The Fausto is available in 4 sizes; FT127 – 5 x 54 (MSRP: $8.00), FT140 – 5.5 x 52 (MSRP: $8.25), FT153 – 6 x 50 (MSRP: $8.50), and the FT166 – 6.5 x 48 (MSRP: $8.75).

The advertising for Fausto says, “This one goes to 11″ with a dial that goes beyond the standard number ten. So with a big dinner in my belly, I reach for my Fausto and offer my thoughts…

Cigar: Fausto
Size: 5 x 54 (F124 )
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano Maduro
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Strength: Full
Cigars Smoked For Review: 2

Fausto

Appearance and Construction: The Tatuaje Fausto has a nice dark Habano wrapper from Ecuador that has a few veins and subtle amounts of essential oils showing out of the humidor. In the hand there is a silk like feel to the cigar and a subtle amount of tooth as well. There are no soft spots, a firm foot and a nice weight to the cigar. The band is red and black with the words Fausto above a black dot that appears to have a slightly raised iron cross in it. Underneath it states Esteli. The band has a Cuban feel to it which isn’t a surprise as Pete Johnson is a collector of Cuban bands.

Fausto Foot

Flavor & Notes: I wanted to cut the cigar with a punch to limit the intake on this strong cigar but both times I lit one up I couldn’t find it. I opted for a straight cut of a narrow variety. I find if a cigar is strong, sometimes you can help offset it by limiting the smoke intake. The foot of the cigar serves up notes of spice that reminds me of wasabi. The cold draw has some sweetness to it, but when resting the cigar between the lips there is a slight tingling sensation. Once the cigar is lit the onslaught of spice begins, but it is not the most potent I’ve ever smoked. Beneath the peppery spice there is some subtle sweetness before being joined by some hearty wood notes at the end of the first third. In the second third the spice remains but it’s a little more subtle than in the first third. There is some wood and leather in the mix as well. The last third of the cigar the strength was there, and the spice kicked it up a notch but the primary note was a strong cuban style coffee with a touch of dark chocolate and an earthy finish.

Fausto 1st Third

Smoking Characteristics: The Fausto starts off in your face with a an amazing amount of spice and slows down only to slowly work its way back to an ass kicking finish. The burn of the cigar was pretty even throughout with a solid light ash that held for a third at a time. The draw was ideal and didn’t need to be re lit. The aroma of the spice has a spicy kick as well.

Fausto Second Third

Conclusion: Numerous times I heard the cigar referred to as the T110 blend. Then many times I heard it was based on the T110. My memory tells me the T110 was more of a spice bomb from start to finish then the Fausto. If you are expecting the T110 you could be disappointed until the last third when the similarities are uncanny. That being said the Fausto delivers if you are looking for a powerful cigar with spice and flavor.

The End!

Rating: 89
Price: $8.00 ($180 box/25 @ Atlantic Cigars)

I guess I should be fair and give Eddie and Erik a little grief since we got on the case of a certain manufacture about his lack of originality. La Bomba looks like a Pepin firecracker, not so much in size but rather because of the long fuse pig tail cap. But I guess we will also let them slide because after all they are part of that family.

Cigar: La Bomba
Size: 5 x 52
Wrapper: Not Disclosed
Binder: Not Disclosed
Filler: Not Disclosed
Strength: FULL!
Cigars Smoked For Review: 3

La Bomba

Appearance and Construction: I wish I had some blend information, but on twitter Eddie stated, “no comments..left for smokers to guess”. The wrapper on the La Bomba is just glistening with oils and has some thin, fine veins and a bit of tooth present as well. The roll is slightly porous and in the hand the cigar feels a little light with the foot being a loose. But, these are pre-releases so there is always time to fix that! The cap of the cigar features a long pigtail that looks like a fuse.

Foot of the La Bomba

Flavor & Notes: Once I clipped the cap with my Xikar Scissors the pre-light draw on the cigar was a nice mocha while the nose of the foot reminded me of cashes and there was an abundance of splice as well. I found myself second guessing whether I picked up mocha as well. Once the cigar was lit there was some hearty leather notes and some subtle earthy undertones. There was substantial pepper in through the nose that made my eyes water. After an inch or so some cashew notes developed with a touch of sweetness for a moment. In the second third leather continued but there was also orange peel and mocha along for the ride. The final third of the cigar was a little one-dimensional as the cigar returned to a focus on leather.

The first third of La Bomba

Smoking Characteristics: Despite the loose fit I found myself smoking this cigar for a solid hour and a half, and as you can tell by the pictures I started in sunlight and finished in darkness. The draw of the cigar was ideal and the burn line crisp. The darker color ash was a bit flaky but winds were gusting to 25 mph and the ash still held on well. Due to the excessive winds I  had a hard time picking up an aroma.

Approaching the 2nd third of La Bomba

Conclusion: The second third of this cigar was really delicious and I hope that with some aging it would be more of what the cigar has to offer. Only time will tell if this cigar a total bomb, or is the DA BOMB! I’ll definitely smoke another of these before deciding on the box, because it still scored pretty high in my book.

Entering the final third of La Bomba

Rating: 91
Price: $TBD

Disclaimer: Thanks to Eddie for sending me some samples, I look forward to purchasing them on May 11th when they go on sale.

I’ve been friendly with Skip via the website and Twitter and I had met Michael down at IPCPR in New Orleans last year so I bit on the sampler pack which contained 10 cigars to see what it was all about. On my right shoulder the devil appeared hoping the cigar wouldn’t be my cup of tea and I would dislike it immensely while the angel on my left shoulder said I should keep an open mind and who  knows, I just might like it. I jest about the devil part, but you get the picture.

Cigar: CroMagnon
Size: 4 x 52 (Peit Robusto)
Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
Binder: Cameroon
Filler: Nicaraguan
Strength: FULL
Twitter: @CroMagnonCigar

CroMagnon Knuckle Dragger

Appearance and Construction: If you look at the picture of this cigar you can see the oils off the wrapper, but let me tell you, the picture does not do it justice. Amazing how it just glistens, truly a sight to behold and is far an above anything I have ever seen on a wrapper. Looking at this toothy stick there are minimal veins that are ultra thin and it is extremely well rolled. There is a slight groove in the cigar of a soft spot that runs about 2″ long but it isn’t too deep so it shouldn’t effect the over all burn. Sadly, there is no band on this cigar and it will remain this way til at least the third batch.

Flavor & Notes: Prior to lighting up the cigar the foot and wrapper had some earth like notes, while the draw was similar with a slight sweetness to it as well. Once the cigar is lit I am surprised by the lack of spice that I expected through the nose. The smoke passes through the nasal passages with ease. The spice does exist on the tongue though with some leather notes as well and we are only 1/4″ into the Knuckle Dragger. Surprisingly a sweetness lingers around as well making this an intriguing smoke.  As we get to the second third there are notes of spices, wood, nuts and some more of that sweetness, but this time it is more on the finish. The final third is the strongest yet with notes of leather, and nuts. The sweet finish is gone, but remains pleasant.

Smoking Characteristics: Despite the size the cigar last a long time so I was glad I had the time to enjoy it. It burned very slow and I needed to relight it once. But I guess that is to be expected considering how oily the cigar was. The stick has a fairly even burn and although I was tempted to correct it a couple of times it never got to far out of hand. There was a thick volume of smoke off the stick and it had a nice aroma.

Conclusion: As to be expected this stick was strong. Skip said on Stogie Fresh that the cigar was all about the flavor and I am not sure I 100% agree with that. Sure it was tasty, and very enjoyable but the strength is definitely part of the equation. This stick is not for the mild cigar smokers out there and the nicotine can creep up on you rather quickly. Personally, I think the CroMagnon line of cigars would best be enjoyed after a nice steak dinner. Perhaps a Porterhouse for two, and knowing how Skip can put away the food I am sure he finishes those off,solo. The score gets a +1 due to price.

Price: $6.00
Score: 89 (I know you hate ratings Skip, so I’ll throw in 4 out of 5 stars)

Edit: These and other CroMagnon cigars can be ordered via Hava Cigar Shop

I smoked some samples from IPCPR and I was impressed, but I never reviewed one til today. While rearranging my humidor I found 2 more sticks at the bottom and decided to smoke them and compare them to the initial sample I smoked. According to the website, “REINADO® is a premium blend of Nicaraguan tobacco aged up to five years and uniquely fermented to deliver the highest quality smoking experience.” Do we agree, read on for our opinion.

Cigar: Reinado
Size: 5.5 x 50
Wrapper: Nicaragua
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Strength: Medium
Facebook: Reinado Cigars
Twitter:@reinadocigars

Reinado Cigars

Appearance and Construction: The first thing that caught my eye is the band which has some similarities to another, yet remains original at the same time. The colors of maroon and gold with a crest and a tobacco leaf in the center is very appealing to the eye. Outside of that the cigar sports a beautifully aged wrapper that glistens with oils. There are only the finest of veins present and a hint of magnesium spots on the wrapper which is usually a sign of good things to come. The cigar has no soft spots, a decent weight and the foot reveals a nice bunching. Perfect.

Flavor & Notes : I easily clipped the cap on this cigar with my Xikar scissors and prior to sparking up the foot served up a rich molasses note while the draw served up much of that same sweetness. It was easy to see this cigar has been in my humidor for over 5 months and the tobacco was firmly marinated. As I lit up the cigar I was surprised by how smooth this stick has become. There were some subtle spices and leather present before a subtle sweetness begins to emerge near the transition into the second third. As we enter the second third there are subtle cherry notes with a touch of coffee and nuts. The final third serves of notes of coffee and leather with a creamy finish.

Smoking Characteristics: While I am not sure who is making these cigars for Reinado one thing is for certain, it is exquisitely constructed. The burn was crisp and even from start to finish and the ash was was solid as they come. When I decided to ash at the half way point it was evident I could of kept this going another inch or two. The light color ash has little to no flake which is always good. The draw was ideal and the cigar produced a nice amount of smoke with a good aroma.

Conclusion: Age definitely did this cigar wonders as the strength that was present in my earlier versions was toned down. The cigar was medium with a slightly full finish and a nice profile. Reinado is a brand that should be around for some time as it definitely has all the elements going for it, taste, body and construction. On a side note early versions scored a 90, these aged versions got a 2 point bump to 92.

Price: $7.95
Score: 92

Disclaimer: We received samples compliments of Reinado Cigars but as always we did not let free samples sway our opinion one way or the other.

But now that I am home in Brooklyn and I had a few cigars since returning it is time to sit down and review the new Avo Heritage which should look a little familiar to fan of Avo. The wapper is the same as the one used on the Avo LE 2009 Companero which I raved about. The sticks will come in four sizes- Toro, Churchill, Robusto and a 4 x 56 Short Robusto. The stick will be limited to select merchants and will retail between $7.00 and $9.50.

On a side note, if you are in New York City on September 10, 2010 from 1pm to 6pm there will be a special Avo Heritage Introduction Event at De La Concha which is located 1390 Avenue of the Americas which is between 56th and 57th Street.

Cigar: Avo Heritage
Size: 4 7/8th x 50 (Robusto)
Wrapper: Ecuador (Cuban Seed)
Binder: Dominican San Vincente
Filler: 3 different Domincan Ligero, Dominican Seco, Peruvian Seco
Strength: Medium/Full
Twitter: @avocigars
Facebook: Avo Cigars
Official Site: http://www.avo.com

Avo Heritage Robusto

Appearance and Construction: Seeing the Avo Heritage is like seeing an old friend. As I mentioned before I loved the Avo LE 2009 Companero and was sad to see my stash disappear. Comparing notes between that review and this review the blends are very similar to say the least. The general make up of the cigar is the almost the same. The wrapper is loaded with oils but it is somewhat veiny. The stick itself is nicely rolled with a gorgeous looking cap. The band is bronze with the Avo logo and on one side in cursive is Avo Heritage.

Flavor & Notes: The foot of the cigar is a departure from what I have come to expect from Avo. The notes of barnyard are not present which is a nice departure for me. Through the nose I pick up some fresh cedar while the cold draw served up notes of sweetness, wood and earth. Once lit the ligero tobacco is noticeable with notes of pepper especially though the nose. As we continue the first third the sweetness develops into a caramel like note with some wood notes that are heavier then cedar. As we enter the second third of the cigar the strength kicks up a notch while the notes become a bit sweeter. There is a definite caramel/mocha thing going on here with continued spices and wood. In fact if I close my eyes I am easily transported back to the white couches of the Avo booth at IPCPR with some soft jazz in the background of my thoughts. The final third of the cigar some faint spice remains but its minimal at this point even through the nose and I begin pick up a note of warm chocolate along with some wood and earth on the finish.

Smoking Characteristics: The draw of the Avo Heritage robusto was loose and it smoked a little fast for my liking but it never burned hot. The ash while not flaky was weak and it often fell into my lap after an inch. The stick did produce a nice amount of smoke and had a delicious aroma, even to those around me.

Conclusion: A box purchase is definitely in the future for these, and could be the best Avo regular release to date but I still like the LE 09 to date as the best Avo ever in my humble opinion. Delicious from pre-light to last exhale the cigar should not be skipped over once they are released. Prior to today I had 3 cigars in the running for cigar of the year 2010, the addition of this cigar makes it 4.

Rating: 93
Price: $7.00

While there I got to speak with Abe Flores and he offered me up some smoke to try and one of which was the PDR 1878. Before I left I purchased a few more of these to show my support and for the simple fact that I enjoyed them.

Cigar: PDR 1878 Cubano Especial Capa Madura
Size:5 x 52 (Robusto)
Wrapper: Brazillian
Binder: Dominican Criollo ’98
Filler: Nicaraguan & Dominican Criollo
Strength: Full
Twitter: @pdrcigars
Facebook: Pinar Del Rio
Official Site: http://www.pdrcigar.com/

PDR 1878

Appearance and Construction: A dark looking cigar with a lot of oils and an incredible looking Brazilian wrapper that has one vein of note and a seamless roll. The cigar had a nice weight to it with no soft spots and a well packed foot. The band on it is a dark gray with silver lettering and bordering. The dark band on a dark cigar looks modern, but classy. The top of the cigar has a beautiful big tail which I decided to unravel and took a picture of the stick holding it by the rat tail.

Flavor & Notes: Once the cap is removed which came off cleanly using my Xikar Multi Tool Scissor I put the cigar through the pre-light ritual. The draw offers up a nice raisin while the foot is slightly musky with some notes of hickory. Once the cigar is lit the there is a some spice, that is noticeable more so through the nose and some wood notes with a touch of leather. As we enter the second third of the cigar there is some complexity as the notes become a little citric and remind me of orange peel as the wood continues and some bitter chocolate begins to develop as well. As we close out of the the final third of the cigar the wood remains, and the bitter chocolate smooths out some with a slightly leather like finish.

Smoking Characteristics: The PDR 1878 Capa Madura is a well made cigar with a perfect burn all the way through with one of the best holding ashes I am come across. If I didn’t have to remove the bands I felt as if the ash would of remained for the entire stick. The draw was ideal and the cigar produced massive amounts of smoke so be sure you are in a well ventilated area if that isn’t your thing.

Conclusion: Don Leoncio is a place I miss in New Orleans but thankfully I can reminisce about the experience by lighting one of these up. The MSRP of these make it an affordable cigar and the profile of the cigar is enjoyable to say the least. To me it seems as if Pinar Del Rio has really stepped up their game a notch and it is very noticeable in this stick.

Rating: 90
Price: $5.00

PDR 1878 Cubano Especial Capa Madura

This is my initial thought of the smoke based on one sample.

Cigar: Rocky Patel 15th Anniversary
Size: #5
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano
Binder: Unknown
Filler: Nicaragua
Strength: Full

A box pressed beauty that was firm to the touch and with no soft spots. A quick check of the foot reveals notes of cedar and spice while the draw offered up notes of mocha, spice and wood. Once lit the spice is felt right away from the ligero tobacco. During the course of the smoke I picked up notes of dark chocolate, wood, pepper and a touch of leather. I am happy to report it burned even, the draw was perfect and it produced a nice volume of smoke.

Once these hit the stores I will offer up a full review of this cigar from Rocky Patel that is totally different from anything he has released.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGpjeoH3vnM

Joya De Nicaragua Antano 1970

As the winter approaches my smoking habits begin to change. I smoke a little less often and I tend to smoke cigars that are stronger then the ones I smoke in the summer. I am not really sure why I do this, but perhaps subconsciously I hope a stronger cigar will warm me up as I smoke. You see I never smoke in my house, and I shy away from doing reviews in a crowded smoke shop when other people smoking can contaminate what I am smoking.

Today’s cigar has a distinct history as it is the first cigar ever produced in Nicaragua. In 1964 when the first cigar factory opened in Nicaragua this cigar hit the market. In 1970 the cigar began to gain popularity in the United States and it was smoked by many politicians.

However as the region became unstable the production of the Joya De Nicaragua ground to a halt. It disappeared from the market until 2002 when the cigar was resurrected. Todays Joya De Nicaragua Anatno 1970 is a tribute to that original cigar which put Nicaragua on the cigar making map.

Cigar: Joya De Nicaragua Antano 1970
Origin: Nicaragua
Size: 4.75 x 60 (Gran Consul)
Wrapper: Nicaragua
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Strength: Full

Pre-Smoke: While the Joya comes in many sizes the cigar I smoked has a huge ring gauge but its tapered tip allows you to cut it to a ring gauge of your preference. With my idiot proof cutter back in hand I cut the cigar which had some sweet molasses notes on the foot. The cigar itself is a very oily sticky with some toothy characteristics. The pre-light draw offered a lot of spice.

Smoke: While I normally break down a cigar in thirds this cigar has two distinct regions. The first half of the cigar has a lot of leather and spice in the notes. The leather notes can be overpowering at first but as you smoke the cigar it smooths out some. In the second half while the notes of leather and spice remain it is offset by notes of nuts which help ease the strength some.

Overall: This is one knock you on your ass cigar. The flavor of the cigar though makes it an enjoyable full bodied smoke that I visit from time to time, especially in the winter months as stated above.However its leathery finish requires you keep water handy when smoking this stick.

Rating: 87
Price: $7.00

In my previous blog entry one of the readers asked me to show what the package I received from Smoke magazine looked like. Below is the package I received from smoke magazine. They want my reviews of the smokes (5 cigars, 3 of each to sample) by November 15th.

Cigars from Cigar Magazine to Review for Publication