medium-full bodied
Gurkha Legend Cigar Review
While watching a recording of Spartacus I got a hankering for a cigar. So I went to my humidor and searched for something that fit. After thumbing through a number of sticks I happened upon the Gurkha Legend with its (rather pudgy) warrior (harrier?) on the band. I received this cigar from one of my great advertisers, Cigars Direct, and thought that this would be the opportune time to smoke this cigar.
The Gurkha Legend is a great looking cigar. No seriously pronounced veins and it is well packed. There is a certain softness to the wrapper, a suppleness even. Oil? Yeah, but not the oiliest cigar I have ever had. The pre-light draw seems a little tight but, based off of my prior experiences with this cigar, that won’t be a problem once the flame hits the foot.
Cigar Stats
Robusto
Length: 6″
Ring Gauge: 50
Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro
Binder: Cameroon
Filler: Dominican Republic
Price: Box 20 – $200.00 | 5 cigars – $75.00
Majestic Torch!
There is something comforting about watching a sword and sandal show and hearing modern English accents. I don’t know why that’s comforting to me but smoking this cigar is pretty nice as well and it is a good accompaniment to Spartacus. There is some spice up front and an earthiness that I can only describe as the desert after its first rain.
It is a medium-full bodied cigar and the flavors are good. The draw is good and the burn, after some early hiccups, is fairly even. Shaping up to be a good cigar.
Behind all the other flavors is a baked French bread flavor, which is nice. The spice flavors take on a slight sweetness after the halfway point. But the spice is also getting stronger. All the flavors mentioned in this paragraph basically eclipse the bread flavor after the halfway point of the cigar. (Baked French bread? That’s the flavor I got from it.)
Nearing the end now and it is still a very enjoyable cigar. There has not been a foul note to speak of. I guess the only thing that might be off putting to some people is the fact that it is a rather dry cigar. Being dry is fine with me as long as the flavors deliver and they do deliver.
When I first got these Gurkha Legends I did not think that I was going to like them because I haven’t liked the other Gurkhas I have had in the past. This one was absolutely not like those. It was a well above average cigar and worth a try if you are in the mood for something flavorful with a little kick.
90 points
Diesel Cigar Review
This near-jet black beauty of a cigar is made by A.J. Fernandez who has made cigars for Rocky Patel, Padilla and the Man O’ War lines as well. I must be honest, this is one of the better looking cigars I have seen. In addition to the jet black wrapper it is a rather smallish torpedo that absolutely glistens with oils. There are no seriously raised veins either.
It is rough to the touch, though. And the cigar is tightly packed. Based off of my previous experiences with this cigar neither of those things should hurt the flavor at all.
Cigar Stats
Torpedo
Length: 5″
Ring Gauge: 56
Wrapper: USA/Pennsylvania
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua (Jalapa, Condega, Esteli)
Price: $6.00/Single | $100/Box (30 cigars)
Funny Flame!
As expected, the draw is very good. Not too tight, not too loose. Also, as expected, the Diesel has a ton of flavor that runs smack dab through the “dark” flavor profile. Lots of espresso/coffee beans, earthiness/grassy and some charcoal. There is a little bit of spice but not a whole heck of a lot to speak of. Oh, and chocolate – milk chocolate to be precise – is a fairly prominent flavor with the Diesel.
The flavors coat the mouth and just won’t leave, which is a pretty good thing here. It’s a very good cigar throughout the first half and shows no signs of slowing down.
Medium-full bodied with a good draw and burn. One of the previous Diesels I smoked had the flavors drop off around the halfway point but, with this one, the flavors are sticking through – so far.
For the most part the flavors are staying strong even as the burn line crosses the three-quarters mark. There is some complexity with this cigar and, overall, I am liking it a lot. This isn’t to say that this cigar is special but it is above average for sure.
Leather starts to come through during the second half along with some spice. Further on, within a half inch of the nub, the flavors take a bad turn but, as long as you don’t smoke it way too far down, it’s a very good cigar. The bad flavors revolve around salt, which isn’t a horrible flavor but does diminish my enjoyment to a degree.
What amazes me about this cigar is that if you buy it by the box it is less than $3.50 per cigar. That’s amazing for a cigar that tastes this good. While the flavors are not mind blowingly great they are well above average for the majority of the stogie. If you can buy a box I would strongly suggest you do so; after all, Christmas is just around the corner.
89 points
Perdomo Habano Connecticut Short Cigar Review
Pre-Smoke
The light Connecticut shade wrapper that adorns this cigar has some discolorations. This Perdomo is packed nicely but there is not that much oil on it. Other than that, it looks like a well made cigar.
Beside the American wrapper, the filler and binder tobaccos are grown in Nicaragua (Esteli, Condega and Jalapa). For this review I will be smoking the robusto (5″ x 52), which retails for around $6.00 (the rest of the line will cost you more).
Smoke
Creaminess is the first noticeable flavor followed by oak. Those are the main flavors but there is also burnt toast in the background. It is a relatively smooth cigar but there is just something in the background that wants to burst out – sort of like a caged tiger or something like that.
At times I can almost taste the spice breaking through and then the mellow oakiness takes back over. Not a bad cigar by any means. It’s medium-full bodied, has a good draw and an even burn. And, truthfully, this cigar is growing on me. It’s laid back flavor profile is endearing.
After-Smoke
Overall, it is an enjoyable smoke. The flavors are more than adequate but there is not a lot of complexity with this Perdomo. I will say this: it is better than most of the Perdomos that I have smoked.
3.5 points
Tatuaje Havana VI Nobles Short Cigar Review
Pre-Smoke
The construction looks to be well above average. It is a little loosely packed near the foot and there are a number of veins, which are not too pronounced. Some oils, feels powdery to the touch, smells like robust leather and just looks good.
I am smoking the Nobles vitola, which is 5″ x 50. This is a Nicaraguan puro that features a natural wrapper and is made under the supervision of Jose Pepin Garcia. Finally, even though this is a boutique brand, none of the cigars from this line will break the budget costing anywhere between $5.50 and $8.00. The Nobles vitola retails for around $7.00.
Smoke
It starts off well enough. Spice, leather, a lurking sweetness in the background. The draw requires just a little tug now and then, which is no big deal. The burn is uneven and will probably need a couple of touch ups. This is just a bit stronger than medium bodied – medium-full bodied.
What really impresses me about this cigar is that the flavors are definitely alive. They start out strong on the inhale with the leather and the sweetness, which is a close approximation of caramel, and then the spice (warm spice, like cinnamon) explodes out the nose. At the very least it is an interesting cigar.
After about two-thirds of the way through a salty flavor starts to come through.
After-Smoke
The Tatuaje Havana VI Nobles is an above average cigar. Good, vibrant flavors. The salty flavor near the end didn’t take much away from my overall enjoyment of this cigar.
4 points
Alec Bradley Medalist Short Cigar Review
Earlier today I did a review on a Cu-Avana cigar that costs under $3.00. To say the least, I didn’t like it. The Alec Bradley Medalist is a cigar that, when bought in quantities of 10, will cost $3.00. So I figured that Sunday would be as good of a time as any to have a cheap cigar grudge match.
Pre-Smoke
It is a nearly perfect looking cigar; dark and alluring. There are a couple of raised veins, one being near the cap. Oily cigar that is packed very well. I am smoking the robusto (5″x52) vitola for this review.
Smoke
The wrapper is not the only thing that is alluring. The flavors are nice: chocolate, hot sauce (more on that next sentence), earthy and chalky (not a plus). By “hot sauce” what I mean is a grassy spice flavor that is analogous to the salsa from my favorite Mexican restaurant.
Even though I do really like these flavors I am not head over heals for them – still very enjoyable though. Medium-full bodied, good draw and a decent burn.
After-Smoke
It’s an impressive cigar once you consider the price. If you take away the price component then it is an average cigar. Technically great but the flavors just are not robust enough. It handily beats the Cu-Avana
3 points
Perdomo 2 Limited Edition Robusto Maduro Cigar Review
This is the reintroduction of an old blend. It was introduced in 2008 with a natural (Cameroon) and a maduro wrapper by Tabacalera Perdomo. This cigar comes in four different vitolas: Robusto (5 x 50), Epicure (5 1/2 x 54), Churchill (6 7/8 x 50), and Torpedo (5 1/4 x 54).
The Perdomo 2 has a slight box press (so don’t fear getting cut on any sharp edges) and is expertly made. While there are a couple of minor stretch marks on the wrapper it’s construction is nearly perfect. Packed with the perfect amount of tobacco with a decent amount of oil on the wrapper. I did a Perdomo Reserve 10th Anniversary review a few days ago and I liked it very much; so I have high hopes for this one.
Cigar Stats
Robusto
Length: 5″
Ring Gauge: 50
Wrapper: Nicaragua
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Price: $6.00 or less
Sun Flame!
Spice may be the first thing that is noticeable but the predominant flavor is oak. Smooth cigar that has a draw that may be a little too tight. It is a medium-full bodied cigar with a burn that is not too bad. After a couple of touch ups it smokes just fine.
The draw does become quite a bit better after about the one inch mark. With the better draw comes a clearer picture of the flavor profile. The aforementioned oak flavor comes along with some sweetness. The spice is a background flavor and there are also some chalky chocolate flavors there, but barely.
Nearing the end of this cigar now and the flavors, while they are enjoyable, just are not that great. Overall, it is a good cigar but just not that good.
87 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 The Edge Corojo Short Cigar Review
Pre-Smoke: My only problem with Rocky Patel cigars is that their wrappers seem to want to unravel all the time and this wrapper looks no different. There are a few imperfections on the wrapper – some discolorations and an 1/8″ diameter hole a mere two inches from the cap. It has a couple of pronounced veins and the wrapper isn’t very oily. The wrapper feels like a late fall leaf; thick and smooth. I’m smoking the Toro 6″ x 52 vitola.
Smoke: From the first puff you know that this is an awesome cigar. At first you get hit with a ton of spicy flavors. Then, after an inch and an ashing, it settles down. Woody and meaty flavors. There is still a good helping of spice that is sticking around. What I really like about this cigar is that it is very flavorful.
After-Smoke: I took a walk after smoking this cigar to clear my head. While it is a medium-full bodied smoke it does have some strength to it. What I didn’t like about this cigar is that it mellowed too much for my tastes.
4 points
601 Green Band Short Cigar Review
Pre-Smoke: I just did a short cigar review for the blue labeled 601. I gave it three points because, even though it is an enjoyable cigar, it just lacked some of the oomph and the flavor that I was expecting from it. I am smoking the robusto vitola.
This cigar looks like a rather pedestrian cigar. Its a little soft with some bumps and it has a couple of pronounced veins. There isn’t much oil on the wrapper.
Smoke: Starts out with an unexpected oakiness and a very loose draw. There is also a grassy flavor to it and a burnt grain note that is quite nice. Medium-full bodied with a decent burn that requires a couple of touch ups.
After-Smoke: I was expecting a lot more richness from this cigar. Even though it has its moments this is an average cigar in my book. It is billed as a full bodied cigar, which it wasn’t. While it is not a cigar that I would shy away from smoking again it was a little disappointing based off of the expectations I had for it.
3 points
601 Blue Band Short Cigar Review
Pre-Smoke: If Don Pepin Garcia makes a cigar then it is worth a try or two. The wrapper and the construction are both perfect with the wrapper having some oils. There is a slight box press for this cigar.
Smoke: Sweetness is the first thing that pops into my mind and then it pops back out. There’s some spice and leathery flavors along with some toasty flavors. It is a medium-full bodied cigar with a slightly tight draw and a decent burn.
After-Smoke: It’s a good cigar. The flavors are above average and there is some complexity to it.
3 points
Recent Comments