Joya de Nicaragua Fuerte Serie B Cigar Review
Here I sit writing this impassioned plea for legalizing cigar lounges in the great frozen north that I call Washington and I realize that I am not smoking a cigar. I don’t know about your moral convictions but from my point of view that is a sin! So that is why I am about to light up this surprisingly good Joya de Nicaragua Fuerte Serie B.
Why surprisingly good when everything else from JDN can be consider good? Simple, it’s dirt cheap. Actually, it’s cheaper than dirt (seriously). For a mazo of 20 expect to pay around $50. That’s significantly cheaper than the Diesels that I really do like.
So, what about this cigar? Well, it’s been resting in my humidor for around a year at this point. It is the last cigar standing from its mazo and, to tell the truth, I haven’t smoked one in the past few months (I did keep some notes though). It’s the Corona Gorda (5×46) and it looks pretty good. It’s a dark brown wrapper with a moderate degree of imperfections ranging from the small light spot right next to one of the small veins to the inconsistency of the color in the wrapper.
Cigar Stats
Length: 5″
Ring Gauge: 46
Wrapper: Nicaragua
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua (Esteli, Jalapa & Condega)
Price: ~ $40/Mazo of 20
Nim Chimpsky Torch!
Right from the beginning it is as I had remembered it. An aggressive spice eagerly greats you from the first puff. Dry wood is the second flavor that I can really grasp. The first third isn’t all great though; I would have to say that the flavors are a little too simple and the cigar does tend a little towards being harsh.
But the second third is another matter. Whereas the first third was a pleasant take on spicy harshness the second third is a nuanced spiciness. Spice coupled with sweet wood and some fruity notes as well. The edge has been dulled enough so that this cigar neither assaults nor bores the senses.
The final third is basically a continuation of the second third, which is a good thing. The Joya de Nicaragua Fuerte Serie B is definitely for the cigar smoker who likes spice. It is fairly full bodied and it comes with a good draw and burn. Overall, especially for the price, I definitely like it.
89 points
Tatuaje The Face Cigar Review
Today we have a special guest review from TriMarkC. Thanks buddy!
CIGAR STATS
Size: 6 3/8″ x 56
Wrapper: San Andreas Mexican Maduro Wrapper (Seco priming)
Filler: Nicaraguan Long Fillers
Binder: Nicaraguan
Strength: Medium-to-Full Body
Price: Dress Box of 13, $169.00 (only 666 of these boxes produced!)
Plain Box of 10, $130.00 or about $13 each … if you can find them! (only 1300 boxes)
I have to admit, I’ve been very excited to try Tatuaje’s The Face after first learning about it. This is the third cigar in Pete Johnson’s special release series each Halloween to memorialize famous horror movie characters; The Face celebrates LeatherFace, the main character in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Since I haven’t been able to find any of his prior Horror series cigars I organized a group buy with several fellow BOTLs from CigarWorld.com to increase our chances this year. Luckily, we were able to acquire two boxes, which we shared together in a virtual herf; I’ve included their thoughts on The Face in this review, as well.
For this review, I smoked two Tatuaje’s The Face. Due to the reported strength of these cigars, I enjoyed both of these after a large meal. The first was 4-6 hours after a very large meal – Thanksgiving dinner, to be specific – and paired it with a light ale beer. The second was paired with a smoky sherry following another hearty meal after Christmas.
Pre-light:
When you first look at this cigar, you can immediately see Pete’s intent to mimic LeatherFace’s memorable look. It looks “rough” and leathery, and in fact, the well-known band is specifically designed to look like leather overlaid onto this cigar. The band is a rough-torn piece of light-brown Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper, on top of the cigar’s darker brown Mexican maduro-like wrapper. Further, the primary wrapper has a toothy appearance, with the foot uncut and roughly wrapped. The head is also unique, with a slightly pointy double cap. The Face is solidly packed and has a hefty weight to it with no soft spots.
Its aroma is slightly musty, with a strong barnyard smell and slight hints of woody oak or cedar and cocoa. The wrapped foot is more of the same.
The pointy cap snips cleanly, and the pre-light draw is slightly tight but adequately open that I don’t anticipate a problem. Finally, the taste is of barnyard and tobacco.
Burn:
The burn on both of my cigars was perfect, although one cigar developed a soft spot which turned into a hot spot right after and next to the lit head. Of course, as the cigar progressed, that problem was eliminated. However, two individuals in our virtual herf had problems where the wrapper split or fell apart. “The wrapper did tend to unravel at the face, but wasn’t too much of a problem.” (ChatlieBob) “(The) one I smoked did not seem dry in anyway, but the wrapper came apart before I even got 1/3 of the way through it. It seemed to unwrap with the heat. It was just strange to be enjoying something so much that looked so cheap as it fell apart.” (TailFeathers)
Flavor:
It took a bit to get The Face lit, likely due to the loosely wrapped tobacco at the foot. Right away, on the second or third draw I got a ton of spice on my lips and throat, and a touch of vanilla. As the cigar progressed, the volume of smoke increased, as well, until near the very end, when it had almost no smoke.
As I progressed into the first third, that barnyard aroma at the prelight has gotten a bit stronger, with some sweetness and woodiness, while the spice has muted to the background to produce a smooth, delicious flavor. For me, this reminds me of a smoky scotch whiskey, which paired incredibly well with the sherry I had with one of my cigars. The ash is solid, but falls off flakey at ¾” – 1” each time, and the strength is a very nice mild-to-medium.
In the second third, the wood flavor has progressed into a smoky oak, and an earthy flavor and aroma has come to the forefront. The spice picked up again, and there is this occasional fruity flavor that teases you now and then. And while the strength has increased to a medium-to-full, I’m still thoroughly enjoying this cigar.
And that’s when The Face hits you in the face! Outta nowhere, in the final third, the strength suddenly and dramatically picked up, and to be honest, it overwhelmed me. The first cigar I had, I had to put it down at this point to recover, it was so strong. The second cigar I had, I was able to finish, likely because I knew what to expect. And the strength just kept ratcheting up as I finished through that final third, until at the end the wonderful flavors and aromas that I enjoyed earlier was lost and all I experienced was the pure strength of The Face. Again, this cigar has reminded me of who it has been designed to mimic. More experienced cigar smokers in our virtual herf felt that this cigar was a smooth full-bodied cigar, but were not overwhelmed as I was. But as Rookie57 put it, “It’s no rookie’s smoke!”
Overall:
Overall, all of us really enjoyed this cigar! I loved the flavors and aromas of The Face, and once I learned to watch for its stunning finish, I was able to enjoy the whole cigar’s experience.
“I thought it was an excellent smoke. Full-bodied but smooth the whole way through. Very earthy and a small amount of pepper and spice in the final third. I loved it.” (IronMikeCW)
“It was very good!” (ChatlieBob)
“THE FACE was a wonderful smoke. (It was) very smooth all the way through, lots of earth, some spice, but not overwhelming. I found that it had a hint of coco, and I really like the construction. I really can’t wait to smoke another one and see what happens.” (TailFeathers)
Diesel Unholy Cocktail Guest Cigar Review
From my cigar buddy TriMarkC comes this great review of the Diesel Unholy Cocktail.
Diesel Unholy Cocktail, made by A.J. Fernandez
Size: 5×56, Belicoso torpedo
Wrapper: USA/Pennsylvania Broadleaf
Filler: Nicaraguan Long Fillers from Jalapa, Condega and Esteli region
Binder: Nicaraguan
Strength: Medium-to-Full Body
Price: Box of 30, $100 ($3.33/stick) or about $6 each in local B&Ms
The Diesel Unholy Cocktail is a cigar made by AJ Fernandez which was released mid-to-late in 2009. Since I had heard that these were full-bodied (read: full strength) cigars, and I tend to like mild-to-medium strengthened cigars, I’ve been a little hesitant to smoke one for fear of getting blown out of the sky. So I’ve had one sitting in my humidor for most of a year, until, as my friend “IronMikeCW” from @CigarWorldcom who gifted it to me, “my cigar palate grows some chest hairs”. Well, its time!
For this review, I smoked two Diesel Unholy Cocktails in one weekend, which only come in one size – a big, beefy belicoso torpedo that’s 5” by 56 ring gauge. The first had been resting for nearly a year, and the second was purchased about a month ago. I paired my first cigar with a great cup of good strong coffee, and the second cigar was matched to a Samuel Adams Harvest Pumpkin Ale beer. I’m a big fan of pairing cigars with whatever you feel like drinking … I’m not a snob about the pairing, since I find it much more enjoyable when your palate tells you what you’re in the mood for.
Pre-light:
Let me say right off the bat that I love the look of the Diesel Unholy Cocktail’s band! It has a single band, at the foot, that has an antique look to it, with a medium brown old English-style text spelling out “Diesel” against a light tan background and some gold script crosses. With that band drawing your initial attention, and getting your mind thinking “old world,” I felt that the cigar itself looked rustic but elegant. It has a very dark wrapper, dark brown like dark chocolate, with a few veins visible but still smooth to the touch. Holding the cigar while inspecting it, it has heft. Its already a big cigar, but it feels densely packed – there were no soft spots at all, not even at the foot. There were no tears, holes or other irregularities to mar its appearance, even when I slid the band off the end. The cap is well wrapped, with no pinching or unusual overlapping.
As for the aroma, it was spicy and earthy, with a touch of cocoa. The foot had more of those, but also with green fields, and a strong caramel smell that wasn’t sweet. I also picked up a slight fruity aroma that I couldn’t place.
For torpedoes I tend to snip the end twice using my favorite double-guillotine cutter, since it has a backstop to prevent over-cutting. The pre-light had a perfect draw, with a spice and caramel flavor present, too.
First Third:
After lighting the Diesel Unholy Cocktail, I was immediately hit hard and fast with spice!! I mean everywhere – my lips, my tongue, the back of my throat and on the retrohale into my sinuses! Its not unpleasant at all, but you know its there, let me tell you! That spiciness calms down a bit, or perhaps I got used to it somewhat, after about 5 minutes. Then, the smoke fills your mouth with that caramel flavor – again, its not sweet, its just a nice pleasant flavor. I also picked up some coffee flavors.
As I continued on through the first third, that spiciness continued in the background, mellowed and not so in your face. That unusual fruity flavor is gone, but now I swear I was picking up a “beefy” flavor – just barely teasing me as it came and went. Still got the flavor of coffee too, sometimes sweet coffee, sometimes black coffee – very interesting! I could feel the strength of this cigar building as I worked into it; I’d say it starts out as a medium-bodied cigar and builds from there. The burn was a little wavy on both cigars but nothing that ever required a relight, and the ash was solid with black and white bands. In fact, the ash stayed on very solid, a testament to the construction of this cigar!
Second Third:
The Diesel Unholy Cocktail’s second third changed things up, and not always in a good way for me. There was still the spiciness that varied up and down as I progressed, and was most noticeable on the back of my throat. The caramel flavor picked up, adding in just a touch of some sweetness now. And the coffee flavor occasionally, too. But there was this off-putting flavor in one cigar that I haven’t been able to place, kinda like the smell of rubber cement, which startled me enough that I checked to see if perhaps I had laid the burning foot on something unexpected somehow. It would go away, and then shock me again. I eventually knocked the lit cherry off and touched up the light, which worked to eliminate that problem. But, on the other cigar, not only didn’t I have that strange problem, but my ash stayed on well past the half-way point (see picture)! The strength of still building, and it is now medium-to-full, but is still not a killer, even for me (remember, I tend to smoke mild-to-medium bodied cigars).
Final Third:
In the final third, the Diesel Unholy Cocktail’s strength is still increasing, and I can really feel it in my sinuses. Not enough for me to feel dizzy, but I know its there. Strangely, unlike any other cigar I’ve ever had, the draw got a little tighter in this last third; normally, I’ve experienced cigars’ draw opening up at the end. The burn has remained slightly wavy throughout this entire cigar, but has not caused any problems. The spiciness has been replaced with the cocoa I picked up in the very beginning, with some vanilla, and the caramel flavor that has been throughout. As I nubbed this cigar down to its last, it was that caramel flavor that I most enjoyed and remember.
Overall:
Overall, I not only liked this cigar – a lot – but I also felt that it wasn’t as strong as I had expected it to be. Perhaps I had listened too much to the hype, or perhaps my palate has matured since its release. Either way, I found that I really enjoyed the flavor changeups that Mr.Fernandez has created in his Diesel Unholy Cocktail. Like the Joya de Nicaragua Celebraciòn, another Nicaraguan puro, this cigar was spicy and full-bodied. BUT, knowing that, even a newer cigar smoke can still enjoy these stronger cigars by slowing down! I found that when I’m worried about the strength of a cigar, I slow down, which allows me to really pay attention to and enjoy the flavors more, too!
In summary, I will be looking to add more of these cigars to my humidors and to my rotation. With its great flavors and complexity, a solid feel and heft that makes you feel like you’re smoking a real cigar, and a fantastic box price (come on! 30 cigars for under $100!!), this cigar is worth buying a box or two.
91 points
Quesada Tributo Cigar Review
This is a very special cigar from the Quesada family. According to Cigar Aficionado “…the Tributo brand was made by Quesada and his team of daughters, nephews and nieces—known as the “Fifth Generation”—at Matasa (Manufactura de Tabacos S.A.) in Santiago.” Before I jump headlong into the review I would like to thank Cigars Direct for this wonderful cigar.
It’s a great looking cigar; well-made and feels solid to the touch. The wrapper is oily. The only drawbacks I can see (and feel) is that there are a couple of discolorations on the wrapper and the cigar may be a little too tightly packed.
Doing some research on this cigar I found out from A Cigar Smoker’s Journal that the wrapper is unique. According to the indispensable Barry, the cigar “utilizes a special hybrid wrapper which was created using the seeds of the Corojo, Habano 2000, Habano Vuelta Arriba and Sumatra in Ecuador.” So lets see if this is a hybrid that we can all like.
Cigar Stats
Robusto
Length: 5″
Ring Gauge: 50
Wrapper: Ecuador Heinz 57
Binder: Honduras
Filler: Dominican Republic & Nicaragua
Price: $6.50/Single
10 Light!
It is definitely an interesting mix of flavors right out of the gates. Instead of the spiciness that I was expecting the flavor profile is much more tame. Sure, there is some spice but there is also sourdough, darkly mild fruitiness and something else that I can’t quite pin down yet. It’s a seemingly minor flavor yet it slices through the other flavors like a light saber through a Jedi. The best I can come up with is something like a tangerine or some other kind of exotically fruity flavor.
The draw requires the slightest of tugs to get a good amount of smoke coming at your taste buds. Good burn and, after about the first third is through, I’m going to go out on a limb and peg this one as a medium bodied smoke.
As the burn line migrates from the first to the second third the flavors are meshing together very well. It is an interesting cigar. There are a good amount of flavors but I cannot say that any one of them stands out as being amazing. What I am willing to say is that these flavors are great when combined. Plus, it is just an interesting cigar. This may sound stupid but this cigar is actually making me think about it.
I’ve let it burn down quite a bit, nearly to the beginning of the final third, and here is what I’m getting. Basically a bunch of heavy but good flavors. The sourdough flavor is gone, it’s more like toast now. Burnt wood, that dark fruity flavor I mentioned earlier and some wheat. Still like it.
The only other mentionable change is in the strength of this cigar; it moved from being a medium bodied cigar to a medium-full bodied one. Thanks again to Cigars Direct.
89 points
Sancho Panza Toledo Cigar Review
This is a cigar I smoked quite a while ago but I do have some notes on. It’s a gigantic cigar and very black. Box pressed with a good amount of oils. There is one minor blemish on the wrapper.
Cigar Stats
Toro
Length: 6″
Ring Gauge: 60
Wrapper: USA/Connecticut
Binder: USA/Connecticut
Filler: Dom. Rep., Honduras, Nicaragua
Price: $6.00
Big Flame!
It has a tight draw and a slow burn. Fruity flavors and it seems quite mild at the beginning.
Now an inch in. The draw is much better. The flavors have also changed. There’s more cocoa, earth, grass, and even a bit of spice. Rich flavors. Lots of smoke with a strong ash. More of a medium bodied cigar at this point.
There’s just something special missing from this cigar. I don’t think I will be looking back on this cigar and yearn for another. It is a perfectly fine cigar though.
88 points
I probably smoked this cigar a couple of months ago and since then I haven’t thought about it until now. It was a very big cigar with good flavors.
One last thing, I searched for about fifteen minutes trying to find other reviews of this line and couldn’t find one, which is disappointing. I did, however, find a lot of reviews for the Sancho Panza Double Maduro and Extra Fuerte lines.
