Guayacan Cigar Review
When I went to the #CHAtweetup2012 three weeks ago (damn, it’s already been three weeks) I had never heard of Guayacan Cigars. Then fate interceded, I won a raffle, and I picked up a five pack of cigars I did not recognize named Guayacan. It was either fate or I didn’t want a shirt that would never fit me; it was an easy choice.
I didn’t think the cigars were going to be anything special when I lit the first one up a few minutes later but I quickly found out that I was wrong. That day I definitely spent more time smoking than not so by the time I lit up my first Guayacan cigar I did so because I didn’t want to waste one of the cigars I bought; I just wanted to smoke another cigar. And then something strange happened: I tasted great flavors. Wonderful flavors, flavors that I wasn’t expecting.
Well, that’s enough of this trip down memory lane. I ended up liking this cigar so much I had to meet the man who created these cigars and after meeting him I was truly impressed. Noel Rojas was born in Cuba (a place ruled by a government he has nothing but antipathy for) and was able to break out of that Hell hole about half a decade ago. Seriously, if you get a chance to meet him please do yourself a favor and introduce yourself.
His cigars are all artfully constructed with a good amount of oils and a semi-waxy feel to the wrapper. This particular cigar, the churchill, is a (mildly) box pressed cigar with a minimal amount of veins and a medium brown color to it.
Unless you act fast and get your hands on one of these churchills from the first batch produced you will never get a chance to smoke this cigar as each vitola, of which there are four, have unique blends and, starting with the second batch, the blend will be unified and based off of the blend for the current torpedo. (h/t halfwheel) Still, I have tried each vitola and there’s more similarities than there are differences so I don’t have a problem reviewing this cigar.
Cigar Stats
Vitola: churchill
Length: 7”
Ring Gauge: 50
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano
Binder: Nicaraguan Corojo ’98
Filler: Nicaraguan Corojo ’98
Price: MSRP $7.00/Cigar
Guayacan Twitter Torch!
The flavor profile is a nice mix of sweetness and spice. It’s a very refreshing cigar; lightness plus strong flavors. There is also some oak hanging around. Very good start to the first third but, if I do have one quibble, it’s that the draw is a little tight during this first third, which is something I haven’t noticed from any of the other vitolas.
During the second third I am getting more of the same sweet spice and that is perfectly fine with me. I am also getting this doughy flavor intermittently. The draw opens up during this third and that is an improvement but, still, the flavors were very nice during the first third as well.
As I enter the final third a floral sweetness starts to come through. It’s a good way to end this cigar because it puts a nice cap on this light, refreshing cigar. There’s still a bit of spice but it’s not a big part of the flavor profile at this point. The draw does get a bit tight again.
Medium bodied with a slightly tight draw and a good burn what I like the most about this cigar is that the flavors are very alive from the first puff to the nub. Personally, I like draws to be a little loose and every other vitola in this line had a good draw by those standards but, for whatever reason, this one was just a little tight. However, the slightly tight draw did not affect the flavors or my enjoyment of this cigar all that much. Overall, I thought that each vitola was great. Find this cigar, which probably won’t be too much of a problem now that Emilio Cigars is now distributing this cigar. I’m eagerly looking forward to trying more from the next batch.
92 points
Liga Privada Undercrown Cigar Review
Full Disclosure: I received some of these cigars from BnB Tobacco.
I reviewed this exact same cigar, the Undercrown, last year and I really liked it. In fact, it made it into my Top 10 for 2011. Usually, I don’t review cigars more than once but BnB Tobacco sent me a couple. And this is a good thing. Cigars change over time and this cigar has been sitting for a few months. Also, won’t it be fun to find out if I like this cigar as much as I did last year (92 points in my previous review)?
The first time I heard about Drew Estate it was as the maker of flavored cigars. And, since I hate flavored cigars, I didn’t think much of the company. But then I tried the Liga Privada no. 9 and the Liga Privada T52 and I quickly found out that these guys can make some awesome cigars.
Impeccably constructed, this cigar with a dark brown wrapper is so devoid of imperfections I’m beginning to wonder if it’s not android tobacco. Here we go with the review.
Cigar Stats
Length: 5″
Ring Gauge: 54
Wrapper: Otapan Negro Último Corte
Binder: T52 Connecticut River Valley Stalk Cut & Cured Habano
Filler: Brazilian Mata Fina and Nicaraguan Cuban Seed
Price:$149.99/Box of 25 | $32.99/Pack of 5
Infection Incineration!
There’s something about this cigar that I like… and it’s subtly different with a few months worth of aging. Rich, clay earth, dark chocolate and espresso. Very nice mixture.
Earth and espresso lead the way during the second third. Little bit of sweetness pushes through as well during the penultimate third.
The final third does have some changes. There’s this berry sweetness shrouded in a cocoon of bitter earth and espresso. Interesting mix and it’s a good change of pace even if it isn’t a monumental change.
The Liga Privada Undercrown is a solid cigar, there is no doubt about that. And it is a little surprising to me since I like cigars with spice and bolder flavors. This is not that kind of a cigar. Instead, you’ll find a solid group of flavors and a reserved demeanor.
Medium bodied with an excellent burn and draw. Even if you are a fan of stronger cigars you will like this cigar. This is the kind of cigar that would be liked by both beginner and experienced cigar smokers alike. Is it better with a few months worth of aging? I didn’t find that there was much difference in my enjoyment of this cigar.
92 points
Viaje Skull and Bones Red WMD 2012 Cigar Review
While catching up on the humanity versus aliens drama “Falling Skies” I decided to smoke a cigar whose name may provide a solution for Dr. John Carter, I mean Tom Mason, and his band of brave humans who are fighting those pesky genocidal aliens. Of course, the cigar I am talking about is the Viaje Skull and Bones Red WMD (2012). A weapon of mass destruction worked for Will Smith and Jeff Goldblum after all, so why shouldn’t it also work for Noah Wyle?
I have smoked one of these short and stubby cigars previously and I wasn’t very impressed. Truth be told, I don’t know much about this cigar other than that it’s extremely limited and that it’s billed as a strong cigar (for more information on the line check out halfwheel). My previous experience with this cigar contradicts the “strong cigar” billing and from a short perusal of other reviews I find that I am not alone here. However, when I previously smoked one of these it was at the end of a day of herfing and I had been drinking some – so my perception may be a little off.
This cigar is not the cigar version of Michelangelo’s David; there are small bumps and veins aplenty. Also, it is not perfectly cylindrical with a bit a waviness noticeable on the profile of the cigar. None of these shortcomings are, I believe, bad omens. Cigars are handmade delicacies and, while the way a cigar looks does matter, I have smoked a lot of ugly cigars that ended up being more enjoyable than great looking cigars. Oh, and this cigar does have a slight sheen of oils coating the wrapper and it is a tightly packed cigar.
Cigar Stats
Vitola: short robusto
Length: 3 ¾”
Ring Gauge: 54
Wrapper: Nicaragua Criollo
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Price: $225.00/Box of 25
Falling Skies Nuclear Holocaust!
It’s awesome! Basically, what you get in the beginning is an onslaught of bright spice. Buttressing this flamethrower-like intensity of spice is a healthy dose of oak.
Going into the second third the flavor intensity has not flagged. What is most surprising about this cigar is that with this strength, which has noticeably moderated, it is still a very smooth cigar. There is some evolution in the flavor profile as well. While the spice has scaled back to half strength there is a sweetness that has come on with the slightest hint of cherry in the background.
During the final third there’s a bit more evolution as the flavor profile morphs into sweet spice. Overall, it is a very enjoyable cigar.
While this is a full bodied cigar it is by no means uncomfortably so. Both the draw and the burn are great. If you are looking for a smaller cigar that last for about an hour that is as much of a firecracker as the “noisy cricket” from Men in Black then this is definitely the cigar for you.
A couple notes of caution must be said. This cigar does not have strength to spare, which is fine but it was billed as being super strong. Don’t be expecting that when you light one up for the first time. Furthermore, it is a rather short cigar so while I do like the flavors and I did find enough evolution in the cigar to keep me interested, that is just me. This cigar’s flavor profile fell into my wheel house and if it doesn’t fall into yours you will be disappointed. If you don’t like spice you probably won’t like this cigar all that much.
92 points
My Father Le Bijou 1922 Cigar Review
A dark wrapper with a couple of medium sized veins; this cigar looks good. It comes from Don Pepin Garcia and the My Fathe Le Bijou 1922 makes use of this difficult leaf to grow called Pelo de Oro for the wrapper, which means something of gold, if I’m not mistaken (score one for three years of high school Spanish!). I have liked this cigar in the past and have generally good feelings about the My Father line of cigars as well. Never have done a review on one (except for the Smoke Inn’s special edition El Hijo) but do not take that as a sign of anything, good or bad.
Cigar Stats
Vitola: toro
Length: 6″
Ring Gauge: 52
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Habano Oscuro
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Price: $235.00/Box of 23 | $11.50/Single
Eagle Speedster Pyre!
Pepper with very dry wood – oak – and a distinct crispness to the flavor profile. It’s hitting me just right with that slight peppery burn at the entrance to my nasal passages, the lasting oak on my tongue and the general warmness of the flavors. Basically, it’s starting out a winner.
As all you francophiles out there already know “le bijou” stands for “the jewel” – at least that’s what I have read. And it makes sense, maybe not “the jewel,” but the whole French thing because while I was thinking about the best way to describe the flavor profile for this cigar that’s what I came up with: French. While the flavors are big and bold (spice and oak I’ve already mentioned, I’d add cocoa to the mix after the first third) they are also refined and there is an elegant balance to everything.
The only change of note to this great cigar is that there is a grilled meat flavor that starts coming on near the end. Overall, it’s a good cigar that definitely kept my interest from the beginning, when it was very peppery, to the end as it mellowed out into a well rounded mixture of pepper, oak, cocoa and meat. It’s medium-full bodied, just slightly more than medium really, with a great draw and burn. It’s one of those cigars that you will love smoking.
92 points
Undercrown Cigar Review
What the heck is an “Undercrown” anyways? As far as I can tell, before Drew Estate got it’s hands on the name the only other time in the history of mankind this term was used was for the creation of a clothing company that is “The brand for champions.” Alright, that is kind of disappointing. I was hoping that the term Undercrown had some sort of medieval history about it; maybe the Undercrown could have been an English king in exile. Even though there is no link for this name to anything historical I think it still makes sense.
According to the Drew Estate legend this cigar is the product of the creativity of their torcedores who were told they could no longer smoke as many Liga Privada cigars as they wanted. So, they did what any other enterprising employee would do and used the same tobacco to make a different cigar: the Undercrown. My only problem with this story is that just because the torcedores put the tobacco in a different cigar doesn’t mean they are smoking any less of that tobacco. I wonder what new cigars the torcedores will come up with once the bosses over at Drew Estate cut the torcedores’ personal supply of Undercrowns.
They’re solid cigars. The first one I smoked was at a cigar lounge in Fullerton and even though the air was more smoke than oxygen the cigar was pretty amazing. And it makes sense that it would taste so good when you look at it: perfect shape, the wrapper is smooth to the touch, it’s oily, evenly packed and no raised veins. Another reason why it isn’t a shocker I liked this cigar is because those industrious torcedores over at Drew Estate were Wile E. Coyote enough to put some of that delicious T52 Connecticut River Valley Stalk Cut tobacco into it. And I loved the T52.
Cigar Stats
Length: 5″
Ring Gauge: 54
Wrapper: Otapan Negro Último Corte
Binder: T52 Connecticut River Valley Stalk Cut & Cured Habano
Filler: Brazilian Mata Fina and Nicaraguan Cuban Seed
Price:$167.00/Box of 25 | $35.50/Pack of 5
Coronal Mass Ejection Torch!
Isn’t all tobacco that is used to make a cigar cured? Don’t know why that was put in there but, hey, I just report in Cigar Stats.
When a cigar produces a tactile experience akin to smoking a pixy stick I love it. It’s almost like the flavor molecules have granulated and you can pick out each individual flavor granule. This is one of those cigars and some of the flavor granules I am picking up include: somewhat sweet spice, meat, yeasty sweetness as well and some cherry.
Pretty much the same during the second third but with some chocolate added into the mix. And that is fine. The flavors are still very good and the Undercrown is one of those easy going smokes that provides a lot of flavor.
As you near the end of this cigar the spice retreats into the background and leaves an earthy tableau in its place. Chocolate, meat and some sweetness for character. Each puff reveals some nuances to the flavor profile that puts a nice spin on the flavors I mentioned. Sometimes the flavors are more chocolaty and then at other times they are more meaty. I hate to say that the granulated effect has worn off now and in its place is creamy smoke, which is better than fine.
Ironically, this was the cigar that my friend found too strong when he first started smoking it. Personally, I think this is right in the middle of the medium bodied range. Keith, over at Tiki Bar Online, pegs this as a full-medium bodied smoke, which I think gives more credence to the thesis that strength is subjective. The draw was good and the burn was good as well, requiring a couple of minor touch ups at the end. Drew Estate’s Undercrown is a complex cigar with good smoking characteristics and enough variability in the flavor profile to keep even the most jaded cigar smoker interested for a couple of hours.
92 points
