Illusione f9 Short Cigar Review
Wrapper: Nicaragua | Binder: Nicaragua | Filler: Nicaragua | Box of 25: $158.00 | Single: $7.50 | Lonsdale | 6 ¼″ x 44
0/3: This one is known as the f9 Finesse, which can lead to some lame joke making like “this cigar looks like it was made with a lot of finesse” or “there’s a real finesse to these flavors.” But you’ll get none of that here!
The cigar looks adroitly made by someone with a skillful hand. It’s oily, dark brown wrapper conceals filler and binder tobacco that is less densely packed than most cigars. A webwork of veins crisscrosses the wrapper.
And a big thanks to JJ for gifting me this cigar.
1/3: Yes, there is a reason why most other cigar smokers like these cigars. Salty leather, cherry and graham cracker. It’s a medium-full bodied cigar with very forceful flavors.
2/3: With flavors much like the first half the second half is continuing on in its goodness.
3/3: More of the same during this third. The only difference is a faint sweetness on the retrohale but it isn’t much.
4/3: I liked this cigar because of the leather and graham cracker flavors. The burn was pretty even but the draw at times just disappeared because it was too loose. That probably hurt this cigar more than I realized at the time. When it was going well it is definitely a very good cigar.
4 points
Casa Magna Oscuro Cigar Review
I like the Casa Magna Colorado. It’s a very good cigar.
Full disclosure: I received this cigar from Cigars Direct. All reviews are my own.
Wrapper: Honduras | Binder: Honduras | Filler: Honduras & Nicaragua
Vitola: Toro – 6″x52 | Price: App. $33.oo/5 pack
0/3: Good looking cigar. Very dark wrapper. Feels dry to the touch.
1/3: Bitter chocolate and dry wood. It’s starting out a little interesting. Not quite sure if it’s a good or a bad “interesting” yet. Can already tell that I’m not liking it as much as I liked the Casa Magna Colorado. The Oscuro seems like it may lapse into being harsh over the course of the cigar.
Also am getting some grassy notes during this third.
2/3: Retains a lot of that bitter chocolate flavor. There is also some graham cracker apparent during this third. This is the third where it begins to become a little too harsh for me. The flavors are okay but nothing spectacular.
3/3: Getting a little too bitter at this point and it has its spots of harshness. It’s a medium bodied cigar with a good draw and burn.
4/3: While this cigar does have its moments where it is good I’m afraid to say that for the majority of the time it under performs. Too bad, really, because I had such high hopes for it.
2.5 points – Prove me wrong, get this sampler to try the Casa Magna Oscuro.
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
Ashton Classic Short Cigar Review
Pre-Smoke
The Connecticut Shade wrapper is marred with a couple veins and a few discolored spots. It is an oily cigar that feels soft in some spots. I will be smoking the lonsdale vitola, 8-9-8 (6 1/2″ x 44), for this review. Besides the US Connecticut Shade wrapper the binder and the filler tobaccos are from the Dominican Republic. This cigar retails for around $8.00 per cigar.
Smoke
Mild cigar with a good draw and a good burn. The first big flavor is oak with some sweetness as well. There is also a graham cracker flavor that comes along after an inch or so.
After the halfway point the draw tightens up and the flavor profile definitely takes a turn for the worse. In addition to a ghastly burnt flavor the overall affect is harshness. Those good flavors are still there but they are almost completely masked by the bad ones.
After-Smoke
Let me put it this way: the first half of this cigar was like a good movie (think more The Fast and The Furious than The Godfather). The second half of this cigar is the equivalent of the horrendous sequel; you don’t want to smoke it but you feel obligated to give it a try since you liked the first movie, I mean the first half of the cigar.
Even with that said, this cigar is, at its best, very vanilla – I just couldn’t get excited about it. It’s kind of flavorful but it lacks soul. And it is somewhat expensive.
2 points
Camacho Havana Monarca Cigar Review
Camacho is one of those brands that I came into after smoking cigars for a while. For some reason or another they just weren’t carried in my local shops (not much is). I gave high marks to the Camacho Coyolar but just average ratings for the Camacho SLR Maduro and the Camacho Corojo Natural. Hopefully, the Camacho Havana will be as good as the Coyolar but even if it’s just as good as the other ones that will be fine with me.
It’s veiny, there are a bunch of bumps all over the place and there are a couple of holes in the wrapper. Not a good start. This cigar feels a little soft as well. The wrapper is rough to the touch but it is oily.
After looking at the Camacho website I found out that the tobaccos used in this cigar are grown in the Jamastran Valley, Honduras. The wrapper is criollo while the binder and filler tobaccos are corojo. It’s offered in 9 different regular vitolas and three special vitolas that are aged an extra three years. They are made in Danli, Honduras (satellite map).
Cigar Stats
Robusto
Length: 5″
Ring Gauge: 50
Wrapper: Honduras
Binder: Honduras
Filler: Honduras
Price: around $5.35
Turbo Fire!
The first thing that is noticeable is the slightly loose draw. After that you will notice that this robusto produces more smoke than an old school bus that has been out of commission since the Clinton administration. And then comes the flavor.
It starts with a burnt graham cracker flavor. There is also a significant burnt flavor as well. Then comes a progressively strong candied cherry flavor. As you can imagine this is not the best mix of flavors that I have ever smoked but, on the whole, it isn’t bad.
One of the things that I am noticing about Camacho cigars is that their strength gradually builds. The Camacho Havana starts out medium bodied and then builds to being medium-full bodied. Not a big jump but a jump nonetheless. The burn is even.
88 points
