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
Joya de Nicaragua Antaño Dark Corojo Cigar Review
I have had one last Joya de Nicaragua Antaño Dark Corojo sitting in my humidor for about a year now. Looking back on my notes I can see that I generally liked the ones that I had before so let’s see what a year’s worth of aging has done to this cigar.
For whatever reason, probably a combination of the dark wrapper and the torpedo shape, this looks like a menacing cigar. It looks like it is just going to kick you in the butt the second that you touch foot to torch. Beyond the fact that if this cigar were a person you would probably cross the street if you saw it coming your way, it is a good looking, well made cigar. Not very many veins, sufficiently packed from tip of torpedo to foot and the wrapper is fairly oily.
Cigar Stats
Vitola: Torpedo
Length: 6″
Ring Gauge: 54
Wrapper: Nicaragua
Binder: Honduran
Filler: Nicaragua
Price: $10.00/Single | $150.00/Box of 20
Marauder Torch!
After a year or so in the humidor this cigar is somewhat better than it was before. There is more nuance to the flavors, which, by the way, are led by chocolate followed by bitter coffee and generally earthy flavors. After a while the body gradually increases into the full bodied spectrum. One nit to pick is that the draw is a bit too loose and I think that is muting the flavors to a degree or two.
Gosh, this is an extremely slow burning cigar. I think it’s been nearly an hour, probably more like 45 minutes, and I can just now see the second third around the proverbial bend. At this point there has been some evolution in the cigar and that evolution is more towards the spicy side of the flavor spectrum. It’s a good twist because the main flavor other than the spice, which is fiery and long lasting (it never really leaves your palate actually), is chocolate. It’s a nice milk chocolate that goes well with spice.
The transition from the first third to the second third gets firmly set in and lasts through most of the second third. The final third is much the same with one notable departure. Chocolate becomes less of a leader and in its place there is this sweetness accompanied by toast. Almost as if you were smoking toast with a little bit of sugar sprinkled on top. And then….
It takes an unexpected turn and the sweetness becomes floral. Fortunately, it is not that fruity kind of floral flavor but it is the heartier kind, the deep, flavorful kind rather. And the spice has gone away. It’s a great way to (slowly) end a cigar that could have otherwise become too heavy on the spice.
If you were to gently prod me into saying something negative about this full bodied cigar I would quickly respond with this: the draw is too loose, which leads to the cigar being a bear to keep lit. This is all weird to me since there is a copious amount of smoke when it is lit and the flavors are excellent. It’s a pain but it’s got to be like the pain one feels when trying to keep a classic car up and running. Sure, there is a lot of maintenance required but it’s more fun than bagging your limit of yetis.
93 points
Padron 1964 Anniversary SI-15 Maduro Cigar Review
Yesterday I posted a review for this cigar with the natural wrapper; it received 90 points from me. It was a very enjoyable cigar that exhibited flavors like chocolate and earthiness. The strength for that cigar can sneak up on you a bit because the flavors are fairly subtle and mellow. So, how is the maduro version different?
Honestly, I think the darker wrapper looks better. It feels velvety to the touch and gives off some oils. There is one moderately raised vein but no visible blemishes other than that (can you really call a smallish vein a blemish?). As was the case with the natural wrapper version of this cigar the maduro has a slight box press, which I think helps out the draw (maybe too much) and looks good as well.
This cigar was provided to me for review by Smoke Inn; all reviews are my own.
Cigar Stats
Length: 6″
Ring Gauge: 60
Wrapper: Nicaragua (maduro)
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Price: $92.50/Box of 5 | $277.50/Box of 15
Apeirogon Flame!
Right out of the gates there are significant differences between the two cigars. Whereas the one with the natural wrapper had flavors that held back too much for me in the beginning this one is bold. At first I thought the leading flavor was spice but that is not true. It’s a secondary flavor to this multifaceted earthiness and chocolate mixture. It is honestly bowling me over with the intensity of its wonderful flavors.
As the first third progresses there are some changes. Think mole sauce with some sweetness. This cigar is already pretty strong strength-wise.
The second third is continuing with where the first third left off. But then, about halfway through this third the flavors begin to revert back to that combination of earth and chocolate that was prevalent during the middle parts of the first third. These flavors can be experienced most fully during the retrohale.
The final third has chocolate and some grassy undertones. I was a little worried because the intensity of the flavors seemed to dim a little during the second third but they are coming back here. During the last half of the final third there is bitter cocoa along with that grassy undertone. It’s quite good.
Overall, this is a better cigar than its brother. The flavors are more alive and complex. One of my problems with this cigar and, in hindsight, with its brother is that the draw is too loose. The burn has been good with this cigar and I would peg the strength as being full bodied.
92 points
PS: You can preorder this cigar now from Smoke Inn and they will ship April 18th.
Room 101 Cigar Review
I must admit that I am a big fan of Camacho cigars. They are full bodied and extremely tasty – basically what I am looking for in a cigar. So, when I found out that they were releasing a new line in collaboration with a Los Angeles jewelery maker, I knew I had to try a couple. (And if I liked those couple I would definitely be going back out to find some more!)
The Room 101 cigars that I smoked were the 305 (robusto) series. It looks good with a slight sheen of oils. Well packed, although on the verge of being too tightly packed. The pre-light draw is actually a little loose and there is a slight sweet taste to this draw as well. I just hope that this fusion of tobacco and style leads to a great cigar.
Cigar Stats
Robusto
Length: 5″
Ring Gauge: 50
Wrapper: Semilla 101 (Honduras)
Binder: Honduras
Filler: Honduras, Dominican Republic
Price: around $7.00
Tricked Flame!
An effortless draw reveals what could turn out to be a very good cigar; even though, right now, it’s merely above average. There are a group of deep, dark flavors that add a certain grittiness to this cigar that I like. Chocolate and some spice add some of the accent flavors to what is an extremely earthy cigar. And, by earthy, I mean dirt – good dirt though. As was the case with the other cigar I have smoked it starts out really well after a brief lull in the beginning.
As the cigar progresses that “dirt” flavor only increases. Now, as a flavor in a cigar, I like dirt but this is a new frontier of earthiness for me and I’m not liking it all that much. Sure, the flavors are pure but is that really a good thing when that flavor is dirt? Luckily, the final couple inches of this cigar has a change in the flavor profile that I like.
Spice really starts to come through and it becomes a more robust, full bodied cigar. In addition to the reinvigorated spiciness there is an oak flavor. The draw, which started out effortless, has become a little too loose and, as a result, the cigar is burning too quickly. The burn itself is even. There is also a slight hint of an herbal flavor at this time.
As the final puffs of this cigar leave my mouth I am finding myself loving this cigar. But then I start to think of the dirt, which lasted for more than half of the cigar, and I realize that this cigar isn’t a great cigar for me. It was just too much dirt – rich, kind of tasty dirt, but dirt nonetheless.
If only the second one-third-plus of this cigar had been the flavor from start to finish I would have loved this cigar. The spice, with a little bit of dirt, and some oak really mixed well together. It was a dark, complex cigar nearer the end and that is what I liked about this cigar. Maybe I’ll pick up a few more if the price drops a little.
88 points
Perdomo Lot 23 Maduro Short Cigar Review
Pre-Smoke
There are some holes in the wrapper, raised veins and bunched up areas on the wrapper. It is well packed and the wrapper is a nice looking coffee with a bit of cream added. For this review I am smoking the Robusto (5 x 50) vitola and if you want to know more about this cigar, like how Lot 23 is the farm near Esteli, Nicaragua where all the binder and filler tobaccos in this cigar comes form, then head on over to the Perdomo Lot 23 website page. It costs around $5.00 a stick. The maduro wrapper comes from Nicaragua.
Smoke
An effortless draw reveals herbal and some spice flavors in the beginning. Spice is short lived and gives way to chalky chocolate, earthy and some sweet flavors. The draw may be a little too loose for some smokers but I like it and the burn is relatively even.
A full flavored cigar that is medium bodied is the best way to succinctly describe this cigar. After a couple of inches the main flavors are dark chocolate and mocha. There is a bitter aftertaste that continually builds up throughout the cigar and it is beginning to detract from the good.
After-Smoke
I’m conflicted about this cigar. The flavors were great but that aftertaste just seemed to keep on getting worse. I think I can overlook the aftertaste this time since the flavors were really good.
4 points
