Viaje Holiday Blend Candy Cane 2020 (6 x 54 Box Pressed)

Video review HERE.

(Description taken from Cigar-coop.com website)

The Viaje Holiday Blend Candy Cane was first introduced in 2012. Since 2012, it has been released in 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2018. The cigar itself features a 2 wrapper barber-pole and is available in one format, a 6 x 54 box-pressed Toro. The 6 x 54 sizes has been consistent over the years, but has varied in parejo and box-pressed formats.

Blend and production details of this year’s Holiday Blend  and were not disclosed.

The 2020 Candy Cane is packaged in 20-count bundles.

The cigar is a nice looking barber pole with a closed foot. It has a nice feel in the hand.

The test draw after cutting the cap was good considering I had a closed foot to deal with. The initial flavors took awhile to develop. In fact it was about 7 minutes to nail down. They were hints of citrus, hints of orange peel, brown sugar, roasted nuts, nutmeg, light cream, hints of leather, and low levels of black coffee, I use the term "hints" because nothing is standing out. The notes are there but not at the level where you can say they are a lead-type flavor. There was black pepper rated at 7. The cigar starts out wondering and after a few minutes the flavors start to appear.

At the first third (32 minutes) the flavors have settled down. The ash is still intact and looks very nice. It is straight and tight with a perfect burn line. The flavors are a citrus with some cedar influence, brown sugar, cream, nutmeg, light leather, and an earthy black coffee base. The cigar is medium bodied. The finish is cream, nutmeg, brown sugar, and nice lingering black pepper. I no longer have the roasted nuts but they could re-appear down the line. I rated the first third 90.

As I moved through the second third (1 hour 3 minutes) the cigar got very earthy. I had nice sweet notes  of cedar/citrus and brown sugar that I initially got but they were quickly engulfed by the massive earthiness from nutmeg, leather, and black coffee. It's a scratchy type of earthiness. They wipe out the sweeter notes. The finish is unchanged. The cigar is still medium bodied but it's leaning toward medium to full. The massive amount of earthiness lowered the second third score to 86.

The cigar lasted a nice 1 hour 37 minutes. In the final third the earthiness subsided. It's still there but in low level amounts. The flavor notes are cedar with some slight citrus influence, brown sugar, nutmeg, whiffs of cream, light leather, and earthy black coffee. The cigar is medium to full bodied. The cigar improved. Not light years improved but better than the second third. The cigar did not get back to the way it was in the first third. I rated the final third 87. This is a much better cigar than the Holiday Blend that I reviewed a couple weeks ago.

Overall Score: 87.67

Rojas Statement Toro (6 x 50)

Video review HERE.

Noel Rojas has worked with some of the hottest boutiques in the world; Ezra Zion, Stolen Throne, Nomad, Ohana, and more. He has helped create some of the most flavorful and sought after cigars the past few years. He now has his own brand, Rojas. 

In 2019, Noel Rojas, owner of Rojas Cigars based out the Dallas/Fort Worth Texas area aligned himself with Tabacalera Flor de San Luis S.A. in Esteli, Nicaragua and debuted 3 new cigars; KSG, Bluebonnets, and Statement. Today we're looking at the Statement.

Blend:

Wrapper – Mexican (San Andres)

Binder – Nicaraguan

Filler – Nicaraguan

Available vitolas:

Toro (6 x 50) REVIEWED TODAY

Robusto (5 x 50)

Corona (6 x 46)

Lancero (7 x 38)

The cigar is dark and plays off well with the black and gold band. The cigar has an average feel in the hand. The foot is partially closed.

The test draw after cutting the cap had a bit of firmness but I decided to go with it. Once lit the cigar took a few minutes to settle down into describable flavors. After about 3 or 4 minutes they were brown sugar attached to what appears to be a citrus/cedar combination, citrus peel which is combining with a new/slightly worn leather, nutmeg, and black coffee. The cigar has a meaty quality. There was average black pepper rated at 7. The sweet notes don't reach out and grab you initially so the cigar has some developing to do. Let's see if it does.

At the first third (27 minutes) the meatiness is increasing. The flavors have changed a bit. The foremost flavor is orange peel, brown sugar, meatiness, leather, nutmeg, and black coffee. The cigar is definitely developing but it's developing into a very meaty cigar. The cigar is medium to full bodied. The finish is a lot of nutmeg and a little earthy black coffee with modest lingering black pepper. The cigar is not grabbing me. I rated the first third 87.

As I moved through the second third (48 minutes) the cigar started to improve. The sweet notes have blossomed a little but the cigar is still very meaty. The finish is unchanged. This is not a very maduro-esque cigar at this point. I would say it's still medium to full bodied. I rated the second third 89.

The cigar lasted 1 hour 15 minutes. The final third had the cigar making a huge transformation. Gone are the citrus peel notes. Gone is the meatiness. But, you now have a lot of unsweetened dark chocolate notes to go along with elevated black coffee. Now the cigar has maduro qualities. But it does not have much sweetness. There are minor amounts of brown sugar. The cigar is still around medium to full bodied. The finish is by and large unchanged with much improved lingering black pepper. The black pepper on the front end is still pretty good. When I purchased these cigars I bought the robusto and toro size and thought the toro was the better of the two. But this cigar is not doing it for me. I rated the final third 85.

Overall Score: 87

Mombacho Cigars S.A. Hires Jared Ingrisano as its New Director of Global Sales

Granada, Nicaragua: Mombacho Cigars S.A. has hired Jared Ingrisano as its new Director of Global Sales. Ingrisano brings seven years of industry experience ranging from Territory Manager to Brand Entrepreneur, with a strong foundation in both U.S. and International cigar markets, as well as tobacco and experiential-based business in Cuba and across the globe.

Cam Heaps, President of Mombacho Cigars, commented: “We are honored to have Jared joining the Mombacho Family. The combination of Jared’s extensive experience and passion for nurturing memorable relationships makes him an ideal person to lead the company’s global sales initiatives. The exceptional quality of his character will be a great addition to the growing management team.” Jared adds, “I am blessed to be offered this role and am looking forward to being a part of the Mombacho Family. It has been a joy relocating to Granada, Nicaragua and immersing myself in the culture of Mombacho; Granada is one of those special types of places and Mombacho truly represents her as ‘Nicaragua’s Best Kept Secret’. I believe the brand is uniquely positioned to deliver Nicaragua’s most memorable cigar experience.”

Drew Estate Liga Privada Unico Serie Bauhaus (114mm x 50 (4 1/2 x 50))

Video review HERE.

(Description taken from Cigar-coop.com website)

Drew Estate has announced its first exclusive Liga Privada release for the European market. The company says the Liga Privada Unico Serie Bauhaus is now en route to European distributors.

Bauhaus is a 114mm x 50 (4 1/2 x 50) Short Robusto that consists of a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper, Brazilian binder, and filler tobaccos from Honduras and Nicaragua. The cigars are packaged in blue 12-count boxes with gold embossing.

In a press release Jonathan Drew, president and founder of Drew Estate commented “Today we honor the Bauhaus design theory of form and function, and its impact on our mindset when creating beautiful products such as Liga Privada. Europe … get ready cause I’m talking directly to you!! We can’t wait to share this mega unique creation with our BOTL on the other side of the pond and beyond.”

Blend and Origin

Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf

Binder: Brazilian

Filler: Honduran, Nicaraguan

Country of Origin: Nicaragua

Factory: La Gran Fabrica Drew Estate

Vitolas Offered

Short Robusto: 114mm x 50 (4 1/2 x 50)

The cigar is very dark; almost black. The band is rather plain but it still has the gold embossed Drew Estate logo. Even the filler tobacco is dark.

The test draw after cutting the cap was effortless; perfect. The initial flavors at light up were a noticeable espresso, chocolate, orange citrus with apricot notes, brown sugar, and nutmeg. There was black pepper rated at 7 1/2. A very nice sweet, dark start.

At the first third (22 minutes) the flavor notes are exactly like they started. But, there is now also a note of caramel which adds some nice sweetness. The nutmeg is very thick but does not detract from the other notes. It acts as a bridge between the nice sweet notes and the darker notes of chocolate and espresso. The chocolate is now more of a sweet dark chocolate. The black pepper seems to be edging up. The lingering black pepper is very good. The finish is one of nutmeg, black coffee, and hints of apricot. The cigar is medium to full bodied. The first third is very tasty. I rated it 95.

As I moved through the second third (44 minutes) I found it very hard to note any changes. In fact, the cigar i still the same great tasting cigar. Even the strength has not changed. It's still medium to full bodied. I really thought it would jump up but it hasn't. There are plenty of sweet notes and plenty of dark notes. And they mix very well. I easily held 95 for the second third.

The cigar lasted 1 hour 2 minutes. A very good one hour cigar. And the cigar has still not changed. This is a little odd. Most cigars move up or down, even it it's only a little. But this one stayed solid. Very consistent. And, most important, very good. I still had notes of citrus, apricot, brown sugar, caramel, nutmeg, dark chocolate, and espresso. The pepper was still very good. And, would you believe the strength has not changed? The cigar is a high grade medium to full bodied but it's not full bodied. The finish may have actually improved. There is more of the apricot sweetness to go along with the nutmeg and black coffee. The lingering black pepper is very good. I rated the final third 95. This is a very good cigar. Note that it's a European exclusive release so if you're in Europe be on the lookout for these. Hopefully they will make their way to the US at some point.

Overall Score: 95

Mombacho Cigars Announces Founder Cam Heaps Will Be Stepping Into The Role Of President

GRANADA, NICARAGUA: Mombacho Cigars S.A. announces that the company’s Founder, Cam Heaps, will be stepping into the role of President of Mombacho Cigars as the company celebrates its momentous 15th Year Anniversary. Having founded the company in 2006 on a back-packing trip to Central America, Heaps’ was captivated by the spirit of the Nicaraguan people, their vibrant culture, and the stunning beauty of historical Granada, finishing his trip with a most memorable moment of enjoying a cigar on the top of Volcano Mombacho. This moment transpired into 15 years of successful manufacturing and sales, direct from the heart of Granada, Nicaragua.

Heaps comes from thirty years in the craft beer industry where he Co-founded and operated Steam Whistle Brewing. More recently he and partners have revived the legendary Pantera Performance Boats brand.

Claudio Sgroi, Master Blender and Partner of Mombacho Cigars commented: “It’s great to have Cam now heading operations, and what a perfect way to celebrate our 15th year anniversary. Cam’s oversight has always been key in Mombacho’s business, but his deeper involvement will be crucial for taking Mombacho to the next level. As business partners and colleagues, we are excited for what the future holds for Mombacho.”

Heaps adds, “It is an honour to be joining Claudio and the Mombacho family in Nicaragua. Their hard work, passion, and warm spirits have positioned us well for continued success and growth.”

Stallone Negro Maduro Robusto (5 x 52 box pressed)

Video review HERE.

(Description taken from Cigar-coop.com website)

Each year the IPCPR/PCA Trade Show features companies that are exhibiting for the first time. This year a company called Stallone Cigars was going to make its debut at the 2020 PCA Trade Show. Stallone Cigars is a company founded by Tony Barrios, a cutting horse competitor. For several years, Stallone Cigars has been sold in the International (non-U.S.) market. At this year’s trade show, Stallone had planned to launch a six-blend line to the U.S. market known as the Cowboy Series. Earlier this summer, the company made some headlines by introducing industry veteran Todd Vance as its North American Vice President of Sales.

Production for the Cowboy Series comes from Guillermo Peña’s Tabacalera La Perla in Estelí, Nicaragua. Peña is best known for handling production for Paul Stulac Cigars. Barrios has brought a horse theme to his brand. The name Stallone is Italian for stallion. In addition, the Cowboy series draws an analogy to the color of the wrapper and the Spanish name for the color of a horse.

The Negro refers to the near-black colored coat found on some horses, which is represented by the very dark Nicaraguan wrapper on this cigar. The Negro Maduro is a 100% Nicaraguan puro and is available in three box-pressed sizes.

Blend and Origin:

Wrapper: Nicaraguan

Binder: Nicaraguan

Filler: Nicaraguan

Country of Origin: Nicaragua

Factory: Tabacalera La Perla

Available vitolas:

Robusto: 5 x 52 REVIEWED TODAY

Toro: 6 x 56

Perfecto: 6 x 54

The cigar's band is impressive. The cigar is very dark and has a nice feel in the hand.

The test draw after cutting the cap was very good. The initial flavors at light up were sweet chocolate, tangerine, citrus peel, nutmeg, and black coffee. There was a nice amount of black pepper rated at 8. A dark noted, sweet start.

At the first third (41 minutes) the flavors have changed a little. Now I had sweet chocolate which is not quite as intense as the start, light cedar, underlying caramel, light nutmeg, and plenty of black coffee. The finish is plenty of black coffee and dark chocolate with a good amount of lingering black pepper. The cigar is medium bodied. The cigar is nice with the sweet chocolate but the intensity of the sweetness is not quite at the level I would prefer. I rated the first third 92.

Moving through the second third (1 hour 11 minutes) there was sweet chocolate with intertwined caramel, light nutmeg, and reduced black coffee. The sweetness of the chocolate is at a moderate level. The black pepper is now rated at around 7. The finish is caramel, chocolate, and pretty good lingering black pepper. At this point it's right where I could smoke it again and buy it again so I rated the second third 90.

The cigar lasted 1 hour 29 minutes. In the final third I still had the sweet chocolate but the intensity of the sweetness has decreased a little more. There is still an underlying thread of caramel to help the sweetness and plenty of black coffee which seems to have risen to it's first third level. The cedar does not play into the flavors at this point. The cigar is a low grade medium to full bodied. The finish is caramel and chocolate but the caramel gives enough sweetness that the chocolate also seems sweet. There is plenty of lingering black pepper. The black pepper on the front end seemed to bounce back and get a little more intense. This is a good cigar but I wish the intensity of the chocolate was better. I rated the final third 88. Smallbatchcigar.com has a sampler of all these Stallone cigars for $48 so you can try them all. I will be reviewing the Habano toro in the upcoming weeks.

Overall Score: 90

Powstanie Wojtek Toro 2020 (War Bear) 6 x 52 Toro

Video review HERE.

(Description taken from Cigar-coop.com website)

The Powstanie Wojtek is a limited edition cigar first launched in 2019 in a perfecto size. The cigar pays homage to the Polish heritage of owners Mike and Greg Szczepankiewicz. The name Powstanie means uprising and pays homage to the resistance movement in World War II Poland against German occupation of the country. As for the name Wojtek, it means “war bear” and refers to a Syrian Brown bear that was actually enlisted in the Polish army during World War II. The Wojtek is best known for moving crates of ammunition to Polish soldiers during the war in 1944.

The blend is highlighted by a barber pole wrapper consisting of an Ecuadorian Habano and San Andres Maduro leaf. The remainder of the blend consists of an Indonesian binder and Nicaraguan fillers. The Toro size measures 6 x 52 and is available in 21-count boxes with a total production of 500 boxes. Production comes out of Fabricas de Nica Sueño in Estelí, Nicaragua.

According to Mike Szczepankiewicz, who also co-owns the Cigar Hustler retail site. “We are releasing them in store today but we will not sell them online until next Friday. It’s important to us that we protect the retailers that support us and give them an opportunity to put them up first.”

Blend and Origin

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano / San Andres Maduro

Binder: Indonesian

Filler: Nicaraguan

Country of Origin: Nicaragua

Factory: Fabricas de Nica Sueño

Vitolas Offered

Toro (2020): 6 x 52 REVIEWED TODAY

Perfecto (2019): 5 x 50

The cigar is quite interesting with it's barber pole wrapper and bright red and white band. A reference to the War Bear is shown in the secondary band. The cigar is well made and has a nice feel in the hand.

The test draw after cutting the cap was very good. The initial flavors at light up were pear, brown sugar, thick nutmeg, and earthy black coffee. There was a nice black pepper rated at 8. 

At the first third (35 minutes) the same flavor notes are in play. I had light pear, touch of cedar, brown sugar, quite a bit of nutmeg, leather, a sliver of caramel, and quite a bit of black coffee. The finish is heavy on nutmeg, black coffee, and residue of pear. The lingering black pepper is rather average or below. The cigar is medium bodied. The front end black pepper has dipped a touch to around 7 1/2. The cigar is quite enjoyable at this point. I rated the first third 93.

Moving through the second third (1 hour 8 minutes) the cigar has not changed much. I still had pear, light brown sugar, light caramel, leathery nutmeg, and quite a bit of black coffee. The black pepper has ticked back up to around 8. The finish is unchanged. The cigar is medium to full bodied. The sweeter notes are light so I lowered the score to 92.

The cigar lasted 1 hour 30 minutes. In the final third I had pear, a little of the leathery nutmeg, and a lot of black coffee. The black coffee has continually increased while the sweetness has continually decreased slightly. The black pepper is still very good and the cigar is medium to full bodied. The finish is basically unchanged but there are a little more pear notes now. The lingering black pepper has improved. The overall scope of the cigar is very dark. I rated the final third 91.

Overall Score: 92

The Forged Cigar Company announces El Rey Del Mundo coming to brick and mortar cigar shops

Richmond, VA (January 22, 2021) – The Forged Cigar Company, an independent national cigar distribution network that launched on January 13, 2021, announced today that the company will begin selling the legendary Honduran brand El Rey del Mundo to brick and mortar locations across the U.S. starting in February, 2021.

El Rey Del Mundo was previously available exclusively through JR Cigars and Santa Clara Wholesale and rose to become a top-selling, top-rated brand for more than 20 years. The brand has been handcrafted at Scandinavian Tobacco Group’s HATSA factory in Honduras since. Under The Forged Cigar Company, El Rey Del Mundo will debut at retail as a full-time line featuring six frontmarks.

“El Rey Del Mundo is exactly the type of brand that will flourish under The Forged Cigar Company. By introducing this established brand to brick and mortar retailers nationwide and supporting it with customized programming to drive interest among cigar lovers, my team and I will take a brand with great potential to the next level. We look forward to generating a lot noise at retail for El Rey Del Mundo, our first brand to debut under Forged,” said Sean Hardiman, national sales manager of The Forged Cigar Company.

Handcrafted at the HATSA factory in Danli, Honduras, El Rey Del Mundo is a medium-bodied, Cuban-style smoke with rich notes of cocoa, coffee bean and a kick of spice. The Honduran-forward blend is available in a natural version with an Ecuadoran Sumatra wrapper and a Connecticut Broadleaf-wrapped maduro, each featuring a Honduran-grown binder and filler.

El Rey Del Mundo will launch with a curated selection of one natural and five maduro offerings, representing El Rey del Mundo’s all-time best-sellers:

Café au Lait (4.5” x 36); SRP per cigar $4.80; available in 24-count boxes

Café Noir OSC (4.5” x 35); SRP per cigar $4.80; available in 24-count boxes

Robusto OSC (5: x 54); SRP per cigar $5.40; available in 20-count boxes

Robusto Larga OSC (6” x 54); SRP per cigar $5.80; available in 20-count boxes

Robusto Supremo OSC (7.25 x 54); SRP per cigar $6.80; available in 20-count boxes

Ronco OSC (6” x 60); SRP per cigar $7.00; available in 20-count boxes

           

   

Viaje Holiday Edition 2020 (5 x 54 Box Pressed)

Video review HERE.

(Description taken from Cigar-coop.com website)

Viaje recently shipped two of its popular releases for the Christmas Season. The Viaje Holiday Blend and the Viaje Holiday Blend Candy Cane.

The Viaje Holiday Blend was first introduced in 2009, and has been a near-annual release since then. Over the years, the Holiday Blend has been released in several sizes. The Viaje Holiday Blend 2020 Edition is a 5 x 54 box-pressed Robusto – marking the first time since 2015, it is being released in a box-pressed format.

Blend and production details of this year’s Holiday Blend  and were not disclosed. The size will be a 5 x 54 Robusto – which was the size of the original 2009 Viaje Holiday Blend. The 2020 Holiday Blend is packaged in 30-count boxes.

The cigar features a closed foot.

The test draw after cutting the cap was good with a bit of firmness. The initial flavor at light up were some low levels of citrus with brown sugar, orange peel, a lot of a creamy, thick nutmeg, and a lot of a very earthy black coffee. There was a white pepper rated at 6 1/2 to 7. 

At the first third (22 minutes) the cigar is extremely earthy. There is a ton of black coffee and a ton of earthines. The sweet notes are dwarfed by the extreme earthy black coffee and nutmeg. And, the sweeter notes actually decreased as I went through the first third. There is a touch of bitterness also. The finish is very earthy with black coffee. I rated the first third 82.

As I moved through the second third (43 minutes) things did not improve. There is a twinkle of sweetness as you expel the smoke but it does not blossom. It gets swept out of the way by the earthy black coffee. The cigar is medium bodied. The finish is heavy on the nutmeg and black coffee. I have no idea why this cigar was blended this way but it's not working for me. I rated the second third 80.

At 45 minutes in I decided to stop the review. I'd had enough. The cigar is trending down and the lowest score I issue is 80. The reason; I have too much respect for the industry to issue a lower score. This cigar did not impress me. It's loaded with too much earthy black coffee and nutmeg and not nearly enough sweet notes to counteract the dark notes.

Overall Score: 80