Cigar Reviews
Graycliff 1666 Pirate
Today a have for you a stick that seems to show up in every sampler pack ordered from the big online sellers. I accumulated a bunch of these sticks when I was in that on-line buying phase and although I rarely buy on-line anymore, I built up a nice stash of smokes when I [...]
Gran Habano Azteca Prototype
Today’s review is a little different. This cigar is a prototype cigar for a possible line Gran Habano cigars. Its a medium bodied maduro that they call the Azteca and comes in a 6 x 54 toro size. They asked me to be on a tasting panel to give them feedback on [...]
Tatuaje Black Tubo
Two weeks ago I smoked the Tatuaje Verocu Tubo with you. This time I’m lighting up the companion release, the Tatuaje Black Tubo. The Black is known as Pete Johnson’s personal smoke, and came out in two other sizes previously, a corona gorda (my favorite) and a robusto. It’s a Nicaraguan puro, and features an unfinished foot. It’s a little pricier than the Verocu tubo at a MSRP of $14, and comes in the same 10 count boxes.
El Triunfador: Petit Corona vs. Lancero
Over the weekend Brian and I attended a couple Tatuaje events in the DC Baltimore area. During those events we got a chance to talk to Pete Johnson about his cigars, hear a few stories, and smoke a ton of his cigars. One fo these cigars, was the newly blended El Triunfador. [...]
Don Pepin Garcia Blue Invicto
We’ve done a lot of Don Pepin’s stuff over the past year but for some reason we never did the blue label. For those veterans of the site, you know that Pepin’s Black label still ranks as my all time favorite smoke. So lets see how this Blue Label compares.
Don’t forget to get [...]
Joya De Nicaragua Antano Dark Corojo
This week I review the newest cigar from Joya De Nicaragua, the Antano Dark Corojo. This cigar was released at the 2009 IPCPR show and it made to be even more full bodied and powerful than their famed Antano 1970 line. Its made with 75% Ligero that is actually a special ligero that they make [...]
601 Maduro
Months ago I planned on reviewing both the 601 Blue and Black but, like lot’s of things, I quickly forgot. So when Brian posted his review of the 601 Oscuro a few weeks ago it reminded me that I had planned on reviewing this stick. The 601 comes to us courtesy of Eddie Ortega [...]
Oliva Connecticut Reserve Toro
A while back I reviewed the Camacho Connecticut and discussed the other Connecticut that was entering the fray around the same time. Both of these sticks were marketing a fuller bodied smoking experience than your usual Connecticut wrapped cigar. Although I enjoy mostly full bodied sticks, I do enjoy a mid bodied cigar [...]
Diamond Crown Maximus Robusto #5
The Diamond Crown Maximus was one of the first super premium cigars that came on the market near the end of the cigar boom. Made by Tabacalera A. Fuente for JC Newman in the Dominican Republic, it was a bolder version of the Diamond Crown line that was to appeal the rapidly growing full [...]
Tatuaje Verocu Tubo
Back in the summer of 2007, Tatuaje released a more full-bodied blend of their Havana VI line (a.k.a. the Tatuaje Red Label) called the Verocu. Two sizes were released: the 5″ x 54 Zona del Este and the 6″ by 52 Lado Occidental. On a take off of the Cuban regional release, the former was distributed east of the Mississippi River and the latter west of it. They proved to be popular, but only a finite number was made, and except for trades, the original Verocus are longer available. In November 2009, Pete Johnson released a new version of the Verocu in a tubo. The blend and wrapper remained the same, and are now delivered in a 6-1/8″ x 52 torpedo in a bright red aluminum tube. (A Tatuaje Black tubo was also released at the same time, and I’ll be smoking that with you next week.) The Verocu Tubos come in beautiful 10 count red boxes that are incredibly heavy in comparison to most cigar boxes, and MSRP is $11 per cigar.