Review: San Lotano Habano Toro

 

Its been quite a while since I reviewed a cigar, but such a lot has been going on in my life, and I just did not feel I had time to do any reviews. This does mean I have a number of cigar reviews that I just need to write up, and I am hoping to do this over the next few weeks or so. Here is the first, my review of a San Lotano Toro, I have never had any of these cigars before, but I suspect it will not be my last.

Appearance 9.0/10

As you can see from the picture this is a great looking cigar, its a lovely mid brown colour, it has tight seems, great cap construction, and only a few small veins. The bands are smart, well printed, and give the cigar a very classy look. This is the Toro version so its a 6 x 54 ring, and it just looks and feels perfect in your hand.

Construction & Draw 9.0/10

The construction and draw of this cigar are as good as the appearance. As mentioned the cigar is heavy in the hand, this is not just due to the size but the amount of tobacco packed into the stick. I was worried about the draw, but it was pretty much perfect, cap construction was excellent as well, all in all the construction of this cigar was more than you should expect for a stick at this price. The burn on this cigar was pretty much perfect confirming the excellent construction.

Flavour 8.0/10

This is supposed to be a full strength cigar, normally a full strength cigar this large would hit me a little, but this cigar somehow did not hit me, indeed I would have classed it as mild to full strength, certainly not full.

Pre-light draw was earthy with a hint of sweetness. Once lit it started of mild to medium strength with a small amount of pepper, a strong tobacco flavour and a slight hint of sweetness.

As I got about an inch in I could detect some caramels and the sweetness intensified, there was also a rather nice earthiness to the profile.

By about half way through the cigar the strength had picked up to medium/full and there were hints of vanilla and coffee.

As I got into the last third the pepper I had originally tasted in the beginning came back and gave a nice little zing at the end. The final inch had an almond taste. What was nice about the cigar was that all the flavours stayed a long time on the palate allowing you to identify and enjoy them. Overall the cigar lasted around 2 hours

Value 9.0/10

This cigar retails at around 7.00 USD a stick, which I think for such a well constructed and large cigar represents excellent value for money, especially when you consider the burn time and flavour.

Summary 8.5/10

I could not decide if this was an 8.5 or 9.0 cigar, in the end despite the construction and price I decided on 8.5 but if I was to have another cigar it could go either way. I think for me even though there were flavour transitions there were only a couple and for a stick to be epic I expect a few more noticeable transitions. With this in mind I suspect the Robusto size would be perfect for this cigar, even so, I would absolutely recommend this cigar especially at the price, and this will be a contender for space in my humidor in future. As mentioned this was my first San Lotano cigar, it wont be my last.

Review: Arturo Fuente Hemingway Signature Maduro

 

I am quite a big Arturo Fuente fan, I love the Anjeo 77 and others in the Anjeo range, very partial to the Opus X, and love the short story for a quick winter smoke. In my experience no matter what the range Arturo Fuente cigars are extremely well constructed, and seem to do all the correct things on my palete.

Appearance 8.5/10

I know it sounds like an odd, and obvious thing to say, but this is a very dark Maduro wrapper (what maduro wrappers are not dark lol?), but this wrapper is almost black. The shape of the cigar with its elongated tip is very pleasing. The band just avoids being to flashy, and is well printed, it was also very easy to remove without taking some of the wrapper with it.

Construction & Draw 9.0/10

This cigar is extremely well constructed, the wrapper only has small veins, and almost invisible seams. The cap is very well constructed, and it was simple to get a really clean cut with my Xikar cutter, the long foot also made it easy to light the cigar. I was worried that the draw would be a little tight due to the foot, but the draw was perfect on this cigar from start to finish, as was the burn.

Flavour 8.0/10

Dont let my score of only 8.0 give you the wrong impression I really like this cigars flavour profile. Initially there was a small amount of pepper coupled with a nutty sweetness, as I got further into the cigar the pepper backed off a little, the sweetness remained, the nuttiness took a back seat, and I could detect some chocolate notes and a slight woodiness.

About half way through the chocolate flavour become the strongest note, and the cigar had a nice creamy taste, towards the end the pepper cam back again and the cigar lost some of its creaminess. This cigar had quite a long finish, so there was always a nice taste on the palete. All in all very good, but just not quite epic.

Value 8.5/10

I believe that these retail at around $9 USD, I think this is a pretty fair price for a cigar as well constructed and tasty as this one, however at this price there are a lot of other good cigars so I cannot say its excellent value.

Summary 8.5/10

This is a really nice cigar, its well constructed, has good flavours that evolves as you smoke it, pretty much all you can ask for a cigar. I did not give it a higher score as somehow it does not reach the heights of some other Arturo Fuente cigars, but I am not sure if that just means I am setting higher expectations for this brand than others.

I guess the question is would I buy more for my Humidor, well the answer is yes, and I already have 5 more on the way. If I had more humidor space and lived in the USA I would get a box.

 

Review: Four Kicks Robusto Extra

Having enjoyed the Seleccion No.5 so much I was keen to get my hands on some more Four Kicks cigars, when my friend in the USA told me his local store had reductions on the range I asked if he could get me a box. I was after the Robusto as its a favourite size of mine for cigars, but as they had sold out my friend got me the Robusto Extra.

So the question is how close to the flavour of the No.5 is the Robusto Extra….

Appearance 8.0/10

This is a good looking fat and relatively short cigar, the wrapper is a dark brown, and if I am honest looks more rustic than the wrapper on the No.5, its got quite a few veins, and a bit of tooth, so to me it does not look as good. The band is classy, with its well printed gold and white pattern on a deep red background.

Construction & Draw 9.0/10

Okay so just like the No.5 the construction on this cigar is excellent, it has tight seams, and very clean cap construction. There were no soft or hard spots on the cigar, and it was well packed with tobacco

The draw on this cigar was just perfect, with enough resistance so it did not feel like you were sucking on air, but no hint of tightness. The burn line on this cigar was razor sharp, required no touch ups, and the ash held for a good inch before it started to fall.

Flavour 8.5/10

The flavour and flavour transitions of this cigar were pretty much the same as the No.5, which is lucky as that is what attracted me to the brand.

Pre-light draw had a very slight pepper taste to it, once lit there was a good strong tobacco flavour with hints of wood and leather. About an inch in there was a very nice sweet note, and slightly further on I could also detect a slight citrus flavour. About half way through a leather note was added, the pepper increase slightly and just remained on the back of the palate, at this point there were a lot of different flavours which made the cigar highly enjoyable.

Where this cigar deviated form the No.5 is in the last third or so of the cigar, the strength really kicks up a notch. To be honest it took me a little by surprise, and I was glad I had eaten only a short while before having this stick, otherwise I would have been in trouble…

Note to self always eat before the Robusto Extra…

Value 8.0/10

I think at this price the cigar offers pretty good value for money, especially if you like a big kick at the end of your cigars !

Summary 8.5/10

So this was an interesting smoke, and you may notice that I have marked it 0.5 less than the No.5, this is still a great cigar, and I am going to enjoy them a lot, however the appearance is not as good as the No.5, and the kick at the end was a little unexpected.

I think I would prefer the flavour profile at the end to be more like the No.5, but thats just me, and I am sure others will really appreciate the kick, just eat something first, you have been warned!

Get your Four Kicks Robusto Extra Here…

Review: Ventura Cigars: PSyKo SEVEN Robusto

My first cigar review for a while, apologies for that, but I have been doing some stocking up, so I will hopefully have a steady stream of new reviews.

This is the first Ventura cigar I have smoked, its a robusto which one of my favourite sizes, and the look of it certainly grabbed my attention.

Appearance 8.0/10

The cigar is a nice chocolate brown. The cigar has a fair amount of  tooth, and some noticeable veins (see picture), but just check out the band…

You cant miss this cigar, it has a very striking and unusual band/wrapper, however its completely impracticable and needs to be removed prior to smoking, when you remove the large wrapper you will find a more tradition band underneath! All in all a pretty attractive cigar.

Construction & Draw 8.5/10

The cigar had no hard or soft spots, and the wrapper had a really nice oily sheen to it. As you can see from the picture cap construction was excellent, I got a really clean cut from my Palio cutter.

The draw and burn on this cigar were pretty much perfect, the burn line was razor sharp, and at no point did it need any touch ups, indeed I was able to leave this cigar for around 5 minutes (comfort break) and it still did not need any help when I got back to it. If the veins were not so prominent it would have scored a 9.0.

Flavour 8.0/10

The pre-light draw had an earthy musty flavour to it, once lit the earthiness continued and I could pick up a slight hint of spice, some woody notes, and a fairly strong note of leather.

As I progressed through the cigar, I could detect some small flavour transitions, and I picked up a creamy sweetness, which added to the existing flavours.

I was surprised by the strength of this cigar, or rather that it wasn’t as strong as I expected from the name! This is a solid medium strength cigar, and is therefore a pretty easy smoke.

Value 8.0/10

These cigars are around 7 USD each, which I think is a pretty fair price for a the construction and flavour on offer here.

Summary 8.5/10

I could not decide whether to give this cigar 8.0 or 8.5, in the end I felt the higher score was more appropriate as I simply just really enjoyed this stick.

I think I was expecting it to be stronger as it was called Psyko, so it being a medium strength stick surprised me, however I really enjoyed the flavour profile and transitions.

This is one of those cigars thats good to have in the humidor if you just want to settle down with a nice drink, a good cigar and have some quiet time. I would absolutely have more of these in my humidor.

Get your PSyKo SEVEN Robusto here….

Review: CAO Flathead 554 Camshaft

I have had a couple of CAO cigars in the past, I reviewed the the CAO Gold Label Robusto some 7 months ago, this was a good stick, but for me a little lacking in impact and the richness of flavour that I really like. Today we have another CAO cigar and I am hoping that it has a little more punch and flavour, so lets take a look.

Appearance 9.0/10

The cigar has are really nice box press, and is almost perfectly rectangular, this makes it very comfortable to smoke. The wrapper is a nice dark Maduro, it has a slightly mottled toothy quality, and has an oily sheen to it. The band is a little on the large size for my taste, and I feel a little over the top, but the silver and black colour scheme does look good.

Construction & Draw 9.0/10

The cigar is very well constructed, the wrapper has some small long veins, the cap construction is very good, but because of the box press its a little difficult to see where the cap starts so I would advise you to cut as close to the end as possible (I did and managed to get a clean cut with no unwrapping). There were no soft or hard spots on the stick, and it was well packed with tobacco.

The draw on this cigar was excellent, it was pretty much spot on not too tight or loose. The burn line was straight but a little askew for a few inches, but was generally very good.

Flavour 8.5/10

This cigar had the kind of flavour profile that really appeals to my palete, far more than any previous CAO cigars I have had. Initially there was a peppery taste along with some leather, cocoa and some coffee, I could also detect a little sweetness that reminded me of caramel. The flavour profile changed over the length of the cigar, with the balance of the various flavours changing as you progressed which made the entire experience very interesting, as you kept wanting to find out which flavour would come to the fore.

The strength of the cigar also changed, initially I would say that the cigar was medium strength. medium body, but as you progress through the stick the strength and body increased, until towards the end of the cigar it was medium-strong to strong for both. Its almost like the cigar was preparing and acclimatising you ready for the strong finish, very nice.

Value 8.5/10

This cigar as a single retails at around 7.25 USD, at this price I think it offers pretty good value for money, there are quite a few other really good cigars around this price, but I think the CAO holds its own, whilst not be spectacular value for money.

Summary 8.5/10

This CAO really surprised me, there was a lot more going on than in previous CAO cigars that I have had, I really liked the flavours, and I also enjoyed how the strength and richness of these flavours developed and increased as I progressed through the stick.

This is a cigar I would have again, and if I had any room in my humidor at the moment I would think about getting some more, and laying them down, as this is a cigar I could see myself returning to again and again.

Review: Nica Rustica – First UK Review?

This is pretty new out in the USA, its from Drew Estates, and seems to be causing quite a stir, so lets see how it does in what I think is the first UK review of this stick.

Appearance 8.0/10

As the name suggests this cigar looks rustic, it looks very hand made, the wrapper is toothy and dark, the band has a hand drawn look to it, and both end ends of the cigar look hand finished. Drew Estates seem to have made the cigar look “rustic” without making it look to contrived, which of course it is to some extent as they set out to produce a rustic looking cigar.

Construction & Draw 9.0/10

Whilst the cigar may look rustic and  “unpolished” its actual construction is anything but unpolished. General construction is excellent, the cigar is well put together, there are no soft of hard spots, the cap and foot are excellent. Cutting the cap was simple and I got a really nice clean cut, the draw on the cigar was excellent, only the slightly wobbly burn line spoilt the marks for this stick.

Flavour 8.0/10

This cigar is not what I expected, the wrapper has a slightly musty sweet chocolate smell, but this was not a strong flavour during the majority in the stick. The first third was spicy and peppery with a nice general sweetness, it was like a spicy explosion on my tongue.

This is a medium strength cigar, and stayed the same strength throughout its length. About half way through the sweetness increased a little, and I could detect some chocolate flavour as suggested by the smell of the wrapper. The last third was similar to the rest of the stick with just a little more chocolate and a slight musty note. I would describe this cigar as a little rough and ready compared to other sticks I have had,  but it always manages to keep itself in check, and I did really enjoy the strong pepper and spice much more than I though I was going to.

Value 9.0/10

This cigar is around 5.60 – 6.90 USD, I think that this represents extremely good value for money, its well constructed, has lots of interesting flavours and is nice and strong. It managed to keep its spice and pepper under control and was like a flavour explosion on my palette.

Summary 8.5/10

This cigar was not quite what I expected, for some reason I thought it would be less spicy, and have more chocolate and other creamy flavours than it did, so I was rather surprised when I smoked it. However it was a nice surprise, despite not being what I expected I really enjoyed this stick, it was pretty “up front” and in your face, a little rough and ready, but managed to keep everything under control, and was full of flavours.

This is probably not a cigar for a true newbie, but if you want something spicy and interesting you cant go wrong with this cigar, its also very good value. I can see this being added to my humidor.

Review: Oliva Master Blends 3 – Robusto

Yet again another Oliva cigar review, I am a little worried that if I keep smoking and reviewing Oliva cigars then there will not be much variety in my reviews. However Oliva cigars constantly hit the spot for me, so here we are again with another Oliva review.

Appearance 9.0/10

My picture taking skills seem to be getting better, which is lucky as you can now appreciate just how good looking this cigar is. The cigar is a wonderful dark chocolate in colour, the slight box press gives a very nice shape to the cigar, the band is a work of art its very detailed and the printing is excellent.

Construction & Draw 9.0/10

As with most Oliva cigars the construction is excellent, the wrapper is a little toothy, but it had a nice oily sheen, and had only a few very small veins. There were no soft or hard spots on the cigar, and it was well packed with tobacco. Cap construction was pretty much perfect, and I got a very clean cut from my Palio cutter. Even before I cut the cigar there was a musty chocolate smell to the stick, the pre light draw tasted pretty much the same.

The draw on this cigar was a little tight to begin with, this might be due to the box press, but once I was about half an inch in the draw opened up. The burn line on the cigar was pretty good for the entire length, it did have a couple of wobbles, but these did correct themselves pretty quickly, and did not require any intervention.

Flavour 9.0/10

The cigar kicks off with white pepper and spice, which is similar to the Serie V but not quite so intense, there are also strong notes of cocoa and chocolate. As the cigar progressed  I also detected a hint of coffee and about half way a detectable note of vanilla, the pepper backed of a little but was always present, helping to highlight the different flavours.

For me this was a very smooth and rich cigar, it was medium to medium full in strength throughout, when I reached the last third there was a hint of nut, and the spice picked up a little, but the cigar still remained very “smooth and creamy” overall.

Value 8.5/10

As a single these retail at around 9 USD, I think that at this price this cigar offers good value for money. I would have given this cigar a higher score, but I think that although it sits between the Serie V and the recent Serie V Melanio in price, it does not offer as good value for money as the basic Serie V.

Summary 8.5/10

Another Oliva cigar that hit the spot, to me this tasted very similar to the Serie V which I love, but it was a little less intense, had less pepper and spice, but was still nice and rich, which made it a slightly more relaxing cigar. This cigar could have been a 9 or 9.5 if it was a little cheaper, and did not have a slightly wobbly burn.

For me this cigar makes an almost perfect “every day” Oliva cigar (if a little expensive), as it has all the qualities I like in the Oliva brand, but is a little smoother, I may well be getting some more of these, as I can see myself reaching for them regularly.

Review: Flor De Las Antillas Toro

I have had a couple of My Father Cigars including the La Dueiia, My father, and My Father La Bijou 1922 ranges, however this is the first cigar I have had from the Flor De Las Antillas range. Having greatly enjoyed previous My Father cigars, especially the 1922, I was looking forward to this stick.

Appearance 9.0/10

I managed to get a pretty good photo of this cigar, and as you can see this is a very good looking stick. The wrapper only has small veins, it is a lovely medium dark brown, with a nice oily sheen. The band is of particular note, the detail is quite exceptional, and gives the cigar a very classy appearance.

Construction & Draw 8.5/10

There is not a lot to say about the construction that you cant deduce from the picture, the cap construction was excellent, there were no soft spots, the cigar was well packed with tobacco. Cutting the cap was easy and I got a very clean cut, the pre light draw had a strong tobacco taste and a slight sweetness. The draw on this cigar was far to easy for my liking, I was surprised it was this loose as the cigar was well packed, but at times if felt like sucking on air. Whilst this drops the rating in this area a little, it did not stop my enjoyment of this stick.

The burn line on the cigar was razor sharp for the entire length, and the stick produced a large volume of smoke.

Flavour 8.5/10

This first few draws had a slight peppery taste to them, this settled down into a subtle peppery spice, the cigar had a sweet note to it, and I could also detect some cocoa and a flowery component as I got further into the cigar. This to me is a medium strength cigar, and the best way to describe the flavour profile is rich and creamy.

The flavour profile did not change a lot during my time with this cigar, the peppery spice and general complexity increase slightly the further in I got. Towards the end of the last third the pepper note increased, I thought this might be due to the cigar burning hotter, so to avoid this, and to stop the cigar potentially getting bitter I slowed down a little  . This did the trick and the cigar was delicious down to the nub.

Value 9.0/10

As a single these retail at around 6.90 USD, I think that at this price this cigar offers excellent vale for money, the construction if excellent, the flavours are rich and creamy, and I spend a very pleasurable one and a three quarter hours with this cigar.

Summary 8.5/10

I really enjoyed this cigar, it had a nice level of complexity, with some distinct and delicious flavours, it was rich without being overpowering, and would be a great cigar if you are looking to relax and chill out. The flavour profile does not change much during the cigar, but its such a nicely balance flavour that you don’t really care, the only reason this did not get a 9 is the draw.

I would absolutely get some more of these for my humidor, they would make an excellent cigar for those moments you need to relax.

Review: Saint Louis Ray – Double Corona

I picked this up at my local merchant, they have a cabinet of 50 in their humidor, and had reduced them so I thought I would give one a try. This is an absolutely massive stick its 7.6″ with a ring gauge of 49 and looks very impressive. I anticipated that this cigar would take at least two to two and a half hours to smoke, so I had to wait for a suitable time to smoke this, apparently it was the favourite brand of Frank Sinatra, so lets see what’s its like.

Appearance 9.0/10

This is a very good looking cigar, its length immediately grabs your attention, and its a lovely medium brown. The wrapper had very fine veins, and my cigar had a couple of small spots towards the top of the cigar. The band is a very classy looking red and gold which nicely printed.

Construction & Draw 8.0/10

The construction of this cigar was pretty good, there were no soft spots but there was a slightly tight spot about and inch from the end, so I was a little concerned that this might affect the draw. This turned out to be the case, the first inch and a half of this cigar had a tight draw, not impossible to smoke, but it was more effort than you should expect, and made it tricky to keep lit to begin with. Luckily after the “tight spot” the draw opened up and from there on the cigar had a great draw. Cap construction was excellent, and I got a really clean cut of the cap.

Flavour 8.0/10

Smooth and sophisticated is a good way to describe this cigars flavour profile (I can see why Frank Sinatra was a fan, as you could say its the cigar equivalent of his music).

The initial flavour was of tobacco with a very slight spice to it, once I had got past the tight draw the flavours gradually opened up, and I could detect hints of cocoa and coffee. After about half way there was a slight earthy tone, and the cocoa gave way to a nice vanilla note, the flavour profile stayed this way until the end of the stick. What is worth noting is that even when I was really close the the end, the flavour did not get harsh or bitter (jut a little extra toastiness), it was silky smooth to the nub, which I think shows the quality of the cigar.

Strength wise I would say this started of light-medium, and by about half was medium strength.

Value 8.5/10

I believe that these normally retail at around 25 GBP, I managed to pick mine up for just under 20 GBP, but I have based my value score on the normal retail price. There is no denying that at 25 GBP this is not a cheap cigar, but I think it offers quite a bit for your money, it is after all a double corona, and its only a few pounds more than most good Cuban Churchills. This coupled with the sophisticated profile make this well worth the money in my opinion.

Summary 8.5/10

This is a very big cigar, and you need to put at least two and a half hours aside in order to really enjoy it. Although the construction and appearance was excellent, the initially tight draw drops the score, luckily the draw got better, I am hoping that the draw on the others I have will be better, if so I may revise my score at a later date.

This is not a cigar that will grab your palette and take you on a roller coaster ride, its flavour profile is sedate and refined, and that’s a pretty good way to describe this cigar. So the big question is would I buy more, well as I have already hinted, I have already purchased two more to lay down in my humidor and see how they mature, I expect they will just get better and better with age.

Review: E.P Carillo Short Run 2012 – Reinados

Well as you can see my photography is getting better, I am hoping that all future reviews will have good quality pictures of my cigars. So for review tonight is a pretty large cigar, a Short Run 2012 Reinados which is 6.25 x 60. To be honest this has been sitting in the humidor for a while, I just needed the time to sit down and do it justice.

Appearance 9.5/10

This is a great looking cigar, the wrapper is a lovely medium brown, and as the photo shows the wrapper is very smooth with very few veins. I am a fan of the E.P Carrillo bands, they are simple but classy, and the bands on this cigar are no exception.

Construction & Draw 9.0/10

The construction of this cigar is almost perfect, squeezing the stick showed no soft or hard spots so the packing on this cigar is excellent, cap construction is very good, neat and tidy, with an almost invisible line, my Palio cuter gave an excellent clean cut. The only reason I have not given this a 9.5 is that for me the draw was slightly too loose, but to be honest I am probably being a little picky.

The burn on this cigar was excellent, with only a slight wobble in the burn line, the ash held for about 3/4 of an inch before it fell.

Flavour 8.0/10

Pre-light draw revealed a slightly sweet note, and a good tobacco taste. This is a medium strength stick and as you would expect this cigar produces a lot of smoke, so its best enjoyed outside, or with all your doors and windows open.

The initial third of this cigar had a good tobacco taste, with a hint of spice and cream, the first third seemed to be mild to medium, with the remainder of the cigar being medium strength. The flavour profile of this cigar was pretty static throughout its life, however in the later stages there were the occasional tones of cocoa, and the initial sweetness I detected came back, I would say it tasted like syrup or honey.

Value 9.0/10

At 8.50 USD you are getting a lot of cigar for you money, and coupled with that you are getting a great basic flavour profile, which is very smooth and enjoyable, which also adds a little complexity towards the end. For me this makes it excellent value for money. 

Summary 8.5/10

Reading this review back I am not sure I have done a great job of explaining why I gave this cigar a flavour rating of 8.0, I did really enjoy the flavours in this cigar, they really hit the spot for me, but I have to mark it down as there were no significant flavour transitions, a slight evolution, but nothing that had you going “wow I wonder whats next”.

My final rating reflects the value for money this cigar represents, and how much I enjoyed it, if you get the chance to buy a few of these sticks, then I would grab them, I would love to add a few more to my humidor.