Acme Cigars traces its roots back to the late 1800’s. Acme was a well-known supermarket chain and also known as the supplier of dubious products to Wile E. Coyote in the old Roadrunner cartoons. Route 66 opened in 1926 and was America’s best known highway until it was removed from the US highway system in 1985. So Acme Route 66 is full of nostalgia – but how is the cigar?

The Route 66 Classic is a 5 X 50 robusto, slightly dark in appearance. The label appropriately has a healthy dose of red, white, and blue colors. The Classic has an Ecuadorian habano wrapper, Jalapa binder and a filler blend of Nicaraguan, Dominican and San Andres tobaccos. The flavors were black pepper, paprika and leather with a hint of sweetness.  The flavor intensity increased for the second half of the cigar. The burn was very even and the ash was firm and well colored, suggesting excellent construction. The draw and smoke volume were slightly better than average.

I spent 40 minutes smoking the medium bodied Classic and the cost of $5.50 to $5.90 is clearly in the mid-range, and representing a decent value for the cigar. I rate the Classic a 3.5 out of 5.

Cuban Stock has done it again!!!

It has been a tiring year at CigarMayven.com.  We had several challenges with our CigarMadness2016 contest.  All of our reviewers were smoked out having to smoke and score well over 65 cigars in a short 6 week period.  Speaking for myself, I took a few weeks off from cigars. And then cam back to deal with web issues that had developed while we were all busy smoking.  But, despite the hectic pace, it was worth it.  Decidedly!  There were many great sticks entered in the contest and we reviewers, who were blind tasting, eagerly awaited the results to see which cigars they could go back and smoke again.  So, after the smoke had cleared I was rummaging in the humidor and cam e up with  a nice torpedo.  I did’t even remember where I got it.  But it was a stellar smoke.

When I looked at the cigar it was very nice looking chocolate brown with an oily wrapper.  Since it was a torpedo it was cut flat and it lit easily.  It had a nice clean open draw and produced a nice volume of smoke.

This is a well constructed stick.  It burned evenly with a nice ash and a tight edge.  The draw was open and comfortable throughout the smoke.

This is a very mellow cigar filled with great flavor.  During the first third of the smoke it tasted earthy with notes of cedar.  As I continued to smoke the earthy flavor intensified adding a slight leather to the mix.  While there was briefly a strong aftertaste, in general this was a very mellow smoke.  I would rate it as a lunch cigar.  The final flavors had a nice spicy finish.  I like a cigar whose flavors vary as I smoke it.  this fit the bill nicely.

The 231 Rockhill is named after the street address of the maker, Cuban Stock Cigars.  They specialize in making affordable cigars.  this one at around $5.00 is well worth twice that price.  Enjoy!

GURKHA CIGARS TO SHOWCASE FIVE NEW BLENDS AND SIZES

Fort Lauderdale, FL – Known throughout the world for making the finest premium cigars, Gurkha Cigars’ CEO Kaizad Hansotia understands that change is paramount in the cigar business and it’s critical for growth to develop new brands. Now, just in time for the 2016 International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers trade show, IPCPR, Gurkha has released five new blended cigars and sizes that are expected to become blockbusters. They are the Gurkha Heritage, Ghost, Cellar Reserve 21 Year, Pam American and the Jubilee.

Gurkha Heritage: Adding to the original Heritage Collection, Gurkha’s new Maduro will come in three flavorful sizes: a Robusto (5 x 55, $7.99), Toro (6.5 x 52, $8.99) and a new Robusto Corto, which measures 4.5 x 48. It has a Mexican San Andreas Wrapper and retails for $5.  It’s packaged in boxes of 24.

Ghost: Gurkha’s Ghost Collection is adding a pair of two new sizes in the Figurado shape to its sleek and alluring line. The Spooky is a 4 x 60 with an MSRP of $7 and the Phantom is a 5 x 58 size with a MSRP of $8. Both cigars come in a 21-count box and will be packed without the tubes.

Cellar Reserve 21 Year: Adding to the majestic Cellar Reserve anthology, Gurkha is unveiling three new sizes of their 21-year Cellar Reserve. These cigars have a Connecticut shade Wrapper with 21-year-aged Dominican binder and filler. It is available in limited production. Sizes include the Solara 5 x 58 with a MSRP of $13, Hedonism 6 x 58 with a MSRP of $15 and the Kraken 6 x 60 with an MSRP of $16.50.

Pan American: Gurkha is unveiling its new Pan American cigar. This new line comes in one size; the XO at 6 x 60 with a Connecticut Wrapper, Nicaraguan Binder and Filler. It retails for $9.50 and is sold in boxes of 25.

Jubilee: The Jubilee is a 6 x 58 Toro Vitola with an aged Ecuadorian Habano wrapper and Nicaraguan binder and filler. The Jubilee is specially packaged in a 10-count limited edition humidor. It retails for $20.

Gurkha Cigars are known throughout the world as the Rolls Royce of cigars, so it’s no surprise that they are the most sought-after cigars in the market. Gurkha produces eight million cigars per year that are sold in more than 58 countries worldwide. And while Gurkha is known for its exclusivity, it has an impressive array of 105 brands of flawlessly handcrafted, premium cigars created in a variety of strengths, tasting profiles, and price-points. No matter what your taste, there’s a Gurkha cigar that’s perfect for your palate. For additional information, visit www.gurkhacigars.com.

D.R. Wholesale Cigars from Orlando Florida showcased several cigars at the annual IPCPR held in New Orleans in 2015 and provided me with a sample of their John Thomas (JT) brand. I found very little information on D.R. Wholesale. However, the JT cigar was a 7 X 60 handful with an Habano wrapper around an Ecuadorain binder and filler from Honduras, Mexico and Panama and Nicaragua. I consider the JT an “United Nations” since it uses tobaccos from so many countries. This cigar stayed fresh in my humidor after 7 months.
The JT had a mild beginning with a very good draw. The flavor started with some sweetness around a leathery flavor. In about 5 minutes, nutmeg and dried fruit drifted in and out. The flavor strength increased past the middle of the cigar. The smoke volume was a bit above average, the burn line remained fairly even and the ash was acceptable.
I enjoyed the JT for the 1 hour and 45 minutes it took to smoke it – a relatively long lasting cigar. The SRP range provided to me at the IPCPR for JT was $12 to $18 each and I suspect the 7 X 60 is at the upper end of the range. At this price level my overall rating is reduced a slightly above average 3.5 out of 5. Contact D.R. Wholesale Cigars to order some or find where they are sold.

The new Hoyo cigars arrived about 10 days ago.  Just as we ere finishing smoking the final 2 cigars in our CigarMadness2016 contest.  So it took a few days for the msoke to clear to get to this review.  At first I was concerned that after smoking the great cigars in the final rounds of the c0ntest I would be disappointed with whatever came next.  Thankfully, that was this gem from General.  The new Hoyo builds on a reputation that is over 100 years old,  To learn all about Hoyo click here for a nice video.

For starters, this is a very nice looking cigar.  It has a beautiful medium brown wrapper.  It’s not overly veiny but has a nice smooth oily feel.  I had no problems punching and lighting the stick which gave off lots of nice blue smoke.

The cigar smokes cool and the initial taste is of cedar and leather, very dry.  It quickly develops some mellow creaminess.   AS I continue to smoke this cigar hints of cinnamon appear.  There is a bit of a bite to the cigar, but not offensive in nay way.  The final third of e smoke is a bit heavier but still clean without a lingering aftertaste.  I like cigars whose flavors change during the smoke and this certainly fits that bill.

This is a well put together cigar,  The construction is pretty close to flawless.  It burns evenly with a tight edge and kept a very long ash.  The draw was comfortable.  I find a draw that’s too open and the cigar smokes too hot.  This one is perfect.

Sadly, since these are not available online and new to the stores it was hard to find a price.  If you can find these cigars less than $10, I’d consider them a great value.  Enjoy!

After 5 hard fought battles, we have a winner.  As one of the judges, it has been a true pleasure smoking some really great cigars.  Kudos to all of our entrants.  Once again the complete list of cigars entered can be found at the bottom of this page.

And now, a drum roll please

the winner of the CigarMadness2016 contest is the Dunhill Heitage Robusto.  Congratulations to the team at general cigar.  We’d also like to congratulate the runner-up, Kings Cigars for their King of Kings Broadleaf.  No one would be unhappy with that cigar in hand.  I wish I had more.

On a final note, we’ll have just one more posting about the contest.  Just like in real life where the champion gets to cut down the nets, so too, we’ll get that done sometime this summer and bring you video fo that momentous event.

Thanks to all participants as well as my overworked staff of judges!

(Has baseball season started yet?  Go Red Sox!!!!)

As we get to the finals, it looks like Gurkha Cigars has a slight advantage as they have 2 sticks remaining.  I personally have had a rocky relationship with Gurkha over the years.  Many years ago when my friend Alfredo first introduced these cigars to me, they were very inconsistent and I didn’t like them.  The company changed, for the better a number of years back when they brought in some expert cigar people to augment an already great marketing team.  This resolved quality issues, and for the past years I have enjoyed these cigars regularly.

The other two Final 4 sticks re interesting, one is from General Cigar, one of the larges cigar producers out there.  The other comes from a small boutique producer Kings Cigars.

Way to go, all.

Here are your final 4 sticks:

And your two finalists are:

King of Kings Broadleaf and Generals Dunhill Heritage.

I was about to write may the best cigar win, but I think I’m rooting for a tie so we’ll have to smoke more.

Eight great sticks made to the quarterfinals.  See which ones they were by clicking here

After lots of hazy nights (filled with smoke) we have a winner in the CigarMadess2016 contest.  To read about the contest and the cigars, click here.  The winner will be published tomorrow.

80 years covers a lot of history – from the end of the Great Depression to the end of the Great Recession (a coincidence?). Dunhill celebrated the 80th anniversary of its Don Candido line by issuing a very limited edition called Seleccion Suprema in only 1 size – a 6 X 50 toro. Dunhill states that this is the most exclusive launch in its history and the cigar is available in 8 count boxes for $160 per box.
The Suprema uses a Nicaraguan Jalapa shade leaf wrapped around a Connecticut broadleaf binder with fillers from Esteli and Jalapa in Nicaragua and Matafina Brazil. Dunhill created an attractive cigar and adorned it with 3 bands, including one to protect the foot. The Suprema started with a nice earthy taste that later included spice and black pepper. The final third had a cedar undertone and turned slightly bitter. The cigar is full bodied and medium flavor strength so after dinner would be the best time to enjoy it. The smoke volume was excellent, the burn line was flawless and the ash was exceptional. The only construction improvement I would consider is to improve the draw a bit.
The Seleccion Suprema lasted for an hour and 35 minutes and is above average in in every category but price and this reduced the overall score. $20 is outside of my range. However, if it is within yours, I would recommend the Suprema and give it a 4 out of 5 rating.