Cigar Reviews and More at the Tiki Bar Online

Cigar Extra: Jaime Garcia Reserva Especial, TAA Edition

noreply@blogger.com (dmj) — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 15:00:00 +0000

Torpedo, 6.125" x 52 ring gauge / $10, Burns Tobacconist
The Tobacconist Association of America is ramping it up when it comes to the exclusive cigars released under their banner. Hot on the heels of the Tatuaje TAA blend is this special release of the Jaime Garcia Reserva Especial in a nice box-pressed torpedo size. It is available only from TAA member shops and costs $10 a stick (I got this one free of charge since Burns was giving them out on a member night). Like other Jaime Garcia branded sticks, this has Nicaraguan filler, an Ecuadorian binder, and a Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro wrapper. I paired it with Willett Bourbon, a single barrel, pot stilled dram I picked up the same day I got the cigar.

To start off, this is a great looking cigar, but then again, I am a sucker for a beautiful, oily Broadleaf wrapper leaf. The prelight draw was good and had flavor notes of dark chocolate, coffee, spice and natural tobacco. Once lit the pepper spice came through strongly on the nose, while I got cedar and cocoa powder on the palate. The cigar smoked earthy and slightly sweet in the first third, with cedar more of an supporting note...far different from the Jaime Garcias I remember smoking when they first came to market. The bourbon was smooth and sweet, with plenty of oak and vanilla...very tasty and a very nice accompaniment to the stogie.

The rest of the cigar continued to be better than I remembered for this blend. The cedar flavor did increase but never became the dominant note as I had experienced in the past. The bourbon was simply fantastic and proved to be a superb pairing, bringing out more sweetness from the Maduro wrapper. And maybe that is the whole key to why the cigar worked...with the additional sweetness, the wood flavor never overwhelmed the balance and made it much more palatable.

If you want to get your hands on some of these, give Burns a call at 423-855-5200

Cigar Review: La Aurora Broadway

noreply@blogger.com (dmj) — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 15:00:00 +0000

Toro, 5.75" x 54 ring gauge / approx. $12.25, New York state exclusive
Pretty much everyone can agree that tobacco taxes are too high just about everywhere, but New York state seems to be a special case where the legislature seems to be intent on driving business completely out of the Empire State. To help local tobacconists, several companies produced special "New York only" cigars that could be sold at a slightly lower than average price (for NY anyway) and would be a reason for consumers to buy from NY shops. The filler of the La Aurora Broadway Series is Dominican, Nicaraguan and Peruvian, it has a Dominican Corojo binder, and two wrapper leaves--one Ecuadorian Sumatra and one Nicaraguan Habano. My friend, Barry, sent me one of these as he celebrated his leaving New York to go to work for Miami Cigar and Company; I will be basing my review on this one sample, in large part because it is something Barry and I have always disagreed on. :-)

The New York City skyline graphic on the band of the Broadway definitely sets it apart from anything else in La Aurora's catalog (nary a lion in sight) and really from just about anything else I've seen in the humidor. The black, silver and red has a vaguely art deco-ish design. The wrapper has a faint glisten of oil, but under my fingers it felt more oily, with a slightly velvety touch to it. I also picked up some glints of what could have been plume when I held the cigar at certain angles under the light in my office; probably just the beginnings of some real plume formation, but still...it shows that the cigar was kept well. Bringing it to my nose, I got an aroma of barnyard, which is probably something not smelled in NYC in over 150 years. The foot gave off rich, earthy scents. Giving it a good look again before lighting, I noticed the color to be a light to medium brown with some darker mottling and a few medium-sized veins. The prelight draw was very good and had flavors of hay, earth and sweet tobacco.

The La Aurora Broadway took a bit more effort than expected to get lit, but once going I enjoys it right from the start. I got sweet hay and tobacco notes up front, a hint of citrus from the Peruvian leaf, and an underlying earthiness; the retrohale was smooth, with just a hint of black pepper burn and a rich, sweet roasted nut note. The rest of the first third was a very nice mix of earth, maple, and natural tobacco along with an understated citrus zing.

The ash held on for over an inch before needing to be tapped off the first time. The draw and burn line were nothing short of perfect, either, as I chugged into the second third. I noticed that the carbon ring around the burn line was ultra thin, too. The flavors of the Broadway in the second third trended more toward the earthy side and the sweetness was more of a dark molasses note. I still got a roasted peanut note on the nose.

The last third of the La Aurora Broadway maintained the earthy core, but notes of wood and molasses came through more strongly, as well. In the end, I liked this cigar...a lot. This could be one of the finest things to issue out of the La Aurora factory, in fact. It was very flavorful and complex with a medium to full body and medium amount of nicotine hit. This would be an easy cigar to recommend to smokers who want to get beyond the milder cigars most new smokers gravitate toward and it has enough interest for seasoned cigar enthusiasts, too. I wish this was more widely available and I wish it was available in more sizes, but do yourself a favor and try to find them. If you are near New York, go and buy some. If not, find a New York retailer that will sell them over the phone or Internet.

Body: 7/10
Strength: 5/10
Complexity: 8/10

AFP Scale
Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 2/2
Flavor: 4.5/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 9.5/10

Cigar Review: Pedro Martin Fiera

noreply@blogger.com (Keith1911) — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 15:00:00 +0000

Torpedo, 6.25" x 52 ring gauge / $8.99, Maxamar's

This past weekend I went looking around the humidor in Maxamar's trying to see if I could find something new to light up. These caught my eye as I had heard about them before but had never seen one. Maxamar's has been getting more of the Pedro Martin cigars in recently so I may be doing some review of their other cigars. This cigar is a Nicaraguan puro comprised of a corojo filler, a criollo binder, all covered in a corojo wrapper. The cigar comes 20 to a box in three sizes; a 4.5"x50 short robusto, a 6"x54 super toro, and the cigar I smoked for the review the 6.25"x52 torpedo. This was the second one I smoked.

The first thing I notice is the band. I really like the silver, black and red coloring of it and it was what caught my eye as I was browsing through the humidor. The wrapper is a nice medium brown in color with some oils to it. There were some fine veins to it as well. When I gave the cigar a squeeze I wasn't able to detect any soft spots and it was fairly firm. Putting my nose to the wrapper I was able to get the aroma of leather, while barnyard came from the foot. After clipping it and taking a cold draw on it I got a good draw with a sweet cedar flavor.

Lighting it up the first taste I get is of sweet graham cracker. Taking a few more puffs the spice is very present on the retrohale and the tongue. As I progressed into this third I was able to taste the flavors of leather, wood, and cinnamon coming through as well. The draw was pretty much perfect and the burn was pretty much even. I would call this cigar medium bodied and strength at this point.

As I started the second third the spice and the sweetness mellowed out. The cigar unfortunately tarred up and I had to recut it. The flavors otherwise were of cedar, and earth. The draw continued to be great, while the burn was slightly wavy, but nothing serious.

Once I moved into the final third the cigar changed to pretty much what it was during the first third. The spice ramped up a bit, especially on the tongue. The flavors were of wood, leather, earth and cinnamon with a sweet finish.

Overall this was a very enjoyable cigar! Luckily I didn't have any more tar problems and after I cut it the bitterness went away. I would classify this cigar right in the middle of the medium range. While this isn't something that I'd like after a heavy meal, it would be a great morning or afternoon cigar as though it is flavorful it isn't overwhelming. Because of that I would recommend this cigar to any smoker out there. So if you see it I'd suggest picking it up.

Body: 6/10
Strength: 7/10
Complexity: 6/10

AFP Scale
Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 1.5/2
Flavor: 4/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 8.5/10

Cigar Review: La Palina El Diario Torpedo

noreply@blogger.com (dmj) — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 15:00:00 +0000

Torpedo, 6.125" x 52 ring gauge / approx. $11
Back in October of last year, Keith and I published a dual review of the La Palina El Diario, their newest release. As noted then, this was made in Honduras by Raices Cubanas and features Nicaraguan filler (Corojo 99 and Criollo 98), two Honduran Criollo 98 binder leaves, and a Honduran Corojo 99 Rosado wrapper leaf. It was designed to be a balanced, medium bodied smoke with an affordable price tag that people might be able to enjoy on a daily basis, thus the name El Diario, which means "the daily." In the end, though, neither Keith nor I really enjoyed the cigar much, and I think one of the biggest problems was the size they sent for review: a 6" x 60 ring gauge Gordo. After an honest, but negative, review I thought we might not hear back from La Palina, but they sent a pair of El Diario in the smaller ring gauge Torpedo size, so I thought...this might be a good opportunity to see how size affects this blend. I smoked both of these for this review.

I won't belabor the prelight appearance...it was great on the Gordo and it is great here. The wrapper had nice aroma notes of wood, earth, and leather; the foot had more earth along with a sweet chocolatey note. After clipping the tip from the El Diario, I got a very good draw that featured flavors of natural tobacco, sweetened cocoa powder, and a little bit of pepper spice. So far, so good.

When I fired up, I found the El Diario Torpedo actually delivered good flavor at the outset: earth, medium-roast coffee, and even a little citrus on the palate; red pepper spice on the nose. The citrus did not last long, but it was replaced by a subtle dried fruit note that kept the sweetness in play. As the first third burned through, I got mostly flavors of earth and coffee, along with a rich natural tobacco. Underneath was a more subtle flavor of cedar. I have to admit that at this point, I was enjoying this vitola much more than the other I had tried.

In the second third the actual flavors did not change so much as the intensity of them switched around. The leading roles now were the natural tobacco note...almost haylike...and cedar. Underneath were flavors of earth and dried fruit sweetness. Construction had been superb so far; the draw was great, the burn line had needed only one minor touch up and the ash had to be forcibly tapped off at around an inch.

In the last third, the El Diario Torpedo did not change a whole lot, mostly just continued the flavor profile that had developed in the second. It is no secret that I think smaller ring gauges tend to bring out the best in a cigar's blend and this is no exception. While I still was not blown away by this cigar, it was a vast improvement over the 60 ring gauge sample I had smoked a few months ago and is something I would smoke again. The body was just over the halfway mark and the strength was nothing too potent, so this could be recommended to all but the most novice of smokers. I think those who appreciate Honduran tobacco are still going to be the biggest fans of this blend due to the triple whammy of that country's leaf in wrapper and dual binders, but this one is an exception to my rule of Honduran tobacco being a little...well...boring. While not as intensely flavorful as many Nicaraguan puros, this one did bring some life and interest to the party.

Body: 6/10
Strength: 5/10
Complexity: 7/10

AFP Scale
Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 2/2
Flavor: 4/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 9/10

Event: Guillermo Leon at Burns Tobacconist

noreply@blogger.com (dmj) — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 15:18:00 +0000

Friday, February 17, 2012 - Burns Tobacconist, Chattanooga, Tennessee

Last Friday we saw the long-awaited visit of La Aurora Cigars president, Guillermo Leon, to the city of Chattanooga. I can remember nearly three years ago when I was first told that they were trying to get Guillermo to visit...and the wait was finally over.

We had a great reception in the Tropicana Room behind Burns, with as much Presidente Beer as you could drink included in the price of admission. The price of admission was either $20...or a box purchase. The box purchase turned out to be the better deal, though, as they gave us the regular 20 percent discount, plus 10 free cigars (La Aurora Escogidos Maduros, a cigar made only for the factory and for events...but also sold to an online retailer once). Box purchasers also got a chance to win a trip to the Dominican Republic, with all expenses paid except air fare...and one lucky winner was destined to get the air fare taken care of, too.

Before the event started, I got a chance to sit down and talk to Guillermo for a few minutes...

The event moved on to the Downtown location of Burns for Saturday night.

I would like to thank Matt, Wes, and the rest of the Burns crew for putting on another great event. I would also like to thank Matt Shugart, Miami Cigar & Company's southeast region rep, for doing a typically outstanding job. Congrats to all those from Burns who are going to visit the La Aurora factory in the DR this May! And finally, thanks again to Guillermo for taking the time to sit down and answer some questions. If you haven't tried a La Aurora lately, I would encourage you to make a point of doing so...my two best recommendations would be the 107 Corona or the Guillermo Leon Signature Corona Gorda.


Burns Downtown manager, Wes, and MCC rep, Matt

Cigar Extra: Graycliff Professionale

noreply@blogger.com (dmj) — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 15:00:00 +0000

Presidente, 7" x 48 ring gauge / $20.50, Burns Tobacconist
Just to get this out of the way...no, I did not actually pay $20+ for this; I got it as part of the annual Burns renewal party last November. But it is a beautiful, hard to come by cigar, so I decided to put down some thoughts while I smoked it. The Blue Label Graycliff is also known as the Professionale and is made with a blend of Nicaraguan, Honduran, Brazilian, and Ecuadorian tobacco with an Indonesian wrapper. They are available in 11 sizes, outdone only by the Red Label Original which is available in 13. The entire range of lines was created to complement the Graycliff Hotel and Restaurant in the Bahamas.

The cigar is nice looking, with a classy, upscale band. The wrapper was fairly mottled and had a rich earthy aroma; the foot had a milder grassy aroma. The cold draw had an interesting mix of hay and molasses...so far it presented itself mostly as a milder cigar even though the company website describes it as medium to full. It fired up easily and had mostly natural tobacco flavor at first with citrus notes popping up within a few puffs. Before long I was experiencing a rich mix of tobacco, molasses and citrus with an underlying earthiness that added somewhat to the body...although I still would not call it medium to full. I paired the cigar with Ron Barcelo rum and on the first few sips I am sorry to say it did not seem like this was a pairing that would work well. Suddenly the cigar took on a strange, slightly off flavor that I didn't care for.

I actually enjoyed the Graycliff Professionale for what it was...a very refined medium bodied cigar. It had a flavor that reminded me in some ways of an Opus X...perhaps even a Forbidden X. But...it was not as good or refined as either X. And before the second third even started I was getting a canoe, which is pretty much unacceptable in a cigar retailing for over $20 (at least it's unacceptable in my book). The flavor progressed to a somewhat odd place, likely the result of the Indonesian wrapper leaf, which is something I am unfamiliar with. The pairing with the rum got better, too. In the end it was an interesting smoke, but I can't imagine paying $20 or more to experience it again.

Cigar Review: Berger & Argenti Entubar V32

noreply@blogger.com (dmj) — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 15:00:00 +0000

Bruto Belicoso, 6.375" x 60 ring gauge / approx. $15, Tobacco World
You see the yellow police tape foot band and you realize it can only mean one thing: Entubar! "What is an Entubar?" you ask. Here is the short version...pretty much all cigars have Ligero concentrated in the middle and lots of cigars use the "entubado" method of bunching where each leaf is formed into a tube of sorts. The Entubar takes both of those to extremes. The entubado is so well crafted that the cigar frequently have smoke pouring in discrete channels from a cut head long before you take a puff on the cigar. The Ligero is not only in the middle, but bunched separately in the middle with the rest of the filler bunched around it...then that middle Ligero bunch pokes out 3/8". It is strange and unique looking, difficult and expensive to make. This V32 version has a full 32 ring gauge Ligero plug in the center and is a Nicaraguan Puro, "uniting deeply aged filler and binder tobaccos from the Esteli, Condega, Jalapa, and Jinotega regions--and enveloped in a prime Jalapa Valley Cuban-seed Maduro wrapper." Because of the difficulty in making these, they are being limited to an 80,000 cigar run...I will say that the high price tag may make them more easily available for a longer time. I expected them to be a little pricey, but I did a bit of sticker shock anyway. This review sample is the first one of these I smoked.

The appearance is similar to the Entubar Quad Maduro in that it has the same footband (goofy or gimmicky to some people) and a nice dark wrapper. There is also a smaller band under the main one...denoting V32 in the same "safety yellow" as the footband...so at least they are sticking with the theme. The wrapper leaf was quite dark with even darker mottling and had enough lumps, bumps and veins to seem rustic. The aroma from it was a similar barnyard earthiness that I've experienced with some LFD Ligero line sticks. The foot had more of that barnyard aroma, plus a bit of sweetness. The cold draw is nothing short of extraordinary: absolutely effortless. The flavor is filled with rich earth, coffee, and anise notes.

The Entubar V32 took a lot of effort and butane to get lit. As with all the Entubar line, you have to make sure to even toast everything, Ligero plug and all the surrounding tobacco. Once that is done you can get it really going...with some more patience. When finally burning, the initial flavor was a powerful anise along with notes of dark roast coffee. There was a low level pepper burn on the back of my tongue and the retrohale was a mixture of cocoa powder and cayenne pepper. One thing is for sure: this cigar opens up full bodied right from the start; flavorful, but definitely full. As the first third burned away, it became deeply earthy with a few sweet notes around the edges and some wood on the nose.

The second third continued with full bodied earthiness. There were notes of anise, cocoa powder and dark roast coffee that snuck through from time to time as well. Construction was very good; the draw was as good as you should expect from an Entubar and the ash held on for an inch or more. The only issue, and it was a small one, was the burn line which needed touching up several times so far. Like I said, a small issue, especially since this V32 had a Maduro wrapper and they more often burn crooked than straight.

In the final third, the Entubar V32 burned hotter than I would like and that tended to mute any flavors besides earth. There is no doubt that this was a full bodied cigar, though, and full flavored up until this point. As an experiment, it is very interesting and I would love to see how it works in a slightly smaller ring gauge, although the smallest available is 50, I think. The body and nicotine strength should make new smokers steer clear, but those who crave full bodied smoking pleasure might very well find something they really enjoy here. For me, I enjoy the Quad Maduro version more; add to that the fact that that version of the Entubar is slightly less expensive means that I would be more likely to pick those up in the future instead of this one.

Body: 9/10
Strength: 8/10
Complexity: 7/10

AFP Scale
Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 1.5/2
Flavor: 4/5
Value: .5/1
Total: 8/10

Cigar Extra: Perdomo Cabinet Reserve Cameroon

noreply@blogger.com (Keith1911) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 15:00:00 +0000

Corona, 4.5" x 46 ring gauge / $4.99, Maxamar's Cigars

When I was looking through my humidor for a cigar to review I found this cigar. I originally wasn't planning on reviewing it, but with Dave's positive review the other week I figured why the heck not. Similar to Dave I wasn't able to find out much about the blend of this cigar.

The cigar is very nice looking with a dark brown wrapper with a lot of oils to it. The colors of the band were a nice contrast to the wrapper. As soon as I took it out of the cellophane I got notes of barnyard from the wrapper with raisins and cedar from the foot. Clipping the cigar I was able to get notes of sweet wood with an ok draw.

As I lit up the cigar I got the same sensation of a blast of black pepper on the tongue and retrohale that Dave did. After a few more puffs notes of leather and wood came through wit a slightly sweet finish. I would classify this cigar even with the spice as medium bodied an strength. The spice did town down a bit after about a quarter of the way in. The draw was ok, but the burn canoed pretty good. I don't know if it was the gusting wind or the cigar, probably a little of both.

The last half of the cigar didn't see much change except I started to get the familiar Cameroon flavor out of it. Otherwise the flavors were unchanged. The spice did build back up in strength though.

Overall this cigar wasn't my cup of tea. Like I've mentioned before I rarely like a cigar with a Cameroon wrapper. If you like that type of wrapper I'd definitely say give this cigar a try if you can find it. With it being medium bodied and fairly inexpensive it is pretty much in the reach of any smoker.

Cigar Review: EP Carrillo Edicion Limitada 2011 (Dark Rituals)

noreply@blogger.com (dmj) — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 15:00:00 +0000

6.5" x 56 ring gauge / $15.75, Burns Tobacconist
Autumn rolled around and it was time for another Edicion Limitada from E.P. Carrillo Cigars. The first was the Edicion Inaugural in 2009, then the EL 2010 that was popular enough to be the basis for the regular production Elencos (at a far lower price than the EL version), now the EL 2011, given the name "Dark Rituals." There are only 2,000 boxes of 10 being made, but at a price approaching $16 a stick, you might be able to find these around for a while. I have to admit to feeling my throat tighten up every time I see a ~$15 EPC EL cigar; I didn't care for the first one at all, the second one was fine until the last third for me, and both of them have been outdone by everything else in the regular lines of the company for far less money...at least that is my experience. Nevertheless, I purchased one of these for review and we shall see if more of my hard earned money will be spent exploring more Dark Rituals...or if I'll just stick to the very tasty and affordable Core Line Maduro. The EL 2011 uses all Nicaraguan fillers, an Ecuadorian Sumatra binder, and a Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro wrapper.

The Dark Rituals is indeed dark...a dark chocolate color with even darker mottling. It had a smooth, silky feel under the fingers and was plenty oily. The flesh-colored secondary band was a little odd looking, not really going well with the primary band or the wrapper leaf. Brought to the nose, the cigar had a sweet chocolatey aroma along with a little dried fruit; more earthiness came through from the foot. After clipping the head, I took a sip on the unlit cigar...what a rush of flavor! Dried berries, dark chocolate, medium roast coffee. This was one of those I wanted to just cold draw on for a while before lighting up.

Lighting up was pretty special, too, though...immediately, I got cocoa powder, earth, black pepper and coffee notes on the tongue, along with red pepper on the nose. The EL 2011 - Dark Rituals began smooth and sweet, but also bold and peppery at the same time. The boldness did not stop, either, as the first third progressed into notes of licorice and an odd sour citrus, while the earth and pepper spice diminished a bit. As much as I love the Core Line Maduro, I was beginning to see why this was an EL...tons of character and complexity right off the bat. I also noticed that it burned slowly...this fairly large cigar (Toro Grande?) was going to last a while.

Dark Rituals, indeed...as I burned through the second third, I could not help but think of the fact that all the flavors I was picking up were of dark items...bitter cocoa, espresso, licorice, earth, dark dried fruit. This was an interesting and intense cigar with a very full body so far and I was thoroughly enjoying it. The burn line needed a couple minor touch ups--normal with Maduros--but the ash fell off in solid chunks and the draw was great.

The last third of the Dark Rituals was earthy and chocolatey; not as complex as the first two thirds, but still very, very good. The body was consistently quite full but there was not a huge nicotine hit, so it was easy to smoke all the way down to the nub. And there you have it, the first EP Carrillo Edicion Limitada that I felt completely worth the high price tag...even though it is higher priced than either of the previous two. I ended up buying two more before they disappeared from my regular shop's shelves...yes, they are gone in some places already, but maybe you can find them if you look around. I hope they follow last year's practice and make this the basis for something new that will debut in the coming year...a new regular line that will cost considerably less...honestly, this blend is just too good to be a "one and done."

Body: 9/10
Strength: 7/10
Complexity: 8/10

AFP Scale
Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 2/2
Flavor: 4/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 9.5/10

Tennessee Spirits, part 2: Prichard Fine Rum

noreply@blogger.com (dmj) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 15:00:00 +0000

The second stop on our exploration of Tennessee Spirits takes us to the town of Kelso, which a population just south of 1,500, and home to Prichard’s Distillery where they have been producing rum for more than a decade. An exact timeline of their production and the reason why they chose to produce rum in Tennessee, of all places, is not noted on their website, but I am hoping to get a chance to visit the distillery later this year and will be sure to ask. Prichard’s makes several variations of rum, as well as come very interesting-sounding whiskeys that I hope to get my hands on later in this series.

Many rums are made from black strap molasses, a bitter residue left over when granulated sugar is processed. Prichard’s starts with “Grade A Fancy” molasses--a table-grade product--from Louisiana and Tennessee spring water. They distill their small batches in copper pot stills and seal the rum in 15-gallon charred white oak casks for 3 to 5 years. The smaller-than-normal barrel size provides for a higher wood-to-liquor ratio and concentration of the aging process. In another departure from the norm, they place the rum in the barrel at 80 proof--the same proof it is bottled at--rather than watering it down after the aging process is done.

The color of the Prichard’s Fine Rum is a brilliant amber that looks more like Bourbon than pretty much any aged rum I’ve ever seen. The nose is rich with molasses notes, which is to be expected, but the aroma of vanilla and oak comes through very strongly as well, which is not so common. Sipping the rum straight, I noticed it was not nearly as sweet as most rums...not even most sipping rums, in my experience. It has a nice honey note, but the influence of the oak is huge, with a ton of vanilla coming through. This definitely is a rum for sipping and not mixing or watering down with anything else. It brings some of the best aspects of aged whiskeys (like Bourbon or Tennessee Whiskey) AND aged rums, creating a sort of middle ground in between the two.

Whether it is due to the finer raw ingredients or specific type of barrel-aging employed, the Prichard’s Fine Rum is a fantastic sipping rum that is just...different...from nearly everything else out there. I found that this beverage, like many Bourbons, paired well with a variety of cigars from medium-bodied to full-bodied. The price in my corner of Tennessee is about $35 a bottle, which is a little steep, but not so much so that it makes it completely cost-prohibitive to try.

Winner, winner...

noreply@blogger.com (dmj) — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 15:11:00 +0000

It's time to announce the winners of our Four Kicks Giveaway. I would like to thank everyone for participating and for continuing to read the Tiki Bar Online. Our next contest is scheduled for later this month and will feature a cigar company you may have never heard of (unless you read my reviews last month, because I did feature one of theirs!). But today...we focus on who wins one of four prize packages featuring a Four Kicks sampler, t-shirt and knit cap...

EMJAYSMASH

MANGO2KW

NWBONICK

CIGAR_BOSS_APP

I'll be sending contacting these folks soon for addresses to send the goodies to. Thanks again to Jon, Mike, Michael and Nancy at Crowned Heads for making great cigars and great swag that they generously provided for this contest. If you haven't tried Four Kicks yet...really, you need to. Check out this list of Retailers to find one near you. If you don't have one of those stores near you, call up Burns Tobacconist in Chattanooga and they should be able to hook you up with some Four Kicks.

Cigar Extra: La Flor Dominicana Limitado II

noreply@blogger.com (dmj) — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 15:00:00 +0000

Toro, 6.5" x 54 ring gauge / Priceless, just this one was a gift
Keith sent me this cigar for my birthday last October. On the cellophane he had a sticker with the date 7/09, but Andrew Brennan from La Flor tells me that they were produced in 2005 and 2006, with the cigars shipping from late 2005 through early 2007. So this cigar has been well aged for 5 to 6 years. It used Dominican filler and binder along with an Ecuadorian wrapper. I don't know for sure, but the wrapper looks very similar (identical?) to the Oscuro leaf used on the company's Ligero Cabinet line. The cigar was beautiful and oily, and little veiny and rustic. On the wrapper I got a barnyard aroma that was (again) similar to the Ligero Cabinet line; the foot was rich with chocolate scents. Once cut, the draw was great and there were prelight flavors of molasses, semi-sweet chocolate and red pepper flake. This mix got me very interested, very quickly.

Lighting up took some time and a lot of butane, but the resulting mix or earth, cocoa powder, pepper spice, and cedar was definitely worth it. Great complex mix of flavors right off the bat. I thought it would be appropriate to pair this classic Dominican with cigar with a Dominican rum, so I broke out the Ron Barcelo. The Limitado II had some dried fruit, almost raisin-like notes as the first third burned through; the sweetness of the rum only intensified those flavors. Lots of earth and pepper spice came through, too.

The cigar continued to be rich, sweet and earthy through the first half and the rum was a perfect accompaniment. I can't remember if I had these when they were new so I can't make a judgement about how they have aged, but I do know this was a spectacular smoke. The La Flor Dominicana Limitado II might still be available if you keep your eyes open or just know the right people...if you see any, I suggest you buy them quick and enjoy.

Cigar Review: La Flor Dominicana Factory Press IV

noreply@blogger.com (dmj) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:00:00 +0000

6.5" x 60 ring gauge / MSRP $11
Installment number 4 of the Factory Press series from La Flor Dominicana arrived at tobacconists in December 2011 and continues the tradition set several years ago of delivering severely box pressed cigars in wooden boxes with trays designed to hold the cigars in their pressed form. There were a total of 250 boxes made this time around and each box has 10 trays of 12 cigars, so 120 cigars in a box. The filler was grown at Estancia La Flor de Plam in La Canela, Dominican Republic; the binder is Ecuadorian; and the wrapper for the Factory Press IV is Mexican Maduro. I bought this one review sample at Tobacco World in Marrieta, Georgia.

The look of the Factory Press line (and the Double Press, for that matter) is cool...it's rare that you will see a box press in a cigar that is this severe, with a couple corners that seem they could actually cut through paper. The wrapper was velvety and oily under the fingertips and had a rich, sweet chocolatey aroma; the foot had more of an earthy manure note to it. Because of the lack of cellophane and the wooden trays, I've seen Factory Press cigars in the past with torn and abused wrappers; this one is perfect, but you should be careful when selecting cigars from the trays and they are rather easily damaged. The prelight draw was just a little snug, but it was hard to tell if it would be a problem until I actually lit up. Cold draw flavors were of dark roast coffee and cocoa powder, along with just a slight hints of sweetness and chili pepper spice.

As with most large ring gauge cigars, lighting up took some time. I initially got a strong earthiness along with notes of cedar and a bit of maple sweetness. The retrohale was nutty with little bit of pepper spice; unlike many of Litto Gomez's creations, the spice on this Factory Press IV was pretty understated. The first third abounded with cocoa flavor along with a hint of the Mexican bitter earthiness that was well balanced with sweeter tobacco notes. Although I was a little concerned about the draw prelight, it turned out to be pertly adequate.

As I burned through the second third, I noticed that construction was just short of excellent. The burn line was as even as I've seen on one of LFD's hyper-box-pressed cigars (the corners always tend to burn a little slower at some point), the draw was close to perfection, and the ash was strong and held on for an inch or more before I forcibly tapped off. The flavor of the Factory Press IV tended more toward earthiness in this third, although with enough coffee and sweet cocoa to keep the balance good. The body had been medium to full right from the start.

Earthiness with overtones of dark roast coffee were about the only flavors that came through in the final third of the Factory Press IV; the sweetness I had tasted before had dwindled to practically nothing. The cigar was medium to full bodied in the end, just as it had started, but there was a bit of a nicotine kick as I smoked it down to the nub. Because of the body and nicotine content, this is unsuitable for newer smokers, but long time fans of LFD cigars should enjoy it.

Body: 7/10
Strength: 8/10
Complexity: 7/10

AFP Scale
Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 2/2
Flavor: 4/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 9/10

Cigar Review: Rocky Patel Edicion Unica

noreply@blogger.com (Keith1911) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 15:00:00 +0000

Toro, 6" x 52 ring gauge / $7.99, Maxamar's Cigars

About a month ago I was in my regular shop and a bunch of the guys were talking about this cigar and how good it was and that I needed to try it. So I picked up a few and smoked them. This cigar was the fifth one I smoked. The cigar is a Honduran puro comprised of Jamastran and Talanga Valley fillers and binder with a Jamastran wrapper. These cigars come only in a 100 count cabinet. This cigar is, from what I've heard, the winner of the best blend at the 2011 Honduran Cigar Festival.

When you first look at it and you familiar with the Decade you wonder if it is somehow related. According to the Rocky Patel Twitter account they only share the same top band. The blend is completely different. The wrapper on this sample was a very nice dark brown in color with a reddish tint and some darker mottling to it. There wrapper feels thick and oily to the touch. There are quite a few medium veins to it, but in my opinion they don't detract from the cigar. When I gave the cigar a squeeze I got a slight amount of give but no soft spots. Putting my nose to the wrapper I get the aroma of cedar and leather, while I get raisins from the foot. After clipping it and taking a cold draw on it I get notes of bittersweet chocolate.

The first thing that hits me is a very intense spice on the tongue and retrohale. After taking a few puffs on it I get some maple like sweetness and the taste of leather. Further into the cigar I get chocolate and cinnamon as well. The draw is pretty much perfect, which is something that hasn't been the case on all of these I've tried. The cigar also produces a lot of smoke. I would place this cigar in the medium range in regards to body and strength. The ash held on for about an inch before needing to be tapped off. the burn was slightly uneven at this point.

The second third saw the spice tone down a bit with the strength building slightly. The main flavors during this third were of earth, leather, chocolate and a slightly sweet finish. The draw continued to be perfect, but I needed to get out my torch to adjust the burn as it canoed pretty bad.

While the flavors didn't change from the second third, I was enjoying this cigar to the end. The spice did ramp up a bit, even beyond where it was at the beginning. I would put this cigar in the strong category, just the upper end of medium.

Overall I was quite impressed. I did enjoy this cigar a lot. Because this cigar is reasonably priced, and not overly strong I can recommend it to pretty much any smoker out there. Now this isn't something where I need to buy the 100 count cabinet, I will be picking up some more to put in my humidor to enjoy from time to time.

Body: 7/10
Strength: 7/10
Complexity: 6/10

AFP Scale
Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 1.5/2
Flavor: 4/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 8.5/10

Remember you can win a Four Kicks prize pack from The Crowned Heads! Details here.

Cigar Review: La Flor Dominicana Cameroon Cabinet Chisel

noreply@blogger.com (dmj) — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 15:00:00 +0000

Chisel, 6" x 54 ring gauge / approx. $8.75, Buckhead Cigar
In the fall of 2010, the Cameroon Cabinet blend was featured as part of La Flor Dominicana's Chisel Sampler, and Keith gave a review of it at that time. Apparently the folks at LFD liked the result so much they decided to make this a limited release in boxes of 20, starting in December 2011. The filler of these is a blend of Dominican and Nicaraguan tobaccos; it has a Dominican binder; and the whole thing is finished off with a dark, Ligero Cameroon wrapper leaf. I've had several LFD Cameroon Cabinets, but this is the first in this vitola.

The look is attractive, but not breathtaking. The wrapper is dark for a Cameroon, although it still has a bit of that unique Cameroon coloration that Keith has referred to as "gray" in the past. It is toothy and oily as well. The banding is a variation on the regular LFD banding, with the color scheme altered; it's nice, but seems to blend in to the wrapper almost too well in parts. The proprietary Chisel shape is solid and well formed. I got a ripe barnyard and manure note on the wrapper; the foot had more of that earthy aroma but also a touch of something else...coffee? Tea? It was hard to say. The prelight draw was very good and had some of those earthier notes as well as a bit of hay and sweetness.

The Cameroon Cabinet Chisel lit fairly easily and opened up with a slightly bitter grassy flavor on the palate and a sharp peppery burn on the nose. The flavor turned very earthy with a syrupy finish before long. It took a while to figure out what else I was tasting, then it finally hit me...cedar! Sometimes the most obvious things can elude me...LOL

As I headed into the second third, construction was very typical of LFD products...which is to say, it was great. I saw an almost perfect burn line and strong ash; the draw was excellent as well. The flavor was still strongly of cedar, although some molasses sweetness came through, too.

The same mix of cedar and molasses sweetness made up the bulk of the final third, too. I have to admit to not having been a big fan of the Cameroon Cabinet; I've had a few and liked them, but never loved them or sought them out. This one bumped my opinion of it up a notch, but I still can't say I'm going to rush out and buy a box. I like Cameroon cigars, but with the heavy cedar influence, this one just does not do a huge amount for me. That being said, though, I know some people really love these and the Chisel vitola will just give them more to love. This smoke was at the lower end of full-bodied but did not pack a huge nicotine punch, unlike many of LFD's cigars.

Body: 8/10
Strength: 6/10
Complexity: 7/10

AFP Scale
Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 2/2
Flavor: 3.5/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 8.5/10

Review Archive & Four Kicks Contest

noreply@blogger.com (dmj) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 14:55:00 +0000

A couple years back I started a project to keep track of all the reviews we had posted here on the Tiki Bar and make them easy to search through. The Cigar Review Archive was a great idea, but I had no idea I would be so lax in keeping it up to date. At one point, I had gone over a year without updating it, so I started working through the updates with an eye toward getting it complete by the time of the Chattanooga Tweet Up last August. Needless to say, that did not happen.

I got back into the groove of working on it in mid-January and am happy to announce that it is now complete and up-to-date...at least for today. Going forward, I will try to maintain it at least once a month, but...well, you know how life goes. All told, we have posted something on the order of 550 reviews (counting full reviews and Cigar Extras) in the three and a half years this blog has been active. Click HERE to see the full, alphabetized list; you can also click on Cigar Review Archive at the top of any page on the blog to get there.

To celebrate getting this project updated, I thought it might be a good time for another contest, this time featuring my Cigar of the Year for 2011, the Four Kicks by Crowned Heads. The folks at CH have generously provided 4 prize packs that include a Cigar Sampler featuring one of each size of Four Kicks, a knit cap perfect for cold weather herfing, and an awesome t-shirt that is sure to make you the envy of every knowledgeable cigar smoker that sees you wearing it!

Here's how you can win...

Step 1: Go to the Review Archive and select your favorite review dating from BEFORE October 1, 2011. Then leave a comment on this blog post stating the name of the cigar and the date the review posted. This step must be followed to be entered to the contest. Also note, if you choose to post using the "Anonymous" option, please make sure to leave a name or Twitter handle in the post so I can contact you later if you win.

Step 2: For an extra entry into the contest, post a link on Twitter to this contest page. Make sure to reference my Twitter name (@dmjones1009) in the post so I see it. Something like this:

Win #FourKicks Cigars & Swag at the Tiki Bar Online: http://tinyurl.com/7pu9r28 @dmjones1009

Step 3: For another extra entry, post a link on Twitter to your favorite Tiki Bar cigar review. Again, be sure to reference my Twitter name so I will see it. Something like this will work:

My favorite Tiki Bar Online review is: [link] @dmjones1009

In the spirit of having 4 prize packs of 4 Kicks cigars, this contest will go on for 4 days, specifically until 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time on Friday, February 10, 2012. There are a maximum of 3 entries per person on this contest. Contest winners will be announced on the Tiki Bar on Saturday, February 11, and I will contact them as soon as possible afterwards for shipping information. If I do not have contact information for a winner, they will need to contact me through the e-mail address listed on the Contact page of the blog within one week (Saturday, February 18).

Cigar Extra: Jaime Garcia Reserva Especial LE 2011

noreply@blogger.com (dmj) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 15:00:00 +0000

Toro, 6.5 x 52 ring gauge / approx. $16
I avoided buying these when they came out because I really was not a big fan of the original Jaime Garcia Reserva Especial...I saw no point in spending $16 or more for a special edition of that stick. At the Atlanta Tweetup, Nada Jumper (who along with her husband, Jeff, owns the Nadi Cigars brand) told me that it was not much like the regular release stick and I should try it. She had an extra one on hand and gifted it to me...and now I'm smoking it for this blog entry. According to information I found on the interwebs, this is supposed to be similar to the regular stick, but much richer. It uses Cuban seed Nicaraguan filler, a Nicaraguan Pelo de Oro binder and a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper from a lower than usual priming. They made 3,700 boxes of 15 sticks (which also features a bonus 16th stick with a Connecticut Shade wrapper that is supposedly the basis for next year's LE).

The cold draw on the Jaime Garcia Limited Edition 2011 was fairly effortless and had a nice earthiness dominating the taste buds, but notes of dark chocolate and red pepper came through, too. Early puffs revealed notes of leather and cedar in the mostly earthy mix and a peppery retrohale. So far, I found it to be different enough from the regular release to be intriguing, but not so different that you could not tell they were related...a family flavor, as I like to call it. As the first third progressed, I got a much stronger cedar note, which was what I recall the regular cigar being like...and what I wasn't thrilled about with it.

By the time the second third started, though, the cedar became more subdued and some rich sweetness from the Broadleaf wrapper started to become evident and I felt like the whole thing was better balanced. I paired the Jaime Garcia LE 2011 with some Maker's Mark Bourbon; I've often said that bourbon pairs well with almost any cigar and this was no exception.

The rest of the cigar smoked very nicely...mildly sweet with notes of earth, anise and cedar. Aside from much of the first third, it was indeed richer and better than the regular production Jaime Garcia Reserva Especial. Construction was perfect, with a great draw, even burn line and ability to hold a long ash. This LE 2011 turned out better than I had expected. Thanks again to Nada Jumper for gifting me this one.

Cigar Review: God of Fire Series B

noreply@blogger.com (dmj) — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:25:00 +0000

Robusto Gordo, 5.5" x 54 ring gauge / MSRP $22, Tobacco World
The God of Fire line was first introduced in 2004 as a collaboration between the Fuente cigar company and the Prometheus lighter company, with Keith Park in charge of the marketing of the brand. Normal annual releases have tended to wear either a Carlito or Don Carlos secondary band to distinguish between blends. They were joined in 2010 by the Series B, which was released in two sizes: a Gran Toro that features a Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro wrapper, and the Robusto Gordo that I am featuring today which comes with an Ecuadorian Sun Grown wrapper. Why two different wrappers on two vitolas that share the same name? I'm sure there is a reason, but nothing was indicated in any of the promotional materials. Both share the same filler binder blend as the original God of Fire, which is all Dominican. These come in boxes of 10 and each size is limited to 10,000 total sticks for the 2010 production year. These are very pricey...I am only smoking one for this review, but if I love it, I would be interested in buying more if I run across them again.

I was told these were "God of Fire Maduros" when I bought this sample in December and I have to say that regardless of the company statement that it is a Sun Grown, this looks very much like a Maduro...dark and rugged...and not so much like any Sun Grown leaf I can remember seeing. It was rich and sweet in aroma, too, earthy and chocolatey...also very much like a Maduro. There was more oil to the touch than to the eye on this stick and what looked like some excess dried glue in a couple places, which is unfortunately becoming very common with many sticks issuing from the Fuente factory. The foot also had a rich chocolatey scent. My go-to Xikar Xi made a perfectly clean cut on the head of the Series B and the resulting draw was good, if just a little snug. The cold draw had notes of cocoa powder and dark roast coffee, and it left a slight spicy tingle on the lips.

After lighting up, I noticed the flavors to be very earthy with just touches of the cocoa and coffee from the prelight. Despite all senses saying "Maduro" during prelight, the slightly spicy notes on both tongue and nose, as well as the lack of really significant sweetness, are more suggestive of the Sun Grown that this apparently actually is. As the first third continued to burn I noticed a sour citrus note coming through a combination of bitter earth, dark coffee, and baker's cocoa. This could have used just a touch of sweetness to balance out all the bitter and sour notes. It was not "bad" so far, but it also was not as balanced or refined as I would expect for this price tag.

On the plus side, the ash was strong and not flaky...and the burn line was decently straight. On the not so good side, the draw had started off fairly good, but by the time I got deep into the second third, it was tighter than it really should be. Not unsmokeable by any means, but certainly not as easy as a cigar of this caliber should be, either. The flavors of earth and unsweetened cocoa were still dominant. The sour notes had disappeared and there was a bit of leatheriness about it.

In the last third the God of Fire Series B came to life and seemed like a totally different cigar than what I had been smoking. While still very earthy, there was some sweetness to balance the bitterness and a nice spiciness was building up. The draw had opened up again and the whole experience was very enjoyable. If only it had been that way the entire time! The body ended up in the medium to full range and there was enough of a nicotine hit that I can't recommend this stogie for newer smokers. If the draw had not been difficult at times, I wonder how the whole of this cigar would have turned out. I also wonder if it would have been better with the Broadleaf Maduro wrapper used on the larger vitola since that may have provided a better balance. In the end, though, I felt like the first two thirds were a bit of a letdown for a $20+ cigar and when you are paying this much, I just feel like there should not be any letdown at all. I know some disagree..."it's a handmade product and variations in quality happen"...and all that. But for my money, any variation in quality when you're paying this much for a cigar is unacceptable.

Body: 7/10
Strength: 7/10
Complexity: 6/10

AFP Scale
Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 1.5/2
Flavor: 3/5
Value: 1/2
Total: 7.5/10

Cigar Review: Drew Estate Feral Flying Pig

noreply@blogger.com (Keith1911) — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 15:00:00 +0000

Perfecto, 5.375" x 60 ring gauge / approx. $16.99, Maxamar's Cigars

When I heard Jonathan Drew first talking about this cigar last year I was definitely interested in trying it out. He said it would be very strong and that sounds good to me. This release of the Flying Pig is the third installment started by the No. 9 Flying Pig a couple years ago followed up by the T-52 Flying Pig. There are two major differences that I'm aware of between this cigar and the previous two the most obvious is the size. The Feral Pig is at least an inch longer than the other two. The other difference is that this is a blend of both the No. 9 and T-52. The cigar is comprised of Nicaraguan filler, a Brazilian Mata Fina binder, all covered in a Connecticut Broadleaf maduro wrapper. They come packed in 10 count boxes. This was the second one of these cigars I smoked.

The CT broadleaf maduro wrapper on these cigars is definitely one of the better looking wrappers out there in my opinion. The color is a nice medium dark color with a slight amount of darker mottling. The veins that are present are fine with a few mediums ones scattered around. The wrapper feels quite oily to the touch. The wrapper also has a nice thick leathery feel to it as well. I can't help but thinking about a nice pork sausage when looking at this cigar. When I gave the cigar a squeeze I wasn't able to detect any soft spots and there was only a slight amount of give. Putting my nose to the wrapper I get the scent of cedar with barnyard coming from the foot. After I clip off the coiled pigtail cap and take a cold draw on it I get the slight taste of unsweetened chocolate with a great draw.

As soon as I light this cigar up I get a blast of chocolate, leather, and black pepper spice on the tongue. The retrohale has quite a good amount of spice to it, but it wasn't overwhelming. After taking a few more puffs on it I get notes of cinnamon and earth. As with all of the Ligas there was a lot of aromatic resting smoke. The draw was pretty much perfect while the burn was slightly wavy. The off-white ash held on for about three quarters of an inch before needing to be tapped off. I would say this cigar started off full bodied while at the upper end of medium in strength.

I didn't notice a lot of change in the flavors as I moved into the second third. That definitely wasn't a bad thing as I was enjoying the cocoa, leather and earth flavors I was getting. One thing I'll note is the spice didn't die down like it does in the second third on a lot of cigars. By the end of this third I started to get a slight sweetness on the finish.

Once I got to the final third the spice and strength did start to build to above where it was in the first third. The cigar finished with the flavors of semi-sweet chocolate, leather, and cinnamon. I did get a strange flavor for a few puffs, sort of a dry cedar. It wasn't unpleasant, just different. The draw continued to be perfect while the burn was slightly wavy, but nothing that bad or needing correction.

Overall I was very impressed with this cigar. The flavors, while not the most complex, were excellent and very enjoyable. The construction on both the samples I had was nearly perfect, which is something you'd hope to get in a limited edition and more expensive cigar. I was slightly disappointing that it didn't send me reeling like the hype said it would, lol. I would classify this at the bottom end of full in body and strength though. I will say if you like any of the Ligas you need to find at least one of these cigars and give them a try. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Body: 8/10
Strength: 8/10
Complexity: 7/10

AFP Scale
Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 2/2
Flavor: 4/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 9/10

Cigar Review: Toraño Vault

noreply@blogger.com (dmj) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 15:00:00 +0000

Robusto, 5" x 52 ring gauge / approx. $7.25
The Toraño Vault was first announced back in mid-July shortly before the annual IPCPR tradeshow. It was a few months before they started showing up on store shelves, though. The first time I saw them "in the wild" was a recent trip to Atlanta where I picked up this review sample at Tobacco World (technically in Marrieta). The full name, according to the bands, is Blends from the Vault - Blend A-008. Does this mean that there will be future Vault permutations? I guess that's possible, although I wondered the same thing about the Single Region when it arrived...and we still have just Jalapa under the Single Region banner. According to the company's story, Charlie Toraño and Bruce Lewis were revisiting the family Blend Book and re-discovered Liga A-008 from 2000. The original blend called for filler from Esteli and Condega, Nicaragua; a Jamastran Honduran binder; and a Nicaraguan Colorado wrapper. To that base, they added a second binder from Ometepe, a volcanic island in Honduras. As noted before, this is my first encounter with this blend.

The banding is interesting...still the minimalist theme that began with the Master and Single Region releases, but now more interesting with the black and silver color scheme and strategic use of embossing and die cutting. The wrapper was medium-brown with a decidedly reddish hue to it. It felt oily under my fingers and had a slightly lumpy appearance as it was stretched over the tobaccos underneath. The aroma from the wrapper was earthy and leathery...just a great mix of "classic humidor" smells; from the foot I got a rich earthiness. The prelight draw was excellent and had a rich natural tobacco flavor with a little earthiness and a little woodiness to it.

After lighting, I noticed the earthiness first...a fairly unique earthiness that I couldn't quite put a finger on...maybe the influence of the Ometepe? Right after that I noticed the pepper spice...red pepper on the tongue and a very sharp peppery bite on the retrohale. There were undertones of black coffee and a faint dried fruit sweetness. While I have enjoyed a few of the more recent Toraño offerings, I can't remember any of them being this complex and distinctive right from the opening. I have expressed my dislike (boredom) with heavily Honduran smokes (not all of them) in the past, and I was afraid with two Honduran binders this would fall into a dull zone. Instead, the Honduran leaf seemed to blend very well with the Nicaraguan wrapper and filler, mellowing out some of the edginess sometimes found in Nicaraguan puros. There was a nice pepperiness, but it was somewhat muted...a slow burn at the tip of the tongue and back of the throat. The earthy notes were rich and flavorful, and enough nuance of chocolate sweetness and coffee bitterness came through to make it complex and interesting. And this was just the first third.

In the second third the pepper faded quite a bit and the flavor became more leathery with an oily, almost chewy smoke with a long finish. The retrohale had an almond note to it. Construction so far had been excellent--strong ash that held on for more than half an inch, a very even burn line and fantastic draw.

The flavors in the final third were more of what I expected from the heavy influence of Honduran leaf, and that was too bad. It was still good and a bit of pepper spice did return, but mostly it was muted earthiness with a hint of sweetness, but nothing special. I think the boys at the Blowin' Smoke podcast would say it "creamed out." For two thirds, though, the Vault did smash my expectation, and for that I have to give Toraño credit. It was a very good cigar for a very reasonable price and I would enjoy smoking it again. The body was medium to full and the was a bit of nicotine hit, but not too much. Newer smokers might find it too much cigar, but almost everyone else might find something to enjoy. If you are a fan of Honduran leaf, the unique twists that this cigar puts on it (with the help of the Nicaraguan tobacco) might really make you sit up and take notice.

Body: 7/10
Strength: 6/10
Complexity: 8/10

AFP Scale
Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 2/2
Flavor: 4/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 9/10

Tweet-Ups and Other Stuff...

noreply@blogger.com (dmj) — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 15:22:00 +0000

Another Monday, another batch of "various" things to post about. I don't want to call this a regular "news feature" but it's something like that...maybe not quite "regular" and not always "news." :)

SOUTH FLORIDA TWEET-UP

Frank Herrera's better half, Elissa, has worked hard to get the B&M side of Charmed Leaf up and running and they are going to celebrate the new store's opening with the First Annual South Florida Cigar Tweetup (#SoFlaTweetUp). The event will be Friday and Saturday, March 2 and 3, at 1405 N. Congress Ave., Suite 10, Delray Beach, Florida 33445.

Obviously Frank will be representing La Caridad del Cobre Cigars (and talk to him if you need a good copyright lawyer, too!); some of the other brand-owners in attendance will be Eddie Ortega (EO Brands), Ernesto Padilla (Padilla Cigars), Dan Tiant (El Tiante Cigars), Lou Rodriguez (Lou Rodriguez Cigars), Luis Sanchez (La Tradicion Cubana), Reynold Benitez (Benitez Cigars), Benny & Loren Gomez (Havana Sunrise and Casa Gomez) and Brad Mayo (Jameson Cigars). Representing Miami Cigars will be Jason Wood and Barry Stein.

Two packages are available for $20 and $30 and you can buy those tickets now. Lots of fun stuff is planned including a bar crawl, pig roast, tons of raffle prizes...and lots and lots of herfing. If you are anywhere near South Florida the first weekend of March, I highly recommend putting this on your calendar.

MALDONADO DYNASTY OFFER

Last week Keith posted a review of the Maldonado Dynasty Mogul. Paul Maldonado was so happy with the added exposure of this review that he decided to open up an offer to Tiki Bar readers:

TIKI BAREXCLUSIVE OFFER: JAN. 27, 2012

The Maldonado Dynasty would like tothank Keith and David at the Tiki Bar for a Great review and would like toextend their readers a limited time offer exclusive to them and our friends atThe Maldonado Dynasty Facebook page. We are opening our reserved batch of “The Mogul,” boxes that we storeexclusively for private clients world wide and offering them to you for a greatdeal. This is our way of sayingthank you for the feedback and time. Feel free to reach out to Owner/President Paul Maldonado at p.maldonado@MaldonadoDynasty.comor VP barb@MaldonadoDynasty.com for more details. We are releasing only a limited amountso reserve your box now and enjoy our Ultra-Luxury cigar “The Mogul.”

Respectfully,

Paul Maldonado

President/C.E.O.

If you haven't tried this cigar, I encourage you to send Paul an e-mail and find out how you can.

262 UNDERGROUND

This is not "new" news, but I wanted to let you know anyway...because some might not have heard. 262 has re-launched their Underground Community website with a ton of new content and has started up the hype machine for the Manifesto:

January 11, 2012

262 Released the first official webisode from the Manifesto Sessions Series on Tuesday, January 3. This webisode features a local (Lynchburg, VA) cigar smoker giving his thoughts on what the FDA wants to do with the cigar industry.

View the episode at www.smoketherevolution.com/Manifesto

262 has also re-launched their community website, The Underground Press, at www.smoketherevolution.com/UndergroundPress. This redesigned site will be an extension of their current Underground Press email newsletter. The site will house all newsletter content, as well as other News & Updates, 262 Tour Schedules, Videos, and more.

Smoke The Revolution,
Mike Justice
CMO
262 Cigars

If you're not a member of the 262 Underground yet...what are you waiting for? Go there and join now! And smoke more 262 Cigars...especially that Paradigm Lancero...It Rocks!

CHATTANOOGA TWEET-UP

We began today's post with news of one Tweet-Up, so it only seems proper to finish with news of another...the Second Annual Chattanooga Cigar Tweet-Up, on Friday and Saturday, August 24 and 25, 2012.

I had hoped to give you news about how to buy your tickets today, but as of this writing I'm still working with Matt (manager at Burns East) to figure out exactly what is going to be included and for what price. Rest assured the prices will be very reasonable, especially for what you will get. Plans still call for Friday afternoon and Saturday all-day herfs, a Friday evening baseball game, some sort of liquor tasting (probably featuring Chattanooga Whiskey and possible others), raffle prizes, and a great dinner Saturday night.

What I can fully reveal today is the lineup of brand owners who are planning on attending. Starting with those who were announced a few months ago: Jon Huber (Crowned Heads), Matt Booth (Room 101), Gary Griffith (Emilio Cigars), Bryan White (13th Floor Cigars), Clint Aaron (262 Cigars), and Sean Williams (El Primer Mundo Cigars).

Added to that list today are: Pete Johnson (Tatuaje Cigars), Jonathan Drew (Drew Estate), Eddie Ortega (EO Brands), and Frank Herrera (La Caridad del Cobre).

And there are still a couple folks we are working on, so that list may not be complete yet. We'll be sending out sponsorship request letters to companies soon and hope to start announcing which companies will be providing cigars very soon. (Side note: if your company was not involved last year and for some reason you don't get a letter from me in the next month or so, please feel free to send me an e-mail.)

This is going to be a huge event. We hope you can all be there! The best I can tell you for now is that tickets will be anywhere from about $20 for the basic package up to about $50 for an all-inclusive package. I hope you can all join us!

Gurkha Giveaway Winners

noreply@blogger.com (dmj) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 15:20:00 +0000

It's time to announce the winners of our Gurkha Giveaway promotion. Thanks again to Gurkha for generously sending these cigars, making it possible for me to "spread the wealth" a little bit and give other people an opportunity to try them.

To recap, I have two 5-packs of Gurkha Seduction in Robusto size and two 4-packs of Gurkha Cellar Reserve in Churchill size.

The Gurkha Seduction 5-packs go to:
Nick Holloway (@SlappyMcDougal) and @derrickerr

The Gurkha Cellar Reserve 4-packs go to:

Corey Zerbe (@czerbe) and Mike Gravito

A couple of these jokers...I mean "gentlemen"...I know pretty well from Twitter and I'll be sending a DM right away. If you don't hear from me, please send me an e-mail to the address on the "Contacts" page so I can get the prizes sent out. I need to hear back by a week from today or the prizes will go to one of the alternates.

And stay tuned...we turning this year into the "Year of Giveaways" on the Tiki Bar. We have four (maybe five as of last night) more manufacturers lined up for contests in the coming months and the next one will be announced the first Monday of February...this is a big one...You. Do. Not. Want. To. Miss. It.

Cigar Extra: Perdomo Cabinet Reserve Cameroon

noreply@blogger.com (dmj) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 15:00:00 +0000

4.5" x 46 ring gauge / $5.50, Tobacco World
As I write this, I don't know what I'm looking at. At Tobacco World in December, I was told this was a new release by Perdomo, but it looks like one of their old design bands. But I haven't heard anything about this anywhere and could find nothing online. I believe it to be a Cameroon wrapper and according to the band it is the La Tradicion Cabinet Series Reserve...or something like that. The size is Petite Corona or so...a size Perdomo does not make anymore. In the end, it was inexpensive (like most Perdomos) so I figured I would pick one up for a ungraded review.

The wrapper looked and felt great...a nice oiliness along with a ripe earthy aroma. On the foot I got a combination of cedar and manure aromas. After lighting, I got hit with a wallop of pepper spice on the nose...Cameroon! I noticed a mixture of earthiness and cedar on the palate, perhaps a subtle sweetness underneath it all. The first half of this Perdomo smoked more full and strong than I had expected; it was very earthy and plenty of spice developed on both the tongue and nose. I paired it with some nice Ron Barcelo and it helped to smooth out some of the rougher edges of the cigar.

The rest of the mystery Perdomo smoked similarly well. Not a huge amount of flavor change up or complexity, but very nice nonetheless. I was told that this was a "new release that smokes like an old Perdomo." I don't know if that's technically true or not, but it was an enjoyable way to spend an chilly evening along with a glass a rum.

Update: Chris Harper from Perdomo let me know after I had smoked this that it IS a 2011 release. Still have to say the "classic" band threw me.

Cigar Review: Gurkha Seduction

noreply@blogger.com (dmj) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 15:00:00 +0000

Churchill, 7" x 55 ring gauge / approx. $7.50
The last of the three newest releases from Gurkha that I am featuring this month is the Seduction. The banding on this one is the most similar to what one might think of as "classic Gurkha" of the three, but is different enough to stand out from the many other Gurkhas on the shelf. The company's website describes this as medium bodied and describes the blend as "an enticing Ecuadorian Habano wrapper, paired with a Dominican, Olor binder and Corojo, Columbian filler that is sure to pleasure your senses." It is worth noting that this cigar, along with the Cellar Reserve and Royal Challenge, are all designed to be B&M exclusives and they all stick to the more-or-less "friendly" price points begun by the Evil, Viper and Ninja. As with the other Gurkhas, the company sent me three samples for this review.

I like the band on the Seduction. Is it a little ostentatious? Is it a little over the top? Yes...but I like it still. Maybe it's the color scheme against the strangely dark and mottled Ecuadorian Habano wrapper...whatever, the initial presentation is cool. The wrapper IS dark..and very mottled...and somewhat veiny. I can't remember seeing an Ecuadorian Habano this dark (thinking through the others...Four Kicks, Epifania, Nadi Habano Clasico...that I've had recently). The aroma from the wrapper was somewhat delicate and floral in nature, almost with a touch of baking spice, too. The foot had some earth and more of that floral touch. Speaking of floral, I just noticed the huge rose behind the Gurkha warrior's head on the band...interesting touch since this cigar definitely is rich in floral notes (more on that later, but this IS the third one I've smoked, so I do kind of know where this is going). The prelight draw was excellent; I got more floral flavor, but also some semi-sweet cocoa powder and a light-roast coffee.

When lit the Seduction displayed more (surprise!) floral flavor, but I also noticed a distinct bitterness, almost bitter herbs or something, followed by a short sweetness and a retrohale that had an almost chili powder note, with a mixture of aromatic and pepper spice. I have to admit to not having experienced much Columbian tobacco, but it would not surprise me to hear that it is noted for its intensely aromatic quality. One thing this cigar does have going for it is that it is very unlike anything I can remember smoking...very unique. As the first third burned through I picked up on notes of tea and an odd sweetness I couldn't identify.

In the second third, the floral nature of the cigar was subdued quite a bit by a building earthiness. There were still notes of aromatic spice but the pepper spice was building on the palate as well. Construction was excellent on the Seduction as I got ash building up to an inch for needing to be tapped off, a very even burn line and a fantastic draw.

In the end the Seduction got more flowery again, but with an interesting and intense spice on the lips. I have to say this cigar did not hit my palate in all the right places; I'm just not a fan of heavily floral cigars. It is, though, very unique and different from anything else out there, especially in the Gurkha lineup. Take it for a spin and you might see it differently than I did. When I comes to the things that make a "good cigar" it did very well...great construction, perfect draw, good amount of complexity. The flavor just didn't seduce me. Being medium in body and mild in strength, it should be an easy one for a newbie to pick up...and the price does not hurt, either.

Body: 5/10
Strength: 3/5
Complexity: 7/10

AFP Scale
Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 2/2
Flavor: 3/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 8/10

It's the last day to enter the Gurkha Giveaway on the Tiki Bar. Details on how to enter to win free Seduction or Cellar Reserve cigars can be found HERE.

Cigar Review: The Maldonado Dynasty The Mogul

noreply@blogger.com (Keith1911) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 15:00:00 +0000

Toro, 6" x 50 ring gauge / $11 MSRP

Today I will be reviewing The Maldonado Dynasty cigar called The Mogul. Paul Maldonado approached me and asked if I'd be interested in reviewing his cigars, and of course I was happy to oblige. You can find Paul on Twitter at @MaldonadoDynsty. This cigar is comprised of Dominican, Peruvian and Columbian fillers, with a Dominican binder all covered in a Arapiraca oscuro wrapper. They are one of the few cigar companies that are headquartered in California, and I believe the only one in Beverly Hills, which is why they refer to themselves as The Beverly Hills Cigar Brand. From what I can tell the production is very limited as they are only offered on their website, www.MaldonadoDynasty.com, or at Kramer's Pipe and Tobacco shop in Beverly Hills, and for the time being they are sold out on their website. I'd like to thank Paul for the two cigars he provided to me for this review.

Taking it out of the cellophane the first thing I noticed was the wrapper. It was a nice dark brown in color with a slightly reddish hue with some darker mottling to it. It was also glistening with oils and I was looking forward to lighting it up. The veins that were present would be classified as either medium or fine, but none of them detracted from the look of the cigar. The cigar was fairly firm when I gave it a squeeze and I wasn't able to detect any soft spots. I thought the band while quite ornate, was good looking but wasn't over the top. Putting my nose to the wrapper I got aromas of hay and leather with a very intense barnyard aroma coming from the foot. After clipping it with my Xikar MTX and taking a cold draw on it I got a sweet leather taste with an ok draw.

While this is not something I normally write about, but the aroma while toasting this cigar reminded me of grilling meats. That is something I'm not used to getting so early in a cigar. Once I lit the cigar up I got a fairly intense black pepper blast on my tongue that was definitely present on the retrohale. Taking a few more puffs I was able to get tastes of chocolate and leather with a slightly sweet finish. As I progressed through the first third I got hints of curry and a herbal note as well. The cigar was in the middle of the medium range as far as body and strength. The draw was ok, but not as free as I prefer. The almost white ash held on for about an inch before needing to be tapped off. The burn was uneven but I didn't touch it up to see how it would perform.

As I moved on into the second third the flavors were of leather, earth, chocolate, wood, and curry with a hint of sweetness. I also noted a slight saltiness on the edges of my tongue that started up once I got into this third as well. The draw opened up slightly as well. The spice toned down a lot and almost went away. The burn started to get a bit more uneven but I still wanted to see how it'd perform.

Moving into the final third of the cigar didn't see much change in the flavors, except for the grilled meat flavors I got at the very end. The spice did return although it was no where as strong as in the first third. I would still classify this cigar in the medium range as I finished it. The burn did almost even out without me touching it up.

Overall this was an enjoyable cigar. The construction on this one was better than the first one I had, it's draw was way too tight. Although this one still wasn't where I prefer. I do think that this cigar would be ok for almost any smoker out there, provided that you like the darker flavors that I described. I didn't get any nicotine hit so you shouldn't have to worry about that. The price is a little high in my opinion, but with California taxes and the small runs you expect the prices to be a bit higher. While this isn't something that I would smoke a lot it would be something I'd like to have a few of in my humidor to have every once in a while.

Body: 7/10
Strength: 6/10
Complexity: 6/10

AFP Scale
Prelight: 2/2
Construction: 1.5/2
Flavor: 4/5
Value: 1/1
Total: 8.5/10

Don't forget to enter the Gurkha Giveaway that we're having right now on the Tiki Bar. Details on how to enter to win free cigars can be found HERE.