The latest release from La Gloria Cubana, The Artesanos Retro Especiale. According to the press release,

Team La Gloria set out to break the mold with the blend by cross-breeding a Connecticut seed, which was then cultivated in Honduras. The maiden crop yielded a hearty, golden wrapper as noteworthy for its color as it is for allowing each of the cigar’s components to enjoy equal bearing on the overall taste of the cigar.

Despite the golden appearance of the wrapper, the blend is brash in its full flavor and engages the entire palate. The double binder of bold Nicaraguan and Mexican leaf is further enhanced not only by Nicaraguan and Dominican ligero but also through an additional peppering of proprietary Nicaraguan and Dominican leaf.

Each of the four frontmarks is uniquely packaged in a 25-count box with a different design and bears a classic name that hearkens back to the early days of La Gloria Cubana. Taino (7” x 52) will be available for a suggested retail price of $7.50 per cigar, or $187.50 per box. Habanero (6” x 52) will sell for an SRP of $7.25 per cigar, or $181.25 per box. Cubano (6 1/2” x 58) will carry an SRP of $8.15 per cigar, or $203.75 per box and Club (5 ¾” x 47) will sell for $7.00 apiece, or $175.00 per box.

Cigar: La Gloria Cubana Artesanos Retro Especiale
Size: 5.75 x 47 (Club)
Wrapper: Honduras (Connecticut Seed)
Binder: Nicaragua & Mexico (Double Binder)
Filler: Nicaragua & Dominican
Strength: Medium
Cigars Smoked For Review: 4

La Gloria Cubana Artesanos Retro Especiale

Appearance and Construction: As this review goes live, I am in the Dominican Republic with some other social media types as the guest of General Cigar Company. At first look the wrapper on the cigar does not look like a typical La Gloria Cubana, in fact it looks like it was grown for use on the Camacho Connecticut. There are some veins present on the thin wrapper that feels somewhat coarse under the fingers. The foot is loosely packed, but is otherwise well rolled. The band of the cigar has been changed to focus on Lady La Gloria.

La Gloria Cubana Artesanos Retro Especiale Foot

Flavor & Notes: The foot of the cigar serves up a buttery richness and the draw of the cigar offers up notes of grass, and hay with a slight sweetness in the background. When I clipped the cigar I had to go a little deeper than normal due to the double binder, but that is neither here nor there. As I smoked the first inch of the cigar there was a slight spice mixed with earth and a very faint butterscotch note. As I smoke through the first third there are notes of nuts, a faint mocha, and some buttery richness. The second third is full of wood notes, earth, and some buttery richness that begins to fade away. The last third of the cigar becomes more complex and even more tasty with notes of figs, wood, nuts and earth.

La Gloria Cubana Artesanos Retro Especiale First Third

Smoking Characteristics: The first third of my review stick, and the one prior to it had burn issues in the first third. I suspect this had a lot to do with the loosely packed foot. The cigar corrected itself and burned well, with a pleasant aroma. The cigar had a loose ash with some flake. The draw was loose through the first third before becoming ideal.

La Gloria Cubana Artesanos Retro Especiale Second Third

Conclusion: I often wonder why some companies put a cigar out under the moniker of an existing brand. This is one of those cigars. The profile of the cigar is nothing like others in the portfolio and this will most likely prevent others from trying a cigar they normally wouldn’t have. I believe that fans of La Gloria Cubana won’t embrace this cigar, and those who shy away from La Gloria will most likely not try it. The result might just be a good cigar that will get lost in brand loyalty and recognition. As far as the cigar itself, it was enjoyable but not what I expected from La Gloria. if you treat this as a cigar without the LGC label, it can easily score 1-2 points higher.

La Gloria Cubana Artesanos Retro Especiale Last Third

Rating: 88
Price: $7.00

The Cameroon is offered as a Robusto (5.5 x 50 – $7.55); Toro (6.5 x 52 – ); Torpedo (6.25 x 52- ); Churchill (7 x 48 – $8.55) and a Sixty (6 x 60- $8.55). According to Atlantic Cigar who is an advertiser on this site,

The Rocky Patel Vintage 2003 blend has been in the works for many years now. Rocky has always wanted to use a Cameroon wrapper on one of his cigars lines… so here it is. For nearly the last decade Rocky Patel has been carefully selecting and amassing only the finest grade ‘A’ Cameroon wrapper leaf in hopes of one day launching a Cameroon wrapper cigar. The result is a sweet and spicy medium bodied cigar that’s well balanced and delivers a refined clean flavor and smoothness. The blend is comprised of a Nicaraguan binder and Dominican and Nicaraguan fillers finished in the finest Cameroon wrapper that Rocky could get his hands on.

Cigar: Rocky Patel Vintage 2003 Cameroon
Size: 5.5 x 50 (Robusto)
Wrapper: Cameroon
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Dominican Republic & Nicaragua
Strength: Medium
Cigars Smoked For Review: 3

Rocky Patel Vintage 2003 Cameroon

Appearance and Construction: The Cameroon wrapper of the Vintage 2003 is glistening with essential oils. Upon close examination there are some imperfections in the wrapper with some color discrepancies especially near the cap of the cigar that I would compare to the bruising of some fruit. The cigar is rolled to perfection and in the hand it feels a very smooth like enamel. There is a hefty weight to cigar and examination of the foot shows a nice variation tobacco in the filler. The dual band is a gorgeous royal blue with white text. The first denotes Rocky Patel while the second denotes Vintage 2003 Cameroon.

Rocky Patel Vintage 2003 Cameroon - Foot

Flavor & Notes: The foot of the cigar has a nose of wheat and cookies baking at Christmas time. The cold draw is sweet, but it reminds of holiday cookies as well. I love when I get a cigar that triggers such a vivid image such as this. I used my Xikar soft flame lighter to spark the Vintage 2003 Cameroon up and was treated to notes of caramel sweetness which makes sense since Christmas cookies use caramel coloring. As we worked into the first third of the cigar some notes of wood began to develop, but the aroma is what really held my attention. Not to be a dead horse, but it reminded of the kitchen when my friends mom was baking, your guessed it, Christmas cookies. In the second third of the cigar the caramel was the primary note, however in the background there was some coffee and leather added to the mix. The last third of the cigar there is an aroma that is nutty that compliments the cigar which has developed a nice vanilla bean note. The finish was a little short with a nice sweetness about it.

Rocky Patel Vintage 2003 Cameroon - First 3rd

Smoking Characteristics: What a great ash on the Rocky Patel Vintage 2003 Cameroon, it held on for half the stick at a time, which was pretty damn impressive. The burn was iconic, and the draw was perfect. Just a really well constructed cigar, one of the best I ever had the joy of smoking. As stated in the last section the aroma of the cigar was even more delicious than the smoke itself. It complimented things so well and really filled the room.

Rocky Patel Vintage 2003 Cameroon - Second 3rd

Conclusion: I was really impressed with the Rocky Patel Vintage 2003 Cameroon to the point where I might call it the best Cameroon I ever smoked. There was a nice subtle complexity to it and the cigar performed well. The price is right, and it has sparked a renewed interest to me in the brand.

Rocky Patel Vintage 2003 Cameroon - Last 3rd

Rating: 94
Price: $134.95 / Box of 20 or $6.80 a stick at Atlantic Cigar

Design personalized gifts at Zazzle.

The cigars will come in 21 count boxes in a 5 x 56 Robusto, 6 1/8 x 52 Torpedo, 7 x 47 Churchill and a 6 x 60 referred to as the BFC. MSRP on all sizes is between $4.95 and $5.50. The sticks feature an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper, Nicaraguan binder and fillers from the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua.

Cigar: Loyal
Size: 5 x 56 (Robusto)
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sumatra
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua, Dominican Republic
Strength: Medium
Cigars Smoked For Review: 3

Torano Loyal

Appearance and Construction: While not a fan of a 60 ring cigar, the 56 ring over-sized Robusto might turn out to be ok. The Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper has a nice amount of oils and tooth while not having any major veins. The cigar is as firm as they come and finding a soft spot in impossible. Finding flaws in the roll is very possible. The roll is porous in spots, and the cap is poorly  applied, but thankfully 9 times out of 10 these turn out to be purely aesthetic. I assume this is more common in cigars that are less expensive due to the lower level rollers used to make them. The band denotes Loyal in silver over burgundy, while Torano is in silver over black.

Torano Loyal - Foot

Flavor & Notes: The foot of the cigar offers a delicious mix of cedar, mocha and earth which is simply outstanding.  The cold draw serves up some earthy notes over a base of oats. Once the cigar is lit there are some initial notes of spice, and earth. As we continue into the first third of the cigar, the Nicaraguan spice begins to shine through as the cigar takes on some sweet notes in the background. The second third of the cigar becomes ultra smooth and the spice mellows considerably. The notes on the second third are a mix of leather, and wood with a hint of mocha on the finish. The last third the cedar remains constant, as some nuts join the mix with a slightly leather-like finish.

Torano Loyal - First Third

Smoking Characteristics: The Carlos Torano Loyal is a slow burning cigar with a solid burn line. The medium gray ash held on strong for about a third of the cigar at a time. The draw was perfect, and the rich voluptuous  smoke-filled the room with a nice aroma. The imperfections of the roll of the cigar had no bearing on the enjoyment of the cigar.

Torano Loyal - Second Third

Conclusion: I look at the cigars in a humidor as two schools of though. There are your traditional cigars that cater to the old school smokers, while the others cater to the new school cigar connoisseurs. The Loyal reward those in the traditional camp with a cigar that is well-rounded, flavorful, and enjoyable from first light to last puff. Even if you are a new school tobacco lover, the Loyal is a nice example a classic cigar.

Torano Loyal - Last Third

Rating: 90
Price: $92.95 a box/ $4.46 each @ Atlantic Cigars

Earlier this year Matasa in Santiago, Dominican Repuiblic announced they would release a cigar meant specifically to smoke while drinking beer, a Oktoberfest style beer. At first I was skeptical because unless you have a man cave or a friendly neighborhood B&M that allows you to BYOB the chances to properly enjoy such a cigar might be rare. The cigars are available in two sizes, Bavarian (5.5 x 52) and Über (6 x 65). The MSRP of the Quesada Oktoberfest $7.95 and $8.95 respectively.

The cigars are due out later this month.

Cigar: Quesada Oktoberfest
Size: 5.5 x 52 (Bavarian)
Wrapper: Dominican Republic (Cibao)
Binder: Dominican Republic
Filler: Dominican Republic
Strength: Medium/Full
Cigars Smoked For Review: 3

Quesada Oktoberfest

Appearance and Construction: The Quesada Oktoberfest features a dark looking wrapper that Matasa calls, “Cibao”. To the naked eye, the cigar looks like a dark oily maduro. There is one medium-sized vein that stands out, but otherwise this is a gorgeous leaf. There is some tooth present, and in the hand the stick has a nice weight and is very firm to the touch. The band features the Quesada Q and the colors of Germany. Overall, one very attractive smoke.

Quesada Oktoberfest Foot

Flavor & Notes: The foot of the cigar of the Quesada Oktoberst fest is smoky to the nose, with some subtle spices. The cold draw serves up some notes of earth, and smoked wood. For the purpose of the review I paired a sample with Samuel Adams Oktoberfest. I will add that I smoked a couple without the beer, and while good the OKT beer really brings the nuances of the cigar out. Once the cigar is lit a subtle bitterness that fades with the first sip of beer. What remains is a nice dark chocolate note and some wood that boarders on oak.  As we enter the second third of the cigar there are some leather notes that join a mix of dark chocolate, and nuts. Each sip of beer really bring the notes out. The last third of the cigar becomes the smoothest and richest part of the smoke. The dark notes of chocolate become slightly sweeter and the notes of nuts extend into the nice finish of the cigar.

Quesada Oktoberfest First 3rd

Smoking Characteristics: This slow burning cigar burns like a dream, with a nice medium to dark color ash that holds fairly well. The draw was perfects with a nice toasty aroma to the nose. The cigar burns nice and slow and I drank 2 bottles of beer with my cigar which was the perfect way to end the day.

Quesada Oktoberfest Second 3rd

Conclusion: I figured the name Oktoberfest was just a marketing ploy, but this cigar is no gimmick. As stated in the review one can enjoy it without the beer, but to truly experience the cigar it should be paired with a hearty beer, preferably, an Oktoberfest style one. I wish I could keep the box I have to give away, but to be fair we will divide the box into 4, 5 packs.

Quesada Oktoberfest Last 3rd

Rating: 90
Price: $6.80 each

Contest: Thanks to the fine folks at Matasa cigars I have a box of cigars to give away. Instead of one winner, we will give away 4, 5 packs of cigars. I was going to make it some elaborate contest, but all you have to do is leave a comment below. We will randomly selects 4 winners at 11:59pm on Monday night and announce the winners on Tuesday. Good Luck!

*** CONTEST CLOSED ***

The Core Maduro joins the Natural which was released earlier this year. Those along with the New Wave Connecticut are the only cigars from the company in regular production, but the other cigars have been met with much fanfare. The Elencos is produced in limited numbers as is the Short Run. The latter changes blends from year to year while the former doesn’t have enough of the components to produce year round. Also due later this year is the Limited Edition 2011.

In the creation of the Maduro line, Ernest Perez Carrillo toyed with a few variations of the maduro wrapper before settling on broadleaf grown in the Connecticut River Valley in 2008-2009. He chose it over Mexican Maduro and Brazilian Maduro, but personally I hope Mr. Carrillo revisits the Brazilian variety in the future as it is one of my favorite wrappers.

The cigars which will retail from $5.25 to $9.30 before local taxes are available in the following sizes:

• No. 4 (5 .5 x 42)
• Encantos (4 7/8 x 50)
• Regalias Real (5 5/8 x 46)
• Club 52 (5 7/8 bx 52)
• Churchill Especial (7 1/8 x 49)
• Predilectos (6 1/8 x 52 – Torpedo)
• Golosos (6.25 x 60)
• Monumentos (7 3/8 x 56)

Cigar: EP Carrillo Maduro
Size: 5 7/8 bx 52 (Toro / Club 52)
Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
Binder: Ecuador Sumatra
Filler: Dominican Republic & Nicaragua
Strength: Medium
Cigars Smoked For Review: 3

EP Carrillo Core Maduro

Appearance and Construction: Looking at the Broadleaf wrapper on the EP Carrillo Maduro there are some differences in contrast. One has to wonder leaf was wet and massaged before being applied. The cigar is well rolled with a nice cap placement. Under close inspection there is some tooth to the stick, and some light oils. The foot of the cigar is a bit spongy but there are no soft spots to be found. The band of the cigar is the classic EP Carrillo variation with colors of red, gold, yellow, beige and black.

EP Carrillo Core Maduro Foot

Flavor & Notes: The foot of the cigar has an abundance of rich molasses to the nose and some pepper as well which is heavenly to say the least. One the third and fourth inhale I pick up notes of manure which is one of the best compliments one can pay a cigar. Once the cigar is clipped the cold draw serves up notes  dark chocolate and a sweetness which reminds me of a jelly ring. In the background there are notes of earth and cedar. If the prelight ritual is right I am in for a very complex smoke. The first third of the cigar has notes of coffee and dark chocolate with something sweet tries to fight for recognition. Just before the 2nd third is reached the sweetness becomes a subtle cherry that compliments the other notes well.  As the second third of the cigar progresses the cherry sweetness becomes stronger giving this cigar a classic maduro profile. In the background there is shortbread (thanks Stogimus Prime and Jerry Cruz for helping me put that into words) with coffee on the finish. The last third becomes slightly bitter but not over powering, as there is still a faint cherry that slowly gives way to leather that lingers on the finish.

EP Carrillo Core Maduro First 3rd

Smoking Characteristics: A well constructed smoke that burns really well and stood lit from start to finish. The medium to dark color ash holds on well with minimal flake. The first ash fell off about half way through while resting in the ashtray and the next ash remained until past the band. The draw ideal with just enough resistance to keep it burning slow. The aroma of the smoke was woody and it complimented the notes well.

EP Carrillo Core Maduro Second 3rd

Conclusion: The cigar industry has lost its way when it comes to Maduro cigars as they are no longer the sweet smoke they traditionally were. Lately, it has become all about strength and it has scared a lot of people away from the cigar. EP Carrillo attempts the right the ship with the maduro and I worry that it will get lost among smokers of today. Those who liked what a maduro had to offer have moved away and they might be scared to pick this cigar up. Those who love the strength will find fault in the smoke. This however is one for the ages and is as classic as they come. Easily in the running for cigar of the year the EP Carrillo Maduro is as timeless as they come.

EP Carrillo Core Maduro Last 3rd

Rating: 94
Price: $6.45

The Epifania translates to Epiphany in Italian and was made in Calle Ocho, Miami, Florida at El Titan de Bronze which has become a hotbed of exquisite smokes. The question is does this cigar fit that trend, or has the famed factory hit a speed bump in the road of success.

Cigar: El Primer Mundo Epifania
Size: 6 x 52
Wrapper: Ecuador
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Dominican Republic, Nicaragua
Strength: Medium/Full
Body: Medium
Cigars Smoked For Review: 2

El Primer Mundo Epifania

Appearance and Construction: The Primer Mundo Epifania sports a rich looking wrapper from Ecuador that has a nice amount of oils visible. The cigar is well rolled with an exquisite triple cap. The veins are minimal, the stick is well packed and has no soft spots. The band of the cigar has elements of purple, and a secondary band denotes Epifania. If there is one knock on the appearance it is the font of the word Epifania which makes it difficult to read.

El Primer Mundo Epifania Foot

Flavor & Notes: With the cap clipped the prelight draw is both earthy and smokey with a foot that has notes of tobacco. Once the cigar is lit a nice amount of spice is present that melds well with some wood notes. As we approach the second third of the cigar there is a rich syrup like note and the wood notes take on a maple like similarity. In the last third of the cigar the wood notes continue and the cigar has a nice mocha like presence developing with a spicy finish.

El Primer Mundo Epifania 1st Third

Smoking Characteristics: The roll of the cigar is perfect and it shows in the burn. The carbon line is ultra thin and razor-sharp. The salt and pepper ash held strong for half the stick at a time. There is a nice amount of smoke, and it has a wonderful aroma.

El Primer Mundo Epifania Second 3rd

Conclusion: El Primer Mundo is one of those cigars that deserve to be in more cigar shops then they are. Wonderful consistency with a nice flavor profile the Epifania is a cigar deserving space in your humidor.

El Primer Mundo Epifania Last 3rd

Rating: 90
Price: $10.00

The other day I woke up while on vacation to find a note from Andrew who is the VP of Sales for La Flor Dominicana and the sock-less wonder was the second person to make the comparison to me and Colt Ford. In honor of that I reached into my humidor and decided to review the Cameroon Cabinets from La Flor Dominicana.

The La Flor Dominican website states,

Our Cameroon Cabinets are very limited because we only use aged Ligero Cameroon wrappers, dark and oily. We blended these cigars with Dominican and Nicaraguan filler and binder. The result is a smooth full bodied cigar.

Cigar: La Flor Dominican Cameroon Cabinets
Size: 6.25 x 54 (No. 4)
Wrapper: Cameroon (Ligero)
Binder: Dominican Republic
Filler: Dominican Republic, Nicaragua
Strength: Full
Number Smoked: 4

LFD Cameroon Cabinets

Appearance and Construction: This cigar is darker than most Cameroon cigars but that is to be expected as the wrapper is Ligero. Ligero is one of the top leaves of a tobacco plant and therefore gets more sunlight which results in a darker wrapper. There are some veins present but none of which stand out and the wrapper has a fair amount of oils visible to the eye. The roll of the stick is fair and in the hand there are no soft spots while feeling fairly heavy. The band of the cigar is brown and gold which is different the classic LFD colors.

LFD Cameroon Cabinets Foot

Flavors & Notes: I don’t know what it is about La Flor Domicana, but their cigars as well as a well aged Opus X have the most amazing cold draw. The rich molasses is heavenly and inviting. I often spend some time enjoying the draw on a good LFD before lighting it up. The foot of the cigar serves up much of the same with a little extra spice as well. Once the cigar is lit some of that molasses tries to hold on, but what you get is a classic Cameroon sweetness to start. The first third has sweetness, wood, and a touch of rich molasses. The second third of the cigar introduced a note that is new to me, wheat. The cigar reminds me of lightly toasted whole wheat bread. The sweetness remains and is more of an after though, reminding me of subtle cocoa and a woody finish. In the last third of the cigar the sweetness really takes hold with notes of sugar and cinnamon with a nice woodsy finish.

LFD Cameroon Cabinets First Third

Smoking Characteristics: The aroma, it isn’t often I lead with it in this section but it is outstanding. In the beginning I was still able to detect the molasses notes of the cold draw on the aroma before they gave way to a rich delectable nose. The cigar burned incredibly well, with a nice thin carbon line and a solid ash that held just short of half the stogie. The draw was perfect with a nice amount of smoke production.

LFD Cameroon Cabinets Second Third

Conclusion: Outstanding. This limited production cigar is really an all-star of the La Flor Dominicana line. Incredibly smooth and robust with a nice flavor profile made this a dream to smoke. If your local shops have them, buy them. You will not be disappointed.

LFD Cameroon Cabinets Last Third

Rating: 93
Price: $9.00

I’ve had the great fortune of attending one of his blending seminars, where I was repeatedly humbled by the intricacies of the cigar blending process. It was easy for those who had attended the seminar to establish a deep respect for Jose’s craft. Jose has had a hand in creating some of the industry’s most prized blends, for example, the Cien Anos, 1495 and theAurora 107. It’s a shame to see Jose’s presentations go away.

But if you’re a tobacconist or a cigar retailer, it’s not too late. Jose will be doing one last blending seminar at this year’s IPCPR in Las Vegas.

Jose has also been active in social media, via his twitter account. He’s always quick with a witty response.  I sure hope that he’ll continue tweeting to his sizable following.

I’ll never forget his trademark signature, “take care.” Right back at you Jose, take care!

Barry will weigh in once he gets a chance to absorb it.

Edward Chin

Via Cigar Aficionado

When I was the manager of The Humidor in Brooklyn, NY I smoked Graycliff on a regular basis. The original, crystal and professionale. Part of the reason was the discount (I didn’t have to pay for my cigars), and if I had to I would have still smoked Graycliff, but only on special occasions. A lot of people wonder why the cigars are so expensive and it has to do with the excise tax of tobacco in the Bahamas.

The Graycliff Crystal is describe at the official website as, “A line of cigars is for the true aficionado. It comes in four sizes and is made from some of our oldest tobacco dating back to 1995. The Crystal cigar is full bodied, bold and well balanced and redefines the full rich tobacco flavor that connoisseurs from around the world demand in a great smoke.”

Cigar: Graycliff Crystal
Size: 6 x 52 (Pirate/Torpedo)
Wrapper: Ecuador
Binder: Greece
Filler: Nicaragua, Hundreds
Strength: Medium
Number Smoked: 5+

Graycliff Crystal Pirate

Appearance and Construction: The band of the cigar says elegance utilizing colors of white and gold. While the cigar has a few veins, the light brown wrapper glistens with oils. In the hand it feels nice with a decent weight. Under the fingers the cigar is firm, with no soft spots. The roll is perfect appearing almost seamless. Well constructed and pleasing to the eye.

Foot of the Graycliff Crystal Pirate

Flavors & Notes: The cold draw of the Graycliff Crystal is earthy, reminding me of fresh cut grass. The foot of the cigar reminds me of the ocean air, crisp and clean. There isn’t much to note here, but it does satisfy as well. Once lit the cigar offers up a variety of notes. There is some spice present, and a honey like sweetness as well and a touch of nuts. As we enter the second third of the cigar the honey becomes more of a vanilla note, with the nuts becoming more defined especially on the finish. The last third of the cigar has some continuing spice and nuts with a long leather finish.

First third of the Graycliff Crystal Pirate

Smoking Characteristics: My biggest complaint with Graycliff is how fast the cigar smokes. I am a slow smoker, and I finish these in an hour or less. Considering I make most corona cigars last 90+ mins this is fast for me. The draw of the cigar was perfect and the burn was close enough to perfection, after the first inch to satisfy me. There was an ample volume of smoke and the cigar stood lit to the end, needing no touch ups. Despite the pictures the ash held on well and the aroma of the cigar was nice. Even til the last puff it remained cool to the touch.

The second third of the Graycliff Crystal Pirate

Conclusion: Back in the day I would call Graycliff the greatest cigar in existence, but over time my palate changed and while I no longer consider the cigar to be epic, it is still a very good cigar. The price prevents me from smoking them on a regular basis, but I still reach for one on average of once a month. These are definitely special occasion cigars to say the least. On a side note, Graycliff labels these full bodied, but I say they are on the higher side of medium.

Graycliff Crystal Pirate: Yes, it was that good.

Rating: 91
Price: $22.00

Today’s review is of El Credito, El Perrito War of Flavors. According to the press release, “The cigar’s distinctive name is derived from a term coined at the El Credito® Cigar Factory in Santiago, DR.  El Perrito (translation: little dog) was created by two cigar factory supervisors (Robert Batista and Juan Almonte) who brought their concept for a small, powerhouse cigar to El Credito’s Michael Giannini (director of marketing) and Yuri Guillen (director of manufacturing). The supervisors came to Michael and Yuri, raving about how they made the cigars and describing the taste experience as a battle of flavors in the mouth. Michael and Yuri sampled the prototypes and the rest, as they say, is history.”

Let’s hope the “little dog” isn’t a dog rocket….

Cigar: El Perrito
Size: 5.5 x 38
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano
Binder: Connecticut Broadleaf
Filler: 2 Leaves, 1 Nicaraguan, 1 Dominican
Strength: Full
Number Smoked: 5

El Perrito "War of Flavors"

Appearance and Construction: The El Perrito War of Flavors is entirely hand-crafted and is made without the use of any molds, which is quite clear when looking at it. Each cigar of the 5 samples I smoked looked different with the exception of the size. The result is a finished product that looks like what Clint Eastwood smoked in The Good, The Bad & The Ugly. Adorning this smoke is a red and white band that states El Credito, which is the factory in the Dominican Republic that produces these. Despite that the El Perrito only uses a total of 4 tobacco leaves, it has a nice weight to it.

Flavors & Notes: Despite being pre-cut I cut off another 1/8th of an inch to be sure and the pre-light draw was slightly sweet and floral. Off of the wrapper I didn’t get much to the nose that was worthy of making a note of. As I listened to the Ecstasy of the Gold (the theme to the aforementioned Eastwood movie) I lit up the small cigar and was pleasantly surprised. The cigar has some noted of cedar and spice that is complimented by a slight creaminess. I debated if I should break the cigar down into thirds but it does change a bit. In the second third the cigar is more cedar and spice. The creaminess comes and goes but it loses the battle at times with a beat down. In the last third the strength kicks it up a notch with a nice little nicotine kick while occasionally continuing to tease with a creamy edge.

Smoking Characteristics: Despite being one ugly duckling of a cigar it burned really well. The light color ash held on similar to that of a lancero. The draw was perfect and the cigar had a nice aroma to it. For a little cigar it definitely held its ground with the more traditional sizes.

Conclusion: Sometimes I look for a cigar that will get my to my business partners house, which is 30 minute drive in the AM. I look for another cigar on the ride home which is late at night and takes about 20 minutes. This cigar is perfect for both occasions. The “little dog” is definitely not a dog rocket, and is very good little smoke. It has a nice traditional flavor profile with a bit of a kick toward the end. The only complaint is the same one my good friend Jerry Cruz over at Stogie Review had. The band states El Credito, yet the cigar is called El Perrito which is confusing to say the least. Sign me up for a cab of 50 though, as this cigar is perfect for when time is limited.

Rating: 89
Price: $2.50 / $125.00