Cain F Cigar Review

A couple of weeks ago I reviewed the Cain Maduro and, even though I do think it is a solid cigar, it is not worth all the hype. Unfortunately, I can’t say anything about the Cain with the Habano wrapper since I have yet to have the pleasure of smoking one of those stogies. But I have smoked a few of the Cain F, which is only being offered in five packs right now (either as an incentive to buy a box of the two other Cain lines or to be sold on its own).

On a side note, over the past week and a half I have been sick (not H1N1) and didn’t have much of an opportunity to smoke any cigars. After a couple of days of recuperation I have smoked a couple of good cigars and now feel ready to really delve deep into another cigar. From what I have seen with the Cain F series is that they are above average cigars in terms of both flavor and strength, better than the Cain Maduros for sure. The only bit of advice I can give is that if you do get some of these cigars let them rest in your humidor for at least a month because they need the extra time.

All the Cain Fs, which are only being offered in one size right now, come unbanded. A dark wrapper glistening with oils holds together a lot of ligero tobacco. According to the box from which these cigars came from the tobacco in every Cain F is 32% Esteli Ligero, 25% Condega Ligero and 25% Jalapa Ligero.

For those of you paying close attention that means the percentage of ligero tobaccos is equal between all the Cain lines but each region imparts its own flavor. According to the educational booklet that came with my Cain cigars Esteli Ligero is a ball buster, Condega Ligero is strong but not insanely so and Jalapa Ligero is smooth (which would explain the smoothness of the Cain Maduro).

Beyond the genetic makeup of this cigars it does look and feel like it is very well made. The only soft spot is near the foot and even though it has its fair share of veins none of those veins are too pronounced and should not cause too many problems for the burn of this cigar. Having as much ligero as this cigar does can turn out to be a problem though and I do expect having to do a couple of touch ups throughout the course of this cigar.

Cigar Stats
Robusto
Length: 5″
Ring Gauge: 50
Wrapper: Nicaragua (Fuerte)
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua Ligero (Esteli, Condega and Jalapa)
Price: ???

21 Lights!

The pre-light draw is nice, maybe a little too loose. As a prelude of what is to come, my tongue is still stinging 30 seconds after my first draw. Should be interesting.

As expected, there is an onslaught of aggressively tasty spice. For my taste, it’s not on the edge of being too strong at all. The spice has a tinge of sweetness to it and is predominately a black pepper kind of flavor. I like it very much.

Unlike with the maduro wrapped Cain, the Cain F does not have a very smooth finish. That does not mean that I don’t like it though because I really do. It isn’t a complex cigar the first couple of inches but it is getting better. The spiciness is calming down and other flavors – nuts, oak, peppermint and earth – are coming into the mix.

The burn is surprisingly even with this cigar. With some of the others that I have smoked I have had to do a couple of touch ups. The draw is perfect. It is a full bodied cigar but not overly so.

I am somewhat conflicted about this cigar. Even though I did like it I just think that it was lacking in complexity. Working in its favor is the fact that the flavors that are there are very good, it burns well enough and the draw is quite good. In the end I can comfortably say that it is better than the maduro version of this cigar and I will not hesitate to smoke more Cain Fs if the price isn’t too extravagant.

90 points

601 Black Band Short Cigar Review

Pre-Smoke

Solid to the touch, looks wonderful, feels oily and a bit fuzzy. The 601 Black Band line features an Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper and the binder hails from Nicaragua. For this review I am smoking the robusto (5″ x 50) vitola (there are a total of five vitolas in this line including the “Rabito” – funny name). The robusto will cost you around $7.50 per stick.

Smoke

The draw requires the faintest of tugs to get a mouthful of smoke. In addition to the great draw the burn is also very even. This is a medium bodied cigar.

Cherry and oak are the first two flavors noticeable. It’s almost like a cherry tinged oak flavor – to be more precise. Smokiness is the other major flavor.

After-Smoke

The 601 Black Band is a nice, easygoing cigar that was quite enjoyable. While it doesn’t offer a load of flavor the flavors that are present are very good.

3.5 points

Camacho Corojo Monarca Natural Cigar Review

A cursory inspection reveals a couple of raised veins that almost run the length of the cigar and, upon further inspection, that sums up all the negative things I can say about the look of this cigar. The construction is near perfect, it’s oily, there are no soft/hard spots and it even smells good having that kind of aroma that is powerful, yet refined.

Fortunately, I have had the opportunity to smoke a number of these cigars over the last month or so and I have even done a Short Cigar Review for this Camacho Corojo Monarca. My major complaint at the time revolved around my perception that this wasn’t an overly complex cigar. Spicy? Sure. Some other flavors? Yeah. But it just didn’t catch me as being well rounded enough. And it can be a harsh cigar at times.

My subsequent experiences with this cigar have been better than when I did my initial review where I gave this cigar 3 points (roughly 85-88 points or, to put it another way, an average cigar). It may be a little bit better than that and, who knows, this cigar could be awesome, but I am guessing this cigar will fall into the 89-91 point range.

This cigar has the natural wrapper. It also comes with a maduro wrapper. For more information on all the sizes go to the Camacho Corojo Page.

Cigar Stats
Robusto
Length: 5″
Ring Gauge: 50
Wrapper: Honduras Corojo
Binder: Honduras Corojo
Filler: Honduras Corojo
Price: $6.15

SAMCRO Torch!

Just finished having steak and mushrooms, which, now that I think about it, fits perfectly with this cigar. (What cigar doesn’t go well with steak?) It is a very rich cigar that overflows with white pepper, deep caramel, meat and a chorus of other flavors that meld wonderfully together. I know I said in my previous review that this wasn’t a overly complex cigar but this one definitely is.

The draw is absolutely perfect and the burn is relatively even. I’ll probably have to touch it up at some point. The slightly uneven burn can definitely be attributed to the fact that I am smoking under a patio cover in the rain so the humidity is probably pretty high right now.

While it started out as a medium-full bodied cigar after about an inch it has come off the fence and become full bodied. This may not be one of those cigars that will knock you out but it will let you know you are smoking a cigar.

My only major complaint about the Camacho Corojo Monarca is that the flavors do not meld together completely. For example, the sweetness from the caramel clashes with the white pepper creating a touch of harshness. It isn’t enough to significantly detract from my overall enjoyment of this cigar but it is noticeable.

That deep, caramel slowly morphs into a candied sweetness that is not altogether that bad. Oddly enough, I think it may actually meld better with the spice than the deeper caramel flavor.

Other flavors that begin to really come onto the scene after the halfway point include: earth and tobacco. Very good cigar.

90 points

Camacho Triple Maduro Short Cigar Review

Pre-Smoke

Like everything that Camacho makes, it looks good. No discernable imperfections and it is evenly packed. I am smoking the 50/4.5 vitola for this review. What makes this cigar different from most other cigars is that it uses maduro tobacco for the wrapper, binder and the filler.

Smoke

It starts out really spicy and then things settle down. Spice, wood, some sweetness, earthiness and cocoa all blend wonderfully together. It’s a full bodied cigar that has a great draw and an even burn.

After-Smoke

I had smoked a couple of these before and I have a couple more in my humidor, so I’ll be doing a complete review of this cigar in the next couple of months. Based off of what I have already experienced from this cigar I can safely say that it is awesome. The Camacho Triple Maduro has tons of flavor, a lot of strength, and its fundamentals are spot on. If you can, pick up some of these.

5 points

Price: $11.50

El Beso Reserve Short Cigar Review

Pre-Smoke

A couple of years ago my parents got me a cigar lighter from a local B&M called El Beso. That lighter lasted me nearly three years and it looked good so I went back to El Beso to get another one. Once I got into their brick and mortar I learned that they also make cigars. My interest now piqued I had to get a couple of their home made cigars; one a maduro torpedo and the other the Reserve No. 11 (torpedo). I am smoking the latter, which has a Connecticut Shade wrapper and Nicaraguan tobacco makes up the rest.

There are some imperfections on the wrapper: a minor hole and some dark spots dot the light brown wrapper. Other than that, it looks and feels great. The wrapper feels soft to the touch but this El Beso Reserve is packed perfectly. I guess these people really do know how to roll a cigar. Let’s find out if they know how to blend tobacco well.

Smoke

It starts off with a strong oak flavor. At this point it is a mild-medium bodied cigar but the flavors are really good. Then, at around the one inch point, the spice really starts to bloom. There is nothing overpowering about this cigar but it does have a lot of flavor – and I like spice – so all is good by me.

Behind the spice is a layer toasty flavor that mixes quite well with the overall flavor profile. After the initial mild-medium bodied strength it goes a tick up to medium bodied. The draw is perfect and the burn is even.

After-Smoke

I didn’t know what to think of this cigar before I smoked it. The proprietor, Joe Gomez, assured me that while the strength is middle of the road the flavor is dynamic. And it is. My only qualm about this cigar is an intermittent harshness that pops up in the last couple of inches of the cigar. Overall, it is a very good cigar.

4 points

Price: $6.50

Alec Bradley Overture Cigar Review

The Alec Bradley Overture Robusto is a good looking cigar. It has a waxy feel to it and the construction is great. Besides a couple of discolorations and a minor rip on the foot it should be fine.

Here’s what the only retailer, Famous Smoke Shop, has to say about this cigar: “Overture employs a well-balanced blend of Honduran Trojes and Nicaraguan Jalapa longfillers married to a luscious Honduran Trojes Viso wrapper. You’ll enjoy a creamy, full-bodied symphony of complex flavors offering traces of oak, cedar, sweet spices, and espresso on the finish.”

We’ll see.

Cigar Stats
Robusto
Length: 5″
Ring Gauge: 50
Wrapper: Honduras
Binder: Honduras
Filler: Honduras and Nicaragua
Price: $6.75

Afternoon Flame!

I have smoked a couple of these in the past couple of months and I have been completely underwhelmed but the first couple of puffs of this AB Overture have been great. For about the first inch the flavors are warm and spicy. Then the spice falls back somewhat and a bitter earthy/cocoa flavor comes to the fore.

Around the two inch mark the flavors start to change. The earthiness remains along with a diminished cocoa as well. A candied flavor starts to creep into the mix; it’s a nice sweetness that compliments the other flavors. It is a medium-full bodied cigar with a great draw and an even burn.

Over the last couple of inches the spice reappears without much sweetness. My only problem with this cigar is that the flavors are somewhat muddled. They mix together fairly well but the flavors themselves aren’t pristine.

Actually, this was a very good cigar. Lots of flavor and nuance. I would not say that this cigar is amazing but this one specifically was worth it.

When I have smoked these in the past I didn’t like them: 83-86 points – in my opinion. If you do buy some of these cigars I would suggest that you let them rest in your humidor for at least a month, probably more.

89 points

Barry over at A Cigar Smoker’s Journal gave this cigar 90 points

Perdomo Reserve 10th Anniversary Robusto Cigar Review

The construction on this cigar is near perfect. There are a couple of bumps on it and a couple of areas where the wrapper has been bent over on itself. Even though I was expecting this cigar to be covered with oils it isn’t. It has a good coating of oils but not particularly oily. In a couple of areas it does feel a little soft to the touch.

Cigar Stats
Robusto
Length: 5″
Ring Gauge: 54
Wrapper: Nicaragua – Cuban seed Criollo
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Price: $6.50

DeGroot Flare!

It starts off fairly robust, gravelly even. Evocative of a cigar that I think John Wayne would have loved smoking, if he indeed smoked cigars. And then it becomes more sophisticated, indicative of a cigar I envision Gary Cooper smoking. Personally, I would have preferred if it had stayed like the kind of cigar John would have smoked.

The main flavors that I am getting are peat, cashews and some spice on the retrohale. It is a refined cigars with a good deal of complexity. Medium-full bodied with a great draw and a fairly even burn.

On the Perdomo website it says that there should also be coffee and cocoa notes but I’m not getting those flavors at all. Even though I may not have the most refined palette I’m confident I would be getting those flavors if they were in this cigar. My guess is that the coffee and cocoa flavors come through better with the maduro version of this cigar.

There is some sweetness with this cigar. I can’t quite put my finger on it but it’s there.

Overall, it is a very good cigar. Definitely worth the money. Personally, I would have liked more spice to it but what is there is great. Pretty good flavors with a good amount of complexity is wonderful in a cigar. And, again, you can’t beat the price.

91 points

For a (very long) review of this cigar from another source drop in on Stogie Review.

Rocky Patel Vintage 1992 Short Cigar Review

Pre-Smoke: It looks good but it is very dry. The cigar is also a little soft to the touch. Not veiny at all. Looks good.

Smoke: It starts out with some bade tastes that last for less than a half an inch. Then it morphs into a warm and inviting cigar. With it’s great draw and even burn this is shaping up to be a very good cigar.

Molasses dominates the flavor profile for this cigar. There is also a smokiness that I like to it. Deep flavors.

4 points

Tatuaje Reserva J21 Cigar Review

This cigar comes from Cigars Direct. Thanks guys!

A perfect looking cigar with glistening oils. There are no soft spots, it has a beautiful cap and it smells great. It is just begging to be smoked!

Cigar Stats
Robusto
Length: 5″
Ring Gauge: 50
Wrapper: Nicaragua
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Price: $11.50

Triple Flame!

The flavors do pop but there’s just something weird about it in the beginning. It’s a chalky taste but, thankfully, it isn’t that big of a deal since it quickly fades into the background. On the bright side there is lots of complexity with this cigar.

The main flavors are great. Musty, a hint of spice on the back of my throat, a sweet woodiness that approaches oak and a nice caramel that effortlessly fills up the background. And all of these flavors are jumping in and out, bobbing and weaving. None of the flavors are one-dimensional, not in the slightest.

Without a single bit of trepidation I can say that after smoking just a third of this cigar that this Tatuaje is a great cigar. It’s medium bodied, has a great draw and an even burn. Delicious cigar.

Right after I ashed the cigar the first time I was hit with this blackberry flavor. Damn it to Hell! I did not want to like this cigar since it is just so trendy to drool over every boutique cigar out there. But, I’ve got to say, this is the real deal.

This is a cigar smoker’s cigar. With lots of nuance and complexity it continually gets better and better. For a medium bodied cigar it comes with loads of flavor that I rarely get in any kind of cigar.

HOME RUN!!!

94 points

CAO L’Anniversaire 1968-1998 Cameroon Belicoso Cigar Review

Yes, I just did a review of this cigar last week in which I gave it 92 points. It’s a good cigar but I smoked another one and the score came out substantially different so I decided to post this review as well. Here it is:

Looks like it has a slight box press. One small tare on the wrapper, not a major concern. The cap does not look good either though, which is somewhat concerning. There isn’t that much oil on the wrapper. Just drinking water.

Cigar Stats
Torpedo
Length: 6″
Ring Gauge: 54
Wrapper: Cameroon
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Price: $8.50

Afternoon Light!

Great draw. Decent amount of spice at first but that quickly fades into the background. The main flavors are warm and strong but by no means overpowering. Solidly a medium-full bodied cigar.

There is this mildly sweet flavor as well. Sweet and bitter. Cocoa, that’s probably the flavor. I am also getting a good amount of spice on the roof of my mouth now that I am halfway through. Man, my mouth is really watery! Not a dry smoke at all.

It’s fair to call this a full bodied cigar after the halfway point because it has gotten somewhat stronger. I’m still tagging it as medium-full but it is a judgment call for sure. Another flavor that I am getting is graham cracker – never got that flavor from a cigar before. It gets mostly bitter three-quarters of the way through though – not good.

As I am nearing the end of the cigar that bitterness gets worse. Just like something that is too sweet a cigar can get too bitter. Maybe I just smoked it too long but it’s definitely going to hurt the score.

88 points