It's with great pleasure that I share my thoughts on this new blend from Xurvivor Cigars. It’s nice to see the legacy of such a historically significant place as Ybor City being preserved through the art of hand crafting premium cigars.

This latest offering from Xurvivor, is in my opinion, perhaps their best and only rivaled by the very limited production Primero. The Americano definitely does justice to its birthplace, Cigar City, and is entirely made here in the Ybor City, Florida.

As I’ve stated in past reviews, i’m just a regular guy, with a regular palate, who smokes a good amount of cigars. While I can't pick out every element in a cigar’s makeup, I do know what I like and I enjoy sharing my opinions with you. So on to the topic of this review.

Xurvivor classifies the Americano as a Maduro, making it their first Maduro in the lineup.

July 2, 2018

There's a bit of an argybargy going on in the Forums section of Cigar Weekly and given that Doug is on vacation and John is on emergency medical leave (everything is OK),I am the only one left to publish. I have decided to take a contrarian view. The topic in question is which is more important, flavor or construction. Flavor is miles ahead of construction and poor construction appears to be the deciding factor. In this review, I'm going to juxtapose a bit, but I really think that this cigar's construction is nearly flawless and I will wait for age to smooth off the cigar's ragged edges.

June 25th, 2018

Size of cigar: 5 inches by 54 ring gauge

This cigar may not possess a look that's immediately eye catching, especially if you find yourself seeking out a new stick in a store. It’s a rather simple-appearing yet big Robusto sporting a nice dark wrapper with a blue band around the foot. But if you take a closer look, you’ll notice the ring gauge is a little bigger than that of a normal Robusto, and that the wrapper is actually quite beautiful. Even better, this AJ Fernandez feels and smells perfect, just as a premium-made cigar should.

The Diesel Grind is a spin-off of the famous Diesel Unholy Cocktail, and comes from the same factory, Tabacalera Fernandez in Esteli, Nicaragua. (It’s marketed by Alex Svensson of Maier & Dutch, the owners of the Diesel brand.)

The wrapper is an Ecuadorian Habano, and it’s as smooth as a shiny mirror. The binder is a Honduran leaf, and the filler comes from Nicaragua and Honduras – a nice combination.

First off, I love the ring gauge. The initial aroma includes scents of earth, leather, wood, and a fresh smell that I can’t find the word to properly describe. Time to cut and take a dry puff. The cut requires some real pressure, indicating that the humidity and construction of the cigar are pretty much spot-on. The dry puff reveals a perfect draw, which just makes me want to toast and light the Robusto up and go for the real flavors.

June 12th, 2018

"Better late than never," I say. And in the case of this particular Father's Day Gift Guide, it was almost never. I'd committed to writing the guide. Then, one of my co-workers left the company, and I picked up some of his duties along with a big project. To say that I would end that day not wanting to get near a computer would be an understatement. But hey! I pulled myself together, and with the help of Jason and Doug (I’ll call out their sections, but you’ll notice the difference in writing styles, I’m sure...), it’s finished. So, without further delay - “Here we go!”