has a line that pays homage to Tsar Nicholas II – The Last Tsar.

The only difference in the look of this cigar and the original from 2016 is the gold cloth band at the foot. This designates the habano version. The cigar has an average to light feel in the hand.

The test draw after cutting the cap was good. The initial flavors at light up were pink grapefruit, brown sugar, cinnamon, an above average of nutmeg, light leather, and black coffee at the base. There was average black pepper rated at a 7. The cigar has a lot of sweetness but it also has a lot of sweetness detractors in the form of nutmeg and leather.

At the first third (21 minutes) the flavors are pretty much like the started. Instead of a pink grapefruit you have a standard citrus flavor. I still had the brown sugar and cinnamon. The leather is elevated along with the black coffee. The nutmeg is about the same as it was initially. The cigar has nice sweetness but it is not rich. The finish is sweet cream with some nutmeg accents and nice lingering black pepper. The cigar is medium bodied at this point. The cigar is nice at this point. I rated the first third at 92.

At the second third (52 minutes) the cigar is burning pretty evenly. The main flavor is now more of a cedar rather than a citrus. The nutmeg and leather are rather subtle at this point. There are now some light roasted nut notes. The brown sugar and cinnamon are still there giving some sweetness. The cigar is a low grade medium to full bodied. The finish actually has some citrus notes to go along with the cream and nutmeg. The cigar is good but not great. I believe the original Anastasia is a better cigar. I rated the second third at 90.

The cigar lasted 1 hour 17 minutes. Not a very long burn time for a toro. In the final third some of the citrus notes came back to join the cedar notes. I noted some cream notes on the front end. The roasted nuts were still in play. The brown sugar and cinnamon gave the cigar all the sweetness it had. The leather and nutmeg pretty much disappeared. The cigar is good but not overly special. The final third was rather ordinary. It seemed to tail off after the first third. I rated the final third at 88. 

Overall Score: 90

Camacho Imperial Stout Barrel Aged (6 x 50 Toro)

Video review HERE.

(Description taken from Cigar-Coop.com website)

The Camacho Imperial Stout Barrel-Aged is limited edition collaborative project between Camacho Cigars and cigar media brand Cigar Dojo. It is an extension of the recent barrel-aged projects that have been released from Camacho. Many are familiar with the Camacho American Barrel-Aged, a blend that uses a corojo leaf in the filler that was aged in a bourbon barrel. Recently Camacho released the Camacho Nicaraguan Barrel-Aged, which uses a corojo leaf aged in a rum barrel. The new Camacho Imperial Stout Barrel-Aged uses a corojo leaf aged in a beer barrel. In this case, the beer is a bourbon barrel-aged version Ten FIDY by Oskar Blues.

Eric Guttormson, owner of Cigar Dojo, wanted to work with Ten FIDY by Oskar Blues, brewed out of Longmont Colorado. The problem was that Ten FIDY lacked the barrel-aged requirement for the project. However, Guttormson learned the Oskar Blues brewery had just finished an effort involving barrel-aging the Ten FIDY recipe. The company had used 30 barrels for the project. Guttormson managed to secure four of the barrels that had been used to age the beer. The four barrels selected for this project were actually whiskey barrels from Heaven Hill Distilleries, located in Bardstown, Kentucky and the producer of other Dojo favorites—such as Larceny, Elijah Craig, and Parker’s Heritage. The barrels were shipped to Camacho in Danlí, Honduras.

From there Camacho placed original Corojo tobaccos into the beer and whiskey-soaked barrels for a minimum of six months. One difference with this project as opposed to other beer barrel-aged projects is that the tobaccos were allowed to ferment inside the barrels.

The concept of developing a cigar using tobacco aged in a barrel that was previously used to age beer which was previously used to age bourbon is not a new one. The Asylum Dragon’s Milk used a similar concept. Dragon’s Milk is one of several barrel-aged beers offered by New Holland Brewery. It is a stout that is aged in the same barrels that have been used to age bourbon. Besides the fact that different beers were used in the barrels, there is one fundamental difference between the Asylum Milk and Camacho Imperial Stout Barrel-Aged: The Asylum Dragon’s Milk aged the entire cigar in the barrel while the Camacho Imperial Stout Barrel-Aged only ages Corojo tobacco used in the filler in the barrel.

Blend Profile

If the blend of the Camacho Imperial Stout looks familiar, that’s because it uses the same blend components as the popular Camacho Triple Maduro. The one exception is that the Corojo Maduro leaf in the filler was aged in the bourbon beer barrels.  The cigar is produced at the new Diadema Cigars de Honduras, S.A. in Danlí, Honduras.

Wrapper: San Andres Maduro (Mexico)

Binder: Original Corojo Maduro (Honduras)

Filler: Barrel-Aged Original Corojo Maduro (Honduras), Brazilian Maduro, Dominican Maduro

Factory: Diadema Cigars de Honduras, S.A. (Honduras)

Vitolas Available

The Camacho Imperial Stout Barrel-Aged is being offered in one size – a 6 x 50 Toro.  The cigar is packaged in dark-wrap soft-bundles.

The cigar is dark and well made. It features a main band and a band at the foot. The cigar has a nice feel in the hand.

The test draw after cutting the cap was good. The initial flavors at light up were a little hard to pin down but I settled on cedar, brown sugar, a lot of cinnamon, spiced apple, underlying leather, chocolate, and black coffee. There was a nice amount of black pepper which I rated at 7 1/2 to 8. The flavors of cedar, brown sugar, cinnamon, and spiced apple give an almost liquid feel as they wash the palate with sweetness. Surprisingly, the chocolate notes are not that intense. Especially for a cigar that uses a lot of maduro tobaccos.

At the first third (28 minutes) the flavors have settled down and mixed exquisitely. You can almost throw out my initial description entirely. You now have a very sweet, tangy orange citrus, tons of brown sugar and cinnamon, chocolate, and black coffee. The chocolate notes really came out. There is a thin thread of a fresh, clean leather. The cigar is very sweet. The finish is one of a candy-like caramel and decent lingering black pepper. I would call the cigar a medium plus strength at this point. This cigar is very sweet and tasty. For the first third I rated the cigar at 94.

At the second third (1 hour 15 minutes) the cigar has changed somewhat. You no longer have the sweet, tangy citrus notes. They are now a cedar and there are still plenty of brown sugar and cinnamon notes attached. There are much more chocolate notes and much more black coffee notes. The thin thread of leather is still there. The finish is still caramel but now there are light leather notes also. The lingering black pepper has increased. The cigar is a high end medium to full bodied. Personally, I liked the cigar a little better in the first third but it's still very good. For the second third I rated the cigar at 93.

The cigar lasted 1 hour 39 minutes. In the final third I got less cedar notes and more chocolate and coffee notes. The brown sugar decreased, as well as the cinnamon. But, the chocolate notes gave the cigar sweetness. The cigar is full bodied now. The finish is unchanged. This cigar has gone through some big changes. But, it is still quite good. Each change made the cigar interesting. At this point the cigar is rather dark. For the final third I rated the cigar at 92. These are priced around $10 each so they are affordable. If this cigar sounds like something you'd like you can purchase them HERE.

Overall Score: 93

Viaje Scotch Bonnet (4 7/8 x 50)

Video review HERE.

(Description taken from Cigar-Coop.com and AtlanticCigar.com websites)

Viaje announced the fifth installment to its series of cigars with a pepper theme, the Viaje Scotch Bonnet. 

Previously reviewed Pepper Series:

Carolina Reaper

Ghost Pepper

Jalapeno

A Scotch Bonnet is a variety of chili pepper that bears a resemblance to a Tam o’shanter cap worn by the British military. Shortly after announcing the Scotch Bonnet and offering it to its authorized retailers, Viaje reported they sold out of the inventory.

Details of the Scotch Bonnet blend have not been disclosed, but the cigar will keep to the 4 7/8 x 50 shape of the other Viaje “peppers”. The cigars will be packaged in 25-count boxes.

The Viaje Scotch Bonnet follows the Viaje Jalapeño, Viaje Ghost Pepper, Viaje GP 10.31, and Viaje Carolina Reaper releases. Recently Viaje announced it was retiring the Viaje Ghost Pepper.

Shape Figurado

Size 4 7/8 x 50

Strength Full

Wrapper Nicaraguan Habano

Color Colorado Maduro

Binder / Filler Nicaragua / Nicaragua

Grade Hand Rolled / Long Filler

Blender Andre Farkas

Manufacturer TABSA Factory

The cigar is the typical size and shape of the others in the Pepper Series. Here is a shot of the foot.

Even with the small opening in the foot the test draw after cutting the cap was very good. The initial flavors at light up were a nice citrus but it's matched by equal amounts of nutmeg, quite a bit or earthy black coffee, leather, and black pepper rated at 8 1/2 initially. 

At the first third (15 minutes) there isn't much of a citrus note any more. It's now more of a sweet cedar with some brown sugar. There are also some nice sweet cream notes. There are still plenty of leather and nutmeg notes and a nice earthy black coffee base. The pepper has toned down to around a 7 1/2. The finish is one of sweet cream and a little underlying nutmeg with decent lingering black pepper. The cigar is medium to full bodied. This cigar is quite different from the other cigars in the Pepper Series. For the first third I rated the cigar at 92.

At the second third (40 minutes) the cedar and brown sugar are struggling to be noticed. I am now getting some dark chocolate notes in the mix. There are still plenty of nutmeg, leather, and black coffee notes. The cigar is still medium to full bodied. The finish has a little influence of the dark chocolate along with the cream and nutmeg. The lingering black pepper seems to be up. The cigar transitioned away from the sweetness it originally had. I rated the second third at 90.

The cigar lasted 58 minutes. Some of the sweet cedar and brown sugar returned in the final third, which was nice. All the other flavors are still in play. The cigar finished at medium to full bodied. The finish is pretty much unchanged although it's a little sweeter also. I found this to be a good cigar but not overwhelming. I rated the final third at 91.

Overall Score: 91

Ramon Allones Toro by AJ Fernandez (6 x 52) [2019 review]

Video review HERE.

You are not seeing things. This is indeed another review of the Ramon Allones toro. I first reviewed this cigar July 8th, 2018 shortly after it debuted. At that time it received a nice overall rating of 92. But, something told me these may improve with some time in the humidor. In early December I purchased a box of the toros and they have improved each time I smoked one. So, I decided it was necessary to pass that information along to you and review it again. Even though this cigar was included in last year's year end scores it will also be included in this year's as it is within my self imposed limit of 2 years. (cigars that debuted this year and last year)

(Description taken from Cigar-Coop.com website)

Montecristo, Romeo y Julieta, H. Upmann, Gispert, Hoyo de Monterrey, Punch, and Ramon Allones are all legendary Cuban brands. They are also brands being produced by AJ Fernandez‘s Tabacalera Fernandez in Estelí. While Fernandez is producing Montecristo, Romeo y Julieta, H. Upmann, and Gispert for Tabacalera U.S.A.; and Hoyo de Monterrey and Punch for General, when it comes to Ramon Allones it is a different story. Last year came word that Ramon Allones would also be produced by Fernandez. The difference with this brand compared to the others is that sales and distribution would be handled by AJ Fernandez Cigars. In a nutshell, General Cigar had made a decision to essentially license the brand to AJ Fernandez Cigars. While Ramon Allones has a storied history in Cuba, when it comes to the U.S. market, it’s been more of a struggle. Just before the 2018 IPCPR Trade Show, the Ramon Allones by AJ Fernandez was released.

When Ramon Allones was a part of Foundry, it was more of a value-priced cigar. At the same time, there was some controversy about the move toward a more contemporary packaging of the brand. These two things would change with the AJ Fernandez version. The AJ Fernandez version would return to a more classic packaging. Over the past four years, AJ Fernandez had definitely made an impact in the value-priced market. At the time of the release of the Ramon Allones by AJ Fernandez, it would become the most premium offering in the AJ Fernandez portfolio to date – priced between $12.00 to $15.00.

The blend for the Ramon Alllones by AJ Fernandez is a Nicaraguan puro. The cigar is highlighted by a dark high priming hybrid-seed wrapper that is referred to as a Habano Oscuro Medio Tiempo grown on Fernandez’s farm.

Blend

Wrapper: Nicaraguan Habano Oscuro Medio Tiempo

Binder: Nicaraguan

Filler: Nicaragua

Country of Origin: Nicaragua

Factory: Tabacalera Fernandez

Vitolas Offered

The Ramon Allones by AJ Fernandez is available in four sizes. Each is presented in 20-count boxes.

Robusto: 5 1/2 x 50

Torpedo: 5 1/2 x 54

Toro: 6 x 52 REVIEWED TODAY

Churchill: 7 x 50

The cigar is very dark and well made. The band is ornate and regal looking. The cigar has a nice dense feel in the hand.

The test draw after cutting the cap was good. The initial flavors at light up were a nice, sweet, tangy orange citrus, brown sugar, leather, cinnamon, nutmeg, and black coffee. There was a tremendous amount of black pepper initially which I rated at 8 1/2. In a nutshell these flavors are just about everything I want in a cigar. 

At the first third (28 minutes) the cigar is burning evenly. The flavors at this point are just like I described initially. The citrus, nutmeg, and leather form almost a liquid and it flows across the palate making a sweet, thick flavor. The flavors are even in intensity. The black coffee holds a nice base but it's not very noticeable. The brown sugar adds sweetness and the cinnamon adds a nice tingle. The cigar has a darkness to it but the extreme sweetness from the citrus and brown sugar even it out nicely. The finish has the slightest amount of citrus but a large amount of nutmeg and dashes of leather with some modest lingering black pepper. The cigar is medium to full bodied at this point. For me, the cigar is just about perfect at this point. I decided to be conservative with my first third rating and score the cigar at a 96.

At the second third (1 hour 4 minutes) the cigar is still burning evenly. The cigar is now full bodied. The citrus is now more of a sweet cedar and it's getting some added sweetness from some caramel. The brown sugar is now more fluid; more of a caramel flavor. There is still plenty of nutmeg and leather. The coffee has risen to even out all the flavors. The cigar is very much in balance. The finish is pretty much unchanged in flavors but there is a little more lingering black pepper. On the front end the black pepper has toned down to a 7 1/2. The cigar remains very tasty. The second third score is also a 96.

The cigar lasted 1 hour 27 minutes. It continued to burn evenly. Not much changed in the final third. The same flavors continued. The cigar is very full bodied. Everything mixes so well in this cigar. It is powerful and flavorful. A little time in the humidor really helps this cigar. It was good when I initially reviewed it and it is better today. I maintained the score of 96 for the final third. These are great cigars that should be on every one's radar. Definitely box worthy. You can purchase this fine cigar HERE.

 

Overall Score: 96

Jessi Flores to Leave Drew Estate to Pursue New Business Ventures

Thursday, February 14, 2019 — Miami, FL – Drew Estate, a global manufacturer and distributor of premium cigars announced today that Jessi Flores, Director of Subculture Studios, is leaving the company to pursue new business ventures.

Jessi is a twenty-year veteran, having joined Drew Estate in 1999 after founder Jonathan Drew discovered his unique style of street art on the walls of Estelí, Nicaragua.  During his tenure, Mr. Flores has been a driving force behind the growth of Subculture Studios, the well-recognized and often-awarded art studio of Drew Estate.

“My years at Drew Estate have been incredible, and I am so proud to have played a role with our employees, our customers and our loyal fans to make Drew Estate the best company in the cigar business,” said Flores.  “The most special part of the experience has been working with the many artists of Subculture Studios, and seeing them grow as artists, as people, and as friends.  I know that I leave Subculture in great hands, and that it will continue to create innovative and beautiful art for Drew Estate.  I want to thank everyone at Drew Estate and all fans of Subculture Studios for an unbelievable twenty-year ride together.  I especially want to thank Jonathan Drew for taking a chance on a young street artist.  Now is the right time for me to pursue new opportunities.”

“Beyond building Subculture Studios into a game changing artistic workshop, Jessi’s creative spirit and extraordinary artistic talent have been a centerpiece in the culture of Drew Estate itself,” said Jonathan Drew, Founder and President of Drew Estate.  “After so many years of singular focus, we understand Jessi’s need to expand his scope of creativity and explore new ventures.”

Drew Estate CEO Glenn C. Wolfson added, “It is a testament to Jessi’s many years of focus and hard work that he is able to move forward at this time in his career knowing that his legacy at Subculture Studios will be well protected by the marvelous cadre of artists that he personally recruited and trained over the years.  We are pleased to announce that Richard “Dog” Diaz, will be taking over responsibility for the creative design work of Subculture, and Marvin Montoya, will be taking over responsibility for artwork production and logistics.  Both Dog and Marvin have been key artists and leaders at Subculture for many years, and we have total confidence that their experience and skill sets will keep Subculture producing show stopping art for years to come.”

“The entire team at Drew Estate is thankful for Jessi’s valuable contributions to the growth of the company since its early years,” said Wolfson.  “He will always be a part of the fabric of Drew Estate, and we wish him the very best as he embarks upon his journey into new business ventures.”

OLD video reviews!

When I first started doing video reviews I had another channel called ticotych. Yeah, I know, weird name, but here is a link to all those videos.

Now, these are my first videos and I hope I've made some improvements since then but I thought you might like to see the "missing video reviews."

I welcome your comments but please try to be kind! :D

Man, these are OLD!!!!

Deliverance Nocturne Perfecto by Black Label Trading Company (5 x 56)

Video review HERE.

(Description taken from Cigar-Coop.com website)

Deliverance Nocturne has been a staple of the Deliverance line since 2015. In addition to a Pennsylvania Broadleaf wrapper, the blend features a Nicaraguan Habano binder and Nicaraguan and Pennsylvania tobaccos in the filler. Nocturne is being released in two sizes for 2018 – Perfecto (5 x 56) and the Short Salomon “Snub Nose” (4 3/4 x 40 x 56). The Perfectos are presented in 20-count boxes while the Short Salomon Snub Nose” is presented in 18-count boxes. Both vitolas are priced at $10.50 per cigar.

The Deliverance Nocturne is produced at Fabrica Oveja Negra in Estelí, Nicaragua.

“This is the 4th release of Deliverance Nocturne. The Nocturne highlights everything I love about PA Broadleaf, the rich, complex and bold earthiness of the wrapper highlights the unique blend of this cigar," commented James Brown, creator of BLTC and partner at Fabrica Oveja Negra in a press release.

Blend info:

Wrapper: Pennsylvania Broadleaf

Binder: Nicaraguan Habano

Filler: Nicaraguan and Pennsylvania

Country of Origin: Nicaragua

Factory: Fabrica Oveja Negra

Vitolas available:

Perfecto: 5 x 56 REVIEWED TODAY

Short Salomon Snub Nose: 4 3/4 x 40 x 56

The cigar is well made and a pleasure to see. It has an average feel in the hand.

The test draw after cutting the minimum from the very pointed cap was very good. The initial flavors at light up were cedar, quite a bit of nutmeg, light chocolate, earthy black coffee, worn leather, some brown sugar, and black pepper which I rated at 7 1/2. The leather and nutmeg combine to create a sour flavor. 

At the first third (21 minutes) the flavor notes are just like they were previously with one exception. I am starting to get some of that baby aspirin orange citrus combining with the cedar. It's around 60% cedar to 40% citrus. But, those sweeter flavors are pushed aside by the leather and black coffee. The chocolate notes are subtle and seem to act as a bridge along with the nutmeg. The finish is chocolate and nutmeg with a minor amount of lingering black pepper. There are more nutmeg notes than chocolate. The cigar is on the fence for me at this point. I could go either way depending on how the cigar transitions. For the first third I rated the cigar at 90.

At the second third (41 minutes) the cigar is burning very evenly. Here where the cigar is the largest ring the sweet notes are no where to be found. The cedar and baby aspirin citrus are undetectable. Obviously the large amount of filler in this area have washed away some flavors. The flavors of nutmeg, leather, and black coffee have taken over. Even the chocolate notes have disappeared. The pepper is still good. The cigar is medium to full bodied. The finish is leather and nutmeg, which is not a very tasty combination. The lingering black pepper has improved. I rated the second third at 85.

The Nocturne Perfecto lasted 1 hour 2 minutes. In the final third some of the cedar and orange citrus came back. Not to the point they were in the first third but it vastly improved over the midpoint. There is still plenty of nutmeg, leather, and earthy black coffee. No chocolate notes returned. The cigar improved somewhat. The cigar is a low grade full bodied. The finish now has a small amount of citrus making it one of leather, nutmeg, and light citrus with good lingering black pepper. I have no doubt that fans of these cigars will like. In fact, it reminds me very much of the Nocturne Perfecto that I reviewed last year. For the final third, with the resurgence of the sweeter flavors (somewhat) I raised the score to 88. (Last year's cigar received an overall score of 88.) You can purchase these cigars HERE.

Overall Score: 87.67

Deliverance Porcelain by Black Label Trading Company (5 1/2 x 48)

Video review HERE.

(Description taken from Cigar-Coop.com website)

Deliverance Porcelain is a cigar that was first showcased at the 2018 IPCPR Trade Show. In addition to the Connecticut Shade wrapper, it features a Nicaraguan Habano binder and Nicaraguan and Pennsylvania tobaccos in the filler. Porcelain is available in one size – a 5 1/2 x 48 Corona Gorda. It is packaged in 16-count boxes and priced at $10.00 per cigar.

The Deliverance Porcelain are produced at Fabrica Oveja Negra in Estelí, Nicaragua.

"The Porcelain has a different profile from what you might expect. This is a Connecticut that is geared towards our consumers,” commented James Brown, creator of BLTC and partner at Fabrica Oveja Negra in a press release.

Wrapper: Connecticut

Binder: Nicaraguan Habano

Filler: Nicaraguan and Pennsylvania

Country of Origin: Nicaragua

Factory: Fabrica Oveja Negra

Corona Gorda: 5 1/2 x 48

The cigar looks every bit the part of a Connecticut shade cigar. The white band with silver lettering is a bit hard to read but it seems to fit a cigar called porcelain. It has an average feel in the hand and is finished in a tight pigtail cap.

The foot displays some dark tobacco.

The test draw after cutting the cap was firm but workable. The initial flavors at light up were a subtle tangerine citrus with brown sugar. The reason it was subtle is due to the massive amount of white chocolate. It is the dominant flavor with the citrus and brown sugar playing second fiddle. The white chocolate is very sweet. There is a light black coffee base but you will probably not notice it due to the extreme sweetness of the white chocolate, citrus, and brown sugar. There was a nice white pepper on the front end rated at a 7 and a black pepper on the finish. This is a very sweet cigar.

At the first third (31 minutes) there are now tangy citrus/cedar notes and they have increased. Along with it the brown sugar has also increased. The white chocolate is still there but it no longer is the lead flavor. Instead all the flavors are in about the same amount and work well together. There are also some light cinnamon notes. There is still a light black coffee base. The pepper still seems to be white on the front end and black on the finish. The finish is one of white chocolate and cream with nice lingering black pepper. The cigar is medium bodied at this point. This is a very different cigar from your typical Black Label Trading Company cigar. But, in a good way. I rated the first third at 93.

At the second third (1 hour 3 minutes) the white chocolate notes decreased and in their place, or going along with them were sweet chocolate notes. Also, some nutmeg has entered the picture. In this case the nutmeg slight took away some of the overall appeal of the cigar. Not much, but some. The cigar is full bodied now. The front end is more of a cedar with brown sugar now. It's gone away from the citrus. The finish now has a touch of the chocolate to go along with the cream and white chocolate. With the slight loss of overall appeal due to the nutmeg I lowered the second third score to 92.

The cigar lasted 1 hour 32 minutes. That's a fantastic burn time for a 5 1/2" corona gorda! The regular sweet chocolate notes really came out in the final third. The white chocolate pretty much went away. You're left with cedar, brown sugar, cinnamon, chocolate, and black coffee. The black coffee also went up in the final third. The nutmeg still floated in the mix. The cigar is full bodied but it's a low grade full bodied. The finish is unchanged. This cigar really went through some changes. It's a good cigar but I really liked it the way it was in the first third. I rated the final third at 91.

 Overall Score: 92

Cohiba Connecticut debuts from General Cigar

The artisans of Cohiba are proud to unveil COHIBA CONNECTICUT, a super-premium release that marks an important milestone for the brand, as this is the first Cohiba to be wrapped in Connecticut Shade.

Cohiba Brand Ambassador Sean Williams said, “Our agronomists partnered with an independent grower in Ecuador’s Los Rios province to produce a silky and lustrous Ecuadoran Connecticut Shade wrapper. Unlike cloth-covered fields that shield the tobacco from the blistering sun in Connecticut, this special wrapper is grown beside Ecuador’s Vinces River and beneath the thick, natural cloud cover that blankets the region. The volcanic soil yielded a wrapper that was intentionally developed for its aesthetic qualities, with veins that are barely perceptible. Looks aside, the wrapper is ideal for blending, as it maximizes the filler and binder leaves.”

Brazilian Mata Fina and Dominican Piloto Cubano lend complexity to the blend, and Nicaraguan Jalapa enhances the strength of the cigar, while Dominican Olor adds depth to the smoke. A Mexican San Andrean binder complements the filler leaves and delivers optimal combustibility. This is a mild-to-medium-bodied smoke with a rich aroma and compelling notes of sweetness and spice.

Cohiba Connecticut is handcrafted by artisans at General Cigar Dominicana and is a full-time addition to the Cohiba portfolio. It will ship to retailers in early March and will be available in these four sizes:

Robusto (5.5” x 50); SRP per cigar $19.99; each box contains 20 cigars

Crystal Robusto (5” x 50); SRP per cigar $20.99; each box contains 10 cigars

Toro (6.25” x 52); SRP per cigar $21.99; each box contains 20 cigars

Gigante (6” x 60); SRP per cigar $22.99; each box contains 20 cigars

In support of Cohiba Connecticut, Sean Williams will visit fine cigar shops nationwide to share the blend with discerning cigar smokers. For more information about Cohiba, please visit www.cohiba.com.