Author: cigarfan

2 Comments Posted on by cigarfan Cigar Reviews

Berger and Argenti Clasico Rothschild

Berger & Argenti snapped up the number two spot on our Best Cigars of 2010 list with their Entubar, a fantastic and odd-looking cigar with a filler “fuse” that extends from the foot of the stick. The Clasico bears some similarity to that dynamite smoke, starting with the Ecuadorian-grown Connecticut-seed wrapper called “desflorado.”  The binder is a Nicaraguan corojo and the filler is harvested locally in Esteli, Nicaragua, where the cigar is made.

Entubar was designed to be a cutting-edge cigar, and as such it carries a premium price. Clasico, on the other hand, was envisioned to be a “cubanesque” cigar available widely at a more affordable price. The unassuming presentation and simple band on this cigar are true to the “classic” vision, and the fact that I was able to  find these at my local cigar haunt demonstrates the success of their distribution strategy. Now to test this “cubanesque” allegation.

Clasico is produced in four sizes:

  • Rothschild – 5 x 50
  • Corona Gorda – 4 1/2 x 46
  • Belicoso – 5 3/4 x 50
  • Churchill – 7 x 50

Construction Notes

The Clasico Rothschild has the sleek and smooth look that Connecticut wrapper imparts, but the color is a darker golden brown than what is usually found on shade wrapper. The head of the cigar is nicely formed and topped with a classic Cuban-style cap that shears away cleanly. The roll has a little give to it, but the draw is perfect and it burns evenly to the band. The only issue I had was the delicacy of the wrapper, which apparently does not agree with the dry desert heat. There was a small amount of cracking which I fully attribute to atmospheric conditions and not the design of the cigar.

Overall construction: Excellent.

Tasting Notes

The Clasico Rothschild opens boldly with pepper on the palate and a toasty aroma. The spice dies down after an inch or so and earthy flavors emerge on the tongue, while the aroma continues to provide a bready element that is characteristic of many Cuban cigars. The smoke texture is creamy, and at the mid-point of the cigar there is a note of sweet cream on the nose which matches the texture quite nicely.

The base flavor of earth is masked by pepper for the first inch or so, but after that point it takes the reins and drives the cigar home. Meanwhile, the toasty notes in the aroma become sweeter and are replaced by Spanish cedar. Pepper makes an encore appearance in the last scene before the curtain drops.

Conclusion

Berger and Argenti have another success on their hands, and it’s nice to see that affordability was part of their vision for this cigar. The Clasico blend does indeed have a Cuban flair — the earthy base and sweet notes of bread and cedar are, to me anyway, very similar to what can be found in many classic Cuban cigars.

The Clasico Rothschild is a medium-bodied cigar with great construction, a moderate amount of complexity, and at around 5 USD per stick it’s a fantastic deal.

Final Score: 90

2 Comments Posted on by cigarfan Cigar Reviews

Alec Bradley Family Blend D3 Robusto

Alec Bradley’s Family Blend stumbled into the spotlight in 2010 when it found a place on Cigar Aficionado’s Top 25 cigars of 2009. It was originally made in only one size — the VR1 Robusto — but in 2010 Alec Bradley announced the “birth of quadruplets,” and the line was expanded to a family of five in all. More recently a 6 x 60 was adopted, yet another indication of the childhood obesity problem in this country.

The Family Blend was created for the fathers of the company’s three principal executives, but a very attractive price point quickly made this family affair of great public interest. The stubby D3 earned 93 points and was labeled a “Best Buy” for 2010 by Cigar Aficionado. Any more accolades from CA might and a man might get suspicious.

Speaking of suspicious, I think AB could possibly learn something from Illusione’s Dion Giolito about how to name cigars. The names for the Family Blend vitolas are codes referring to “names and dates that are significant to certain family members.” That’s just dandy, but codes are not exactly consumer-friendly. I can barely remember my PIN when I go to the store, so I’m not going to remember if MX23 or BX2 is the toro or the double corona. Illusione cigars suffer from the same nomenclature problem, but Giolito has added a phrase to the number as a crutch for the mnemonically challenged. Granted, the phrase is as arcane as the code, but I can remember that “Necessary and Sufficient” is the churchill. But I can’t remember if it’s the 88 or 888 or 8/2 or whatever.

Anyway, here are the codes. You can either commit them to memory or write them down and keep them in your wallet.

  • D3 – 4 1/2 x 58
  • VR1 – 5 1/2 x 50
  • BX2 – 6 x 54
  • M23 – 7 x 50
  • T11 – 6 1/8 x 52 (Torpedo)
  • GS27 – 6 x 60

Construction Notes

The D3 is a short and plump robusto with a dark and slightly rustic wrapper from Trojes, Honduras. AB seems to have the Trojes market cornered, which so far has turned out to be a very good thing for them. (The binder is Indonesian, and leaves from Honduras and Nicaragua comprise the filler.) The roll on this cigar is solid and the draw is excellent. The torcedors at Raices Cubanas in Danli are on a par with Pepin’s rollers in Esteli, as the cap on this cigar attests. The pig tail is discreet and the cap is perfectly triple or quadruple wound. (I fell down on the job with the pics for this one. I’m blaming the summer heat.)

The ash tends to flake a little but the burn was slow, a product of both the solid roll and the 58 ring gauge of the cigar.

Tasting Notes

The Family Blend D3 has a bright Nicaraguan taste similar to other cigars rolled at the Raices Cubanas factory, but it isn’t as robust as Illusione or Alec Bradley’s Tempus line. The flavor is woody with sweet cedary spice on the nose. There seem to be some other milder spices I can’t quite identify — nutmeg maybe — and a touch of pepper on the tongue. It’s medium bodied, but complex.

The flavor on the palate gets a little meatier in the second half and the aroma picks up sugary notes like caramel and cotton candy. The D3 has what I’d consider a Nicaraguan flavor profile, even though it is not Nicaraguan, and is much smoother and a bit sweeter than your typical Nicaraguan puro.

Conclusion

The Family Blend is yet another great line from Alec Bradley, and it’s nice to see them add a milder cigar to their portfolio. It has all of the sweet complexity that you’d expect from one of their Trojes blends, but it’s smooth and easy to smoke. The MSRP on the D3 is in the 5 to 6 dollar range, which is a good value in light of the cigar’s quality.

I’m not crazy about the ring gauge on this particular vitola, but my D3 experience was enough to fuel interest in other sizes. The cigars in this line run fat, unfortunately. I think I’ll have to try the relatively slim 50-ring robusto next. Which one is that? M23? BX2? Where is my decoder ring?

Final Score: 90

1 Comment Posted on by cigarfan Cigar Reviews, Don Pepin Garcia

El Triunfador No. 4

El Triunfador is made by Pete Johnson, known best for his Tatuaje brand and his partnership with Jose “Pepin” Garcia. The El Triunfador name is an old Cuban mark that Johnson revived, but in order to retain ownership of the name he had to produce a certain number of cigars under that mark. So he made what he described at the time as a Cabaiguan Maduro in a lancero size and released it to a select few in 2009 as El Triunfador.

The blend in production today is entirely different from that original release, though the lancero with a broadleaf wrapper is still made in a limited number. The new blend, originally designed for release in Europe, has an Ecuadorian Habano cover. Under the hood is a Nicaraguan binder and filler, including leaf from Pepin Garcia’s La Estrella farm in Esteli. Seven sizes are in production:

  • No. 1 Lonsdale – 6 1/2 x 42
  • No. 2 Belicoso Fino – 5 1/2 x 52
  • No. 3 Corona Gorda – 5 5/8 x 46
  • No. 4 Robusto – 5 x 48
  • No. 5 Petite Corona – 4 3/8 x 42
  • No. 6 Lancero – 7 1/2 x 38
  • No. 7 Toro Grande – 5 7/8 x 54

The original release El Triunfador is easily distinguished from the No. 6 lancero by the band — the original broadleaf lancero has a dark brown band, while all of the newer numbered cigars have red bands. Both bands are classic and simple, reminiscent of the vintage Havana style. As are the cigars, for that matter.

El Triunfador is made by Jaime Garcia at My Father Cigars in Nicaragua.

Construction Notes

According to the specs on the Tatuaje website, the No. 4 Robusto is a standard 5 x 50, but it seems a bit undersized for a robusto. Maybe it’s because so many cigar makers are inflating their robustos with an extra leaf or two these days, or maybe it’s because of the box press. The roll is solid and the head and cap are classic Havana style, as expected from My Father Cigars. The wrapper is a rich looking colorado maduro with some fine veins. The burn is perfectly even and leaves a solid light gray ash in its wake.

The draw on one of the two I smoked for the review was loose and drew hot in the last third, but the other one was just right. Both cigars seemed to burn very quickly, however. I can usually stretch a robusto sized cigar out to 45 or 50 minutes, but the No. 4 seemed to have only 30-35 minutes in the tank.

Good to very good construction, with possible consistency issues.

Tasting Notes

The styling of this cigar is classically Cuban, so it makes sense that the flavor would be similar, or as similar as possible outside of Havana. It’s a medium-bodied smoke that starts up with sweet cedar and an earthy muskiness eerily reminiscent of the classic Cuban blends. There is a touch of pepper in the first half-inch, but that quickly dies away. The Nicaraguan zing is present on the tongue for the first half of the stick, but eventually that too gives way to a smoother, but less expressive combination of sweet wood and musk. In the last half some saltiness comes through and at the very end are floral notes similar to what I love in La Riqueza, one of Johnson’s other blends.

Conclusion

El Triunfador combines the best of Nicaraguan tobacco and Cuban style into a medium-bodied package that almost anyone will enjoy. It’s mild enough for a mid-day smoke, but will serve medium-bodied cigar smokers well at any time of day.  It appears to be designed as a mainstream cigar, and it smokes like one. It’s very good, but it’s not going to blow away of any of the top tier smokes in Tatuaje’s portfolio.

Going price for the No. 4 is 8 USD. There is a lot of competition in that price range, but El Triunfador is still a blend worth checking out.

Final Score: 88

1 Comment Posted on by cigarfan Cigar Reviews

Kinky Friedman Kinkycristo

Kinky Friedman is best known as a musician, author, and perennial candidate for political office, but a cigar is his constant companion in whichever guise he appears. He is an American humorist in the tradition of Mark Twain, and like Twain his quips are many and well known. My favorite is still what he said to Bill Clinton after handing him a Cuban cigar: “Remember, Mr. President, we’re not supporting their economy. We’re burning their fields, one cigar at a time.”

Kinky prefers Cuban Montecristos, but laments the price. He considers Honduran leaf second only to Cuban, so it is fitting that the original line of Kinky Friedman cigars uses a Honduran Habano wrapper. The binder is from Costa Rica, and the filler is a Honduran-Nicaraguan blend. They are manufactured by Habana Cuba Cigars, the makers of Oliveros, in the Dominican Republic. Five sizes are in production:

  • Kinkycristo – 6 1/4 x 54 torpedo
  • Texas Jewboy – 6 x 56 torpedo
  • Governor – 5 3/4 x 60 toro
  • The Willie – 6 x 48 parejo with a shaggy foot
  • Utopian – 6 x 52 toro

Proceeds from sales of the Utopian size go to Friedman’s Utopia Animal Rescue Ranch in Medina, TX. So you can add animal lover and philanthropist to Kinky’s already extensive resume. He also makes salsa, which I haven’t tried but probably should since the proceeds from that product line also go to the Utopia Rescue Ranch.

Construction Notes

The Kinkycristo is a nice looking torpedo with a Texas-sized primary band featuring a silhouette of the Kinkster himself. There is an additional, more discreet secondary band bearing the frontmark name, “Kinkycristo.” Together these bands cover half the cigar, which wouldn’t be a problem were it not for the surplus glue that has been smeared all over the ventral side of the stick. I wonder what would happen if I ran that fingerprint through AFIS?

That rather unsettling aesthetic anomaly aside, the Kinkycristo is rolled well, draws easily, and burns evenly.

Overall construction: very good.

Tasting Notes

I’ve smoked a few “celebrity” cigars in my time, and I can’t say that I’ve been terribly impressed with any of them. Using one’s celebrity to market a product is a business decision, not a demonstration of talent, and I am accordingly skeptical of any product peddled that way. So my expectations of this cigar were lower than they might have been. All the same, I was pleasantly surprised.

The Kinkycristo is a smooth medium-bodied cigar with a substantial amount of complexity. In the first third I found a soft woody aroma coupled with an earthy aftertaste and a few flavor notes that kept me guessing.

The middle of the cigar is a little bit spicier, but is still balanced and smooth. Cocoa, or perhaps sweet coffee with lots of cream, makes an appearance at times, along with that elusive note. It reminds me of vanilla and balsa wood, but I could be persuaded otherwise.

The Kinkycristo is surprisingly complex, but it doesn’t change much from start to finish. It stays even tempered, mild and tasty to the end. I was expecting a little more power in the last act, maybe a shot of Tabasco or chile powder, but it just tips its hat politely and meanders into the sunset.

Conclusion

The Kinkycristo is a smooth medium-bodied smoke that could be easily enjoyed as a breakfast cigar, or anytime at all if the medium range is where you live. The MSRP is a bit high ($165 for a box of 20), but the online behemoths are selling them right now for about 70 dollars under that.  If you play your cards right on the auction sites you can do even better than that.

It’s nice to know that Kinky has a fall-back plan if the book-writing, song-singing, and campaigning-for-office gigs dry up. Cigar slinging might be what he was born for.

Final Score: 89

2 Comments Posted on by cigarfan Cigar Reviews

El Credito Perritos

The other day as I was sweating my way into the second half of a nice toro-sized cigar I realized it is officially summer, and it’s time to switch to something smaller. Every summer I find new-found appreciation for full-bodied petite coronas, perlas, and minutos. In past years I’ve acquired boxes of Rocky Patel Sun Grown Juniors and Pepin Garcia Black 1952s to bide my time until the earth’s axis tilts more comfortably away from the sun, but so far this year I have no contender for the position.

But just in time, there appears to be a qualified applicant at the door. A new cigar called Perritos was quietly released a few months ago by General Cigar. Made in Santiago in General’s El Credito division (E.P. Carrillo’s old La Gloria Cubana outfit), Perritos are ugly little smokes made without the benefit of molds or presses. They look like slightly larger versions of the Italian cheroots Clint Eastwood smokes in the spaghetti westerns.

In this case, looks are deceptive. Somehow Team La Gloria has packed into this 5.5 x 38-ring gauge cigar a Connecticut Broadleaf binder, two filler leaves from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic, and then wrapped it up in a Habano leaf from Ecuador.

And to my great surprise, this little doggie has teeth.

Construction Notes

Okay. This is not a cigar you’ll be passing out at your wedding, or handing to the boss on the links. The cigar is rolled entirely freehand and the head is shaped to a point that is left open. Some of them crook a little to the left, others to the right, and they’re as bumpy as a washboard road. Looking at this cigar for the first time, you have to hope that its smoking qualities exceed its aesthetic beauty, because it has very little.

On the other hand, it draws and burns quite well. The ash doesn’t fall off like you’d expect it to, and in every other respect it seems to be constructed like a premium cigar.

Looks aside, very good overall construction.

Tasting Notes

Some cigars have names a mile long, but Team La Gloria has surpassed that by giving the Perritos a subtitle: “War of Flavors.” I initially took that to be advertising overkill, but after smoking a few of these I think it truly is an apt description.

The Perritos start up with a expressive bang of pepper and sweet cedar. The smoke is aromatic, strong, and full-bodied. After a half-dozen puffs it coats the palate nicely.

The pepper drops off after an inch or so, but at that point other spices pick up the slack and make sure its martial spirit doesn’t flag. Leather enters the fray at the mid-point and the aroma turns from cedar to oak.

Char characterizes the last inch before the band, but I was captivated by a sweet cherry note which kept me interested to the end.

Conclusion

There’s a lot of fight in these mangy looking mutts, and I have to admit that I’m impressed. Despite their diminutive and careworn appearance, they’re remarkably complex. Even better,  you won’t pay a purebred price — the MSRP is marked at $2.50 a pup, but boxes of 50 can be found without much effort for around 70 bucks, dropping the single price considerably.

If you’re in the market for a short smoke but don’t want to sacrifice flavor, these Perritos may turn out to be your new best friend.

Final Score: 90

1 Comment Posted on by cigarfan Cigar Reviews, La Aurora

La Aurora 107 Lancero

La Aurora hit an out-of-the-park home run with its last anniversary cigar, Cien Años, to celebrate an amazing 100 years in the business. Any business (or human being, for that matter) still going strong after a hundred years is worth celebrating with a Centennial bash. Seven years later, Willard Scott is proud to congratulate La Aurora one more time.

107 is an odd number though. Not only is it odd, it’s prime. (And of course I’m late:  this blend was released last year.)

La Aurora has been known over the years for milder cigars like its eponymous La Aurora,  a nice nutty Dominican-style cigar with a tasty Cameroon wrapper.  But in recent years they have turned with the times to heavier, more complex cigars like the 1495 and Preferidos lines. While not the spice bombs that many full-bodied cigar enthusiasts crave, the more recent releases certainly bring more flavor to the table.

That trend is continued with the 107, which employs a sun grown Ecuadorian wrapper, a Dominican binder, and filler from Nicaragua and the DR.  Originally released in just three sizes, a fourth — the lancero — was added after a successful drive by fans of the blend, mostly via Twitter.

  • Robusto – 4 1/2 x 50
  • Toro – 5 1/2 x 54
  • Belicoso – 6 1/4 x 52
  • Lancero – 6 7/8 x 40

Construction Notes

The Aurora 107 has a dark pecan-colored wrapper with some lighter veins that are prominent by contrast. It’s a striking leaf, similar in appearance to the 5 Vegas Limitada 2005,  also made by La Aurora. The roll is mostly solid, with a few soft spots that will escape notice unless you’re palpating the cigar for a review.

True to its lancero roots, the head is finished with a discreet pig tail and the draw is a bit tight for the first inch or two. It burns evenly and produces a solid light gray ash.

Overall good construction.

Tasting Notes

The 107 is not a shy cigar, but it’s not exactly boisterous either. The flavor on the palate is mild and woody to begin with, but this is overshadowed by the brown sugar and caramel on the nose. The aroma is sweet and gradually picks up woodier scents as the ash grows. There is a touch of pepper on the tongue and the aftertaste is noticeably salty.

The mid-section turns spicier — a little more pepper, and the woody flavors char a bit. It gets richer and picks up some leather at the 50-yard line.

The 107 lancero finishes a bit charred and burnt on the palate, but the aroma continues to impress with its sweetness and complexity. Like many thin-gauged cigars, this one should be smoked patiently for maximum enjoyment.

Conclusion

La Aurora’s 107 lancero is a medium-bodied cigar that verges on full body and offers plenty of sophistication in a finely crafted package. It reminds me a little bit of their Barrel-Aged cigar, which is also medium in body with a lot of complexity on the nose. I just finished off a box of Barrel-Aged No. 4, and it seems to me that the 107 is quite a bit more sophisticated and not as sweet.

While I enjoyed this cigar quite a bit, I think I will have to acknowledge my impatience with lanceros and try the 107 in a slightly larger incarnation the next time around.  The lanceros run around 6 USD per stick — not bad for an “Anniversary” blend, even in an odd year.

Final Score: 89

6 Comments Posted on by cigarfan Bargain Cigars, Cigar Reviews

Padilla 1948 Edicion Limitada Robusto

So what’s up with Cigars International and Padilla? In the past few months we’ve seen a number of “small batch” and “limited” edition Padillas for sale at prices so low it should be illegal. I reviewed the Miami Maduro limited edition a few weeks ago and found it to be a decent smoke — even a very good one, considering the price. In the meantime I’ve smoked all of the other small batch sticks and thought they were decent as well — not stellar, but better than their two-dollar price tag would suggest.

So when I saw the Padilla 1948 getting the same treatment, I jumped. The ’48 was my goto Padilla back when Pepin was making this stick, so at 40 bucks for a mazo of 20 it seemed like a no-brainer.

But then I read on one of the boards that this cigar uses short filler. This was after I had pulled the trigger, of course, but I was a little peeved because the description of the cigar specifically stated it was long-filler. On the other hand, what do you expect for 2 dollars? I decided that I should postpone judgement until I could perform a little personal investigation.

According to CI, this is a long-filler Nicaraguan puro with a Habano wrapper. Like the Miami Maduro Edicion Limitada, this one is issued in the 5 x 50 robusto size only.

The first one I smoked burned well and tasted fine up to the mid-point where it suddenly got very sharp tasting. But what really concerned me was the ash. After half an inch it plummeted to the floor without the slightest prompting. And then again, after another half-inch or so. Damn, I thought. This probably is short filler. To satisfy my curiosity, and for the benefit of my three readers, I had to conduct a post-mortem. The results weren’t pretty, and I like pretty pictures, so I sacrificed a fresh stick for the purposes of demonstration.

Below you can see the wrapper, carefully incised and removed. It’s a nice looking wrapper — dark and oily, just like the ad copy says.

Next, the binder. Not so nice looking, but neither is your connective tissue.

And finally, the heart of the issue. La Tripa. Findings: Long Filler.

Construction Notes

The biggest problem with this cut-rate ’48 is consistency in construction. Some of them draw perfectly but a few were almost plugged. One had the odd ash issue, mentioned above, which resulted in the ash falling unaccountably every half-inch. But most of them (4 out of 5, lets say) were just fine.

The wrapper on this limitada robusto is rustic, but still rich looking. The roll is solid, and every one has burned slowly and evenly. The caps are uniformly sloppy, which is a surprise to see next to a Padilla band, but aesthetics aside they perform their assigned function. The ash holds firm, though sometimes it cracks and makes idle threats.

Overall construction: Good, but with concerns about consistency.

Tasting Notes

The Padilla ’48 Edicion Limitada doesn’t have the smoothness or complexity of the ’48 I remember from back in the Pepin days, but it showcases cocoa in a way that is reminiscent of the old blend. There is a little bit of black pepper up front, but the base flavors are earth and wood. Toward the middle of the cigar it picks up a musky note, but the best thing about the cigar is the cocoa and coffee on the nose. It’s about medium in body, lighter than most of Padilla’s standard lines.

I have had trouble getting past the band on these because the flavor drops off and turns ashy if smoked too quickly. If I had the time to nurse it I’d probably get more out this robusto, but for 2 dollars I’m content to smoke it halfway and grab another if I have the time.

Conclusion

The wrapper on this cigar is quite good, lending a cocoa-coffee base to the smoke that seals the deal. Granted, it’s not a Trump-sized deal. But what do you expect for 2 bucks a stick?

You could do worse.

Final Score: 83

4 Comments Posted on by cigarfan Cigar Reviews

Los Blancos NINE Toro

Los Blancos cigars have been in production since 1998, but this blend — NINE — has made the biggest splash of them all. It may be because this is the heaviest cigar in Los Blancos’ stable — the heaviest swingers seem to get the most press for some reason — or it may be because it’s simply the best. NINE has been recommended to me by several posters, and after the last comment a few weeks ago I decided I really had to give this blend a test run.

Los Blancos Cigar Company is based in Chicago, Illinois, but their cigars are produced in Esteli, Nicaragua. The Blanco family has a storied past that is similar to many in the industry, having been exiled from Cuba after the revolution, but they are fortunate to be cousins to the Plasencia family.  The Plasencias oversee all of the farming and manufacturing of Los Blancos cigars in Honduras and Nicaragua, and they produce NINE in the Segovia factory in Esteli.

Evidently this blend was originally a house blend for C.I.G.A.R. in San Antonio, and the name derives from the number of attempts required to arrive at the final blend. It has been available on a wider basis since 2009. (For the full story, see Charlie’s review of the Lancero at The Cigar Feed.)

Los Blancos NINE is a Nicaraguan puro with a corojo oscuro wrapper.  Five sizes are in production:

  • Robusto – 5 x 52
  • Double Corona – 7 x 52
  • Toro – 6 x 52
  • Torpedo – 6 1/2 x 52
  • Lancero – 7 x 38

Construction Notes

The NINE toro is a solid chunk of cigar. The oscuro wrapper is not really as dark as the name implies, but the shade is nothing lighter than maduro. The leaf is slightly veiny but quite oily. It has a flat head and broad shoulders, and is finished with an attractive single cap. It strikes me as a masculine looking smoke, though I’m not sure what that means. (I’m hearing Luca Brasi: “May your first cigar be a masculine cigar.”)

The draw is firm but not tight and it burns evenly most of the time. It needs no supervision while it constructs a solid ash.

Overall construction excellent.

Tasting Notes

The first time I lit up the NINE I was expecting a blast of pepper, but the toro saves that for later. It opens with a smooth blend of cedar and cocoa that is surprisingly easy on the palate. The aroma is sweet, spicy, and somewhat woody. The flavor on the palate is notably acidic, quintessentially Nicaraguan. (This flavor is often described as tea-like, which seems accurate. Maybe I need to start drinking more tea.)

The cocoa flavors briefly turn to caramel in the middle third and then the spice takes over. The flavors turn deeper and darker. The smoke texture is medium in body but it develops a discernible bite. This is where the NINE gets serious.

In the last third the pepper on the palate drowns out most of the subtlety that this cigar has to offer. The sweet cocoa and caramel flavors linger in the aroma, but the battle on the palate takes center stage. The transition from subtle to powerful is gradual, but impressive.

Conclusion

Los Blancos clearly has a hit with the NINE, and now I can see why. It has all of the flavor of the big Pepin blends, but opens with a lot more subtlety. It has the sweetness of maduro, the cocoa and coffee flavors of top-shelf Nicaraguans, and the spicy pop that I love in a corojo wrapper. The storm of black pepper and char in the last inch might be a bit much for some palates, but it is a fitting conclusion for a dramatic smoke.

The NINE runs in the 8 to 9 USD range, and that is not at all unreasonable for this cigar.

Final Score: 91

Leave a comment Posted on by cigarfan Arturo Fuente, Cigar Reviews

Angelenos by Prometheus

When Zeus hid fire from mortals to punish them for a cruel trick they had played on him, Prometheus came to the rescue with a flaming fennel-stalk. The modern Prometheus would probably choose something a little more reliable, like a flint ignition lighter from the company bearing his name. (I think Prometheus would prefer flint ignition to electronic piezo. He’s been bound to a rock for eternity and I expect his taste is rather conservative.)

But as we all know, Prometheus has branched out — not only has he brought us fire, but he has become a purveyor of fine cigars too. It all began in 2004 with the appropriately named God of Fire, a limited edition cigar in two styles, one blended by Carlos and the other by Carlito Fuente.

In 2010 Prometheus added another blend, this time to celebrate the city of Los Angeles, California. The release of Angelenos was accompanied by the expected selection of Angelenos-branded accoutrement: a carbon-fiber humidor ($1600), bone china ashtray ($69.95), cutters, cases, and of course, lighters. (All very classy items, by the way.) But having only recently graduated from a rusty coffee can to a proper ashtray, the cigar is what primarily interests me.

Like the God of Fire line, Angelenos are manufactured by Tabacalera A. Fuente y Cia. The data on the blend is a bit shrouded, which is typical for Fuente, but we have been graced with the following: the wrapper is from Ecuador (Connecticut seed is my guess) and the binder and filler are Dominican. Five sizes are in production:

  • Robusto – 5 1/4 x 50
  • Double Robusto – 5 3/4 x 52
  • Toro – 6 x 50
  • Lonsdale – 6 1/4 x 44
  • Gran Toro – 6 1/2 x 54

Construction Notes

The Angelenos Gran Toro is a fine looking cigar with a smooth claro shade wrapper and a flat head. The cap looks a bit mashed at the crown, but it cuts cleanly and resolves any aesthetic objections by dropping quietly into the ashtray.  The roll is solid and the cigar burns beautifully. My only concern is that the wrapper leaf is extremely delicate. I live in the desert, so I battle humidity issues on a daily basis, but even so it seems that there is frequently a trade-off involved with super-premium wrapper leaf: the complexity and sophistication of the leaf is often accompanied by extreme fragility. This one cracked almost as soon as I touched flame to foot, but at least it didn’t fall apart.

Overall construction: Good.

Tasting Notes

The elegance of the wrapper and the band are a good indication of the character of this cigar. The smoke is mild but flavorful and the aroma is sophisticated. Sweet spices on the nose combine with a touch of salt and a dry tannic flavor to produce a balanced and well-rounded taste.

The smoke texture (what I call body) is medium to full — which complements the mild flavor very nicely. Slightly green woody flavors come to the fore in the mid-section, accented by minerals and nuts.

The aroma is the highlight of this cigar. It continues to be sweet throughout the duration of the cigar, but it’s increasingly floral as time goes by.

Conclusion

The Angelenos Gran Toro is a fine example of how a mild cigar can be subtle and sophisticated yet still very substantial.

This cigar reminded me of Ashton’s Vintage Cabinet line, but it has a little more character. It also carries an Ashton-like price tag — around 11 USD per stick. If your standards are just a bit lower you could be almost as satisfied with an Oliva Connecticut Reserve and walk away five bucks in the black, but if you have the scratch and love the sophistication of a fine wrapper leaf, Angelenos may be calling your name.

Final Score: 88