Cigar Digest 2018/2019

The Cigar.com Red Label

Yes, it's a maduro~!

The Red Label cigar is not as dark as the deeply fermented and aged variants on the market, nor does it offer a highly complex series of flavors or a strong note of any kind. But, what it lacks in the category typically reserved for strong maduro cigars, it makes up for massively with its subtle and smooth delivery throughout the entire smoke. That's right, I am not kidding, this cigar didn't tip off into strong peppery notes or seriously bitter flavors, not one bit.


On the dry pull, it was very softly earthy and lightly sweet. On the first few pulls, it was again soft and subtle, but you can taste the smoke so it's still a medium bodied maduro. Notes of chocolate, coffee, and sweetness all around are all smooth and soft, never overpowering. Through the first third of the cigar, it's just relaxing and smooth. It's a little uneven on the burn, but much of it is self corrected. There are no hot spots or soft areas, it's rolled very well.

After the first third, we're starting to get into the structure a little more and these same flavors are kicking out in the very same, smooth way. I am reminded of a well aged tobacco, not some house brand cigar like this is. I remember thinking to myself, "if this cigar smokes this way all the way through the last third, I will be impressed."

And folks, I am serious...it did exactly that. This cigar is currently priced at $50 per box of twenty (Robusto). That's $2.50 per cigar, making it a very real option for an "any time I feel like smoking it" maduro. I would even recommend this to a novice who has never tried a maduro, or a person who has had bad luck in the past with them. The flavors are there, even the light peppery notes at the last third, only subtle and smooth. All the way from start to finish it is smooth. I don't personally mind a medium maduro and tend to lean more toward the strong side with aged tobacco which has more complexity, but this Red Label has set me to wonder why I wouldn't keep coming back for more of what it has to offer.

I do believe I will keep coming back. This is a very good cigar, a nice experience, indeed.

 

ROCKY PATEL BROADLEAF

What can I say? I love Rocky Patel cigars. Close to twenty years ago I was smoking Rocky Patel Vintage 1990 cigars from a local lounge on nearly a daily basis and that would be followed by the Decade series, which is still one of my all time favorites. This brings us to one of the latest series and the topic at hand, the Rocky Patel Broadleaf collection.

Just a heads up, I got these for a steal at less than $60 for a box of 20 robusto's --and they probably won't last long. I've no doubt the prices will climb soon enough, but no worries because they will not climb too high, either. Rocky Patel can make a lot of cigars.

These cigars are not box pressed, just your traditional rolled cigar, but it does offer some unique and interesting characteristics. The Honduran and Nicaraguan long leaf fillers and a top grade Connecticut broadleaf maduro wrapper makes this a treat to smoke, especially since it's a great value for its quality.

Getting started, I toasted and lit this very nice cigar and immediately found myself inundated with numerous flavors and aromas. I love a complex cigar, especially when it's a maduro.


Some notes are subtle, others are more pronounced, making it complex and interesting. There are soft notes of coffee, cocoa, and a very slight tinge of pepper. The stronger notes present after the first third is sweetness like honey and something like dark chocolate to my palate. Throughout it all, there's a relaxing and encompassing earthy flavor to the rich smoke. The further I progressed, the more even, smooth, and complete this cigar became.



Well into the final third of the cigar, I couldn't help but keep smoking it quickly because I just wasn't getting any strong bitterness or heavy pepper notes. This cigar actually mellowed out a little near the end, which is nice and relaxing. It's a maximum medium bodied cigar, but the complexity of it and the smooth, full flavored smoke will tempt you to go after it faster than you should. The burn was even with only minor meandering which corrected itself once I calmed down.


I can only imagine that after another year in the humidor, these Broadleaf cigars are going to go from being excellent to outstanding.

This makes two cigars I have reviewed in a row which are very affordable and very high quality, at $2.50 and $3.00 respectively, there's no reason not to stock up the humidor now!

 

Drew Estate Kentucky Fire Cured "Muwat" CHUNKY 4x46


Yes, this ain't your ordinary cigar, folks. Let's see what the experts have to say:

I decided to fire up the grill and toss a steak down, pour some red wine (I didn't really care what kind - still don't) and start toasting one of these particularly perplexing and pretty darn perfect looking premium pokers.

Damn, it's like I could be an expert photographer or something. Because, you know...that amazingly pristine looking hand rolled cigar which has been passed through several hundred pairs of hands looks totally in place resting on top of some busted up charcoal on a decades old wooden chest.

This is the part where I tell you I actually know something about this cigar. Well, I smoked the "chunky" corona and it only cost me $39.00 for a 10 pack of some of Drew Estates latest and best creations.

The thing is, I've never smoked anything like this before in my life, ever. Well, there was this one time back in 1993 in the middle of nowhere Georgia, it involves having been on a military training operation for a few days and resorting to smoking some tree leaves out of desperation. The only thing is, unlike those tree leaves, this cigar didn't suck.


The trick is, after the first third of the smoke, you start to pick up more than just a little oak or hickory or whatever kind of wood smoke this baby is emanating. This is where you start to puff and retro-hale like a boss, thinking to yourself "hey, this kind of tastes familiar"...


This damn camera, I swear. Anyway, the cigar. yes. You won't regret smoking these cigars if you like barbecue, beer, and time away from the lady of the house, that's for sure. Seriously, this is one smooth, nutty, slightly earthy, and very sexy smokey cigar.

Enjoy!

 

The Macanudo Cafe (Robusto)

Quite possibly one of the most iconic brands in the world, and perhaps this line may be an all time best seller, the Macanudo Cafe continuously receives high praise for its smooth delivering, lightly aromatic and flavorful tobacco. I rarely delve into the light sight of cigars, but when I do I like to at least give them an honest and fair assessment. I actually wasn't disappointed by this cigar, I have to say this up front. Okay, maybe a little disappointed. But, like most light Connecticut leaf wrapped cigars and very mellow fillers, it didn't "wow" me, either. You are either a light bodied cigar smoker, or you're not.


All the way up to the second third of the cigar, it was pleasantly mellow with very subtle hints of vanilla, cream, and cedar with a modest earthy tone throughout. There was a nutty nuance just beneath the surface somewhere, but I only picked up on it through the retro-hale. And then, nothing interesting happened...


I did smoke it down into the final third, but all that remained for me was a bitter flavor and a pale reminder of why I steer clear of light bodied cigars. Sure, it's smooth and has some subtle flavors. I imagine on a hot day if you're not a medium to full cigar type this will certainly do. The Macanudo Cafe is definitely a decent quality cigar, there's no doubt about it. I just wish there was something more it could offer. I can already see new smokers buying these and thinking this was the embodiment for all cigars in the world and then quitting out of frustration and despair.

To those new smokers, I say instead of being a loser, I would suggest a 5 Vegas Gold: 5 Vegas Gold Cigars - CIGAR.com or if you think you're hard enough, a 5 Vegas Series 'A' 5 Vegas Series 'A' - CIGAR.com

 

It is actually "Connecticut Valley" leaf. That growing area extends from north of Hartford all the way up into southern VT and is the area where my now retired tobacco farmer friend had (has) his farm.

The story goes that post WWII, the department of agriculture spent a lot of time and effort to find out what would grow in that bony ground, and found that the climate was very like a couple tobacco growing climates from Central America and the western pacific. More study, and they figured out that with a bit of enhancement, shade tobacco would be a good crop. Thus the Conn River Valley got a kick in the arse for soldiers returning from both WWII and Korea conflicts. "John's" father bought some land along the southern border of MA to the east of the Berkshires and set out to grow shade tobacco, since the low stuff (burley and the like) did not do well. So, by the sixties, the area was covered by tents to enhance the climate by holding in heat and cutting the amount of sun that reached the plants. (In fact, I measured the incoming sunlight at about half the intensity of direct sun. And it was bloody hot in the tents.)

The costs to produce the shade leaf went out of sight in the late 90's and early 00s and there is not a lot of it left in production in the valley. Part of the problem was sucky negotiation skills at the association, and also due to market flooding from the Caribbean. To say, it is no longer certain that the wrapper is genuine Conn Valley, but is very apt to be from the same hybrid seeds.

 

Yeah, virtually every write up and video mentions the "Connecticut Valley" leaf when it pertains to the cigar. The thing that makes the shade grown tobacco so important is the supple leaves without strong veins, making them ideal for wrappers. The sun has a habit of making tough leaves. As the tobacco farmers cultivate, they do so in a manner known as "priming", only taking the first three leaves from the bottom, waiting about a week, and moving upward in series. The first prime will be much different from the last, usually about the 7th priming.

 

Yup. Shade baccy grows on stalks that produce three leaves at each node, those are taken off together. Always. In good years, they get 7 "picks" most years only 6. Second, third and fourth picks are (usually) best when graded after the cure. 6 picks was break even, 7 was profitable.

Once cured in the sheds, the leaf is taken down, packed and shipped to (back in the day) Dominica for a "sweat" where the leaf is humidified, then sent thru a controlled drying that yields a more or less leathery leaf that can be regraded and be handled with minimal damage, then de-veined and shipped (cases I know of) to England for filling and wrapping (by machine back then.)

I don't know where the sweat is done these days, I've been out of that loop for a "few" years, nor do I know now what they are using for filler, back then it was bush stuff from I have no idea from where, but not Connecticut, maybe NC grown with cigarette leaf, but not the same species. Cheaper brands of gars used "sweepings" for filler, literally the shreds that wound up on the roller floors after the better grade of filler was already in the wrappers.

 

Yes Sir! The Connecticut leaves are renowned for being the best there is for the job they are used for, no doubt about that. The lighter shades I've never had a particular liking for, and it's only after they've been cured and properly fermented to grant us a sweet maduro that I generally tend to admire. That's not to say the lighter wrap isn't quality, because it's all top notch.

The filler is sometimes secretive for the higher level cigars, blends from all over the world can be used. AJ Fernandez is well known for creating some of the very best blends ever, for example. I'm sure you know far more than I do historically speaking, Ghrit, but if you haven't watched a documentary on Rocky Patel, I suggest it if you get the time because I personally found those videos to be very insightful. I especially like the box pressed cigars, rich maduro wrappers, Dominican, Honduran and Nicaraguan blends, and the flavor of a nicely aged cigar. To tell the truth, knowing what I do now makes me appreciate them even more. There's a lot of work that goes into making cigars, I respect every smoke more now because of the knowledge freely available to me.

 

Side lights:
-Shade baccy stalks are not self supporting. They are supported by strings. "Tying" takes place as needed while the stalks are actively growing.
-The tents are 8 feet tall. Toward the end of the season, the stalks are pushing the cover up.
-In the early days, the tents were made of cheesecloth, doubled and tripled as needed for insolation control. Burned like a field of matchsticks, and the crop went to the insurance brokers. They were just about fully changed over to synthetics last I knew. Still burned, but FAR less furiously.
-Shade baccy is treated at several stages of growth with insecticides and innoculated against tobacco mosaic.
-Rattling pipe for irrigation is backbreaking.
-Shade baccy was, back in the 50s and early 60s, sprayed with DDT from aircraft. I don't have documented evidence of damage to humans in that era, not counting the very late development of stupidity in my ex wife. (She was a tobacco valley brat.) Ground water contamination from the DDT is well documented, and the powers that be have required public water supplies in all the affected areas. (Still on septic tanks, tho' with minor exceptions as public money becomes available for treatment plants.)
-Shade baccy is VERY labor intensive. Once the stalks are tied, no machinery goes in. Used to be that some of the farms (and the co-op) arranged for summer vacation kids to work the fields. As the kids no longer wanted to work, the co-op brought in guest workers, mostly from Jamaica. Those guys would work 24 hours a day if you let them.

Useless info:
Hops are also a shade grown product. Tents are12 feet tall.
I'll think of it and edit this later, but there is a variety of common flower grown in tents in asia. 3 meter tents, IIRC ETA, that would be mums.

 

That's about the only thing I did know. Thanks for the info, Ghrit!

 

AVE MARIA Argentum

This cigar is smooth and rich, with a creamy chocolate note and a compliment of pepper, cedar, spices, and leather. It's definitely a complex profile, and one I enjoyed from start to finish. Set aside an hour to enjoy this beautiful cigar, it burns evenly and leaves a long, clean ash!

I will dispense with the review and just post the pictures because this cigar speaks for itself. If you like medium to full bodied cigars, this one really ought to be in your humidor aging for a few months to make them even more incredible.




Ave Maria Argentum - CIGAR.com

 

Ramon Bueso 'The Genesis Project'

This cigar is one of my all time favorites, and it's one I've only just started to enjoy, having never tried one until just a few months ago. The fillers consist of a mixture of Nicaraguan and Honduran long leaves taken from three different primings. It is then wrapped inside a Jamastran binder and finished off with a Connecticut Broadleaf maduro wrapper. The genesis Project is filled with numerous flavors and it will definitely excite your senses, from espresso to nutty and earthy notes, to spice and cream. There's just not much to be disappointed with this cigar.


Price per stick: about $7 - $9 per stick. Get them on sale and save big.

 

CAO America

Well, my favorite CAO cigar is the Brazilia, but I couldn't resist picking up a 5 pack of these America's on sale to try out. I have to say it's definitely a good cigar, full of strong flavors and a very good quality smoke overall. I don't believe it really resonated with me personally, but I will try one again after a few months of aging to give it the respect it deserves.

Price: Around $8 - $9 per stick, again buy them on sale.

 

Rocky Patel Vintage 1990

Rocky Patel utilizes a 12-year-aged Honduran Broadleaf maduro wrapper along with 5-year-aged fillers and binders for a satisfying finish. I first smoked these fantastic cigars back around 2003, and they are just as fantastic as I recall. I am going to always keep some of these fine cigars in my humidor because there's just nothing else quite like it. For a smooth, well rounded and complex smoke, the Vintage 1990 is certainly one to hit a home run. For the quality, you can't beat them at this price. I prefer the Churchill for this variety, a nice long, pleasant smoke.

Price per stick: A solid $10 each

 

Ramon Bueso Olancho Reserva 2005

I decided to try one of these, and I still have more to age, but the first thought I had was "look at that damn label!"
It's one, continuous label, and it really shouldn't be the focus, but it's hard to forget. The cigar is very well constructed, and the flavors are pretty decent, but on the strong side.

And I highly suggest aging this cigar in a nice cedar environment for at least several months. I know it's a decent cigar, but I didn't personally find it to be fitting to go onto a top list yet. In time, perhaps this will change.


Buy them on sale currently, may end up being a limited batch.

 

PUNCH RARE COROJO

This is another one of my all time favorites, the rare corojo maduro by Punch. With its Colorado shade grown wrapper and complex Dominican and Nicaraguan long filler composition, this full flavored masterpiece is one to keep plenty of on hand. I like to maintain a healthy stock if possible just to keep them aging because they age so well. Unfortunately, I tend to smoke more of them than I should because they are so amazing.

(Reading Epictetus and enjoying a cup of Oolong Chinese tea with the Punch rare corojo)
Upon first cutting and taking a dry pull, you will find it to be flavorful. At first lighting, from the first pull all the way to the last it is fulfilling and robust with flavors. The only drawback I have known about this cigar, and it only happens occasionally, is the canoing effect, where it burns unevenly. This is a rather large gauge box pressed cigar, and if it were smaller in diameter, it might not happen as much. A simple touch-up whenever this happens and we're good to go.

I smoke it all the way down as far as I can because it remains awesome the entire time. Not many cigars are like this.

Price: Around $6 - $9 each

 

Partagas Cifuentes Maduro

This is not your ordinary maduro.

Link: Partagas Cifuentes Maduro - CIGAR.com

Easily fitting into my top 10 cigar favorites, this cigar is truly a spectacular experience from start to finish. For those who love a good maduro and medium to full bodied cigars, the Partagas Cifuentes maduro will definitely meet and exceed your standards. I found that it is slow burning and far more smooth and espresso-like than many other maduros. It is thoroughly pleasant and enjoyable!



Price can vary slightly, this is an exclusive release. $8 - $10 each