H Upmann 1844 Nicaragua Toro by AJ Fernandez 6/24/17

 

Appearance 

The milk chocolate colored wrapper has a couple prominent veins. The seams are wrapped tightly an very difficult to find. The cigar is well packed with filler with no soft spots. There is a light oil sheen and minimal tooth. 

The bands are very attractive.

Aroma 

Cedar, earth on the wrapper. Cedar, graham cracker at the foot.

Prelight Draw 

Cedar, light raisin, plum, black licorice, earth and spice.

1st

The initial draws are full of earth and wood(cedar). The spice is beginning to develop and has a black pepper presence. The draw is spot on. The ash is a medium to dark gray and mostly stacked. At 3/4" in the plum like notes are very evident especially on the finish. The burn is off slightly but physics is correcting it. The black pepper is balanced by some brown sugar sweetness. 

2nd

Smoke production is at the low end of high. The burn gets a bit wonky, caused by some tiny tunnels under the binder(close to the outer edge of the bunch). There is a creamy note joining the profile. The finish is long with notes of cedar, earth, plum, brown sugar, cream and mild black pepper spice. The ash is more tight now. 

Final/3rd

The black pepper fades a bit while a white pepper note emerges. A warm cinnamon joins the profile. Strength was medium throughout.

Overall 

The H Upmann 1844 Nicaragua Toro by AJ Fernandez provides an enjoyable smoking experience. A well balanced, complex and flavorful profile with a perfect draw. 

 

 

Archetype Axis Mundi Corona 6/18/17

 

 

Appearance 

A milk chocolate colored wrapper with one prominent vein and a bunch of capillaries. The seams are tight and difficult to find. It has some tooth and a nice oil sheen. 

Aroma 

Earthy, light cedar on the wrapper. Earthy, graham cracker at the foot.

Prelight Draw 

Red licorice, cedar and a hint of spice, especially on the lips.

1st

Initial draws reveal notes of earth and red licorice alongside a very thick espresso note. There is also some mild cinnamon in the mix. The draw is a bit snug but it's early. The burn is near perfect at a half inch in. The ash is a very light gray and tight. Strength starts out medium. When combined with the espresso notes the licorice tastes black. The strength moves to medium+ before the end of the 1st.

2nd

A pinch of white pepper joins the cinnamon which is getting warmer. The draw has opened up and the smoke production goes from low to a low medium. The espresso backs off a touch and allows a creamy texture and nutty flavor to emerge. The finish is long with notes of earth, espresso, cashews, black licorice, cedar and warm cinnamon  spice with a dash of white pepper. 

Final/3rd

The ash holds firm till removal at each 3rd. The flavor profile remains consistent thru to the nub.

Overall

The Archetype Axis Mundi Corona provides a very enjoyable smoking experience. A complex and flavorful profile with a perfect draw and burn once the draw opened up. Another great blend by Ventura Cigar Co. @VenturaCigarCo 

Thanks to Ventura Cigar Company for the samples for review. A special thank you to Rachel for facilitating the delivery of the samples. Definitely a cigar you want to try.

 

 

 

LFD Reserva Especial Petite Perfecto 6/17/17

 

Appearance 

A nice Ecuadoran Connecticut wrapper with a couple prominent veins. The seams are tight. It has a very light oil sheen. 

Aroma

Barnyard and cedar on the wrapper. About the same at the foot. 

Prelight Draw 

Woody, sweet & sour and fruit. 

1st

The initial draws bring notes of wood (cedar) and a bit of sweetness with a hint of spice. 

Smoke production is in the medium range. Ash is salt&pepper gray and stacked. Draw & burn are spot on. 

2nd

Strength is mild so far. Woody, sweet and mild cinnamon spice flavor continues thru the 2nd/3rd. 

Final/3rd

Flavor continues thru the final/3rd to the nub.

Overall 

The LFD Reserva Especial provides a nice Smoking Experience. A consistent flavor profile with a perfect draw & burn.

 

 

1502 Blue Sapphire 6/11/17

 

Appearance 

A milk chocolate brown colored wrapper with a couple prominent veins. The seams are difficult to find. The cigar has a nice oil sheen and a bit of tooth. 

The cigar is round which is not usual for 1502 but Enrique told me that the round version tasted better than the box pressed version so they went with the round.

Aroma 

Earth, cedar, cocoa and a hint of spice on the wrapper. Earth, cedar, dark fruit and a hint of spice at the foot.

Prelight Draw 

Blueberries, cedar, earth, cocoa powder and a faint hint of spice.

1st

The initial draws bring notes of earth, cocoa powder and a bit of white pepper spice. Draw is perfect. The burn got a little wonky but with the help of simple physics it has almost fully self corrected. Strength and body are in the medium range.

2nd

The cocoa powder seemed to fade but has come back into balance. Smoke production is at the low end of high. The finish is long with notes of earth, cocoa powder, cedar, blueberry, white pepper spice with a pinch of black pepper spice. The ash is salt&pepper gray and stacked. 

Final/3rd

The final/3rd starts off with a dash of black pepper. Strength has been med/full since the 2nd/3rd. Flavor profile remains well balanced to the nub.

Overall

The Blue Sapphire provides a very enjoyable smoking experience. A very complex, well balanced and flavorful profile with a perfect draw and mildly erratic burn.

Another fine smoke by Enrique Sanchez @1502Cigars . Well done brother!

 

 

Paula Cigars barberpole Torpedo 6/10/17

 

Appearance 

The dark and light wrapper colors provide a nice contrast. There is quite a bit of mottling. The seams are tight. It has a light oil sheen. It appears to be well packed with filler with no apparent soft spots. 

Aroma 

Heavy Barnyard on the wrapper. Cedar and hay at the foot. 

Prelight Draw 

Tobacco, hay, spice

1st

Initial draws are very woody with a spice kicker. The wood notes remind me of white cedar. The draw is a bit snug. The burn has a slight wave. The strength is at medium+. The ash is light gray and tight. 

2nd

The nutmeg/warm cinnamon spice becomes the dominant flavor with cedar in the background. Smoke production is at the low end of medium. There is a sour note just past the halfway point. Late in the 2nd/3rd the draw opens up and smoke production increases to medium. 

Final/3rd

Flavor remains consistent from start to the nub. 

Overall

The Barberpole Torpedo by Paula Cigars provides a nice Smoking Experience albeit a consistent profile throughout with a descent burn and a snug draw most of the way.

Thank you to Paula @PaulaCigars for the samples for review. They are available at paulacigars.com

 

 

The Gent by Paula Cigars Corona Gorda 6/4/17

 

Appearance 

A medium brown wrapper with a little mottling and a few prominent veins. The seams are tight. There is a bit of tooth and a light oil sheen. 

Aroma 

Barnyard and cedar on the wrapper. Honey sweetness at the foot. 

Prelight Draw 

Spicy, cedar, honey, black licorice. 

1st

Initial draws bring notes of cedar with a hint of cinnamon spice. The draw is a bit snug to start. A pinch of black pepper joins the profile. The ash is mostly tight and holding strong. Strength is a low medium. 

2nd

The burn is spot on. The draw has loosened and is now perfect. Smoke production has moved with the draw from low to medium. The black pepper is more of a dash now. Some light roast coffee notes join the profile. 

Final/3rd

The burn is a bit wavy but self corrects quickly. The finish is long with notes of cedar, coffee, honey and mild black pepper spice. Burn is back to spot on. The black pepper becomes a little more prominent late in the final/3rd. 

Overall

The Gent Corona Gordo by Paula Cigars provides an enjoyable smoking experience. A nice well balanced profile with a great draw and good burn. 

Thank you to Paula @PaulaCigars for the samples for review. 

The cigars are available at Paula's website as well as some B&M's on the East Coast.

 

 

Archetype Strange Passage Toro 6/3/17

 

Appearance 

A silky wrapper with a couple prominent veins. Their is some slight mottling as well making the tightly wrapped seams more visible. It has a beautiful 3 seam cap and an oily sheen. The cigar also has a soft box press. The filler is well packed with no soft spots. 

Aroma 

Earth, fruity, cedar with a hint of spice on the wrapper. Fruity and light roast coffee at the foot. 

Prelight Draw 

Earthy, fruity, spicy

1st

Initial draws bring notes of earth, cedar, light roast coffee and a mild spice. The fruity notes come through in the finish. The draw and burn are spot on right now. The ash is light gray and mostly tight with a little flake. Some creamy cashew notes join the profile late in the 1st/3rd. 

2nd

Burn and draw still spot on, not unusual for a cigar made at Davidoff. The smoke production is at the high end of medium. The burn goes off a bit. Upon investigation of the working end I notice the cone is off center which will cause a slower burn on one side. With the application of simple physics self correction brings the burn under control. The finish is long with notes of earth, fruit, cedar, light roast coffee, cashews and a mild nutmeg spice. A little wave develops. Removing the ash I find a small tunnel. 

Final/3rd

The well balanced flavor profile continues into the final/3rd. The strength which started at medium has moved to med/full. 

Great flavor and balance right to the nub.

Overall

The Archetype Stange Passage provides a very enjoyable smoking experience. A very well balanced and flavorful profile with an excellent draw and mildly erratic burn. 

A big thank you to @VenturaCigarCo for the samples for review.

A special thank you to Rachel at Ventura for facilitating the delivery of the samples. 

Definitely a cigar to hunt down and enjoy. 

 

 

Sensado Cigars Roma Torpedo 5/29/17

 

Appearance 

A milk chocolate colored wrapper with a few prominent veins. The seams are tightly wrapped. The cap on this Torpedo is well done. 

The wrapper has a nice oily sheen. 

It's filler bunch is well packed with no soft spots. 

Aroma 

Earthy, fruity, cedar on the wrapper. Earth, cedar and sweetness at the foot.

Prelight Draw 

Cedar and a little sweetness with some spice. 

1st

The initial draws, while snug, yield tasty notes of mild chocolate and espresso with a mild Caribbean spice(allspice) Not a bad combination. The burn is off about 12* which can be an indication that the Ligero cone is off center. We'll see. The ash is salt&pepper gray and mostly tight. Smoke production is at medium. 

2nd

After removing the ash to start the 2nd/3rd, my suspicion is confirmed, the cone is off center causing the angled burn line and there is a tiny tunnel at the center of the cigar. Midway in the 2nd the draw opens up nicely. The burn has fully self corrected with the help of some simple physics. The finish is long with notes of earth, cedar, milk chocolate, espresso and allspice.

Final/3rd

The very flavorful profile is very well balanced. The profile remains consistent through to the nub. 

Overall

The Sensado Roma Torpedo provides an enjoyable smoking experience. A very flavorful profile. The burn and draw are nice from the halfway point to the nub. 

Thank you Rick Strawn @ParadigmPres for the sample for review. They are available at Rick's local B&M. Definitely a cigar to try. 

 

 

Indian Motorcycle Maduro Robusto 5/28/17

 

Appearance 

This dark chocolate colored Conn. Broadleaf Maduro is veiny, mottled and toothy none of which is a bad thing, they are simply characteristics of the Conn. Broadleaf Maduro wrapper. The seams are wrapped tightly and their is a nice oily sheen. The filler bunch is well packed with no evident soft spots.

Aroma 

Earthy, chocolatey, fruity, cedar and a hint of spice on the wrapper. Cedar, earth, chocolate and a hint of spice at the foot. 

Prelight Draw 

Dark chocolate, earth, red fruit, raisin, black licorice and nutmeg spice. 

1st

The initial draws bring notes of very earthy dark chocolate. A few draws in the fruity sweetness makes its presence known but not out of balance. I'm also tasting some espresso notes. The draw is a tick on the snug side. The burn is almost razor sharp. The ash is a very light gray and tight with a few flakes. Draw has opened up nicely. 

2nd

The smoke production is on the low end of high. The finish is long with notes of earth, cedar, dark chocolate, red fruit, espresso, and nutmeg spice. The flavor profile is very tasty and well balanced. The ash is becoming more stacked. The Ligero cone is off center causing a slightly angled burn line. I'm using physics to keep it under control. Ash holds til removal at each 3rd.

Final/3rd

The flavor profile is very chewy which is another characteristic of the Conn.broadleaf Maduro wrapper. Warm creamy cashew notes join the profile. 

Overall

The Indian Motorcycle Maduro Robusto provides an enjoyable smoking experience. A well balanced and very flavorful profile with a great draw and good burn with the help of simple physics. The cigar is made by Royal Agio Cigars and distributed by Drew Estate. 

 

 

Balmoral Añejo 18 Rothschild Masivo 5/27/17

 

Appearance 

A medium brown colored wrapper with a couple prominent veins. You have to really search for the seams as they are tightly wrapped. There is a bit of tooth as well as a light oil sheen. The cigar is well packed with filler with no soft spots. It has a very attractive band.

Aroma 

Cedar, fruit and a slight hint of spice on the wrapper. About the same at the foot. 

Prelight Draw 

Cedar, raisin, dried fruit, red licorice and a mild spice. 

1st

Initial draws bring notes of cedar with a little leather. The sweetness of the dried fruit joins in right away. About a 1/2" in the first spice notes show up. The ash is light gray and fairly tight with a little flaking. Draw is effortless. Burn is a bit wavy but not bad. With the help of simple physics it should self correct.

2nd

The spice has developed into a warm nutmeg. The finish is long with notes of cedar, leather, dried fruit, red licorice, raisin and warm nutmeg spice. Midway in the 2nd/3rd the burn has fully self corrected. The spice transitions to a paprika. 

Final/3rd

The flavor profile remains consistent and well balanced through to the nub.

Overall 

The Balmoral Añejo 18 Rothschild Masivo provides a very enjoyable smoking experience. A very flavorful and well balanced profile with a perfect draw and minor burn issues. The Balmoral is made by Royal Agio Cigars and is distributed by Drew Estate.