Famous 70th Anniversary by La Aurora

To help celebrate Famous Smoke Shop being in business for 70 years a bunch of cigar manufacturers came out with a limited edition cigar for this great retail establishment and online retailer. Famous is a sponsor of acigarsmoker.com and if you make any purchases with them please do so via this site. Today’s cigar was gifted by their advertising department and according to the website, “While medium-bodied, La Aurora’s entry in the Famous Private Selection 70th Anniversary is full of rich flavor and aroma. Of course, you’d expect nothing less from the company that brought us Cien Años and Preferidos. Under its flawless Connecticut wrapper resides a blend of Dominican, Brazilian, and Nicaraguan tobaccos, aged to perfection. The result is a creamy, rich-tasting smoke dominated by sweet spice and cedar flavors. Add this affordable limited-edition cigar to your collection today!”

Thanks to the generousity of Famous we share our thoughts on this cigar with you the readers and friends of acigarsmoker.com

Cigar: Famous 70th La Aurora
Size: 6 x 50 (Toro)
Wrapper: Connecticut Shade
Binder: Dominican
Filler: Brazilian, Dominican, Nicaragua
Strength: Medium

Appearance and Construction (16/20): The cigar has some significant veins that take away from the beautiful Connecticut wrapper on this cigar. There is some tooth and a fair amount of oils as well. The cigar is well packed hower the foot is slightly spongy. The cigar features a band with the word famous on the front and 70th Anniversary Edition on the back. There is a secondary band that denotes the cigar is made by La Aurora. The overall appearance of this cigar rather generic.

Flavor & Notes (26/30): The foot of the cigar has some spice to it and some faint fig notes as well. Prior to lighting the cigar has notes of sweetness to it with a touch of cedar. Once lit the cigar is without a doubt one made by La Aurora. The cigars 1st third has some wonderful cedar notes and a touch of spice especially through the nose. As you enter the 2nd third of the smoke the cedar notes remain strong with some subtle spices. The final third continues the trend of the with the spices becoming slightly more noticeable.

Burn/Ash/Draw (25/25):The cigar has an exquiste burn that is perfect. The salt and pepper ash is firm, tight and without flake. It felt like it would of held on for the entire cigar if I let it. The draw has a sight resistance and produces a nice amount of smoke.

Overall (22/25):While the cigar is slightly one dimensional in its flavor profile this cigar is very enjoyable and reminds me of a less refined 100 anos from La Aurora. If you have the storage space I would age them for a year before smoking although they are ready right out of the box.

Rating: 89
Price: $89.99 a box of 20 from Famous exclusively!

Camacho Connecticut Photo by StogieReview.com

It was just a matter of time til Camacho came out with a Connecticut shade wrapper when Davidoff purchased the company a few months back. I was lucky enough to get some samples from the Director of Marketing who is a regular on Twitter. There was a huge buzz on the social networking site about these cigars and I was eager to review them. It was also a huge boost to my ego when the people of twitter said they were waiting on my review…

For those of you who took part in the Black Band Project the cigar labeled letter A is this cigar. I also want to thank Jerry and Walt over at The Stogie Review for allowing me to use their photo of the cigar.

Cigar: Camacho Connecticut
Size: 5 x 50 (Robusto)
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Shade
Binder: Honduras
Filler: Dominican, Honduras
Strength: Mild-Medium

Appearance and Construction (16/20): A gorgeous looking shade grown cigar that has the look and feel of a Davidoff Special R. The cigar has a perfect triple cap and is well rolled. There are however a few negatives to the aesthetics of this stick. There are a significant amount of veins and the cigar is a little loose in the foot. There is also some green on the wrapper of this slightly spongy cigar.

Flavor & Notes (28/30): On the prelight of the smoke there is a touch of earth and a creaminess that reminds of when you you get a coffee that is made to light. Thankfully I drink my coffee light and sweet. The first third of the cigar is wonderfully rich with notes of nuts and a pepper/spice through the nose. As we enter the second third of this enjoyable smoke the pepper leaves but the nuts remain with a nice cedar note. The final third of the smoke becomes earthy and for me was the mildest section of the smoke.

Burn/Ash/Draw (22/25): The cigar burns a little jagged with a fairly thick carbon ring. The salt and pepper ash was pretty flaky but it held on well and I didn’t wind up with a lap full of ash. The draw as expected from the loosely foot and spongy feel was loose. Because of this the cigar it smoked a little to fast for my liking.

Overall (22/25): This cigar looks like a Davidoff but smokes like a Camacho and if you are a fan you will definitely like this cigar. For me I prefer the Oliva Connecticut over this one but I will keep a few on hand and revisit it down the road.

Rating: 88
Price: $5.25

So it only took a few weeks but SCHIP has claimed its first victim. Altadis USA closed its Hav-A-Tampa facility. In a time where jobs are far and few between the over taxation has cost more than 500 people there jobs. My friends this will not stop here. With the FDA in charge of tobacco it isn’t long before they go after cigars. Clove cigarettes are now illegal in this great country of ours. Rumour has it that menthol cigarettes are next. As cigar smokers we need to pay attention and start speaking up. How long before they target CAO Flavours, Pipe Tobacco and Drew Estate for their Acid cigars and Lars Tetens as well. One has to wonder if the days of the speak easy will make a return for cigar smokers.

I received word this week from an undisclosed source that Altadis USA will be release a Montecristo to celebrate 75 years of the brand. This cigar will be available to everyone for one year. After the year is up they will be only available to Montecristo Lounges

Finally isn’t it strange how deaths tend to occur in threes. This urban legend happens fairly often. We lost two great people in Ed McMahon and Farrah Fawcett. However with Michael Jackson his music will live on, but I cannot mourn for a child molester. For me when the child was able to identify his body parts and he had to make a large payoff it made him as guilty as OJ. Just because he was a celebrity we should not overlook this. And if that wasn’t enough let us not forget the baby dangling incident.

The Sunday Links:

• Fire Up The Cigar has a review of one of my favorite cigars, The Liga Privada #9.
• Her Humidor has a review of the Tatuaje Regios Reserva.

Alec Bradley Tempus Magistri

I had plans to review another cigar today but I took the wrong notes with me to write up the review. So today we have another Alec Bradley, the Tempus Magistri which is a limited edition figurado cigar.

Cigar: Alec Bradley
Size: 6.5 x 53 (Figurado)
Wrapper: Honduran Criollo 98
Binder: Indonesia Embetunda
Filler: Honduras, Nicaragua
Strength: Medium

Appearance and Construction (20/20): The Alec Bradley Tempus Magistri is one of the best looking figurado smokes I have ever seen. The wrapper is flawless and the roll is seamless. On the shelf this criollo cigar stands out with its intricate cigar band of gold, gray and purple. It also has a secondary band denoting it is the tempus line. The wrapper has some oils and crystalization on it that lets you know it will be tasty.

Flavor & Notes (27/30): On the prelight draw there are notes that are similar to black cherry and citrus. As we begin to the smoke the cigar notes of dark chocolate begin to emerge with some wood in the background. As we aproach the second third of the cigar notes of licorice begin to take hold of the cigar with notes of chocolate remaining in the background. The final third of the cigar the chocolate slowly begins to fade to nothes of leather.

Burn/Ash/Draw (22/25): The burn of the cigar is flawless as it burns even throughout from start to finish. Like most figurado cigars the ash does not hold on at all, as you get into the thicker ring gauge of the smoke the ash holds well. The draw of the cigar is a tad loose but nothing really worth complaining about.

Overall (22/25): The magistri smokes different then the other sizes of the tempus. Despite having the same tobacco the cigar seems to be more diverse. While I wish the prelight notes made it into the cigar this limited edition cigar deserves a box purchase if you enjoy the tempus.

Rating: 91
Price: $10.00

Vega Fina

As some of you know I am a member of the Altadis VIP program. Altadis supplies me with sample smokes and should I run a herf they will donate a box of cigars for that event. It’s a good deal, and I look forward to getting the cigars in the mail every 6-8 weeks or so. The cigars I got recently caused me to roll my eyes as they haven’t been anything to write home about. In fact I wound up giving them out. Well this morning I was looking for a quick smoke and I lit up the VegaFina and to my surprised I liked it. So I decided to light up a second one and formulate a review…

Cigar: VegaFina
Size: 5 x 50 (Robusto)
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut
Binder: Indonesia
Filler: Columbina, Dominican, Honduran
Strength: Mild

Appearance and Construction (19/20): The cigar features a nice tan colored Ecuadorian Connecticut shade wrapper. In fact if you remove the simple band it would look like a Davidoff. There are some small veins and a little but of tooth on this well packed cigar. In fact it is very difficult to find a flaw on this smoke.

Flavor & Notes (28/30): On the prelight draw and the foot there are some well defined fig notes with a slight caramel. On the first third the notes from the prelight are gone. However what remains is some tea notes with an underlying sweetness. As we enter the 2nd third of the smoke some faint notes of fig return giving this cigar a nice distinct flavor. The final third of the cigar has some spices with a nice sweetness along for the ride.

Burn/Ash/Draw (18/25): Here is where the cigar runs into some problems. The burn of the cigar tends to get out of hand with some touch ups needed to prevent the stick from getting out of hand. The ash is a night light gray but it is weak and doesn’t hold on. You have to watch it to avoid a lap full of ash. The draw despite being well packed is a tad loose and it smokes fast.

Overall (22/25): If you are looking for a reasonably priced mild smoke this cigar is it. The flavors once lit are hard to realize without a season palatte but it smokes better then the price would indicate. A truly enjoyable smoke that did not disappoint.

Rating: 87
Price: $3.50

Alex Bradley Select Cabinet Reserve

This past week I was lucky enough to get some samples from Alec Bradley Cigars to review for acigarsmoker.com. The Alec Bradley SCR comes in 5 sizes, a corona (5.5 x 42), robusto (5 x 50), churchill (7 x 48), torpedo (6 1/8 x 52) , and a gran robusto (5.5 x 60). This cigar is a highly anticipated release and I couldn’t wait to smoke them. I went through all my samples in a 24 hour period.

Cigar: Alec Bradley Select Cabinet Reserve
Size: 5 x 50 (Robusto)
Wrapper: Honduran Trojes
Binder: Indonesia
Filler: Honduras, Nicaraguan
Strength: Medium

Appearance and Construction (19/20): The stick features a gorgeous looking wrapper that has some veins but nothing that stands out. The seams are hard to find on this well rolled cigar that has a little bit of tooth and a triple cap. The over sized band of the cigar sports the letters SCR in the middle with red, silvre, amber and olive mixed throughout. The cigar sports a band on the foot that denotes the SCR stands for Select Cabinet Reserve. This cigar is one amazing looking robusto.

Flavor & Notes (28/30): The prelight draw has some fruity notes that remind me of a dried apricot and borders on ginger. As I light this most anticipated smoke my the first third is a slice of heaven. The first has some wonderfully rich coffee notes with something that reminds me of graham crackers and a touch of chocolate.  As we cross into the 2nd third of this amazing cigar the coffee notes give way to a rich creamy chocolate with a slight spice that gently caresses the palate and dances through the nose. The final third of the cigar begins with notes of mocha and cinnamon spice. The cigar has a nice coffee finish.

Burn/Ash/Draw (24/25): The cigar has a nice burn with only the slightest jagged edge to it. The ash is dark in color but has no flake to it and holds for inches at a time. The draw is impeccable and offers just a slight resistance.

Overall (23/25): The samples I smoked were both outstanding. This cigar is a home run, and what I like best about it is how it stands alone. It doesn’t try to be the Tempus in any way shape or form and it is a nice new smoke from Alec Bradley. This cigar will be a staple in a humidor for a long time to come.

Rating: 94
Price: $6.25

Father’s Day is a special time of year even if we do not have children in our lives of our own. It is a time to reflect on the times we spent with our dads. I know without my dad in my life I would of never become half the person I am today. Growing up we shared many moments together at sporting events, the beach club, and even my first cigar. My dad is no longer with us but I will forever cherish the times I had with him, and today I light up a smoke in his memory…

The Sunday links….

• Nice Tight Ash lights up the My Father from Pepin Garcia with their fathers…
• Puffing Cigars gives their take on the Ortsac 1962…
• The Stogie Review has  review from Jerry Cruz on the most sort after cigar by me. The CAO Bratalia has been something I have been searching for for the longest time but I have come up empty.
• Las VegASH TV has the unveiling of the CAO Lady Liberty theme bike…

A

Cuba Aliados Miami

A few weeks back Jerry Cruz from The Stogie Review was carrying on like a crazed leprechaun about how much he loved these sticks. Well having heard enough I had to break down and locate these to purchase which was no easy task. I have now smoked a few and it is time to share if I found a pot o gold at the end of the rainbow…

Cigar: Cuba Aliados Miami
Size: 6 x 52 (Toro)
Wrapper: Habano
Binder: Ecuadorian Sumatra
Filler: Dominican, Nicaraguan
Strength: Medium

Appearance and Construction (15/20): Wrapped in a cedar sleeve with a gorgeous red and white label the cigar catches your eye. However once the cigar is undressed it is one ugly looking beast. The bands are off center, the wrapper has a lot of veins and the cap has an amateur feel to it. This cigar won’t win any contests in the construction category. There however are no soft spots and the cigar is well packed with tobacco.

Flavor & Notes (26/30): The cedar sleeve gives the stick some nice notes on the prelight of cedar (of course!). Once lit the first third of the cigar offers some nice wood notes with some pepper along for the ride. As we enter the second third the cigar begins to lose some of the pepper notes and they are replaced by leather which slowly over comes the cedar. The final third the leather like a thoroughbred comes from behind and is the dominant note through the finish.

Burn/Ash/Draw (25/25): The light gray ash holds very strong and for long periods of time. There is no flake at all and I only had to ash twice during the entire smoke. The burn had a slight resistance and was perfect.

Overall (22/25): While enjoyable I expected a lot more based upon the raving of a leprechaun. The cigar was enjoyable and worth the price in my eyes, but it fell short of expectations. I will probably buy some more if I run across them locally.

Rating: 88
Price: $7.95

CAO Colombia

Last week I decided to call up Serious Cigars to order some sticks that Jerry from The Stogie Review suggested. In the process of getting these cigars I asked Ron over at Serious what he had that was new and he informed me of these sticks which are a limited production run much like the Escaparate series and are available ONLY from Serious Cigars.

Cigar: CAO Colombia
Size: 5 x 50 (Robusto)
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Habano
Binder: Unknown
Filler: Columbia
Strength: Medium

Appearance and Construction (19/20): The reddish brown habano wrapper looks like it would fit in well on the courts of Roland-Garros. The hue of this wrapper is simply gorgeous and despite its significant veins the stick is visually outstanding. There are a fair amount of oils and a slight tooth on this firm cigar. The colorful band is stunning and an eye catcher to say the least.

Flavor & Notes (27/30): The cigar on the prelight had some acidic notes that reminded me of leather and they put me off a bit. The first third of the smoke there were some notes of coffee and nuts.As we entered the 2nd third there was a brief introduction of leather with coffee and a slight mocha. The final third of the stick the coffee notes faded and the finish had some similarities to bread.

Burn/Ash/Draw (21/25): The medium gray ash had some flake to it and had trouble holding on at times. The burn was a little off on my samples but almost all tended to self correct during the first third with only 1 needing some encouragement. The draw of the cigar was acceptable but I wish there was some more volume of smoke.

Overall (21/25): To tell you the truth after 3 cigars I am not sure how I feel about this stick. The mx3 spoiled me when it comes to escaparate cigars. I guess the verdict is if you are a fan of CAO cigars head out and try these. I plan to order more to have on hand. If you are not a fan of CAO these will not change your mind.

Rating: 88
Price: Call Serious Cigars For Details

Davidoff Millennium Lancero

After being unable to smoke for a week due to being sick I wanted to smoke something that would not have a lot of smoke so I opted to go with a Lancero. It is very rare that I will review a cigar based on one stick, and it would never happen after being sick when the taste buds might be a little off center. So I scoured through my notes at home and I found I has smoked 2 of these cigars and it was ready for a review. So I took this cigar to my favorite smoking spot and finished off the following review.

Cigar: Davidoff Millennium
Size: 7.25 x 40 (Lancero)
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Hybrid
Binder: Dominican Seco
Filler: Dominican Ligero & Seco
Strength: Medium

Appearance and Construction (18/20): This lancero from Davidoff is a stunning looking stick that has a nice oily sheen on its rich looking wrapper that has the appearance of cocoa. The well rolled stick sports a small pigtailed triple cap and a nice amount of tooth. The foot appears to be a little loose but the rest of the cigar is firm with no soft spots. The classy looking Davidoff band even sports the size on the side and the secondary band let’s you know it is the Millennium Blend

Flavor & Notes (26/30): The Millennium is stronger then your typical cigar and you notice that even in this size. The first third of the stick the primary notes were roasted nuts with a hint of cedar and spice. As we moved on to the second third the cigar began to remind me more of nutmeg and was joined by cedar and earth. The last third of the smoke the earth took control of the stick but notes of nuts, cedar and spice finished out this enjoyable smoke.

Burn/Ash/Draw (24/25): The burn like the majority of Davidoff smokes was amazing but like most lancero smokes the ash was very weak. The salt and pepper ash failed to hold on for any length. The draw on the lancero started off a tad loose but it smoked at a nice slow pace to match my relaxed state.

Overall (21/25): The strong roasted nuts that was the key note to this cigar remains with me hours later and I find it enjoyable. I’ll keep a few in my humidor whenever I can get my hands on a few but won’t go out of my way to get them.

Rating: 89
Price: $174.99 fot 10 Cigars @ Famous