Today’s smoke is the Jaime Garcia Reserva Especial Limited Edition. According to Uptown Cigar Company,

With a total of only 3,700 boxes made, this is the first limited edition cigar made solely by Master Blender Jaime Garcia. A Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper from a lower priming, a Nicaraguan Pelo de Oro binder, and 2 Cuban-seed Nicaraguan leaves for the filler, this full bodied smoke has a similar taste to the original Jaime Garcia, except the cigar is MUCH richer and more refined in depth and flavor.

The cigars come 16 in a box, with a twist. The Broadleaf wrapper is on 15 of the sticks, while 1 features a Connecticut share which might be the wrapper used in 2012.

Cigar: Jaime Garcia Reserva Especial Limited Edition 2011
Size: 6.5 x 52 (Toro)
Wrapper: Connecticut Brodleaf, Viso Priming.
Binder: Pelo de Oro (Nicaragua)
Filler: Nicaragua (Cuban Seed)
Strength: Full
Cigars Smoked For Review: 2

Jaime Garcia Reserva Especial Limited Edition

Appearance and Construction: The Jaime Garcia Reserva Especial Limited Edition 2011 wrapper has the appearance of rich chocolate. Slightly toothy, a few small veins and a fair amount of oils gives this cigar a classic appearance. Perhaps it is due to the lower priming, but this Connectict Broadleaf has a nice color about it, and it really stands out. The roll is perfect right down to the cap. In the hand, the cigar feels a little light although there are no soft spots on this stick. The foot does seem a bit loose compared to other cigars in the regular release. There is a dual band system in place, with the traditional band above a second one with denoting that this is a Limited Edition.

Jaime Garcia Reserva Especial Limited Edition Foot

Flavor & Notes: The foot of the JG RE LE, has a sweet chocolate like aroma to the nose with a nice amount of Nicaraguan spice present as well. The cold draw had a slight hint of spice, but the focal point was a dried fruit like taste about it. Intriguing to say the least, but definitely enjoyable. When you light up a Garcia cigar you expect that trademark spice, and as repetitive as it is I find it to be enjoyable as well.  A sweetness developed about an inch into the stick that bordered on cinnamon and some anise. In the second third of the cigar, the complexity begins to show with some of the dried fruit we tasted on the cold draw. The focal point was a nice strong coffee of the Cuban variety with continued anise and the addition of some leather. The last third of the cigar was some continued coffee notes that took more of an espresso like taste, with some wood and leather. The finish was long and enjoyable leaving me wanting another.

Jaime Garcia Reserva Especial Limited Edition First 3rd

Smoking Characteristics: The cigar had a nice crisp burn-line even though it burned at a slight angle. Could this have been user error, sure I guess. The medium gray ash held for about 1.5″ at a time, and the draw was perfect. The aroma of the cigar was enjoyable as the cigar produced an abundance of smoke. In the 1 hour and 30 minutes it took me to smoke this cigar it never went out once on me which is always a good thing.

Jaime Garcia Reserva Especial Limited Edition Second 3rd

Conclusion: Limited Edition cigars how I love and hate thee. I love how companies put to use some of the limited quantity tobacco and make a really good cigar. I hate how the price makes these cigars over-priced in a tax burdened state like New York, where these were $22.00. I also dislike how I will like a cigar so much only to have it disappear off the market. I totally loved this cigar, and despite the price tag I do not feel like I was ripped off. Definitely box worthy in my eyes.

Jaime Garcia Reserva Especial Limited Edition Last 3rd

Rating: 93
Price: $16.00 each, $230.99 a box @ Uptown Cigar Company

The third installment of the 4 part series is from My Father Cigars and called the El Hijo. The cigar will feature a select 2009 harvest Ecuadorian Habano wrapper with binder and fillers from Nicaragua. The cigar will come in a 5.5 x 52 with an unfinished foot. Only 650 boxes of 15 are being made, and the cigar is labeled as medium to full-bodied. Pre-Orders are now being taken over at Smoke Inn, and they are selling fast so get your order in today!

Cigar: My Father El Hijo
Size: 5.5 x 52 (Box Press)
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Strength: Medium-Full
Cigars Smoked For Review: 2

Smoke Inn My Father El Hijo

Appearance and Construction: The My Father cigar band has to be one of the nicest in the industry. Underneath the band is a second one denoting El Hijo, which means, The Son. The Ecuadorian Habano wrapper has a fail amount of oils and some small veins. The foot of the cigar has a small shaggy food which is similar to what one can expect from the Wolfman being released by Tatuaje later this year. The cigar has a nice weight to it, no soft spots, and is a nice looking box pressed cigar.

Smoke Inn My Father El Hijo Foot

Flavor & Notes: Allow me to channel Ralph Kramden for a minute and say, How sweet it is! The aroma off of the cigar is absolutely delicious.  To the nose there is so much going on that every “sniff” adds to the mix. The dominant notes to the nose are floral, chocolate, and earth. One the cap is clipped the notes of chocolate become even more defined with some earthy components as well. The second third of the cigar has me wondering if there is Pelo de Oro tobacco in it as it reminds me of the leaf. The notes in the second third were a subtle cinnamon along side some chocolate and coffee notes. There was also some leather on the spicy finish. The last third of the cigar becomes heavy on wood notes with earth though there is some faint chocolate on the finish.

Smoke Inn My Father El Hijo 1st Third

Smoking Characteristics: The cigar started off with a pretty jagged burn but over the first third it corrected itself. This could have been due to user error on lighting the shaggy foot. The draw was ideal and the light color ash held for half at a time. The aroma of the smoke was almost as complex as the cigar itself which added to the overall experience. The strength picked up over the course of the cigar and the effect of nicotine were felt by the time i put the cigar down.

Smoke Inn My Father El Hijo 2nd Third

Conclusion: Limited Edition cigars seem to be the way of the industry as of late, at lease more then in the past. The Smoke Inn Micro Blend series has been a lesson on how to do it the right way and the 3rd installment might be the best so far. A complex smoke that is rich with flavors is the equation for a great cigar.

Smoke Inn My Father El Hijo Last Third

Rating: 91
Price: $146.25 a box of 15.

The first is the Jaime Garcia Limited Edition, which I am sure you have heard about by now. According to Jose Ortega the Vice President of Sales for My Father Cigars, “We are proud to announce the 1^st Limited Edition release from the master blender Jaime Garcia under the Jaime Garcia Reserva Especial name.”

The cigars will be released in boxes of 16, and what makes them a must buy for me is the fact, that 1 of the 16 will be a Connecticut Wrapper featuring the blend for the 2012 edition of the limited release.

According to Jose Ortega, it is very different from the regular Jaime Garcia Reserva Especial. It has several types of Cuban seed tobacco including the Pelo de Oro.

Wrapper: Broadleaf Viso
Binder and Filler: Variation of Cuban seeds including two leaves of Pelo de Oro)
Size: 6 ½ X 52 Toro
Strength: Full Body, Full Flavor

MSRP: Around 16.00 before local taxes.

Jaime Garcia Limited Edition 2011

The other release slated for the trade show is the My Father Le Bijou Torpedo Box Pressed. The cigars feature a Habano Oscuso Oscuro with filler and binder from Nicaragua.  Thes wiill measure at 6 1/8 x 52 and come 23 in a box. Once again according to the Vice President of Sales for My Father Cigars, Jose Ortega “Customers have been asking us for a box pressed and we couldn’t think of a more fitting brand/blend than the Le Bijou to release this gem in.” The cigars will be a regular production.

My Father Le Bijou Torpedo Box Pressed

We will be sure to offer our thoughts on these as soon as we get out hands on them…

“La Verite began as an idea that Pete had when he first saw the tobacco growing in the Garcia Family first wholly owned farm in 2007. He realized the tobacco was going to be spectacular and after the tobacco was harvested and undergoing the fermentation process, it dawned on him that it was perfect for a single farm vintage cigar. Much like a single vineyard wine, La Verite showcases the soil where the tobacco was grown. The seed varietal varies from year to year based on the crop planted and the tobacco yield.

The cigar comes in two sizes,The Churchill is a traditional 7 x 47 and the blend is 45% Habano Nicaragua, 40% Criollo ’98, and 15% Pelo De Oro. The Robusto is 5 x 50 with 50% Habano Nicaragua, 40% Criollo ’98, and 10% Pelo De Oro tobaccos.

Cigar: La Verite Vintage 2009
Size: 5 x 50 (L’Espirit de Verite Robusto)
Wrapper: Nicaragua (Habano)
Binder: La Estrella Habano Criollo
Filler: Habano Nicaragua (50%),Criollo ’98 (40%), and Pelo De Oro (10%).
Strength: Medium/Full
Number Smoked: 3

La Verite 2009

Appearance and Construction: The Habano wrapper of the La Verite Vintage 2009 has a nice brown hue to it, with some reddish undertones. There are some veins present but none of them appear to be out of the norm. There are a fair amount of oils present and the roll is flawless. In the hand the cigar feels slightly coarse and light. There are no pockets under the wrapper and the cigar feels firm with the exception of the slightly spongy foot. This year a secondary band denoting Tatuaje in white and silver has been added under the vintage year.

La Verite 2009 Foot

Flavors & Notes: The foot of the cigar has a nice nose of earth and sweetness with a touch of pepper as well. The cord draw of the cigar has some cocoa notes with a touch of cedar and a lingering earthy component. Once the cigar is lit there are some subtle pepper notes and a background sweetness.  As we progress into the first third of the smoke there are some warm spices, toast and cedar present. The second third of the cigar some sweetness remains, bordering on cocoa with leather and cedar in the mix as well. In the last third there is a lot going on and the complexity really takes hold of the cigar. However, you can tell here the cigar needs a bit of aging as nothing is really defined. It’s almost meaty and pulpy the notes, but I can’t put my finger on it. At times I was questioning my sanity as there was a note that reminded me of grape.

La Verite 2009 First Third

Smoking Characteristics: For the most part the cigar smoked perfectly even with a nice lean carbon line. Whenever the cigar started to burn slightly uneven it corrected itself perfectly. The salt and pepper ash held on extremely well even in the end. There was a nice volume of smoke and the aroma was enjoyable.

La Verite 2009 Second Third

Conclusion: The 2009 is ready to smoke out of the box, but you can tell it is still a little young and needs some time to age. The La Verite series is one of those cigars that really shine with aging. The 2008 right now is smoking as good as it gets, and in a few months you can easily tell that the 2009 will totally outshine the 08 vintage. The concept for the cigar is ideal, but i wonder what will happen if Nicaragua experiences an abundance of rain or a lack there of. It can really change a tobacco. With that said and done this vintage will be very hard to beat.

La Verite 2009 Last Third

Rating: 92 (with potential to really increase with age!)
Price: $120.00 a box of 10 at Atlantic Cigars

I picked up a couple of the My Father LE 2011 from various shops in 2 different states.. How does it compare to last year? Read on my friends!

Cigar: My Father Limited Edition 2010
Size: 6.5 x 52
Wrapper: Hybrid Ecuadorian Habano Rosado Criollo
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua

My Father Limted Edition 2011

Appearance and Construction: The two over sized bands are back in this years edition with the first band showing traditional My Father artwork, while the 2nd band denotes that is the limited edition. The Hybrid wrapper is golden brown and reminds me of caramel. The roll of the cigar is perfect right down to the cap. There is a slight tooth present and lots of little magnesium pimples on wrapper as well. In the hand the cigar has a nice weight to it and is well-balanced.

First Third of the My Father Limited Edition 2011

Flavor & Notes: The prelight draw served up notes of earth and cedar while the foot was similar with a touch of sweetness thrown in. I used my Xikar scissors to cut the cigar once the cigar was lit I was met with some pepper notes that gave way to notes of coffee and a slight chocolate. Before the first third comes to a close some cedar is identified on this complex smoke. In the second third of the Edicion Limitada the flavors are just explosive. Vanilla Bean, a touch of butterscotch and caramel all show themselves from time to time joining the core notes of earth and cedar. As we round out the cigar the last third revisits the pepper notes with a mix of leather and chocolate on the finish.

Second Third of the My Father Limited Edition 2011

Smoking Characteristics: This slow burning cigar had me smoking it faster than I should have because of how delicious it was. Despite the tendency to over-puff the cigar remained cool. The cigar burned fairly even and had a nice solid medium gray ash that held well . The cigar produced a nice volume of smoke with a pleasant aroma.

Final Third of the My Father Limited Edition 2011

Conclusion: Maybe it is because of the familiarity of last years blend or the fact that the Garcia’s didn’t roll this but the cigar while good fell short of last years edition for me. One thing that makes no sense to me is the fact that these cigars still cost so much. There are no wooden coffins, there are no special rollers. Sure the tobacco is the same but with out these additions the price should have dropped. I won’t be buying a box this year, but if you missed out on them last year RUN don’t walk to your local tobacconist.

Rating: 93
Price: $25.00 a stick

La Casita Criolla which translate to “The Creole Cottage” is made up of 100% Connecticut Broadleaf tobacco. This can cause some confusion which Pete cleared up some via his Facebook page some months ago, “Okay guys. To clear this up. Not all broadleaf is dark. The wrapper will be but the binders and fillers are made up of broadleaf tobacco also. When Jaime buys broadleaf, he buys in hopes to get good dark juicy wrapper, some medium color wrapper like La Riqueza and good binder but the other leaf that doesn’t make those grades is sorted by size and texture for filler. Again not every leaf will look like the wrapper. It’s all 100% USA Conn. Broadleaf. Jaime also buys all primings of broadleaf. Seco, Viso and Ligero. This is also how we are able to sort the filler to do the blend on the cigar. ” The Jaime he refers to is Jaime Garcia of My Father Cigars, who produces the cigars to Pete’s specifications.

Is this cigar an instant classic, will it be the American muscle that collectors crave?

Cigar: La Casita Criolla
Size: 6.5 x 48
Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
Binder: Connecticut Broadleaf
Filler: Connecticut Broadleaf
Strength: Medium/Full
Cigars Smoked For Review: 1

La Casita Criolla by Tatuaje

Appearance and Construction: The wrapper on the La Casita Criolla is a nice dark and oily Broadleaf wrapper that has some medium-sized veins. The stick is well rolled with a well placed cap. The is some slight tooth present and the are no soft spots on this stick that feels a little light in the hand. The band which reminds one of Henry Clay is simplistic at first appearance but there are some nice little details present that give it character.

The foot of the La Casita Criolla by Tatuaje

Flavor & Notes: Prior to cutting the foot serves up notes of cedar and nuts with a sweetness to the nose. While the draw serves up some more sweetness with hints of nuts. My initial impression is that this cigar brings something different to the table then other Tatuaje smokes. Once the cigar is lit it becomes evident that this is a flavor bomb of epic proportions. The initial notes were a touch of anise, and nuts as I slowly worked into the first third of the cigar. As we progress into the first third there are some notes of anise that tease as the nuts become the focal point with a chocolate sweetness on the finish. In the second third some warm spices begin to develop with a touch of cinnamon and cloves over a canvas of nuts. A sweetness remains, but it isn’t defined like in the first third. In the final third some nicely defined anise returns as the focal point with some spice through the. The cigar has a nice finish that leaves me feeling satisfied.

The first third of the La Casita Criolla by Tatuaje

Smoking Characteristics: A perfect burning cigar with a straight burn line and thin carbon line. The light color ash was a bit weak on this pre-release stick but thankfully I didn’t burn a hole in my shirt which is my modus operandi as of late. The cigar produced a nice amount of smoke with a delicious aroma. The draw was as good as the come with the right amount of resistance.

The second third of the La Casita Criolla by Tatuaje

Conclusion: I only smoked one sample of this and Pete had mentioned they weren’t strong but I would classify it as on the fuller side of medium. I experienced a slight nicotine kick, and being that I only smoked one sample I am not sure if it was me, or the cigar. Regardless, I was skeptical of an all broadleaf stick but this thing delivers. Loaded with flavors and extremely tasty, but don’t take my word for it. I tweeted I got a sample of this last night and Pete commented that him and Dion from illusione were smoking one. A little later Dion added, “that thing was freakin’ tasty.” Definitely box worthy and on my to buy list once released. Without a doubt this is a definite cigar of the year candidate.

The final third of the La Casita Criolla by Tatuaje

Rating: 95
Price: $7.00 MSRP

Disclaimer: My good friend Danny D. of Tobacco Plaza was down at the Nicaraguan Cigar Festival where he obtained this cigar and gifted me with one.

Edit: Since this review I have gone through a box plus of these and still stand by the initial review. This folks will be the Cigar of the Year if things continue as they have.

So despite dreading smoking this size, I am to say the least curious. Are they as good as Danny says or will my jaw hurt from the size. Thankfully, the cigar is made with in a belicoso tip/cap.

Cigar: Jaime Garcia Super Gordo
Size: 5.75 x 66
Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Strength: Medium/Full
Cigars Smoked For Review: 2

Jaime Garcia Super Gordo

Appearance and Construction: Looking at this cigar the size just makes you scratch your head. Thankfully, the cigar is rolled into a belicoso shape so it will make it a bit easier to smoke. One thing that caught me off guard is the fact that the tip is pre-cut. I am not really sure to the thought process of this, but I wound up cutting it about another 1/8th of an inch. The Connecticut Broadleaf Jaime Garcia Super Gordo wrapper has some veins, but none that are really obscene. Upon close look of the wrapper there are some shade differentials but does that really mean anything? Despite the amount of tobacco used in this stick, it feels relatively light in the hand and is extremely well balanced in the hand. There are no soft spots and the cigar is rolled very well.

Flavor & Notes: The foot of the cigar has some of the most powerful notes to the nose I have ever experienced. With the slightest sniff notes of mocha fill the passages with a faint pepper that makes my nose twitch. The draw offers up some more of the mocha with a touch of caramel and cedar as well. Once the cigar is lit the spices are the focal point, but they do not overpower. As we work our way into the first third the cigar develops notes of leather and cocoa with some subtle spices.  The second third of the cigar becomes reliant on the pepper there are some notes of leather while some sweetness tries to hold on. The 2nd third of the cigar seems to have fizzled slightly, and doesn’t have the same richness as in the beginning. As we approach the final third of the cigar it becomes smooth unlike the first two thirds. Suggesting the cigars are still a little young and need time to consummate the marriage. Here the sweetness returns and the cocoa becomes more of a rich chocolate with some subtle caramel and leather notes while spices remain through the nose.

Smoking Characteristics: Like the cigar there was two tales going on in the burn process. On both my review sticks the burn line was incredibly crisp in the first third before become very jagged in the second third. I never bothered to touch up the cigar and in the final third it became razor sharp again. The same can be said about the ash, the first and final third had a smooth flake free ash, while the middle section was incredibly flaky. The draw was perfect when I clipped the additional 1/8th of a inch of the cigar. To no surprise, the cigar produced a wonderful volume of smoke with a nice aroma that filled the air.

Conclusion: Where do I begin. First off, both samples came from the same box. I try to buy samples from separate boxes, or separate stores but that was not an option here. Tobacco Plaza sold out of these by the time I got to the store, and Danny was nice enough to give me two from his personal box. When I smoke I like to keep the cigar resting between my lips drawing as needed. Much like a pipe smoker. With the size of the Super Gordo this was hard to do. I found myself biting the belicoso cap to keep it in my mouth and it became extremely wet in my first sample. So the second sample, the one used to write this review was smoked a little bit different then I am accustomed. Finally, the size. While the cigar was flavorful and enjoyable I was not comfortable at all with the massive ring gauge and being they already have a 60 ring gauge on the market I am not sure why they went this route. But then again, I am not the expert the Garcia family is. I am sure the size will sell well, but for me personally it left me a little less fulfilled then other vitolas in the line.

Rating: 87
Price: $8.50 a stick at Uptown Cigar (1-877-238-1172)

Disclaimer: None.

He recently posted the new advertisement for his Fausto cigar and it looks to be nice and strong. Back on Augut 5, 2010 he stated in a posting “I am using the T110 blend for my new Fausto line in 2011….”.

Then on January 4, 2011 he added;

“The T110 blend is the Fausto blend….The T110 size will not be made in the line but the blend is the same…….

Sizes to start are maybe….
F133 – 5 1/4 x 52
F152 – 6 x 50
F171 – 6 3/4 x 48

Meanwhile on facebook he recently shared with the world, “Okay, I can’t keep it a secret any longer. My new brand La Casita Criolla is made with the following tobacco. 100% Conn. broadleaf. This is dark broadleaf that would be considered maduro. Coming in July. It’s not too strong but it’s got great spice and that chewy sweetness that I love. It should age great also.”

Before you get your panties in a bunch, Connecticut Broadleaf comes in many colors according to Pete, “When Jaime Garcia buys all priming’s of broadleaf. Seco, Viso and Ligero. This is also how we are able to sort the filler to do the blend on the cigar.”

Fausto by Tatuaje

Each cigar comes in its own coffin,  and each box is numbered which comes with a DVD and a certificate of authenticity. I also found out that only 5 boxes were allocated per store that ordered these which were limited to 2000 made. Thankfully I have developed a relationship with Danny and the crew from Tobacco Plaza in Long Island, NY and they were nice enough to put a box aside for me. TP has become one of my favorite cigar shops because of the great selection, knowledgeable staff and eclectic group of people who hang out at the shop.

Cigar: My Father Limited Edition 2010
Size: 6.5 x 52
Wrapper: Hybrid Ecuadorian Habano Rosado Criollo
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Twitter: @JannyGarcia
Facebook: My Father Cigar
Official Site: http://www.myfathercigars.com/

Appearance and Construction: The first thing that catches your eye are the 2 large over sized bands on the cigar. The first band is the traditional My Father artwork, while the 2nd band denotes that is the limited edition. There are a lot of intricacies to the second band that make it a true work of art. But once you get past the bands you notice that this cigar looks special. The roll is perfect from foot to cap but I was surprised by how many veins the wrapper was. There was a fair amount of oils present, and the stick was very dense between my fingers. There was a subtle sponginess to the cigar as well.

Flavor & Notes: The foot of the cigar has a slight sweetness to it hidden underneath the cedar notes while the draw of the cigar the two were fairly well mixed. Once I lit the cigar the first thing I notice was how thick the notes were. They weren’t overpowering, but they had a syrup like feel to them. The first third offered up some notes of cedar and nuts with a some spice and as this portion of the cigar came to a close a sweetness was slowly beginning to form. As the second third of the cigar was smoked the sweetness became a well defined caramel that slowly took over the cigar while the cedar and nuts were sent to the background. The final third of the cigar the notes of caramel became so profound that it had me salivating and wishing the experience wasn’t coming to a close. The notes of wood, nuts and touch of earth provided a canvas for the caramel masterpiece that left me wanting to smoke another.

Smoking Characteristics: This slow burning cigar almost had me smoking it faster then I should of because of how delicious it was and it took me a little over 90 minutes to smoke. The cigar burned very event and had a nice solid medium gray ash that held on oh so strong. There draw was as perfect as they come but was I really to expect otherwise based on who rolled these? Finally, the cigar produced a nice thick smoke that smelled familiar to the nose but I was never quite able to place it.

Conclusion: Maybe it was just me, but these cigars just felt different, smoked different and even looked different then many cigars. It almost took on characteristics from Jose and Jaime Garcia and their labor of love was somehow absorbed by the tobacco. I know this, the experience of the My Father Limited Edition was different then many cigars I smoked and while I might not score it a 100, this could be the best cigar I have ever smoked, bar none. Was it worth the 300.00 for the box? Yes it was and I never would of expected to admit a cigar was worth that high of a price tag.

Rating: 97
Price: $25.00 a stick (in NYC)

It’s hard to believe that I never reviewed this cigar when I picked up a box at the Miami Cigar Extravaganza back in December. With my sticks almost gone I figured I should act now as this cigar might be out of my price range when it is released in the summer of 2010. I heard, but cannot confirm that these cigars will retail near the $20.00 range.

The cigars are blended by Jaime Garcia who is the son of Jose Pepin Garcia. As far as I know this is the second cigar blended by him to go into production with the original My Father line being the first.

Cigar: Jaime Garcia Reserva Especial
Size: 6 x 56 (Toro Gordo)
Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
Binder: Ecuador
Filler: Nicaragua
Strength: Medium / Full

Appearance and Construction (17/20): These un-banded beauties are a site to behold. The slightly coarse wrapper is virtually vein free and rolled to perfection right down to the triple cap. The Connecticut Broadleaf is a dark dye free wrapper has a fair amount of oils showing. This cigar is above all expectations I had for a pre-release limited to a single shop.  If I had one complaint it would be that it lacks any weight and feels like a piece of Styrofoam in the hand.

Flavor & Notes (27/30): The foot of the cigar offers intense mocha notes while the draw offers notes of mocha and cinnamon. A part of me doesn’t even want to light this cigar up because of how content I am at this point. Once the cigar is ignited some faint pepper along with a bitter dark chocolate begin to emerge. It isn’t long before they are joined by some leather notes as well. As we enter the second third of the cigar the pepper is gone, and what remains is leather, dark chocolate (less bitter now), and some coffee. Occasionally I got teased with some cinnamon as well. The final third of the cigar the coffee and leather remains while the pepper has returned especially through the nose which sent me into a sneezing frenzy. The cigar has a slightly bitter leather finish.

Smoking Characteristics (22/25): Once the cigar was lit it was easy for me to see why it felt so light. There were five pin holes visible in the burning tobacco. This did not effect the overall burn of the cigar, but you could see where there was room for more tobacco. The cigar had a bit of an easy draw, perhaps to easy which ties into the porous roll. The cigar smoked a little fast but burned nice and even. The dark gray ash held for long periods of time and the amount of smoke produced was enough to make me happy.

Overall (22/25): As I wrote this review I began to wonder why they didn’t make this a 54 ring cigar with a tighter roll. The cigar is a little bitter cigar in terms of flavor, so if that doesn’t fit your profile keep it in mind. I will however visit these again in fairness once it comes out to the masses. It is definitely a good cigar, but the rumour of $20.00 a stick has me worried since I would appraise it to be a $12 to $14 stick.

Rating: 88
Price: TBD (To Be Determined)