La Flor Dominicana Air Bender Cigar Review
I had a couple of the La Flor Dominicana Air Bender Maestros last summer and I liked them. Hopefully another few months resting in the humidor will have made this cigar even better.
Extremely oily wrapper with a number of small veins running from the foot to the cap. It is very uniform in shape and is relatively fully packed. There are a couple of cracks in the wrapper: one near the foot and another by the cap. The one adjacent to the cap will probably prove to be bothersome due to its close proximity to the cap. Too bad, hopefully I can cope.
On a side note, I just saw the other day that Cigar Aficionado put the LFD Air Bender Chisel in its Top 10. That’s one vote for the cigar (in a different vitola).
Cigar Stats
Corona Gorda
Length: 5 ½″
Ring Gauge: 52
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano
Binder: Dominican Republic
Filler: Dominican Republic
Price: $7.25/Single | $115.00/Box of 20
Restrepo Flame!
Sure enough after cutting the cigar the crack extends itself all the way through my cut. It probably won’t be too big of a problem in the early goings of this cigar but I’m positive it will make things more difficult the closer to the end I get. That’s going to be especially true once I take off the band because that is what is holding the wrapper together down there right now.
This is one of those cigars where the flavors seem submerged. I can taste the warm spice and the woody flavors but they are echoes of what they should be. During the first third, at least, this cigar is lacking the requisite intensity to keep these flavors interesting. Part of the problem is attributable to the fairly tight draw but I do not believe the crack near the head of the cigar is to blame.
The second third shows some signs of improvement. For example, the spice has come on line a little more strongly now growing from a veiled pseudo-spice to a dry, somewhat sweet spice. It’s a good change all in all. Another flavor that is coming through now is bread dough. At the tail end of the second third there is a graham cracker flavor.
Entering the final third and the main flavor, pretty much its only flavor, is spice. And that flavor is enjoyable enough. But it’s one of those things that you know should be much better, something special. Maybe there was something a little out of phase with this cigar because, honest to God, I remember these cigars being much better. At times with this cigar there are some flashes of inspiration but, overall, it is not that impressive of a cigar. It’s still good though.
Full bodied with a tight draw and an even burn. I think that the Air Bender deserves further investigation and I will probably be doing another review of these cigars in a few months time, perhaps with a different vitola. Normally, I don’t plan on giving mulligans for cigars that I review but this is a special enough case based solely on my previous experiences with this cigar. Right now I’m pegging it as an average cigar.
88 points
Calibre Cigar Review
According to the little card that Miami Cigar & Co. sent with these samples (yes, that’s the full disclosure part) “This 100% Nicaraguan Puro was initially created as a personal house blend of Miami Cigar to be used exclusively for promos but, due to the demand, we were forced to release them.” These cigars come in two sizes, both will be reviewed here, and in both rosado and oscuro wrappers, I’ll be smoking the former. Oh, and these things are Nub short, just so you know.
Wrapper: Nicaragua | Binder: Nicaragua | Filler: Nicaragua | Price: $4.60
The Robusto (4 x 58)
It really is a good looking cigar in the same way that the Nubs are. The wrapper has some oils on it, is well made and it is perhaps too solidly packed. There are a couple of medium sized holes in the wrapper but there really isn’t a vein issue.
Dwarf Flame!
The prelight draw is easy and sweet while the foot has a spicy sweet smell to it. The first third of the cigar is really complex. Nuttiness, hay, a quickly diminishing sweetness and some bitterness. While that bitterness does add some contrast to the flavor profile it is almost overpowering the other flavors, which, in this case, isn’t a good thing.
Entering the second third now and that blasted bitterness has largely dissipated. With bitterness performing at a diminished capacity other flavors are shining. Sweetness and cashew lead the way with some spice. One area of worry is that a crack has formed at the midway point of the cigar. So far it isn’t growing much and is being consumed by the burn line, which is fairly even. The draw has been a smidgen tight at times but that is me just splitting hairs, really.
I’m going to go ahead and peg this as nominally full bodied. For some reason, the strength seems to be getting to me. Now, I’ve smoked a few of these before and I don’t remember this happening before. I’ll chalk this one up to sleep deprivation.
Nearing the end now it’s now a predominantly earthy cigar. There is some sourness present on the periphery. But it’s not a deal breaker at all because it is just a minor nuisance. Really good cigar.
88 points
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The Torpedo (4 x 58)
Of the two vitolas I like this one the most; well, at least I have liked it more. Very well made cigar with an oily wrapper and no notable blemishes.
Acula Torch!
Spice is the first thing you notice with this cigar. That and the great draw. Nuts and woodiness are in the background. Intriguing flavors. I can taste a little bit of that bitterness coming around the corner.
Bitterness, for this cigar, is actually a wonderful development. I’m not sure what the difference is between this vitola and the robusto but there seems to be a difference to me. The bitterness here is developing into a cocoa bitterness that I really like.
Rich flavors abound with this one. What is especially good with this cigar is that the flavors are refined and work well with each other.
Over halfway through now and this cigar has settled down into being a medium-full bodied cigar with plus flavors. Nuttiness, some sweetness and a somewhat bitter cocoa flavor remain. Spice really wasn’t a major player after the first half an inch or so.
Good draw and burn with this cigar. Overall, it is an enjoyable cigar and there is a decent amount of complexity too. Enjoyed smoking it.
91 points
Minotaur Cigar Review
This is another cigar I received from Felipe Gregorio (full disclosure and all that).
The best intro for this cigar has already been done by the Stogie Guys during their coverage of the 2010 IPCPR:
Felipe Gregorio is releasing the rosado-wrapped Minotaur at a price point of $15 a cigar for the only size in the line. Minotaur is sold in boxes of 15 and was made at the request of a prominent cigar distributor in France. It is blended to approximate the profile of Cuban cigars to make it more marketable in Europe.
The cigar itself looks beautiful. The rosado wrapper doesn’t have any raised veins, has some oils, evenly packed well and no visible imperfections. Looking forward to it.
Cigar Stats
Length: 6″
Ring Gauge: 55
Wrapper: Rosado
Price: $15.00/cigar
Ricochet Fire!
A tidy group of pleasant flavors great you from the start. Mild fruitiness, tobacco, earth and some burnt hay. My one reservation about these flavors is that, at least in the beginning, they are not as strong as I would like.
As the cigar progresses the flavors do gain in strength to a certain extent but not in complexity. A lack of complexity, or, to be more exact, a lack in the evolution of the flavors over the course of the cigar, is not a big problem for me as long as those flavors are enjoyable. And they are.
Nearing the end now and the flavors are getting stronger, which is definitely a good sign. Good flavors.
The draw is a little tight and the burn requires some pretty sizable touch ups. It is a medium bodied cigar. My problem with this cigar is that the flavors are a little weak until sometime around the halfway point. That problem is somewhat overcome by its improved performance after the halfway point.
88 points
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
