According to Atlantic Cigar, “Oliva Serie V Maduro Especial is a limited edition cigar released yearly and truly a treat with only 30,000 cigars produced with a different size created each year. This complex blend of Nicaraguan long filler tobaccos with a specially fermented Jalapa Valley ligero held together by a Nicaraguan binder. The cigar is then finished with high priming San Andres maduro wrapper grown in the fertile San Andres valley in Mexico. Packaged in boxes of 10 Toro (6 x 50) cigars these limited production cigars will not last long so grab a box before they are gone for good.”

Cigar: Oliva V Maduro
Size: 6 x 50 (Toro)
Wrapper: San Andreas Maduro
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Strength: Medium-Full
Cigars Smoked For Review: 4

Oliva V Maduro 2011

Appearance and Construction: When I got an email from one of my shops that they got the 2011 V Maduro in I just shrugged my shoulders. When I made it into the shop and saw it wasn’t a torpedo I picked up a box and a few singles. The draw issues that plagued the last few years as a torpedo did not follow through in the toro. The V Maduro features an oily San Andres Maduro that is flawless. The cigar is rolled to perfection with a nice weight to it, and no soft spots. The band is your typical Oliva V, however, to the left of the logo on the side is the word maduro.

Oliva V Maduro 2011 Foot

Flavor & Notes: The cold draw of the cigar is earthy with a slight saltiness and chocolate while the foot serves up some earth to the nose.  Once the cigar is lit there is  aburst of leather notes that slowly fade revealing a sweetness. As we progress past that first 1/2″ the first third develops into a complex smoke. The leather notes are gone and have been replaced by earth which is joined by dark chocolate (slightly bitter), and strong espresso. As I breach the second third of the cigar, the coffee notes are dominant that they almost overwhelm what else the cigar has to offer. The dark chocolate notes are a bit more refined and less bitter, while some spice picks up especially through the nose which caused my eyes to water. The last third of the cigar becomes nutty with the occasional floral note gone is the spice and chocolate. There is some earth and espresso on the short finish.

Oliva V Maduro 2011 First 3rd

Smoking Characteristics: After a couple of years with difficult draws the issue has been resolved and kudos to Oliva for getting away from the torpedo/belicoso format. The cigar has a nice burn to it and a solid ash that was medium gray in color that holds for a third of the cigar at a time.

Oliva V Maduro 2011 Second 3rd

Conclusion: With 2008 a distant memory, and the disappointment of the earlier years, the 2011 really stands outs. Complex and enjoyable the Oliva V Maduro delivers and brings a renewed interest in the limited edition annual release. Definitely worthy of a box purchase or two. One to smoke now, and one to sit on and age.

Oliva V Maduro 2011 Last 3rd

Rating: 92
Price: $9.00 / $81.00 a box of 10 @ Atlanic Cigars

I recently drove to Philadelphia with some friends, and hung out with Pete at Holt’s on Walnut before heading to the Oyster Bar for dinner. Over the course of the day we discussed his music career, future releases, and IPCPR. When I arrived there were only 4 non-dress boxes left, and within 5 minutes those were gone.

Cigar: Tatuaje Wolfman (Monster Series #4)
Size: 7.5 x 52 (Box Pressed Torpedo)
Wrapper: Sumatra
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Strength: Medium-Full
Cigars Smoked For Review: 4

Tatuaje Wolfman

Appearance and Construction: Coming in at 7.5 inches the Tatuaje Wolfman has more of an “A” feel to it and not the torpedo it is. The foot of the cigar has a clean-looking shaggy foot to it, which should light easy. The wrapper is gritty and coarse under the fingers with some thin veins present. Like earlier “Monster” releases, the stick has a nice scary look to it. The box pressed cigar (oh how I love a box pressed cigar!) has an average weight to it, and an ugly red on tan band.

Tatuaje Wolfman Foot

Flavor & Notes: There is an amazing amount of cocoa like notes coming off the wrapper that one doesn’t have to work on getting. Even sitting on my desk in front of me as I write this I can catch the wonderful aroma. The foot of the cigar is meaty to the nose, and once we clip the cap the draw reminds me a bit of marshmallows and cedar. When you light the cigar, the notes are different until you get to the wrapper. This shows just how important a wrapper is. Once the wrapper is breached there is a sweetness present with some wonderfully rich notes of cocoa and cedar that join the spice of the foot. As we smoke the first third the spice slowly fades and the sweetness intensifies. In the second third of the cigar the wood notes really take control of the stick with a sweetness in the background that reminds one of chocolate. The wood notes stay on the finish but are heavier than cedar bordering on pine or maple. The last third of the cigar picks up some coffee notes, that compliment the remaining notes chocolate and wood, which a slightly dry earth like finish.

Tatuaje Wolfman First 3rd

Smoking Characteristics: The draw of the Tatuaje Wolfman is slightly loose, and as a result smokes a little fast. This has been the case on all the samples I have smoked even with a small clip of the tip. The ash of the cigar is marble like with a mix of dark and light color ash. It is also fairly weak as I lost the ash about every inch or so in my lap. The cigar burns slightly jagged, but never once showed signs of getting out of hand. The aroma was both sweet and woody.

Tatuaje Wolfman Second 3rd

Conclusion: While none of the Monster series have disappointed, some stand out more than others. For me the Frank remains the best in the series while the Wolfman is a close 2nd. The profile of the cigar is right in my wheelhouse and that makes this a cigar that was worth the effort in tracking down.

Tatuaje Wolfman Last 3rd

Rating: 92
Price: $15.00

Each year EP Carrillo release a cigar in one size but in a different blend each year and this year is the fullest body of the 3 Limited Edition cigars released to date. This years release is limited to 2,000 boxes all of which were pre-sold at IPCPR. Ernesto Perez Carrillo was the original creator of La Gloria Cubana and now runs his own company based in Miami and are an advertiser on this site. The above reviews were written before that, and todays review is based on a couple of cigars I picked up at Cigar Inn in New York City.

Cigar: EP Carrillo Edicion Limitada 2011
Size: 6.5 x 56
Wrapper: Oscuro Maduro
Binder: Ecuadorian Sumatra
Filler: Nicaragua
Strength: Full
Cigars Smoked For Review: 3

EP Carrillo Edicion Limitada 2011

Appearance and Construction: This hefty looking Oscuro Maduro wrapper has a brindl like effect to it with varying shades of darkness. The wrapper is nice and thick with no veins present and the cigar is well rolled. There is some tooth to the smoke with a few soft spots present under the fingers. The cigar has the classic EP Carrillo bands with a secondary tan one denoting that the smoke is the edition limitada 2011.

EP Carrillo Edicion Limitada 2011 Foot

Flavor & Notes: I kicked back in Cigar Inn to smoke this cigar for review in one of the chairs at the front of the store. The door was open and a cool breeze worked its way through the store. Outside the hustle and bustle of the city carried on as a drizzle fell. Inside the store, I was lost in my cigar and was able to escape from the stress of the day. The foot of the cigar offered up some raisins and molasses to the nose while the cold draw reminded me of rye toast and a touch of figs. I toasted the foot of my cigar with a Xikar soft flame light and was treated to first notes of bitter chocolate and apricot. As I worked my way through the first third the apricot notes really began to shine while some espresso lingered in the background. In the second third of the smoke the fruit like notes began to fade as the notes of espresso began to take control of the cigar with a nice dark chocolate on the finish. The last third of the smoke continued with its warm dark chocolate notes and a nutty coffee on the finish making this the perfect cigar for after dinner.

EP Carrillo Edicion Limitada 2011 First Third

Smoking Characteristics: The EP Carrillo Ediction Limitada has a dark firm ash dark firm ash that held on well. The thick wrapper burns a little jagged and won’t win any beauty contests but it will hold up well in the winter if smoking in the elements. The cigar had a firm draw and produced massive amounts of smokes. A person sitting to my right commented a couple of times on how great the aroma was off the cigar.

EP Carrillo Edicion Limitada 2011 Second Third

Conclusion: Ernesto Perez Carrillo keeps hitting them out of the park. while the 2011 will get better with age it falls just short of the 2010 Edicion Limitada today, in 6 months it’ll be a different story. The reason for this is the cigar isn’t as smooth as I would personally like and is a bit rough around the edges. This will correct itself when the tobacco has a chance to marry itself during aging.

EP Carrillo Edicion Limitada 2011 Last Third

Rating: 91
Price: $15.00

According to UpDown Cigar (one of the retailers selling this smoke),

The first exclusive Tatuaje cigar for the Tobacconist’s Association of America, Pete Johnson only made 1,500 boxes total for only a handful of cigar stores. A beautiful U.S.A. grown Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper is left with a shaggy foot and wrapped over Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos. Boxed pressed at 5 5/8″ by 54, the flavor has plenty of typical Tatuaje spice but is complimented by a rich sweetness from the wrapper. They smoke great now, and will age beautifully.

Here is our take on the latest from Pete Johnson…

Cigar: TAA 2011 Exclusive by Tatuaje
Size: 5 5/8 x 54
Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Strength: Full
Cigars Smoked For Review: 2

Tatauje TAA 2011

Appearance and Construction: The TAA Exclusive Tatuajue is a box pressed and is very square. The cigar has one medium-sized vein and the roll is a bit porous on the sample I am using to write my review. On the first cigar I smoked I only jotted down the notes of the smoke, so I can’t compare it to others. The foot of the cigar is closed, and under the fingers there cigar is smooth almost having a vinyl like feel to it. There are a few soft spots on the top side of the smoke, but the cigar does have a nice weight to it. The band off the cigar has the TAA logo and like other exclusive Series Tatuaje cigars, the band reminds me of the belt from the movie Rocky.

Tatauje TAA 2011 Foot

Flavor & Notes: The cigar has a wonderfully sweet nose to it that borders on milk chocolate with a dose of earth thrown in. Once the cap is clipped the cold draw serves up some more sweetness with a bit of leather in the mix. Once the cigar is lit a nice spice quickly develops with an underlying sweetness and cedar. Working into the first third of the smoke the spice remains and is the focal point, but there is also a nice coffee note and some leather especially on the finish. As we enter the second third, a sweetness begins to take over of the Tatuaje TAA 2011 on the draw, but the finish remains leathery. The last third of the cigar the spice and strength kicked it up a notch with a nice woody finish.

Tatauje TAA 2011 First Third

Smoking Characteristics: The Tatuaje TAA 2011 Exclusive burned pretty fast for me lasting just over an hour, and I am generally a slow smoker. The draw of the cigar was a bit on the loose side with a straight cut, so I would suggest going with a punch cut if you smoke one of these. The ash of the cigar was a medium gray and held on for a bit less than a quarter of the stick before falling off into my lap. The aroma of the cigar was a bit woody and it was a major league smoke producer.

Tatauje TAA 2011 Second Third

Conclusion: When I smoked this cigar I couldn’t get over how much this reminded me of the Barclay Rex 100th Anniversary stick. Pete has stated this cigar is a take on that cigar and the Pork Tenderloin. To me it reminds me of the Barclay with some extra ligero in the mix. The cigar is rich and powerful with the nicotine catching up on me in the last third. The cigars aren’t too difficult to track down and if you like the full-bodied this on is for you.

Tatauje TAA 2011 Last Third

Rating: 90
Price: $11.00

According to Room 101 Cigars the story of the Namakubi goes as follows,

Although in many ways long gone, Samurai culture is believed to live on in spirit within certain groups. In ancient times when two Samurai clans would gather for competition there was a great deal at stake. Normally, the losing party would die as a result of wounds sustained in battle or be executed upon defeat. The Namakubi, or freshly severed head of the losing party would be prepared on a wooden tray then tagged in a regimented manner and presented to the leader of the winning clan as a gift.

We, as modern day samurai, present to you our own Namakubi. These twenty limited edition cigars have been tagged (banded), and carefully prepared for your enjoyment. The blend is comprised of a beautiful Habano wrapper, complimented by a proprietary “Generoso” (Honduras) seed binder, Dominican and Honduran “Vuelta Abajo” fillers. The strength of this new limited is Medium to Full in body for a powerful, yet pleasant smoking experience.

The cigars are available as a Papi Chulo 42×4 (MSRP: $6.00): 400 boxes (50ct cabinetta style); Roxxo 48×4 (MSRP: $7.00): 1000 boxes; Tiburon 44×6 (MSRP: $8.00): 1000 boxes; Sucio 48×7 ($9.00): 1000 boxes and Monstro 60×5 ($10.00): 1000 boxes

Cigar: Room 101 LTD Namakubi
Size: 6 x 44 (Tiburon)
Wrapper: Habano
Binder: Honduras
Filler: Dominican and Honduras
Strength: Medium
Cigars Smoked For Review: 3

Room 101 Namakubi

Appearance and Construction: The Habano wrapper on the cigar is glistening with oils on this corona size smoke. The corona is one of my favorite sizes because of the ratio of wrapper to filler. The majority of flavors from the cigar comes from the wrapper, so the small ring gauge the more you taste the nuances of the cigars. This is what the blender had in mind when they made the cigar. The wrapper has a few thin veins and a slight tooth to it. Examining to closely shows off a well rolled cigar with a perfectly placed cap. There appears to be no soft spots, and an average weight to the stick. The band has Namakubi in busy font of red letters on a black background.

Room 101 Namakubi - Foot

Flavor & Notes: The cold draw of the Namakubi has a mix of earth, wood and sweetness to it which is a nice complexity for the prelight. The foot of the smoke has a musky sweetness that is mix of figs and molasses. The cigar lit easily under my soft flame Xikar Lighter. Once the cigar is lit there are some tea like notes and citrus mixed with some wood to star. As we entered the second third of the cigar some of that molasses we experienced in the pre-light is pick up through the nose as the dominant notes are coffee and leather. There is also some peppermint on the finish that has me thinking of schnapps. In the last third of the Room 101 Namakubi the strength kicks it up a notch and the notes are coffee with a bit of a citric finish.

Room 101 Namakubi - First 3rd

Smoking Characteristics: The Namkubi features one of the finest looking carbon lines on any cigar that I have smoked. The cigar stayed lit from start to finish and had a firm light color ash with an impeccable draw. For a corona there was an ample amount of smoke with a nice tropical aroma.

Room 101 Namakubi - Second 3rd

Conclusion: The stuff being released by Room 101 lately has been really good. The Connecticut was a nice surprise and the Namakubi is a cigar worth losing your head over. A nice flavor profile and perfect burn make this a cigar worth buying by the box.

Room 101 Namakubi - Last 3rd

Rating: 91
Price: $8.00

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…

This incredible piece of functional art will officially be unveiled at IPCPR in 2 weeks. The Casa De Tobacco will also serve as a Humidor and features the Air Bender Maduro.  The unit is made from rattan and leaves from the plantain. It basically looks like a scale model of the curing barns that are in the tobacco regions of the Dominican Republic.

Production is limited, and the MSRP is $350.00.

Casa de Tobacco by La Flor Dominicana