August 20th, 2018

Size of cigar: 6 inches by 52 ring gauge
Wrapper: Honduras
Binder: Honduras
Filler: Honduras

Wrapper

The wrapper is dark brown and smooth looking. It has thin veins, and is a bit dry to the touch. The wrapper is gorgeous and inviting in appearance.

July 16th, 2018

Vitola: Torpedo
MSRP: $6
Wrapper: Candela
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan

The Candela section of your local B&M is most likely slim, if there is even one at all. So let’s start with a brief history.

(Note: The following information came from a question and answer session about Candela wrapped cigars between Smooth Draws Radio co-host Gary Laden and Nick Syris, a Certified Retail Tobacconist.)

August 13th, 2018

Quite honestly, I didn’t know anything about this cigar before going into it. I knew that I liked most sticks from Erik Espinosa and his crew, but I didn’t have much to go on before smoking this sample. The fact it was labeled with a blending band made it feel like I was getting a glimpse into the future. While I don’t know if this cigar ever came to be commercially or not, it was handed out at the 2017 IPCPR event. (Yes, I know... quite late! Sorry guys!)

Pre-light

The HUA33 is a 5 inch by 54 ring gauge Robusto with a light brown wrapper and a triple cap. The wrapper contained a few veins, but they were harmless and did not impact the smoking experience. The HUA33 passed the pinch test with flying colors, and a few dry pulls proved that it was filled perfectly. Pre-light draws gave off sensations of hay mixed with barnyard and a slight tingle of spice.

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.

August 6th, 2018

Perhaps the hardest thing about this review was deciding which one of Salamanca’s excellent cigars to select as the subject. Being that I've smoked more boxes of the Matthew than the others, I chose to review it this time around.

A wise man once told me that the most important thing a reviewer can tell the reader is if the cigar in question is worth buying and, more importantly, buying a box of. Well, in keeping with those words of wisdom, I'll tell you that I've smoked at least a half-dozen boxes of this Nicaraguan Beauty.

The Colorado Habano wrapped Toro (measuring a 54 ring gauge by 6 inches), which is sourced from the Plasencia Farm in Nicaragua, is really as wonderful to look at as it is to smoke. This seven-element vitola is the creation of Alan Fonseca.

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.

CigarWeekly CigarReview - The Encore by E.P.Carrillo

I'd sat down and taken a bunch of pictures of this cigar when we received it from the good folks at E.P. Carrillo cigars - care of their great marketing team.  The shipping box, and the presentation of the rocks glass, whisky cubes, cutter and cigar were definately eye catching. And so was the cigar!  A beautiful rich brown wrapper, reminicent of a very rich milk chocolate, or the crema on top of a perfect cup of espresso.

I'm often telling people that in 2016, on one of my many trips to Naples Florida to help my mother care for my father with cancer, that I was sitting one night in a cigar bar (Vincente of London, to be precise) and I'd taken notice of the La Historia - which was, then, a new cigar.  Selecting a La Historia (The don elena, I think, a box press toro) and a pint of guiness I sat down to smoke.  Note, this is not a review of that cigar - though I should pen one, because the point of all this is that when I finished my FIRST La Historia, the bartender asked if I wanted another cigar.  I hesitated briefly, pondering over my (2nd) guiness) and said - "Yes, you know, I'll have another one of those!".  I VERY rarely smoke the same cigar, twice in a row.  But the flavors were captivating. And as best as I can recall - the ONLY cigar I smoked two of, back to back, in 2016.

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 essays services reviews.com. 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.

Karl “The Mailman” Malone was at IPCPR promoting his new La Aurora Barrel Aged by Karl Malone. It was a logical step in his moves to delve into the cigar industry. He and his family launched a retail tobacco store in Ruston, La called Legends Cigar and Vape on June 23rd.

Malone’s booth also was named IPCPR 2018 Best in Show New Exhibitor.

(Click 'Read More' for video)

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!”