CroMagnon Cigar Review
A few months back I ordered some cigars that a Twitter buddy makes. Probably every cigar smoker on Twitter knows who I am talking about: Skip Martin. Anyways, the cigar is named CroMagnon because, I guess, it sounds menacing and harkens back to a more primeval existence where men were men and cigars… I think you get the picture.
ROTT I smoked one of their Knuckle Draggers (4×52) and it was insanely powerful and very flavorful. Honestly, I liked the extra kick in the cigar but many others probably wouldn’t have. Fortunately, or, depending on how you look at it, unfortunately, every other cigar I smoked from my sampler of all the different vitolas never matched the raw power of that first cigar. They were all still powerful cigars but the main thing was that the flavors were better than I experienced during the first one.
For this review I am smoking a CroMagnon Anthropology. It’s extremely oily and has an almost velvety feel to it. Dark brown wrapper with some minor veins on the wrapper. The shape is spot on and there are no obviously hard or soft spots.
Cigar Stats
Length: 5 ¾″
Ring Gauge: 46
Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro
Binder: Cameroon
Filler: Nicaragua
Price: $37.50/5 Pack | $236.25/Cube of 35
Pyongyang Flame!
After some months resting in my humidor it has lost that audacious amount of strength that nearly made me sick when I first smoked one of these cigars. However, it does still retain all of its flavor. There’s this dark sweetness that lingers on the tongue that is a nice counterpoint to the bright spice notes and there are also raisin and leather flavors as well.
The second third is a more well rounded experience. The sweetness has morphed into being more floral and the spice and leather are working together better now. Basically, it’s a savory sweetness in the mouth and a simmering spiciness on the retrohale. Very nice.
Nearing the end of the final third and, while it’s not as good as the first two thirds, it’s still a very good cigar. The flavors are just muted somewhat. It’s a full bodied cigar with a great draw and and burn. Overall, I really have liked this line of cigars and will go back to them frequently.
92 points
Emilio AF2 Short Cigar Review
With an average amount of veins running along the length of the cigar and some minor discolorations here and there I can honestly say this isn’t a great cigar to look at. Fortunately, I don’t smoke cigars because they’re pretty. And I didn’t buy this cigar anyway, it’s a sample from Emilio Cigars. And yes, that’s right, only one smoked. That’s why this is a short review folks.
The feel of the wrapper is a different story. There is a good coating of oils along with the tactile sensation of very fine fur. It’s an interesting feeling and, from my experience at least, makes me think this will at least be a good cigar.
Here’s some information about this cigar:
Our AF2 blend, produced and blended by A.J. Fernandez is certain to delight. Crafted from rich Nicaraguan fillers combined with the strength of Pennsylvania ligero and a beautiful Ecuadoran Habano Oscuro wrapper. These cigars are available in cabinet boxes of 20 in four sizes: Robusto, Toro, Torpedo, and BMF.
I’m smoking the 6×50 Toro for this review.
California Sucks Flame!
It’s good. Spice at its core; grass, bitter chocolate and some toffee give it support. An extremely interesting group of flavors here, kind of surprised. Well, I’m surprised because I had not heard much about this company before, that’s all.
The second third improves on the first third. It’s spicy core, which was a little wild and harsh during the first third has moderated and become a fuller experience. Hay and sweet grass have also come on. The smoke leaves a warm and dry feeling in my mouth and the flavors linger until the next puff.
During the final third the spice dissipates quite a bit. During this third I did recognize some chocolate but the main flavor was smoky hay. This is a medium bodied cigar with a great burn and draw.
4.5 points
Liga Privada No. 9 Cigar Review
Here I sit in the backyard smoking this Liga Privada No. 9 Parejo Oscuro wandering whether or not this is still legal. This isn’t some idle curiosity either because I think the guy in the police helicopter circling above might be able to see me. If this review is short you now know why.
This cigar looks wonderful. The Connecticut wrapper, grown domestically (who says we don’t create things anymore?), looks wonderful. No blemishes and it has a uniformly warm brown color to it. A web of small veins wraps its way around the cigar but that does not give me any cause for concern.
In the past I reviewed the Liga Privada No. 52 and I absolutely loved it. But it’s a different cigar as this one. The 52 is spicier while the 9 is not. Both are good though, but how good is the Liga Privada No. 9?
Cigar Stats
Length: 6″
Ring Gauge: 52
Wrapper: USA/Connecticut
Binder: Brazil
Filler: Honduras & Dominican Republic
Price: $12.00/Single | $290.00/Box of 24
John Muir Torch!
It starts out well enough. Earthiness is the core to a pretty lively flavor spectrum. And the flavors don’t just come in and sit down like the phlegm on that commercial. The flavor here is hopping around and keeping you interested. My only complaint thus far is that it feels like this cigar is holding some flavor back during this third.
The second third improves on the first in terms of flavor. Bigger flavor along the lines of earth, sweet coco, leather and some other variations of flavor along those lines. Really, this is an excellent cigar if you like those flavors. It’s an excellent cigar even if you don’t normally love those flavors even.
The final third brings on a slightly different flavor profile with the earthiness taking on a more dusty feel to it. The main flavors that I went over in the last paragraph are pretty much the same during this third. Even though I do not get a lot of evolution in the flavor profile from start to end there is a good deal of complexity in the flavors.
I thoroughly enjoyed this cigar even though my tastes tilt more towards spiciness. It’s a medium-full bodied cigar with a great draw and burn. This is a good cigar to treat yourself to from time to time.
91 points
La Flor Dominicana Double Ligero Chisel Natural Cigar Review
A while ago I did a review of the La Flor Dominicana Double Ligero Chisel Maduro and I loved it. In fact, it was my favorite cigar of 2010, which says something. So then I decided to try the one with the natural wrapper.
The cigar is undeniably cool. The chiseled head is unique and the cigar has some heft to it. It’s lighter than it’s maduro-clad brethren and there are a number of superficial veins that run the length of this cigar like some kind of miniature superhighway system. It cuts nice and the prelight draw is good with a hint at what’s to come: spice.
Cigar Stats
Length: 6″
Ring Gauge: 54
Wrapper: Ecuador
Binder: Dominican Republic
Filler: Dominican Republic
Price: $155.00/Box of 20 | $8.75/Single
Best First Lines Fire!
It starts out admirably well in the flavor department. There is the perfunctory spice, which every LFD DL should have, and there is dry, salted meat with a little bit of hickory thrown in for good measure. Honestly, this is beating most cigars in the flavor department at this early stage, the first third, but it’s not beating out it’s maduro-ed brother.
While the burn line takes it’s sweet time advancing onto the second third I have to comment on the wonderful draw I get from every Chisel. Out of every cigar I have ever had it is this cigar I would go to if a perfect draw was absolutely necessary for me. The tapered head of the cigar produces a combination of flavor concentration and ease of draw that kicks these cigars up a notch or two.
This is also a fairly strong cigar. But it’s that good kind of strength, the mellow kind that shouldn’t knock you on your backside if you are a seasoned cigar smoker. If, on the other hand, this was the first cigar you ever smoked… well, you get the idea.
The second third of the cigar does see some movement away from the spiciness of the first third. Now, the best way to describe it would be that there is a dusty texture to the smoke and the flavors center mainly around meat, leather and sweet hickory. Actually, it’s a very good mixture and it’s gaining on the maduro version in my estimation.
This cigar really comes into itself during the final third. Spice picks back up a little with leather in the lead. Hickory is still there and, above all of that, the flavors just seem to be purer and more alive.
There never was a harsh moment for this cigar and both the burn and the draw were excellent throughout. But, in the end, I would still go with the maduro version of this cigar. Barely though.
93 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
