La Aurora 107 Cigar Review
Really? Someone made a special cigar for their 107th anniversary? Despite breaking the taboo of celebrating an anniversary that is not divisible by five, it is a good looking cigar. A bit on the smallish size but it is very oily and the wrapper feels very hearty. Well packed but there are a number of veins.
This is the fifth one of these that I am smoking. I got these cigars from Miami Cigar Company, thanks guys!
Cigar Stats
Robusto
Length: 5″
Ring Gauge: 50
Wrapper: Ecuador
Binder: Dominican Republic
Filler: Nicaragua & Dominican Republic
Price: $6.50/cigar
Coffee Torch!
Starts off very nicely. Maybe a bit harsh during the first few initial puffs but that deficiency is easily overcome by a good mixture of flavors. A little bit of warm spice, a mild floral sweetness and a meatiness.
Spice is not a major factor through the first third. The sweetness is not saccharine; it’s more of a deep, alluring sweetness. There is also a hint of leather.
Both the draw and the burn are very good. It is a medium-full bodied cigar. My big problem with this cigar is that there is not a whole lot of complexity to it. Also, I must say that there have been some woody flavors throughout this cigar.
Nearing the end now and I have to admit that this is a solid cigar. Not an amazing cigar but well worth a try or two. Smooth cigar with a good amount of flavor.
88 points
Room 101 Cigar Review
I must admit that I am a big fan of Camacho cigars. They are full bodied and extremely tasty – basically what I am looking for in a cigar. So, when I found out that they were releasing a new line in collaboration with a Los Angeles jewelery maker, I knew I had to try a couple. (And if I liked those couple I would definitely be going back out to find some more!)
The Room 101 cigars that I smoked were the 305 (robusto) series. It looks good with a slight sheen of oils. Well packed, although on the verge of being too tightly packed. The pre-light draw is actually a little loose and there is a slight sweet taste to this draw as well. I just hope that this fusion of tobacco and style leads to a great cigar.
Cigar Stats
Robusto
Length: 5″
Ring Gauge: 50
Wrapper: Semilla 101 (Honduras)
Binder: Honduras
Filler: Honduras, Dominican Republic
Price: around $7.00
Tricked Flame!
An effortless draw reveals what could turn out to be a very good cigar; even though, right now, it’s merely above average. There are a group of deep, dark flavors that add a certain grittiness to this cigar that I like. Chocolate and some spice add some of the accent flavors to what is an extremely earthy cigar. And, by earthy, I mean dirt – good dirt though. As was the case with the other cigar I have smoked it starts out really well after a brief lull in the beginning.
As the cigar progresses that “dirt” flavor only increases. Now, as a flavor in a cigar, I like dirt but this is a new frontier of earthiness for me and I’m not liking it all that much. Sure, the flavors are pure but is that really a good thing when that flavor is dirt? Luckily, the final couple inches of this cigar has a change in the flavor profile that I like.
Spice really starts to come through and it becomes a more robust, full bodied cigar. In addition to the reinvigorated spiciness there is an oak flavor. The draw, which started out effortless, has become a little too loose and, as a result, the cigar is burning too quickly. The burn itself is even. There is also a slight hint of an herbal flavor at this time.
As the final puffs of this cigar leave my mouth I am finding myself loving this cigar. But then I start to think of the dirt, which lasted for more than half of the cigar, and I realize that this cigar isn’t a great cigar for me. It was just too much dirt – rich, kind of tasty dirt, but dirt nonetheless.
If only the second one-third-plus of this cigar had been the flavor from start to finish I would have loved this cigar. The spice, with a little bit of dirt, and some oak really mixed well together. It was a dark, complex cigar nearer the end and that is what I liked about this cigar. Maybe I’ll pick up a few more if the price drops a little.
88 points
Cain Maduro Cigar Review
It is a nice looking cigar without much in the way of raised veins or discolorations. Not exactly the darkest maduro I have ever seen but it has a nice, chocolate hue to it. I am smoking the torpedo and I have noticed that most of the torpedos I got were cracking a little bit near the pointed foot of the torpedo. This is probably due to the care given to them by the cigar shop and, since the cracked wrapper is never too large, it gets cut off anyway. No harm, no foul in my book. It’s not very oily and has a number of soft spots throughout.
A lot has been made about the fact that this cigar is chock full with ligero tobacco from all the coolest locales. The little booklet that comes with a box of Cains states that it is “25% Esteli Ligero, 27% Condego Ligero, 30% Jalapa Ligero.” So, to put it bluntly, if you like a cigar that packs a punch then you would probably like Cain cigars.
Cigar Stats
Torpedo
Length: 6″
Ring Gauge: 54
Wrapper: Brazilian Maduro
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua Ligero (Esteli, Condega and Jalapa)
Price: around $7.00
Crazy Light!
Even before I gently torch the foot I can taste the strength. The center of my tongue lightly touched the newly cut part of the cigar and it stung a little. Knowing that I am in store for a full bodied cigar I light it and can immediately tell that it’s got a great draw. A couple inches into this cigar reveals a steady, even burn and a really strong ash. And, yes, it is a full bodied cigar but, to tell you the absolute truth, the strength isn’t bowling me over like the Cain F has (review forthcoming).
What is really impressive about this cigar is that with all the strength there really isn’t a foul note; it’s a smooth cigar. When I started smoking these cigars I was at least expecting some harshness and maybe some bitterness as well but they are nowhere to be found in the Cain Maduros I have smoked.
The second most impressive thing about this cigar is that it burns evenly. When I got these cigars I was fully prepared to do the occasional touch up but, for the most part, I haven’t had to touch up any of the Cain Maduros I have smoked.
Coffee, chocolate, a dirty earthiness and some other rich flavors lead the way with this cigar. The spice, which is a cross between cracked black pepper and a warmer spice like cinnamon, play well as a secondary (definitely not background) flavor profile. There is also an underlying sweetness evident in this cigar that works to accentuate the Cain Maduro’s overall robustness.
Interestingly, the spice, which is a strong supporting flavor profile, is what lingers the longest on my tongue, which is preferable to me.
After the halfway point the spice takes over the top flavor spot. There is also a nuttiness that starts to come through.
Overall, this cigar does not live up to the amazing amount of hype that has been heaped on it. While there is a lot of different flavors evident in this cigar none of those flavors really stand out. All of the different flavors play well with each other but it’s not amazing.
This all brings me to the conclusion that it’s a lot better to ignore the hype surrounding a cigar and to just appreciate it for what it is. It’s a semi-enjoyable cigar flavor-wise with a decent amount of kick. Don’t expect great things if you pick one of these up.
88 points
Arturo Fuente Rothschild Natural Cigar Review
Over the weekend I did reviews for the Arturo Fuente Chateau Fuente with both the Sun Grown and Natural wrappers. The one with the natural (Cameroon) wrapper scored 87 points and the sun grown (Ecuador) wrapped cigar scored a low 84 points. I have no compunction to smoke the sun grown one again and there really isn’t any immediate need to go out and pick up the natural one either. Maybe the Rothschild, which is the same size as the two I have mentioned, will be better.
It has a different wrapper than the Chateau Fuente Natural, with this one having a Connecticut Shade and the Chateau Fuente having Cameroon (hat tip cigar family guy for the clarification), and the blend is different as well. The Rothschild is less spicy, which isn’t exactly a good omen for me.
The Arturo Fuente Rothschild Natural is a good looking cigar, well-made. A couple of raised veins and a firm packing being the only negatives I can find. The wrapper has a good coating of oils on it.
Cigar Stats
Robusto
Length: 4 1/2″
Ring Gauge: 50
Wrapper: Connecticut Shade
Binder: Dominican Republic
Filler: Dominican Republic
Price: $4.40
Charm Flame!
Sure enough, it starts out milder than the Chateau Fuente Natural and Sun Grown. With that being said, the difference amongst the strengths is not too great with all of them being, basically, medium bodied. And, even though it is the weakest (strength-wise) of the bunch I have to admit that I am liking this one the most at this early stage (less than an inch in).
There is some complexity with this one. Rich, sweet wood notes (oak) along with some spice that I get mostly on my lips and the tip of my tongue. After 1 1/4″ a charcoal flavor starts coming through. There was something similar to that flavor in the other two cigars but this time this flavor is neutral if not a positive.
The draw is very good and the burn is even; no touch ups necessary. It looks like third time really is the charm. While I cannot say that this is a 90+ cigar it is very good. Either 88 or 89 points, not completely sure yet (almost to the nub now).
What I really like about this cigar is that the flavors are pretty strong and clean. The charcoal flavor, which could easily be a negative with most cigars, is actually pretty good with this one. I enjoyed it.
88 points
Arturo Fuente Don Carlos Cigar Review
This cigar, the Arturo Fuente Don Carlos Double Robusto, must have sat in my humidor for a very long time because I had completely forgotten about it. Like many cigars from the Fuentes this one is not the prettiest looking cigar ever. Holes and bumps abound on this lightly packed cigar. It is oily though.
According to the Arturo Fuente website, the tobaccos in this cigar are aged up to ten years, which at least makes the cigar more expensive (and, yes, aging cigars does help up to a point).
Cigar Stats
Robusto
Length: 5 3/4″
Ring Gauge: 50
Wrapper: Cameroon
Binder: Dominican Republic
Filler: Dominican Republic
Price: $9.75
Jones Flame!
First set of thoughts: Good draw with some good flavors. Second set of thoughts: Smooth smoke with notes of sweet oak and heavy cream. Third set of thoughts: Medium bodied cigar with a foul aftertaste that is best described as just being harsh.
Alright, after about an inch that aftertaste largely goes away and lets the flavors, which are actually very strong despite this being a medium bodied cigar, take over. That creaminess is most evident in my mouth but is also clear in the retrohale (exhaled smoke out of my nose). There are also some spicy elements with this cigar as well. Nothing overbearing – a subtle spice that buttresses the dominant cream and oak flavors.
Around the halfway point the smoothness mentioned earlier adds on some wildness, which isn’t always a bad thing. Although, with this cigar, it is a slight negative.
One thing that I cannot say about this cigar is that it is not boring. It may not be a truly great cigar but, for my tastes, it’s well above average. And then….
About three quarters of the way through the cigar that foul aftertaste comes back with a vengeance. It tastes a lot like an overly charred piece of steak. While it definitely is not one of the worst flavors I have tasted in a cigar it does detract from my overall experience. One last note before I finish this review: a sweet floral note enters the mix after the three-quarter mark.
88 points
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