New Ash
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 [...]
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. [...]
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 [...]
Gurkha Empire I
Love them or hate them, there is no denying that Gurkha has a huge variety to choose from. Their extensive lines of cigars cover mild to full-bodied cigars, cheap to expensive, and traditional to flavored/infused. So chances are, if you’re a cigar nut, Gurkha might have a cigar that suits your taste.
The [...]
New Ash: Viaje Exclusivo
Pete Johnson has the Tatuaje Black. Steve Saka has the Liga Privada No. 9. And now Andre Farkas has the Viaje Exclusivo. What do they have in common? They started out as their personal smokes, and when other people got the opportunity to try them, they clamored for them to be released to us, the little people. The new Exclusivo from Viaje is a limited release Nicaraguan puro with an oily Criollo wrapper and a short pigtail at the top. It’s limited to 100 jars of 35 cigars each, but for such a limited cigar it has a fairly reasonable MSRP of $9.50.
Cigar Review – H. Upmann Magnum 50
A friend of mine at BOTL.org recently sent me a five pack of these cigars and wanted me to know how I like these. These are from 2009 and I’ve had PLENTY of its smaller, older brother, the Mag 46. Its always been a staple in my humidor and one I enjoy very much as [...]
Cigar Review – Murcielago Toro
This week, I review the new Murcielago from Espinosa y Ortega that was released at this year’s IPCPR in New Orleans. This new cigars from the makers of 601, Cubao and Mi Barrio blends are blended by Don Pepin Garcia. The cigar features an oily Mexican San Andreas wrapper, Mexican binder and Nicaraguan [...]
Rocky Patel 1961
Rocky Patel has a new factory in Nicaragua, the Tabacalera Villa Cuba, S.A, and the first cigar to be made in this factory is the 1961. This cigar was created to celebrate Rocky’s birth year and features an Ecuadorian grown Habano wrapper. The first thing I noticed about this cigar was the incredible [...]
Viaje 50/50 No. 1
Viaje is a boutique brand of cigars that I’ve really fallen in love with over the past year. During my recent trip to New Orleans for IPCPR, I visited Crescent City Cigars in the French Quarter and talked to Armando, the owner, about one of his favorite cigars, the Viaje Platino lancero, which he [...]
K. A. Kendall’s 7-20-4
I braved the cold and the rain to smoke the new 7-20-4 from Kurt Kendall. The name was revived from a cigar made by R.G. Sullivan from 1875 through 1963 in Manchester. The cigar got it’s name from the street address of Sullivan’s factory at 724 Elm Steet. The modern 7-20-4 is made in Honduras [...]