Oliva Serie V Cigar Review
Very good looking cigar. The mottled near-black finish of the wrapper has veins running every which way but not in enough quantity to scare me. Oily? Yes, but not very. Consistently packed from cap to foot with enough tobacco to give just the slightest amount when I check for soft spots.
I forgot to mention a medium sized, oblong hole that appears three inches from the foot of the cigar. It runs 1/8th of an inch long by 1/16th of an inch wide at its widest point. Shouldn’t be too much of a problem as far as the flavor is concerned but I am keeping it in mind for the overall score (in other words, not a huge deal). Actually, now that I think of it, I cannot remember seeing a hole in any other of the Oliva Serie V wrappers that I have had.
The pre-light draw is reminiscent of the last Serie V I had. This one has a better draw and the mix of spice and chocolate is inverted with spice being a much more prominent factor in the flavor profile. It has been at least two minutes since I took the pre-light draw and I can still feel the spiciness on my tongue. My anticipation grows.
Cigar Stats
Length: 7″
Ring Gauge: 52
Wrapper: Nicaragua – Habano Sun Grown
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua – Jalapa Valley Ligero
Price: $8.50/Single | $175.00/Box of 24
Bar Rescue Torch!
Bitter chocolate and a certain amount of earthiness greet my palate first. Then comes a bitter spiciness, which is something that is good in an interesting sort of way. It’s an interesting flavor combination but I am going to withhold judgment for now. Shortly after the first rush of bitterness it gracefully fades into the background leaving a mixture of spice and earthiness to take the lead.
The aroma for this vitola is identical to the previous one; rich chocolate cake. The pre-light draw was not a misnomer because the draw is just as good now as it was before the cigar took the flame.
Strength is something that I am acutely aware of early on in the cigar’s progression. Unlike with some of the smaller vitolas in the V line the strength apparent here is much more serious. I am less than a half inch into the cigar and if it progresses much further in the strength category I may go into convulsions and start talking in tongues! That, of course, is pure hyperbole – I love the strength of this cigar – the more the better!
Before getting into the second third of this cigar the flavor profile has imperceptibly shifted away from that chocolate flavor. Spice and a grassy earthiness have now completely taken over. The spice is more temperate now – the strength has undergone no such change. All of this has taken place over the first third of the stick.
Walking away from a cigar for more than a couple of minutes usually leads to it dying – not so in this case. Doing so has given my palate some time to normalize and refresh itself and the cigar has ever so slightly changed. Now, at the halfway point, it is spice, grass and a hint of chocolate. All three work together in harmony. The spice is, and has been, a warm spice of varying strengths; each version a joy.
Time is not something I really think of in terms of cigars. But this one is an extremely slow burning cigar. It’s been over an hour since I first lit it and I am only halfway through it now. I have been sipping it, enjoying all its nuances, which is why it is taking so long. There really is no other way to go at this cigar though. If you don’t have the time to truly enjoy this cigar then you are better off leaving it in its humidified lair until a large enough chunk of time produces itself.
The remainder of the cigar is consistently great. Breaking into the final third is a saltiness accompanied by a decent helping of meat. A hint of leather creeps its way into the final bits. The burn is also good; it has been fairly even throughout. Give yourself up to three hours to smoke it, though. You will not be disappointed.
94 points
Liga Privada T52 Cigar Review
I’m trying to remember if I have heard anything bad about this cigar. Honestly, nothing comes storming to the forefront of my memory at this moment telling me that somebody doesn’t like this cigar. I’ve had a couple of these and, well, you will just have to wait to see what I think.
The Liga Privada T52 Belicoso is a wonderfully crafted quasi-torpedo (the head is rounded instead of coming to a point as is the case with most torpedos). Dark and oily are the best descriptors for this Connecticut grown Habano wrapper. I can detect no soft or hard spots on the cigar. I could ramble on about the back story regarding the wrapper for this cigar but, to cut a long story short, it’s special and grown the right way.
Cigar Stats
Torpedo
Length: 6″
Ring Gauge: 52
Wrapper: Connecticut
Binder: Brazil
Filler: Honduras & Nicaragua
Price: $11.00/Single | $240.00/Box of 24
Bradbury Flame!
The first third is an example of restrained greatness. Creamy chocolate is bracketed by a soft and somewhat sweet spice and some cream (the actual flavor and not just the smoking characteristic). What is most impressive about this cigar in the early goings is that the flavors mix together so well with some complexity.
The penultimate third has pretty much the same flavors just in a different mixture. That creaminess has increased and so has the chocolate flavor, more like coco now. The spice has dissipated somewhat.
Spice has almost completely disappeared in the final third. That’s fine because the other flavors are still very enjoyable on their own. Speaking of those other flavors, there are some changes of note. Mainly, the chocolate has morphed into something that I can only describe as hot chocolate.
In order to conceptualize the totality of the flavors in this cigar takes a little imagination. What I have outlined above are the basic flavors. This cigar’s flavor profile goes much further than that. Overlapping all those flavors is a grittiness that increases the enjoyment of all those flavors. Furthermore, each individual flavor takes on a chameleon-like liveliness that you don’t find in many cigars.
Suffice it to say this is an extremely enjoyable cigar. Full bodied with an excellent draw and a decent burn. It excites and intrigues from the first puff to the very end, where I burned my fingers a couple of times trying to get just one more taste.
94 points
Camacho Coyolar Cigar Review
About a year ago I did a Short Cigar Review on one of these and I gave it the most points possible, five points. That doesn’t mean I think it’s perfect but it is one of those cigars that I really think every cigar smoker should try. The Camacho Coyolar is extremely flavorful with pretty good smoking characteristics. Take a look at my previous review; now lets get on to a proper review of this cigar.
This cigar has been sitting in my humidor for nearly a year at this point. Part of a box I bought shortly after Christmas last year and this is the lucky one that is going to get reviewed. Hopefully that extra time in my humidor will have helped the flavors mature some.
Made in Danli, Honduras this cigar is not only a puro but all of the tobaccos used to construct these gems are grown on the same farm; the Coyolar farm. That’s pretty unique.
The wrapper is dark chocolate brown and has a good helping of oils. It feels a little fuzzy to the touch and this cigar is slightly underpacked, which seems common with Camachos. The look of the wrapper is marred by a couple of gnarly veins and a divot near the band which kind of reminds me of the divots left in the skulls of people who just had brain surgery back in the olden days.
Cigar Stats
Toro
Length: 6″
Ring Gauge: 60
Wrapper: Honduras
Binder: Honduras
Filler: Honduras
Price: $8.00/Single | $170.00/Box of 25
Dark Passenger Flame!
Maybe something has been lost in translation but I just don’t feel the same way I use to about this cigar. It’s only the beginning, so things might change, I hope that they do, but it just seems different. There is spice that is most apparent on the sides of my tongue and it lingers and then there is also anise on the retrohale.
Alright, it just took some time to warm up because it is now beginning to remind me of those cigars I had a while back. The spice is picking up and there is some dark sweetness lingering in the background. Leather and meaty flavors are coming on strong after the first inch.
I’m looking back at the Short Cigar Review I did for this cigar and it’s matching up quite nicely, except for the added sweetness. More dark sweetness with this one than with the other one, which was the Rothschild (4 1/2 x 50). However, as was the case with the Rothschild, this Titan takes some time to develop. I’m a little past the halfway point now and it is immeasurably better than the first half inch.
A candied sweetness comes on strong during the last half of this cigar. It’s a change of pace that I was not expecting nor do I remember it from my previous dalliances with this cigar. It’s a good change of pace as well because it does bring some balance to this cigar.
What I like about this cigar is that there is a good deal of complexity to it. Spice, leather, meat and candied sweetness work well together. It is also smooth with the slightest tint of an edge to it, which is perfect in my book. The draw is great and the burn is pretty good, only requiring a couple of touch ups.
You know you are smoking a good cigar when you don’t want it to end. This nominally full bodied cigar is one of those cigars. It’s no wonder that these cigars are so hard to find; they’re just that great.
94 points
Tatuaje Anarchy Cigar Review
I won’t lie, I was excited when I received a couple of samples of this cigar from Abe “MING” Dababneh’s Smoke Inn, which is a cigar retailer in Florida with six different B&Ms and an online presence as well (link). Accompanying these samples is a letter with a brief description of this limited edition cigar:
The wrapper used is a very special proprietary crop of Ecuadorian Habano leaf that Pepin & Pete [you know who they are] personally chose for the project. The binder and filler is Nicaraguan, and blended to perfection.
Want a little more info? Watch this video with a post-apocalyptic feel to it from Pete Johnson.
Spooky, I could almost sense the marauding band of disheveled twenty-somethings throwing shopping carts through the windows of Pete’s house during that video.
Alright, enough with the sideshow, let’s talk about this cigar.
It truly is an interesting cigar to look at. The foot tapers off a little and the bulge, which at its thickest is a 52 ring gauge, is not that far off from the narrowest part of the cigar, which is a 48 ring gauge.
What is really unique, for me at least, is the cap. It looks like a miniature cinnamon roll without the frosting. Basically, I think the way that they did it was that “miniature cinnamon roll” was constructed out of a pigtail and then they twirled it on the foot.
Beyond all of that stuff the wrapper looks awesome. Dark brown in complexion and without a lot of veins to get in the way. The cigar is, however, a little hard to the touch. I have smoked one of these so far and I can tell you that the draw required a small amount of effort but, other than that, it didn’t affect the flavors.
Cigar Stats
Perfecto
Length: 6″
Ring Gauge: 48-52
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Price: $49.95/Box of 5 | $149.85/Box of 15
It starts out like the good kind of rugged. You know the kind. John Wayne walks in from the desert to save a town that doesn’t really want his help kind of rugged. A parchingly dry spice is the first thing I noticed followed by a wisp of sweetness and a strong background of leather.
Copious amounts of cigar smoke are dancing around my head right now and I am liking this cigar even more than the first time I tried one. With the burn line a half an inch from the foot I cannot honestly say that this is a smooth cigar. Like I said, it’s rugged but it’s rugged in a way that augments the flavors. Spice and leather need a bit of wildness to them, I think. Obviously, as all good things, spice and leather can get a little too out of control. Fortunately with this cigar there is that sweetness that is lingering in the background and it does provide something of a restraint for that wildness.
After an inch I knock off the ash and the sweetness seems to be developing some. There is a hint of caramel there but it is way in the background. One interesting development is that the spice has moderated some and there is a definite smoky flavor that is coming through. This smokiness continues from the midway point to the end of the cigar.
With about three inches left on the cigar there is a nutty flavor that comes through a little bit and the main flavor present has become more earthy than anything else. Both are a nice addition to the overall flavor profile of this cigar and adds to the complexity as well.
There is a great review of this cigar on the Stogie Guys‘ website and in this review they noted a somewhat ragged burn line. The first one I smoked, shortly after receiving it, also had that problem. But with the extra couple of weeks in the humidor the burn line is just fine. The draw is good as well and it is a full bodied cigar.
All in all it is a great cigar. The flavors never disappoint. Get some while you still can.
94 points
Fuente Fuente Opus X Cigar Review
One of the most important reasons to become a cigar smoker is that you get to know other cigar smokers and other cigar smokers are generous people. That is the case with the person who gave me this cigar, John Jackson (JJ). He was one of my MBA professors and we now do business together. At a cigar dinner recently he gifted me this Opus X and now I’m going to do a review on it. (Incidentally, JJ’s new book, which I edited, Déjà New Marketing, has just been published – so check it out!)
One of the more surprising things about Opus Xs, at least the ones that I have had, is that they generally are not the prettiest looking cigars. In no way does that mean they aren’t expertly made, because they most certainly are, but the wrappers definitely tilt towards the rustic.
They are very oily however. Nicely packed with few veins and no major problems like holes in the wrapper or anything like that. Well, lets find out how good this puppy tastes!
Cigar Stats
Robusto
Length: 5 1/4″
Ring Gauge: 50
Wrapper: Dominican Republic
Binder: Dominican Republic
Filler: Dominican Republic
Price: don’t ask
30 Horses Light!
Fuente Fuente Opus X cigars definitely have a unique flavor to them and this one is a prime example of that uniqueness. Very spicy in the beginning, definitely full bodied and a dark sweetness that reminds me of a constrained anise. There are also meaty and leathery flavors as well.
This cigar is a perfect example of spiciness and, if memory serves, I don’t remember previous Opus Xs being this spicy. Part of me is hoping that the spice moderates as I get further into the cigar but a bigger part of me is mesmerized by it. The other flavors are there and, if not for the overpowering spiciness, they would be very strong flavors on their own. Complex cigar.
Near the beginning of the second third there is a notable change from full throttle spiciness to a more balanced menu of flavors. Oh, the spice is still aggressive but the anise and leather are more noticeable now and I must say that I am grateful.
Surprisingly, the spice transforms after the halfway point. Heretofore, it had been like a chili pepper delightfully punishing my tongue with each draw and now it is more like peppermint. A salty meatiness comes on stronger at around this point as well. Very complex cigar.
I can honestly understand why some people don’t like Opus X cigars: when they are at their best Opus Xs can be an assault on your taste buds. But, to me at least, there is a lot of nuance in that assault. At least when Opus Xs are at their best (more on that later).
At the end of this cigar the spice is all but gone and the leather and anise are the main flavors. It’s a great cigar and my biggest thanks to JJ for gifting it to me.
94 points
Now onto the “more on that later” segment of this review. Fuente Fuente Opus X cigars can sometimes be magnificent, as was the case here. Sometimes they are merely average or somewhat above average. If you don’t like spice and full bodied cigars then you should wait until a point in time when you do like those things in a cigar before you buy some. That being said, eventually you should at least try one to see if you like them or not. It is just one of those iconic brands that deserves a try.
