Yet another cigar brand name that has Cuban roots: Bolivar. This is the "2005 blend" made in Santiago, Dominican Republic by General Cigar. It's an interesting blend of leaves, with a Honduran wrapper, a Connecticut binder, and filler from the D.R. as well as Nicaraguan leaf from both Esteli and the volcanic island of Ometepe.

The wrapper is from the small valley of San Agustin, Honduras, which is also the source for the wrapper on the Punch Gran Puro — a rich and powerful leaf that is rightfully gaining a solid reputation. The binder is "Havana Medio Tiempo" from the corona part of the plant, a step above ligero at the very top. And the higher you go, the more powerful the leaf becomes. This leaf is used as a wrapper on the Partagas Black label. Ometepe is an island in the middle of lake Nicaragua where the Plasencias have been experimenting with tobacco cultivation. I would expect the volcanic soil to have a profound effect on the flavor and quality of the leaf. (The current issue of Cigar Aficionado has an article about Ometepe, but I haven't picked up a copy yet.)

The "2005 blend" was created by master cigar maker Daniel Nuñez, with advice from such luminaries as Estelo Padron, Benji Menendez, and Ernesto Perez-Carrillo. It was developed with the original Cuban Bolivar in mind, intended to be a "flavorful powerhouse of a cigar, and worthy of its pedigree."

The wrapper on this solid cigar is fantastic in every way, a dark oily delight. The aroma from the wrapper is the best part of this smoke– rich with leather and something like coffee or strong cocoa. It's not a powerhouse, in my opinion. I'd call it medium at best, but a flavorful and smooth medium.

I can't render a final opinion on this cigar however, because the sample I tried was really tight. It burned very well, but the draw was laborious. I was really enjoying the flavor of the smoke, but I tossed it at the halfway point because the draw was so annoying. I will have to pick up a few more of these to see if I just got a bad stick this time.

For the moment, I'd say go with the Punch Gran Puro for a similar taste (but definitely more powerful) and better construction.

After further review, it appears that the Alcohol Tax and Trade Bureau has not officially proposed the changes referred to in an earlier post.

TTB has received numerous inquiries about when it will publish proposed regulatory amendments regarding the classification of little cigars for Federal excise tax purposes.

TTB is currently drafting its proposed changes to the tobacco regulations. The proposed changes would add specific criteria to our regulations to differentiate between little cigars and cigarettes. We plan to publish the proposal for public comment by this summer.

Furthermore, the recommendations by the Attorneys General are aimed at a specific tobacco product that is not remotely related to the cigars found on Keepers of the Flame. And in reality, the recommendations have little to do with size; they have much more to do with the composition of the stick and how it is marketed to the public.

A “cigar” would be defined as a roll of tobacco that is wrapped in 100% natural leaf tobacco, or a substance that contains 75% or more tobacco which retains its original qualities, i.e. does not taste like a pineapple.

A “cigarette” would be defined as a roll of tobacco wrapped in paper (or other non-tobacco substance), or wrapped in a substance containing tobacco but is “likely to be offered to, or purchased by, consumers as a cigarette.” The new definition would cast a shadow of suspicion over cigars that are either sweetened, or are sold in packaging similar to that of cigarettes.

It appears that the AGs are after cigarettes that pass themselves off as cigars, such as “Primetime” cigars and other filtered tobacco products, sometimes called “brown cigarettes.” Personally, I have no interest in these, and I won’t touch cheap machine made cigars that use HTL (homogenized tobacco leaf.) So I’m not too worried.

However, the definitions seem to cast a net broad enough that fans of Acid cigars or other hand made flavored cigars may have cause for concern. Without a doubt the makers of genuine cigars that utilize cased tobacco or contain sucrose in any fashion will have their say before the final regulations are passed.

The AG recommendations have been published online by the California Attorney General.

I don’t normally post cigar news, or anti-cigar news as it usually turns out to be, but this one caught my eye. The attorneys general of 39 states and Guam have decided that “little cigars” are actually cigarettes, and should be controlled and taxed accordingly.

From the AP wire:

By NANCY ZUCKERBROD, Associated Press Writer Thu May 18, 6:30 PM ET

WASHINGTON – If it looks like a cigarette, feels like a cigarette and smokes like a cigarette — it must be a cigarette. At least that’s what 39 states and Guam are saying about “little cigars.”

Many little cigars should be reclassified as cigarettes, the officials said Thursday, meaning they would have to carry health-warning labels and be subject to higher taxes and marketing restrictions that are imposed on cigarettes, but not on cigars.

“Call a cigarette a cigarette. I’ve got them in front of me. There isn’t any question these are cigarettes,” Montana Attorney General Mike Mcgrath said Thursday in a telephone interview. “It’s peach flavored. Now who would want a peach flavored cigar? Maybe a high school girl.”

High school girls, eh? Tell that to this guy, Mr Attorney Man:

Go ahead. Make his day.

And when he’s done with you, there’s some ladies in the hall that would like a word. They call themselves the “Flavourettes,” and they look a little…desperate.

While not exactly a "bargain" cigar, STC Cigar has been successful in marketing the very affordable Gran Habano line since 2003. The Gran Habanos are offered in only four sizes, but each size is available in three different blends to choose from.

The sizes are fairly predictable, since they are also the most popular: churchill, pyramid, toro and robusto. The blends cover the spectrum from mild to full body: The #1 has a Connecticut shade wrapper and is the mildest of the three. The #3 has a Nicaraguan wrapper and is blended to suit the tastes of medium-bodied cigar smokers. The #5 has a Nicaraguan corojo wrapper for fans of full-bodied smokes.

The #3 "Habano" before me here is a four country blend, with filler from Costa Rica, Mexico, and Nicaragua, an Ecuadorian binder, and a colorado maduro wrapper from Nicararagua. The Pyramide measures 6 1/8 by 52, and is made by Guillermo Rico's G.R. Tabacaleras Unidas in Danli, Honduras.

It's a nice looking wrapper with plenty of oil and a slightly sweet smell. I snipped the tip and the draw feels just right.

It lights up with some reluctance and required a couple of touch ups throughout the smoke. This cigar is packed well and burns slowly with plenty of smooth smoke. It has a sweet and woody flavor, and despite the burn problems with the wrapper it's quite aromatic.

As advertised, it does have a medium body, but along with this is considerable strength. I wasn't expecting quite this much nicotine in a "medium" bodied cigar, but once again this shows that "body" does not always correlate with strength. In this regard it lives up to it's "Habano" name. About halfway down the shank it picks up a bit of spice and starts to burn a little more consistently. And at the conclusion a pleasant and lingering aftertaste seals the deal.

At 3 to 4 USD per stick this is a great value cigar. Pair it with a good Highland malt or a strong ale. It completely blew away my can of Miller…I'll know better next time.

This is the second generation of the Master Blends, this time with an Ecuadorian grown Sumatra wrapper. (The Master Blends 1 was a Nicaraguan puro.) Oliva's farms in Ecuador have been producing wrapper leaf of tremendous quality in recent years, as evidenced by their use in Ashton's Virgin Sun Grown brand and Diamond Crown's Maximus cigars.

The Master Blends are limited edition cigars, with only 120,000 of the MB 2 churchill produced. The churchill measures 7 by 50, and is made in Esteli, Nicaragua. An interesting design flourish is the insignia below the band– etched into the wrapper with a laser, I'm told, to thwart counterfeiters. It also makes this cigar a little difficult to use in a blind taste test…

It's square pressed, and the cap is a little rough. Prelight the smell of the wrapper is fairly strong, and the draw is perfect.

It lights up easily and burns evenly. This is a medium bodied cigar that doesn't waver too much; though it does grow in strength, it never achieves a truly full body. The flavor profile is not extraordinary; no particular taste really jumps out at me. The aroma of the smoke is pleasant, but I can't really put my finger on any particular descriptor. There is an astringent, mouth puckering quality that I find with many Nicaraguan cigars, and the one distinguishing element I can identify is a semi-bitter aftertaste, like Columbian coffee. I'm not a fan of this taste, so I can't say I found it all that pleasurable.

The Oliva Master Blends 2 Churchill is a very well made cigar, and it commands a premium price. I would recommend it for fans of other Nicaraguans, but I would also advise prospective buyers to taste a few before purchasing a full box.

Every once in a while I like to hit the local cigar shops to see what's kicking. This robusto is from a downtown Las Vegas shop called Bad Habits. They have some interesting and unusual sticks, including a Costa Rican puro called Eureka which I will be reviewing here at some point. They're located on 4th Street near the Fremont Street Experience. Their prices are a bit high, but that's understandable due to the location. But you're better off buying some nice cigars from these folks than throwing your money away on the tables, believe me. (Here comes the pit boss. Time to light up this robusto and look tough.)

I was told in the shop that this is a Dominican puro, but that's about all I can tell you about the makeup of this cigar. The maduro wrapper is rough with a few prominent veins, but it feels solid enough. Prelight it has a fairly typical herbal smell with a tinge of ammonia. I thought it might need some additional aging for this reason, but I decided to fire it up anyway.

It lit up well, forming a flaky gray ash. The burn was even and consistent throughout the smoke. I didn't expect a whole lot from this cigar, because it hasn't been rated 95 in Cigar Aficionado and there aren't full page ads splashed all over the cigar magazines. Hell, it doesn't even have a homepage! What's a cigar without a homepage anyway?

In this case, it's a pretty good cigar. It's medium in body, reaching towards full. It starts out with an herbal body and a little pepper. Notes of chocolate and cocoa are the main feature. These finer flavors are drowned out as the cigar grows in strength and the pepper comes and goes. I smoked this a little past the band, at which point it turned a little bitter.

I can't remember what I paid for this, but it was under five dollars, and at this price I'd call it a bargain. I've paid way more for far lesser cigars. If you're ever downtown and hankering for a good smoke while you're paying the devil his due, check out Bad Habits. I plan to make another trip soon myself.