Camacho Select Cigar Review

It’s a fairly good looking cigar, nothing special though. Tobacco is flaking off the cap, a few pronounced veins, soft, kind of oily and a couple of discolorations. The pre-light draw is easy but without a lot of flavor.

In what is a total surprise to me (I’m just basing it off of the pre-light draw, which was boring) the Camacho Select comes packed with a goodly amount of flavor. Even better, they are flavors that I like. Spice, oak and a background of smokiness that is very pleasing.

Cigar Stats
Robusto
Length: 5″
Ring Gauge: 50
Wrapper: Honduras – Cameroon Seed
Binder: Honduras
Filler: Honduras
Price: Box 21 – $120 | 1 cigars – $7.35

Go Flame!

After about an inch I wear the ash. Not a big deal, I was just entranced by this medium bodied cigar. Once that happened I regained my senses and realized that the burn had gone astray, quite a bit astray actually, and touched it up.

Now that I reach the halfway point I am at a crossroads. I really am enjoying the flavors but, alas, there is not a great deal of complexity. While that will prevent it from becoming an amazing cigar in my book it is still better than the vast majority of cigars that I have had the pleasure of smoking.

The oak flavor, mild at first, has almost vanished from this cigar. It was an imperceptible change and I didn’t really notice it gone until I started to really concentrate on trying to pick it up again. I get whiffs of it here and there but, for the most part, it isn’t coming back. In its place is a mild sweetness that is enjoyable.

Spice is still present, which I am thankful for, but the main flavor is still that smoky cross between what I can only describe as dry earth and leather. That makes it not a particularly smooth cigar but the flavors are definitely winning me over.

Even though the burn betrayed me at one point it righted itself after I corrected it. In the past I haven’t had a problem with the burn. I’m still at the halfway point as I write this and I don’t see any indication that the burn is going to misbehave any further. As is the case with nearly every Camacho that I have smoked, the draw is impeccable.

The final couple of inches of the cigar sees a little change. In addition to the smokiness there is a doughy flavor that comes on. Not bad but nothing special either. Actually, after my initial impression of this cigar it has tailed off a bit.

This cigar just seemed to fizzle before my taste buds. It started out really good and then, especially in the second half began a mini downward spiral. That being said, I do look forward to smoking another one of these cigars.

89 points

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

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

Liga Privada No. 9 Cigar Rights of America Special Edition

I was getting ready to watch the final episode of Oz the other night and I realized that I needed to make it a special occasion and, as I am wont to do, my mind quickly drifted to cigars. As I walked to my humidor I got to thinking about the cigar sampler I bought from Cigar Rights of America: Padron, Rocky, CAO and all the others. Once I got to my humidor there was this cigar that was gently resting at the top of the pile that was begging to be smoked.

But then my mind raced back to the other cigars from this cigar maker and how they are all infused with flavor. It didn’t take long to recall my horrible experience with the Acid Kuba Kuba – how it was sickeningly sweet and how I swore to myself never to smoke one of those cigars again. But this cigar is different.

The Liga Privada line isn’t infused with anything. So I picked it up, slid it out of its cellophane wrapping and took a look.

It’s a beautiful cigar – one of the cigars from the special Cigar Rights of America sampler, in fact. The jet black, oscuro wrapper, is just dripping with oils. Upon further inspection I can feel that it is nicely packed but I see a number of veins marring the cigar’s look. I smell it and, to my mild consternation, it smells sweet. Not sickeningly sweet like the Acid KK but sweet nonetheless.

Fighting my reservations I take the Liga Privada No. 9 and sit down to watch the final episode of one of the greatest television series I have ever seen.

The cigar is cut. My nose keeps on screaming “It’s sweet!” but the prelight draw says otherwise. It’s earthy and there may even be a hint of cocoa. My hopes are lifted.

I take out my lighter and put the flame to this cigar right after I hit the play button on my laptop (I do have to smoke outside after all). The draw is good and….

On the retrohale there is a noticeable sweetness that is a lot lighter than the Kuba Kuba but also reminds me of it. And then, as if God himself decided to save this cigar, the sweetness gracefully falls into a supporting role. Hopefully, my expectations for this cigar won’t be shived by a major return of this sweetness.

Earth and cocoa quickly take over on the flavor front. It’s a nice, full bodied cigar in the beginning with lots of promise. Hopefully the Oz finale works out as well as this cigar is shaping up.

Doing a little research I find that this is the same length as the Liga Privada No. 9 Parejo, six inches. Don’t know whether or not it has the same ring gauge but I am guessing that since the length is the same that it is similar to what that cigar offers. CRA claims that the cigars in their sampler are special blends but I have no idea how special they are. Whatever the case, it starts out great.

Full bodied with a great draw and an even burn; so the fundamentals are good. And, while everyone is singing like stool pigeons on Oz this special Liga Privada No. 9 is also singing along with great flavors.

Chocolate and a small amount of spice start to come through about an inch-and-a-half of the way through. Nice additions both. Furthermore, shortly before reaching the halfway point that chocolate flavor becomes one of the leading flavors, perhaps the leading one.

Oddly enough, the strength of the cigar is subsiding the longer I smoke it. Usually, it is the other way around but this one is now medium-full bodied. Still an above average, flavorful cigar.

Besides a weak ash this Liga Privada No. 9’s flavors aren’t the most evocative ever but they are well above average. The finale of Oz is better.

At the commencement of the final third of the Liga Privada No. 9 a salty meatiness starts to emerge. And it’s good. It adds to the overall complexity of the cigar and the meaty flavor is a plus on its own.

This cigar is not as complex a tapestry as Oz is but the LP has it’s moments. Upon reflection, it was a pretty good match for the series finale. Oz didn’t leave me asking for more, it was one of the better finales I have ever seen. This cigar didn’t leave me begging for much more either.

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 Series P Short Cigar Review

Pre-Smoke

The Tatuaje Series P is significantly cheaper than the other lines from Tatuaje. The robusto costs between $3.00 to $4.00 per stick, depending on how many you buy at one time. So, is it as good as it’s much higher priced brethren?

Just based off of looks and feel I would have to say no. It looks like a dried out leaf with only a slight sheen of oils. Beyond that, it does feel a little squishy to the touch. Not a good start for this Nicaraguan puro.

Smoke

With a good draw and burn and a medium body this cigar is starting off alright. While I don’t think it measures up to the premium Tatuaje lines (which is an unfair expectation considering the price) it is actually a somewhat enjoyable smoke at the beginning. A slight amount of spice, a decent helping of maple sweetness and woody flavors.

Working against it is that it is not a smooth cigar and the flavors don’t meld all that well together. In fact, as the cigar progresses it does get harsh and then it gets better and then it gets harsh all over again. Basically, it’s an inconsistent cigar that does have a couple of kind of good moments.

In addition to the aforementioned flavors there is a nuttiness and meatiness to it.

After-Smoke

Upon reflection, the best way to describe this cigar is that it is dry. The flavors are there but they are intermittently harsh. It’s a cheap cigar and it shows.

1.5 points

Camacho Cigar Rights of America Limited Edition Cigar

I have waited long enough. This cigar has been taunting me from my humidor for a few weeks now and, even though I have been patiently letting it rest, the time has come to clip the head and toast the foot.

This Camacho, which comes adorned with a Cigar Rights of America and Camacho Limited Ed. bands, features a dark, oily wrapper. It may not be the prettiest looking cigar nor is it densely packed (it’s actually a little loose) but the point of these cigars is to raise awareness for CRA, which this post is doing, and to reward people who sign up. This is my reward and I’ll be damned if I get bummed out over a couple of imperfections!

The pre-light draw is mostly sweet, with a little bit of spice and leather. It is also surprisingly tight before I light it but once the flame hits the foot everything is right with the world. With just a firm tug leather and meaty flavors are coming through. I know this is a limited edition but if I was a betting man I would bet that this cigar shares a lot of tobacco with it’s Triple Maduro brother.

I didn’t measure this cigar but by the looks of it I would say its in the double corona vitola. And now that I am thinking about it, I sure wish I had taken a picture of this cigar before I started smoking it – oh, well. Life goes on.

This Camacho is a full bodied cigar, well above average on the taste scale, but the burn and the draw are a little disappointing. Neither the burn nor the draw are to the point where it is taking away from my enjoyment of this cigar but they are irksome nonetheless.

Now I’m torn about which cigar this one reminds me the most of. At first I was thinking it’s close to the Triple Maduro but now I am thinking the Coyolar. Whatever the case, in addition to the meat and spice there are also flavors of anise, raisins, saltiness and a general creaminess that coats the mouth.

There is no way I am going to actually give this cigar a score (because I have only smoked one and it’s not readily available) but, if you pressed me, it’s a 93 point cigar give or take a couple of points. The flavors are more than good enough to make up for its faults.

Whilst smoking this cigar I am watching the season finale for the second season of Oz. Truthfully, it just isn’t a fitting cigar for a show like this. Oz, if you don’t know, was a series on HBO that chronicled life in a fictitious jail. It’s an extremely gritty tragedy. This cigar would have been great for The Sopranos’ series finale but it is just too refined for Oz.

Just finished the cigar and I can safely say that I am certainly glad I got a membership with CRA. If you haven’t done so already you should get a membership as well. Even if you don’t get the Camacho as one of your freebies there are many other cigars that are well worth it. Furthermore, it’s just the right thing to do as a cigar smoker. So few are fighting for our rights but CRA is doing a good job at it.

Nub Maduro Short Cigar Review

Pre-Smoke

The 460 (4″ x 60 ring gauge) Nub Maduro is a good enough looking cigar. Not too tightly packed, somewhat veiny, no glaring imperfections.

Smoke

Due to its large ring gauge, it does take a little bit longer to light than most cigars. The predominant flavor is espresso with a good helping of a low-octane spice (i.e. not very spicy spice – if that makes sense).

After the one-inch mark the flavor profile makes a dramatic shift towards earthy/grassy flavors. However, it appears that was nothing more than a brief intermission since the spice and espresso return.

It’s an up-and-down cigar as far as flavor goes. The flavors alternate between being crisp and muddled.

On the bright side, the draw is good (maybe a smidgen too tight for my liking) and the burn is for all intents and purposes, even. It is a medium bodied cigar.

After-Smoke

The Nub Maduro was one of those cigars that I don’t have any real negative or positive feelings for. It’s a fine cigar but, as I was merrily puffing along, I found that I was waiting for the end of the cigar to come along. It’s just a boring cigar.

2.5 points

Man O’ War Ruination Cigar Review

I get it, the marketing whizzes behind the Man O’ War’s branding really want to get across the point that they are extremely bad ass by calling their newest creation “Ruination.” Well, it’s either they want to position their cigars as the bad boy of cigardom or their Ruination line is an ode to America’s economy. Alright, now that I have done the requisite mocking of the bad boy image thing I can actually get to reviewing this cigar.

Two bands adorn this dark and oily cigar. It is very hard to the touch and has some imperfections (veins, minor holes, discolorations) but, based on the other cigars from this line I have smoked, those negatives do not translate into a bad cigar.

One thing that I do have to mention is the sheer size of this cigar. I am smoking the Robusto No. 1 that measures 5 1/2″ by 54 ring gauge, which is fairly substantial, to say the least. Cigars of this magnitude will almost always take longer to smoke than their smaller brethren and, when you also factor in the price, which is north of $10.00, you would be well advised to take your time with this cigar.

Cigar Stats
Robusto
Length: 5 1/2″
Ring Gauge: 54
Wrapper: Ecuador grown Habano-seed ligero
Binder: ???
Filler: Cuban-seed Nicaraguan and Honduran long-leaf ligeros
Price: $10.00

Legion Flame!

While the draw is definitely too tight with this cigar, it’s not to the point of being unsmokable by any means. Flavors are definitely rolling through. A phalanx of warm spice is followed up by a cacophony of other flavors ranging from leather to herbal notes to sweet wood.

After about the one inch mark the draw does noticeably open up so that it is no longer a problem. The burn is very consistent and the strength of this cigar is definitely in the full bodied range.

This is definitely one of the best cigars I have smoked in a couple of months. With robust flavors and some strength this cigar is definitely growing on me – and I’m still in the first third of the cigar!

The second third of the cigar features a smokier flavor profile that features leather and a slight hint of charcoal. There is also a vein of sweetness that runs throughout the flavor profile.

Nearing the last third and it this Man O’ War Ruination is still great. What is really great about this cigar is the shear number of flavor layers. Sweetness, spice, leather and a couple of other tasty layers make up what is a great cigar.

Near the end a blend of salty and meaty flavors come through.

93 points