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

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

Casa Magna Colorado Cigar Review

There are two important things to know about the Casa Magna Colorado line of cigars: they are relatively cheap and they are the reigning #1 cigar according to Cigar Aficionado. I smoked a few of these recently and, for the most part, I have gone away with a positive perception of these cigars. For this review I am smoking the torpedo vitola, which isn’t the same vitola as the CA #1 cigar of the year (it was the robusto).

A couple of the cigars I have smoked have had some small holes in the wrapper but, for the most part, I have been impressed by how oily the wrappers have been. There have been some that have more veins than the others but the veins are not too pronounced. Beyond these aspects, the construction of this cigar is great. The reddish brown Nicaraguan wrapper houses a firm packing of filler and binder tobaccos.

Furthermore, I think if I was in a pinch and needed to stab an intruder I could use the Casa Magna Belicoso as some sort of icepick since the point of the torpedo is extremely pointy! Even though “use as a weapon” does not fall into my scoring rubric I will keep this little tidbit in mind if I’m torn between two scores. The only drawback from the ability to weaponize this cigar is that it could be difficult cutting it… but, no, it cuts just fine and the pre-light draw is fine as well.

Cigar Stats
Torpedo
Length: 6 1/2″
Ring Gauge: 52
Wrapper: Nicaragua
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Price: $7.00

Glee Flame!

A core of spice is buffeted by a mild floral sweetness, woodiness and an oily nuttiness that all works well together. After the first half an inch the spicy core is superseded by those other flavors and only remains as a background flavor. There is a good deal of complexity and strength of flavor with this cigar that I really enjoy.

So far, this Casa Magna is burning and drawing really well. I have had some minor burn problems in the past with this cigar but nothing major.

It starts out as a really robust, full bodied cigar but mellows out once the spiciness takes a step back. Still full bodied but the finish is smoother and the other flavors really get to shine through.

The draw has remained even but I did have to cut a little more off the head of the cigar to open up the draw. For the remainder of the cigar it draws extremely well.

At the beginning of the final third of the cigar there is a faint cocoa flavor but it quickly fades away. The main flavors – spice, floral sweetness, wood (a heartier wood unlike oak) and nuttiness – remain throughout in some variation or another. It is an impressive cigar, that I am sure of.

Is it one of the best cigars ever? Probably not. It is complex, full flavored and the essentials (burn and draw) are average to above average. When you factor in the price (although I had to pay around $8.50 at my local tobacconist – damn cigar taxes!) it does make this cigar even more attractive. Let me put it this way, I loved this cigar and will definitely be smoking more of them in the future. Additionally, there is now a Casa Magna Oscuro that was recently released and I’ll get my hands on those as quickly as possible.

92 points

Tatuaje Cojonu 2006 Cigar Review

Ah, finally! A torpedo. It’s actually been quite a while since I’ve had one and, since the torpedo vitola is my favorite, I’m excited about this cigar. Well, I’m excited because it’s a torpedo but, slightly more importantly, it’s a Tatuaje. I’ve smoked a handful of Pete Johnson’s creations (Tatuaje Havana VI Nobles and Tatuaje Reserva J21) and I’ve loved them all. Hopefully this cigar, which is made in Miami by master rollers from that island south of Florida, will be just as good.

From the Tatuaje site:

All Tobacco is 1^st Generation Cuban Seed Grown in Nicaragua.
Cigars are rolled in classic Cuban tradition by Master Rollers in Little Havana Miami, FL U.S.A.
Headed by Maestro Tobaquero Jose Garcia.
Cigars are rolled with a beautiful Cuban triple-cap and are Medium to Full in flavor.

Now onto what matters; the cigar itself. The Tatuaje Cojonu 2006 is a beautifully crafted torpedo that has a substantial coating of oils on its medium brown wrapper. Well packed and the shape is just spot on. Many torpedos tend to be a little lopsided because it is a more difficult shape to roll (I’m told – I’ve never actually rolled a cigar). My only qualm about this cigar are the two medium sized veins that are located right around where I’m going to be cutting it. Hopefully it does not turn into a big deal – that would be a shame.

Cigar Stats
Torpedo
Length: 5 1/2″
Ring Gauge: 52
Wrapper: Nicaragua Corojo 99
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Price: $13.00

Nuclear Torch!

An effortless draw reveals some really solid flavors. There is some spice, hearty wood and a syrupy caramel flavor that is the most dominant flavor. Another sweetness joins this group after about halfway through the cigar; it’s close to a floral sweetness.

During the last half of the cigar some tobacco flavors do come on. It’s a very good cigar that is thoroughly enjoyable. Medium bodied with a balky draw at first that, thankfully, evens out after the first inch, inch and a half.

This cigar perplexes me. I’m enjoying it but there is just something missing. Maybe it has to do with the flavors not being as robust as I would have liked. Not quite sure actually but I just wanted something more.

90 points

Perdomo Reserve 10th Anniversary Champagne Cigar Review

First off, you will be able to recognize this cigar by the peach colored cellophane that encapsulates what turns out to be a very light colored cigar. Its wrapper is extremely smooth but not very oily. I have to admit that I accidentally ripped off some of the wrapper when I removed the band. It’s just that the band is gigantic and it needed to be removed if I was going to smoke this cigar comfortably. It is a firmly packed cigar that, knowing how other Connecticut Shade wrapper cigars are, I am not expecting too much from.

Cigar Stats
Robusto
Length: 5″
Ring Gauge: 54
Wrapper: Connecticut Shade
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Price: $5.50

Godlington Flame!

An effortless draw reveals some surprisingly good flavors. Sweetness, wood, some spice and earthy/grassy flavors. There is also a faint hint of coffee grounds. It produces a ton of smoke, is medium bodied and has an even draw.

The Perdomo Reserve 10th Anniversary Champagne is not a procession of good flavors, far from it. During the first half of this cigar it is decidedly un-smooth; ratty would not be too unkind of a term to use.

Sometime around the halfway mark the ratty-ness disappears and for a brief while those good flavors I mentioned earlier are allowed to come through. And then something else negative starts coming through. The best way I can describe it is by calling it metallic.

Without those bad flavors this is still an average cigar. The flavors, the good ones, are, at best, neutral. It’s a fine cigar without those bad flavors but with them it is a cigar that I will avoid.

85 points

Carlos Toraño Reserva Selecta Cigar Review

From Carlos Toraño’s website:

Lovingly and painstakingly developed by Carlos Toraño, the Reserva Selecta is crafted much like a vintage estate wine,with the most refined tobacco grown in the lush Esteli Valley in Nicaragua and the Valley of Jamastran in Honduras. Packed with soft cool smoke, the Reserva Selecta is mild- to medium bodied with notes of sweet cream and cedar. All cigars are wrapped in cedar and encased in crystal tubes to preserve freshness. Packed in boxes of 20 or 5-count gift boxes, all tobaccos are aged three to five years.

The wrapper is very light and it has a light sheen of oils. It is packed nicely and the construction is above average. The veins that are there are not very pronounced and the discolorations are minor.

Cigar Stats
Torpedo
Length: 6 1/4″
Ring Gauge: 52
Wrapper: Connecticut Shade
Binder: Indonesian
Filler: Dominican Republic, Honduras and Nicaragua
Price: $10.20

Hero Torch!

The first flavor that hits me is, obviously, wood. I don’t think I would describe it as cedar but, rather, spruce or a Christmas tree. That is the flavor I get when I exhale out my nose. When I inhale the flavor is more akin to a forest fire. To be fair, it is not that bad, it’s more like the aftermath of a forest fire, charred wood. It’s not totally un-enjoyable but it isn’t exactly a plus either.

Between the one and two inch mark that charred wood flavor migrates from being a minor annoyance to being a pain. The charred wood gets stronger and does start to take away from the rich wood flavor, which I still get on the exhale. A couple other flavors that are barely perceptible are vanilla and peppermint.

A weak ash, an uneven burn and a good draw sum up the fundamentals of the Carlos Toraño Reserva Selecta Torpedo. Any good thoughts about this cigar I had before I lit it were snuffed out by that harsh, charred wood flavor. It’s a mild bodied cigar that has a lot of promise. It would have been a very good cigar if not for that harshness. Too bad.

84 points

Camacho Triple Maduro Short Cigar Review

Pre-Smoke

Like everything that Camacho makes, it looks good. No discernable imperfections and it is evenly packed. I am smoking the 50/4.5 vitola for this review. What makes this cigar different from most other cigars is that it uses maduro tobacco for the wrapper, binder and the filler.

Smoke

It starts out really spicy and then things settle down. Spice, wood, some sweetness, earthiness and cocoa all blend wonderfully together. It’s a full bodied cigar that has a great draw and an even burn.

After-Smoke

I had smoked a couple of these before and I have a couple more in my humidor, so I’ll be doing a complete review of this cigar in the next couple of months. Based off of what I have already experienced from this cigar I can safely say that it is awesome. The Camacho Triple Maduro has tons of flavor, a lot of strength, and its fundamentals are spot on. If you can, pick up some of these.

5 points

Price: $11.50

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

CAO Brazilia Samba Cigar Review

One of the things I try to do when doing a cigar review is tell you what I think without being biased by something I have heard or read. This can be difficult because if you go into a cigar knowing that others think very highly of it you will be thinking that that cigar will be very good. Hopefully I do not fall into that trap and I think that this will be an example of that. Onto the review.

Dark cigar with very little oil, which is a point of concern. It does look perfect though. I am drinking Wild Turkey, a Cherry Coke and some water to cleanse my palate. Just to let you know my frame of mind going into this cigar I know that this is supposed to be a very good cigar and full bodied.

Cigar Stats
Torpedo
Lenght: 6 1/4″
Ring Guage: 54
Wrapper: Brazil
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Price: $7.00

Go Fire!