Padilla Cazadores Short Cigar Review
I like my Padillas. They are always well made and they almost always taste great. This cigar, the Padilla Cazadores Torpedo (6×52) is one Padilla made stogie that I have been reticent about trying. It’s basically one of their down market offerings but, who knows, right. The Cazadores come with an Ecuadorian wrapper, Ecuadorian binder and filler tobacco from Ecuador as well. This cigar is from Cigars Direct. These cigars all retail for around $5.00 a stick.
0/3: Hardly any veins, very smooth wrapper, light brown color and a slight sheen of oil. Obviously a well made cigar but I just don’t think it will hold up to most of the other Padillas that I have smoked.
1/3: It starts out somewhat promising. Creamy coffee, burnt hay and some oak to start out.
2/3: The second third isn’t so good, it gets a little harsh. Burnt hay coupled with nuts isn’t a great combination.
3/3: As I entered the final third I could not say that I liked this cigar. At the very end, however, there was one redeeming quality: the harshness mellowed enough for a somewhat sweet creaminess to come through.
4/3: Overall, it is a little below average. Medium-full bodied with some good flavors coming through mostly at the beginning and then again near the end. It does have a good draw and burn though, so that’s a plus.
2 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
Nestor Miranda Collection Dominicano Rosado Cigar Review
Before we get into the good part, the actual review, I need to disclose the fact that I got these cigars from Miami Cigar Co. The Nestor Miranda Collection Dominicano has not been released yet and they decided to send me some. Let me be clear: if this cigar sucks then I’ll tell you. (Fortunately, it doesn’t suck – I’ve had a few already.)
It looks perfect. The shape is so artfully done it almost looks like it was crafted with the aid of CAD software. Some oils, a couple of veins and a couple of muted black spots/streaks. It is filled perfectly.
Cigar Stats
Robusto
Length: 5 1/2″
Ring Gauge: 54
Wrapper: Dominican Rosado
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Price: $7.60/cigar
Free Fire!
This is one of those cigars that are just alive with flavor from the beginning. Nutty, an alluring bitter earthiness, cream and some spice. Generally speaking, there is also a nice sweetness present in the flavor profile.
After an inch that nutty flavor takes on a roasted quality that I like. Additionally, an aged steak flavor starts to pop in along with some saltiness. It is a medium-full bodied cigar that produces a ton of smoke.
As the burn line approaches the midway point the main flavor changes to a sweet spice. The flavors remain strong and pleasant.
This isn’t a particularly smooth cigar taste-wise. Which was probably my biggest problem with the Cain Maduro; it was just too damn smooth. The burn, while fairly even, has required a couple of touchups from me, which was the case with most of the others that I smoked. I was probably being a little too anile when I touched it up the second time though. The draw is perfect.
The second half sees a continuance of that sweet spice flavor. Actually, it has become the predominant flavor, elbowing out most of the other flavors. The nuttiness and some bitterness remain in the background.
Nearing the nub now and the best way to summarize this cigar is that it is very complex. It starts out with a heartier flavor profile then morphs into its sweet spice with some minor changes throughout. At the end a new flavor actually comes through: maple. This cigar just doesn’t want to end.
Done now. Wonderful cigar, loved smoking each of them. When they come out you should definitely pick up a few.
91 points
Second Opinion – A Cigar Smoker’s Journal
Perdomo Habano Connecticut Short Cigar Review
Pre-Smoke
The light Connecticut shade wrapper that adorns this cigar has some discolorations. This Perdomo is packed nicely but there is not that much oil on it. Other than that, it looks like a well made cigar.
Beside the American wrapper, the filler and binder tobaccos are grown in Nicaragua (Esteli, Condega and Jalapa). For this review I will be smoking the robusto (5″ x 52), which retails for around $6.00 (the rest of the line will cost you more).
Smoke
Creaminess is the first noticeable flavor followed by oak. Those are the main flavors but there is also burnt toast in the background. It is a relatively smooth cigar but there is just something in the background that wants to burst out – sort of like a caged tiger or something like that.
At times I can almost taste the spice breaking through and then the mellow oakiness takes back over. Not a bad cigar by any means. It’s medium-full bodied, has a good draw and an even burn. And, truthfully, this cigar is growing on me. It’s laid back flavor profile is endearing.
After-Smoke
Overall, it is an enjoyable smoke. The flavors are more than adequate but there is not a lot of complexity with this Perdomo. I will say this: it is better than most of the Perdomos that I have smoked.
3.5 points
Arturo Fuente Chateau Fuente Sun Grown Cigar Review
Yesterday, I did a review for this cigar with the natural wrapper and the green band that holds the cedar sheath. To cut a long story short, I did not really care for that cigar and I rated it at 87 points. The flavors were all fine but the cigar just lacked life, complexity and most everything else that makes a cigar truly enjoyable. But maybe with a different wrapper this cigar will be better – maybe an Ecuadorian sun grown wrapper will do the trick.
I effortlessly slide off the cedar sheath, with the black band this time, and a well constructed cigar is revealed. It’s definitely darker than the other one, maybe a little bit more oil and packed tighter but not too tight. I can smell something sweet from the foot of this cigar. Let’s see if it’s better than the other one or not.
Cigar Stats
Robusto
Length: 4 1/2″
Ring Gauge: 50
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sun Grown
Binder: Dominican Republic
Filler: Dominican Republic
Price: $4.55
Echo Torch!
I smelled sweetness from the foot and now I can taste it. There’s also a coffee flavor that has a good helping of cream added in. Unfortunately, there is a pervasive burnt blandness that sticks around as the main aftertaste. Fortunately, that negative flavor is relegated to the bottom half of my olfactory system. The flavors I get through the nose are good.
During the first half an inch or so the flavors I mentioned are the main ones. After that point a dirty earthy flavor comes on stronger and I actually like it. It gives the cigar some interest. Surprisingly, at about this same time that burnt blandness has begun to fade into the background, almost disappearing but not quite gone.
The Arturo Fuente Chateau Fuente Sun Grown is a medium bodied cigar with a slightly erratic burn and a good draw. That negative flavor of burnt blandness has come back for the last third of the cigar, which is too bad. I was enjoying this cigar, somewhat. With the negative flavor this cigar falls precipitously in my estimation. Without the problematic flavor this cigar is one or two points better than the natural wrapper (which scored 87 points) version of this cigar but, with the negative flavor, the sun grown wrapper version of this cigar is at least two points worse.
It has its ups and downs. However, its highest highs are not very impressive. Couple that with the lows and this cigar can be avoided. The natural wrapper wins!
84 points
