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 Sirena Cigar Review
I received the cigars I used for this review from Miami Cigar & Company. As always, my reviews are my own.
La Sirena cigars have a good pedigree as they are made in the My Father Cigar Factory. And you can tell that these cigars are made with capable hands. It has that perfect parejo shape to it, the wrapper feels rough to the touch and the color has a good consistency to it: dark brown. There are a couple of small holes near the head of the cigar and there is something about it that is a little odd.
As I rotate the cigar the light catches on the wrapper in multiple places. It’s not glitter but it has that kind of look to it. When I run my finger over one of the spots that reflects the light the light goes away. Is it possible that what is reflecting the light is oil? I doubt it but there’s something there that is causing this. Weird. Maybe it is the oil from the cigar….
My one bone of contention about the look of this cigar is that when you have something as pretty as this cigar you should not want to cover it up, which is exactly what this over-sized Frankenstein of a band does. If you want to picture this band in your mind think of the ratio between shield and Grecian hoplite and then shrink it down to a five inch cigar. Presto! You have a covered up cigar. Well, at least it’s not as prudish as that Obsidian cigar I’ve seen on some website or another (let’s save that one for another time).
Cigar Stats
Length: 5″
Ring Gauge: 50
Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro
Binder: Nicaraguan Criollo ’99
Filler: Nicaraguan Corjo ’99 Viso and Nicaraguan Criollo ’98 Ligero
Price: $8.20/Single | $155.00/Box of 20
Siren Torch!
I need to make a quick note about the makeup of this cigar. When I originally received the samples a few months back a little card came with it talking about the makeup of La Sirena Cigars. Since then I have come across this that shows the blend has changed. Well, I am putting up the blend info that I got along with the samples, things may have slightly changed since then.
What I love about cigars that utilize Nicaraguan tobacco is the combination of flavors that ranges from dusty earthiness to bold spice and some meaty flavors as well. This cigar has those flavors wrapped up pretty nicely. It’s a little more spicy than it is dusty earthiness, which is better in my opinion. Those meaty flavors remain a little underdeveloped during the first third of this cigar, they might not improve much at all during the subsequent two thirds. Sweetness is barely noticeable after the retrohale, it’s almost an afterthought.
Bold, I think, is the best word to describe the flavor profile of this cigar. Still have not finished the first third of this cigar and I am absolutely loving it. Looking back at my notes from the previous samples I have tried and, if anything, I think this cigar has gotten stronger with the extra time it has spent in my humidor. The flavors are also more well rounded, which is of paramount importance, as always.
During the second you are able to get a better understanding of the flavors. The spice has a ferocity like that of a fox on fire. It tastes one part sweet and four parts intensity. As if scared by the fox on fire spice, the earthiness has shrunk a little too much into the background. A pity, really, because it did add something nice to the overall complexity of the cigar. Picking up the slack for the scared earthiness is a mildly sweet force of flavor that weaves everything else together and increases the likeability of this cigar a great deal. Wood, leather and some meat, sparingly salted, are also present.
With renewed courage the dusty earthiness has picked up again and is riding a close second to the spice, much subdued in its vigor now that I’m in the final third, I might add. Sharpness is the main impression I am getting from this third. Not sharpness as in “The flavors are all sharp” but sharpness as in “The spice has a sharp quality to it” (think sharp cheddar). It’s not bad but it could be better. The sweetness is still there taking on an herbal affectation but it’s a shadow of its former self. While it would be unfair to say that the flavors have crumbled during this final third it is more than accurate to say that they have lost some of their zest for life. Either they are tired or my tongue is tired thanks to the amazing first two thirds of this cigar. Either way, I’m not displeased.
Bold. I still think that is the best way to sum up this cigar. Bold strength and bold flavors; impressive mixture. Obviously full bodied (but not like a Joya de Nicaragua Antano) and one of the best cigars for draw and burn around. No matter how you judge this cigar it is a winner – except for the band, which is ridiculously ostentatious.
95 points
Cuban Stock Extra Cigar Review
What the extra stands for… I know it stands for something but I forget. Early onset senility, I suppose.
Oh well, on the bright side it is a good looking cigar. Well crafted with a couple of small indentations along one of the veins. Oily. There is a bit of tobacco coming off the apex of the cap but, since I’m going to be shortly cutting it off anyways, I won’t hold it against this cigar. This is the torpedo vitola for this cigar.
By the way, I got this cigar as a sample from Cuban Stock. I appreciate it guys but if the cigar is a stinker I’m going to have to tell the truth. And here is what they have to say about this cigar:
The Cuban Stock Extra is made from pure Dominican grown tobacco. The filler, binder and wrapper are all specially fermented in the Dominican tobacco fields for phenomenal flavor. The tobacco is aged for many years in oak wine barrels. They rival any Cuban cigar out there! A delicious blend, full and spicy, the wrapper is mocha colored with an oily finish. You have to taste it to believe it.
Cigar Stats
Length: 6 ¼″
Ring Gauge: 52
Wrapper: Dominican Republic
Binder: Dominican Republic
Filler: Dominican Republic
Price: $27.00/5 Pack
CigarCyclopedia Flame!
It starts out with a fairly aggressive spice (could that be why they tagged it with the “Extra” moniker?) and a subtle grassiness. Shortly thereafter, the spice takes over.
Savor this cigar. This is the third one of these that I have had and the first two were merely very good; probably because of the fact that I smoked them too quickly. It’s not like I was sucking on them nonstop but it was a healthy clip nonetheless.
[For all reviews and for the vast majority of the time that I smoke I take my time with a cigar. Those two times of fevered puffing were a result of extenuating circumstances that required a quicker pace. If you are going to spend money on something you should take the time to savor it, I didn't.]
After nearly an inch the flavor profile has added on a touch of sweetness and leather. The spice is still, thankfully, in charge.
It is a full bodied cigar with a full boat of flavors. Good draw and burn. This Cuban Stock Extra has a little kick to it that fits what I look for in a cigar nearly perfectly.
The flavors stay fairly consistent after the first inch. The burn goes a little awry after the halfway point, requiring a few minor touchups the rest of the way. But I still really love this cigar.
92 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
Graycliff Double Espresso Cigar Review
Ah, the Graycliff Double Espresso. This is one of those cigars that is touted for its exclusive tobaccos and its amazing flavors. Many people who I have talked with about this cigar say that they really liked it. Me? Well, that is another story (I gave it 86 points after smoking ten of them). But due to the positive reviews I have heard about this cigar there has always been this nagging suspicion left in my mind that I was the poor, stupid bastard that purchased the only ten Double Espressos that were bad.
Now I’m going to put that theory to the test by taking another look at the Graycliff Double Espresso (Thanks to Cigars Direct for providing the stick).
It’s not a site to behold. Snarled veins here and there, a wrapper that transitions from brown to a perceptibly darker shade of brown the closer you get to the foot and it is bumpy. Most of the deficiencies in appearance can be forgiven if the cigar tastes good.
Cigar Stats
Robusto
Length: 4.5″
Ring Gauge: 54
Wrapper: Costa Rica
Binder: Costa Rica
Filler: Cuban Seed Corojo & Ecuadorian Ligero
Price: $18.00/cigar
Hunter S. Thompson Flame!
Honestly, it’s starting out well. Notes of chocolate and spice mainly. One of the things that I had a problem with previously when I smoked this cigar is that there was this general lack of flavor, which is something I don’t take too kindly for such an expensive cigar. Now the story is a bit different.
Let’s get one thing straight: this cigar is not a flavor bomb. What it is, so far at least, is a good mixture of flavors ranging from the aforementioned chocolate and spice to cedar and leather.
Things do pick up a little near the beginning of the second half in terms of both strength of flavor and strength of body. The main thing that I am liking about it at this juncture is that it is keeping my interest. The flavors are bouncing around like a ball in a pinball machine. One minor annoyance I have with this cigar is that I get this slight salty flavor that comes through. It’s not enough to ruin the experience for me but it’s enough to warrant a quick mention.
The final third does see some different nuances come into play. For example, there is some sweetness that comes on board. It is basically a sugary sweetness. There are also some coffee notes that are coming through.
Overall, I quite enjoyed this cigar. It is a lot better than I had remembered it being and I can see why so many other people like it. It’s full bodied, has a good draw and there a multitude of flavors that I always enjoy. On the downside the burn isn’t great and there was that salty flavor that was mainly apparent during the second third. With all that being said, it is a cigar many will like. Pick up a five pack here for only $40.
91 points
