CRV stands for Connecticut River Valley. And the cigar is a medium-full flavored, super-premium extension of the sensational ENTUBAR cigar brand.  It’s blended with Nicaraguan and Dominican tobaccos with a U.S. Connecticut #1 Grade Shade-Grown wrapper. The ENTUBAR CRV comes in boxes of 20 cigars and is available in five (5) distinct vitolas: Corona Macho (4 5/8” x 48); Robusto (5 3/8” x 54); Double Corona (7 5/8” x 54); Torpedo (6 7/8” x 56) and Gran Toro (6 5/8” x 54).

According to the press release,

“ENTUBAR CRV is a natural step in the evolution of the ENTUBAR brand, using a top grade, shade-grown U.S. Connecticut River Valley wrapper,” said Michael Argenti, president of Berger & Argenti.  “The blend exhibits a wonderful dichotomy of flavor – rich, bold and complex yet very smooth and creamy.”

The ENTUBAR brand pays tribute to the time-honored Cuban cigar making technique known as ‘entubado^’ while also establishing a revolutionary new process of manufacturing premium cigars. Each Nicaraguan filler leaf of the ENTUBAR cigars are rolled into delicate ‘scrolls’ of tobacco.  This method ensures a consistent air flow from the foot to the head of the cigar.

The ligero tobacco, which gives the cigar a full body, are bunched separately and then put into the center of the rest of the rolled filler blend.  This ‘channel’ of ligero tobacco goes the full length of the cigar and extends 3/8” beyond the finished trimmed foot, creating a startlingly unique ‘fuse like’ appearance that assures a superior draw, flawless conical burn with a long white ash, and a myriad of complex flavors channeled directly onto the palate.

Berger & Argenti Premium Cigars is a privately held company, headquartered in Miami, Florida with agricultural and production facilities in Esteli, Nicaragua.  The company serves as the exclusive manufacturer, importer and distributor of world-class, super-premium cigar brands including ENTUBAR, ENTUBAR QUAD MADURO, CLASICO and MOOCH^®. For more information, please call toll-free (800) 815-1155 or visit the Berger & Argenti website at www.bergerargenti.com.

Via Albert J. Argenti

Anyway, according to the Tatuaje Cigars website this cigars are blended in the style of the flavorful yet Medium Bodied Cuban Cigars. The cigars are rolled in Nicaragua using select Nicaraguan tobaccos and classic Cuban blending with a beautiful Cuban triple-cap. Made at the My Father Cigar factory these stay true to the pride of El Rey de Los Habanos.

Cigar: Tatuaje Havana VI
Size: 4 5/8 x 42 (Petit Corona)
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Strength: Medium
Twitter: @tatuajecigars

Tatuaje Havana VI Angeles

Appearance and Construction: This petit corona from the Tatuaje Havana VI line is produced in Nicaragua at the My Father Cigars factory the stick is a perfect example of the quality craftsmanship that is a product of the Pepin family attention to detail. The cigar is virtually seamless in the roll, with an perfectly placed triple cap and no soft spots. Adorned with the classic red label, and glistening with oils this one stands out in any humidor.

Flavor & Notes: I snipped the cigar with mohel like precision since I recently witnessed Pete being dragged into the tribe one Hanukkah night at his birthday celebration at Tobacco Plaza. The prelight draw is remind me of mocha and a hint of caramel while the foot is a bit woodsy. Once the cigar is lit there is a slight spice and hearty wood notes in the first third. As we enter the second third the wood note continues with that typical Nicaraguan spice hanging out in the background complimenting the wood notes. While there isn’t a lot going on in terms of complexity the smoke is very enjoyable. The final third kicked it up a notch with some added pepper notes and a touch of leather. The finish was strong wood with a slight sweetness.

Smoking Characteristics: A slow burning cigar that has an ample volume of smoke with sweet characteristics to the nose. The draw has a slight resistance to it and burns impeccably. The medium to dark color ash holds on well considering the thin ring gauge of the cigar.

Conclusion: It seems lately I have gotten caught up in the hype of big ring cigars and after smoking this thin ring stick I realize this is where it is at. I know people like the 60 ring smokes for the extra smoke, a slightly ramped strength and the value. However, I implore smokers to take the test. Next time you are in a shop buy the cigar of your choice in two formats. The 60 ring guage and a 50 ring or less and see how much more flavorful and rich the experience is with the thinner cigar.

Price: $7.50 per stick or $118.99 a box of 24 @ Famous
Score: 89

La Traviata

The La Traviata brand began its life at the turn of the 20th Century in Cuba or, more precisely, in the Tabacalera Cubana, Agramonte no. 106, in Havana.  Over 100 years later, CAO has resurrected the La Traviata name, abiding closely to its original Cuban roots in presentation and taste.  CAO La Traviata is a full-bodied, full- flavored cigar that combines an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper with a Cameroon binder and incorporates two different ligero filler tobaccos from the Pueblo Nuevo farm in Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic.  “The inspiration for La Traviata came from smoking numerous classic Cuban cigars,” said CAO President Tim Ozgener. “We wanted to create a cigar that appealed to sight, smell, and taste.  We’ve also stayed true to the original La Traviata vista and artwork circa 1901-1904.”

Packaged in 24-count boxes, CAO La Traviata will be available in three shapes: Divino (5″ x 50), Radiante (6″ x 52), and Intrépido (7″ x 54), and will have a suggested retail price range of $5.00 to $6.00 per cigar before local taxes.

Finding these cigars online will be near impossible as they are B&M only, which gets high marks from me.

Cigar: CAO La Traviata
Size: 5 x 50 (Divino / Robusto)
Wrapper: Habano (Ecuador)
Binder: Cameroon
Filler: Dominican Republic and Nicaragua
Strength: Full

Appearance and Construction (19/20): The first thing that stands out to me is how silky the wrapper feels in my hand and how oily the cigar appears to the naked eye. The roll of the cigar is incredibly flawless with the wrapper having a few veins although none stand out. The stick has a tremendous weight to it with no soft spots and a little bit of tooth. The band a departure from most CAO sticks has La Traviata in the center with a small reference to CAO on the top. The colors of beige, blue, gold and maroon work really well giving this cigar a very classy feel to it.

Flavor & Notes (28/30): The foot of the cigar offers tremendous notes of molasses while the pre light draw has some sweetness and anise present. The cigar starts off with a slight kick of pepper, that slowly begins to fade revealing notes of roasted nuts and some slight leather notes. As we approach the second third of the cigar the notes of roasted nuts really begin to shine and the cigar takes on some cedar notes as well as a continued leather. The final third of the cigar the roasted nuts begin to fade as well as the leather notes. What remains is a strong anise flavor that you can actually smell from the cigar as well. There is some pepper through the nose and despite this the cigar has a delicious creamy finish.

Burn/Ash/Draw (23/25): The burn of the cigar is incredibly even with a nice tight ash with only the slightest amount of flake. The draw of the cigar had some resistance on each stick but I wouldn’t label it a nuisance.

Overall (24/25): I mentioned at my local cigar shop that this cigar is different then any other CAO I have smoked. and was told by the owner it is because the cigar is made at a different location then other CAOs. The prior statement was cleared up by Jon Huber in the comment section. With that said and done this is by far the best CAO I ever had, and is a really special cigar. It has an old world feel to it and I look forward to sparking another one up. Despite this cigar being B&M only if you call a mail order house attached to a B&M you might be able to get them that way. But as I always say, please support your local B&M and this cigar is an excellent choice in doing so.

Rating: 94
Price: $5.00

Padilla Signature 1932

The brotherhood of the leaf is something that is not comprehended by those outside our community. We get together at local B&Ms where we bullshit, trade stories, laugh, and exchange cigars. One such place that this happens more than not is Barrister Cigars. This past Tuesday I gave a friend an illusione 88, and Michael returned the favor with today’s smoke. Now don’t get me wrong, when I gift a cigar or a lighter I don’t expect something in return, but it is nice when the person gifts you with a smoke for review on your site.

Cigar: Padilla Signature 1932
Size: 6 x 50 (Toro)
Origin: USA
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Corojo
Binder: Nicaraguan Criollo
Filler: Nicaraguan Criollo

Appearance & Construction (17/20): Crafted in the Cuban style is the words used to described this cigar. There is a triple cap adorning this smoke, and this toothy cigar features a wrapper with a lot of prominent veins. The wrapper had visible cut marks on the leaf and quite a few blemishes which is poor craftsmanship. The cigar itself is tightly rolled and has a great weight to it. The label is an eye catching red, back, brown and gold. On one side of the logo is says Cuban crafted, while on the other side it mentions Little Havana in Miami, Florida. The final third of the cigar has notes of leather and spice.

Flavor & Notes (28/30): The prelight flavors on this smoke are of caramel and offer a distinct richness that I consider to be the Padilla trademark. The first third of the smoke offers notes of caramel, leather and spices that come together to create a very relaxing beginning to this cigar. As we reach the second third of the smoke there are some notes of vanilla mixed in with the caramel and leather and through the nose there are some nice toast like notes on this very complex cigar. The finish of this smoke was very rich with notes of caramel.

Burn/Ash/Draw (24/25): The burn of this cigar is nice and slow as well as being perfectly straight. The ash is a very dark ash, that holds on very strong. I managed to keep my ash almost half the cigar before I lost it to the floor. The draw offered some slight resistance which was very acceptable.

Overall (22/25): This cigar has some characteristics of Cuban smokes, and its complex flavor profile will keep you coming back for more. So far my favorite smoke from the Padilla family, and something I will smoke on a regular basis despite the price tag.

Rating: 91
Price: $280 a box of 25 from Cigars Direct