This certainly looks like a classic cigar. Let’s see how it smokes.
Honestly, James
Archive for the ‘Dominican Cigars’ Category
Romeo Y Julieta Aniversario Belicoso No. 2 Review
20
Dec
This is another one of those cigars I have had basically since I started this hobby. It was gifted to me by my great friend Liam who gave me this along with some others. So, I was approximating that this cigar had six years of age on it! Now, I do remember my friend did not properly humidify these cigars which is why he gave them to me. So this stick’s flavor profile might be a little different than normal.
The construction was flawless on this cigar. Really, it had everything I look for in a Belicoso shaped stick. The Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper really was a beautiful consistent shade. This cigar also has Connecticut Broadleaf for the binder and an interesting mix of Dominican, Nicaraguan, and Peruvian tobaccos for the filler.
First draw was moderately tight, so I snipped a little more off of the head. After that it was still a little more resistant than I would of liked but nothing that really hindered the cigar’s performance.
Throughout the entire cigar (6 1/2 x 52), the body was medium to mild bodied. With hints of well aged tobacco, leather and some sort of subtle sweet note like licorice that seemed to come and go.
About thirty five minutes in and I had a very nice long white ash on this cigar. It had the most perfect burn anyone could ask for.
Click on pics for closeups!
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- Loving the white ash!
After about forty minutes of enjoyment, I biffed and had ash all over my pant leg. The cigar then changed to darker notes of leather and toast notes until it ended.
All in all, this was a fantastic smoke! I would rate this cigar a 9.2 on our 10 point scale. I believe age really helped this cigar out. I say this because when I had one of these two years ago, it didn’t burn as well or taste as great.
Honestly, James
Oliveros El Padrino Franky The Bull Review
05
Nov
This cigar was sent to us from Stogieboys.com for review. After smoking the Quesada Tributo they sent us, I had high hopes for this Padrino.
My thoughts after first seeing this El Padrino were mixed. I definitely liked the girth (6X60 is getting popular) and shade of the triple fermented Brazilian wrapper. It looked like something a Mob boss should be smoking. The band seemed to be a little overkill in the size compartment, which might be ok if you are collecting cigar bands. I did however like the Italian theme on the band, which really supported the novelty of the rare Italian tobacco in the filler. I think it also added to the Mobster look…if that floats your boat.
After removing this 6×60 cigar from its cellophane packaging, the smell of it baffled me. I think it best reminded me of tea. Maybe some sort of Earl Gray and mint tea combination. It was definitely interesting to me and a few others around.
Once cutting the cap off, the first taste revealed an earthy pepper with some bitterness and a short finish. The cigar did shred a lot of little pieces of tobacco in my mouth like it was extremely dry, but it wasn’t. I say no bueno to that.
A couple of minutes later and the cap starting to peel away. I know I didn’t cut it poorly. There was also not a lot of flavor to curb (or curve) my enthusiasm. I then conjured the thought: this might be as good as it gets…
First third devolved into a very bland toasty flavor. The bitter flavor was definitely there as well. Again, no bueno! Plus the cap continued to shred while the burn followed the seams of the wrapper. Needless to say, it had a nasty canoeing problem.
click on pics for close-ups
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- Huge band!
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- Beautiful wrapper!
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- You can see the burn following the seam here.
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- This is where I stopped.
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- You see the cap starting to fail.
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- More burn issues.
I ended up only smoking about half of it because I was tired of correcting the burn, fidgeting with the cap and getting bull flavors. In conclusion, I would not recommend this cigar to anyone, even if it is only $3.40 a stick on the Stogieboys website. If you are interested in an Italian smoke, I would probably try a CAO Italia, which Stogieboys also sell.
I would rate this El Padrino a 4 on our 10 point scale.
Honestly, James
A Visit to Cigar Factory in Sterling Heights, MI
11
Jan
I went down over the past week with a group of friends to celebrate a good buddy’s (Chris) 30th birthday. I felt the best place to relax and share some cigars together and also celebrate Chris’s birthday was at the Cigar Factory in Sterling Heights, Michigan. The Cigar Factory claims to be “largest humidor in the country”. I have been to many walk in humidors and technically they would be correct. With that said, I have also been to the Corona Cigar Co. in Orlando Florida that would make the Cigar Factory seem undersized by comparison. I believe what makes it technically the largest humidor in the country is that it is an enclosed walk-in humidor and not an online retail store that just happens to be humidity controlled.
Anyway, their website says that they have a whopping 2,750 different cigars in their massive 2,256 square foot humidor which is positively impressive and without question the largest humidor in Michigan!
That afternoon I smoked two sticks; a Tatujae Reserva Cojonu 2006 and a Torano 50th Anniversary Robusto. My friend Chris (Bday boy) smoked a Monte Cristo No. 2, my good friend, Nathan smoked an Illusion ’88′, a Sumatran Edge and lastly a friend of Chris smoked a Partagas Black Label. I also treated Chris to birthday pick-a-cigar from their massive selection. Chris chose a Liga Privada No. 9 Robusto; wise man!
Overall, it was a great night with lots of laughs. What better way to spend a late afternoon with five friends that love good cigars?
honestly, Mike
America’s Most Wanted…or Smoked?
08
Dec
After some curiosity and doing some “surfing” on this new technology called the “Internet”, I was wondering; What is the most smoked brand of cigars in America?
Not to my surprise, it is a Macanudo.
Personally, I have never smoked a Macanudo (Christmas is coming 
) but I have a few of friends who swear by them, they are always jittery and confident when buying…even before looking at them.
They always say to me: ‘oh, dude, it so smooth and mellow.’ or, ‘its like a practical everyday smoke.’ Maybe even, ‘its just a sit back and chill anytime smoke.’
What I really think they are saying is that Macanudo’s are very consistent cigars. You know exactly what to expect. Also, I have heard that they are great for beginners because they are so mild.
If I could compare it to a car, a Macanudo would be like a Ford Taurus. You can’t really hate it cause it is reliable, relatively efficient, and not bad looking at all (still a premium smoke). However, I know I wouldn’t want to drive a Ford Taurus my whole life, it would get boring after a while…especially if you have driven something like, let’s say a Lamborghini.
So really, a Macanudo isn’t to be considered exceptional by everyone…but it should certainly be considered acceptable by everyone (in my opinion).
Maybe you’ve had your first driving lesson with one? Any good stories you want to share?
honestly,
James
