Partagas Serie D. No.4 08

Partagas Serie D. No.4 or “PSD4″ became the flagship cigar for Partagas brand recently. It been very long since I had my last one and that because of the Robusto size which in not my favorite size. However I still like this particular cigar very much. Here is about it:

Initial thoughts:

Perfectly rolled robusto with nice triple cap. The wrapper is light brown that has an oil sheen on and got some soft veins here and there. The prelight draw was good with some resistant that delivers some tobacco and cedar wood hint. The burn was fine and the gray ash hold for and inch or so before it falls.

1st third:

The initial puffs were very nice brings big flavors of sweet tobacco and pepper with higher level of medium body. It mellows a bit the normal medium body with lots of cuban tobacco sweetness, pepper and wood flavors and hint of coffee and cocoa bean.  By the end of this third the flavors became clearer and easier to identify with more espresso, cocoa and caramel to complement the peppery tobacco.

2nd third:

The body changed medium to full at the beginning of this third. The flavors still the same with some earth just shown. Very nice complex flavors at the half way point. The third ends with tea leaves hint.

Final third:

Its almost full body by now and the smoke got warmer. The flavors are still rich and clear however the pepper mellowed and the tobacco became more obvious. With lots of flavors here “tobacco, coffee, cocoa, caramel, earth and pepper” the journey ends.

Final thoughts:

It seems that Serie D. No.4 very popular cigar all over the world and some people may think its just a fashion but buys its not, this cigar is a real fine one with lots of “Cuba” on it. If you were a  robusto lovers of not it is a must to have some of these guys.

Cain Maduro Torpedo By Oliva

After the disappointment of the Cain Habano this is the Maduro virgin which I will hope to perform much better. to make the long story short here is what I found:

Size: 6X54

Wrapper: Maduro Ligero
Binder: Nicaraguan Ligero
Filler: Nicaraguan (Jalapa, Esteli, Condega) Ligero

Initial thoughts:

This is a very nice looking torpedo with well packing and no soft spot. The maduro wrapper is very oily and silky to the touch with very little veins on it. The draw is very good and the aromas coming of the pre light were very cool with hints of cocoa and wood. The burn was very slow, wavy but correct it self. The ash was not the best looking however is was solid with very dark gray.

1st Third:

The initial puffs were medium to full loaded with rich tobacco and pepper. The smoke half an inch down mellow a bit but still peppery with maduro sweetness on the end and some woody flavors. The body get the full stage with more pepper, leather, maduro sweetness and hints of cocoa. By the end of this third the smoke get mellower and smooth with less pepper but more to the sweetness and leather, how ever it still full body.

2nd Third:

Here more complex smoke with decent amount of pepper leather and sweet cocoa and hints of warm caramel and the body is straight full. At the half way point I can find some cherry like flavor and the smoke somehow gets drier. There is some sweet earthiness by the end of this third.

Final Third:

Here new flavors appear like coffee beans and rich dark chocolate to make a very nice infusion with the previous flavors. If you guys now the maduro flavor it is very rich at this point. The pepper mellowed much and the smoke became sweeter and smoother but as you could imagine the body is full.

Final thought:

The maduro Cain passed the exam with very good grades and exceeded the Habano one. With fair amount of complexity this is a real ligero cigar and the strength is serious. A cigar I would look at again for sure when I need something takes me direct to the point. However when talking about a Ligero + Maduro the LFD pop up and for many reason I would prefer it to this on. The Cain Maburo have some similarity to the Oliva V but with less complexity. Again it isn’t a bad cigar and it may need some age to perform better.

Bolivar Belicosos Finos

Holidays were very good and now I’m back again loaded with energy, good times and cigars too. Well here is what I choose to review one of the most famous cigars made in cuba “Bolivar Belicosos Finos”. In fact bolivar are usually known as one of the strongest cuban blends with unique flavors profile. I’ve been smoking this cigar for awhile now and here what I found:

Initial thoughts:

Very nice looking belicosos with well packing and nice box press on it. The wrapper was fine light brown with little oily sheen on it. The prelight aromas where of earth and sweet pepper with good draw. The burn wasn’t the best but not bad too.

1st:

Mild tobacco with sharpe earthy peppery start medium to full body. Adds some sweet brown sugar like. The pepper mellows and infusion of cedary woody taste. I found some sweetness of cinnamon or caramel hints on the finish. The body turned to be full.

2nd:

More earth and pepper in this third with background of maple cedar sweetness. The cigar in the midway point gets more complex with full body and strength. Lots of mouth watering flavors.

3rd:

The show time starts here, when all the above flavors comes together and makes a delicious creamy snow white clouds. Cedar, pepper, maple and sweetness and more.

Final thoughts:

This is a constant cigar and takes you direct to the point. I really enjoy smoking this cigar when ever I need something that straight forward smoke.

Announcement

Dear all,
For a Short time i will be on a vacation with family and i’ll remain posting from next week end.
until that time please be well all of you Brothers of the leaf

Cain Habano Torpedo by Oliva

It is the dream of all full bodied smoke lover to have a straight ligero cigar and that’s it. i was very happy to know that Oliva have made such a cigar because i loved the series V they made. I’ve got couple of these Habano and another couple of the maduro virgin and both were torpero since i prefer this king of Vitola. I’ve yet smoke the habano and here what i found:
 

Wrapper: Habano
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan (Jalapa, Esteli, Condega)

Initial thoughts:

Very will made stick with very nice and oily habano wrapper that has little veins. The draw is the best could happens that delivers a mild tobacco hints and pepper notes. The burn was very good and the ash is spectacular.

1st:

Mild to medium smoke at 1st few puffs contains ligero pepper. Half an inch down the smoke started to get more interesting with some flavors of sweet pepper and little bit of earth. Leather notes shows on the back of the smoke with straight medium body smoke by the end of this third.

2nd:

The smoke became sweeter with more tobacco and pepper flavor. Its already full by the half way point. Some caramel like sweetness with earth and pepper and no more.

3rd:

When i started this third The smoke started to get bitter, hot and unpleasant. it was very sad it goes in the wrong direction so I’ll be ending here.

Final thoughts:

I don’t really now if it was a bad luck with the two cigars i had of it was the ligero couldn’t go very well. how ever it is a disappointing and very sad. any ways i may give it another chance but not very soon. The next post will be about the Maduro virgin and hopefully it perform better.

Happy New Year 2010,,

 

Ladies and Gentlemen, Cigar Aficionados, Connoisseurs, brothers of the leaf from here I would like to wish all of you, your families and beloved ones a very happy, healthy, peaceful and successful new year.

Humidor Seasoning, Winter Time

Since I didn’t smoke cigar for a while now “because I got cold” I decided to do a general cigar talk. The issue I want to discuss happen to me every winter so let’s begin. When ever its winter the humidity inside my humidors increase due to the low temperature and the cigars gets very wet, and unsmokeable. High level of humidity cause lack of flavors and burn issues. And while most of my cigars are cuban they are with out cellophane, and that means they get effected very quickly.

I’ve done search on the internet to know how to handle this problem and I’ve found many articles about it, most of them were useless but some were very useful and helpful too. So here I will show some methods that helps to protect your cigars while the weather is changing:

1. If you are placing the Humidors out on top of a desk or a table try to place them inside a drawer or a cabinet so the temperature is warmer inside.

2. If you can’t do the 1st step because of any reason like “shortage of space or so” remove the humidifier from the humidor for a while until the humidity reach the level you like. This step work for the large humidors too.

3. Some times even when you remove the humidifier the it stay the same because of the humidity in the cigars, in that case try to place “if available” cedar strips those comes in the cigar boxes in the humidor so they will take some of the humidity.

4. Here if you couldn’t do and of the above steps or they didn’t work with you case do the following, place the cigar that you want to smoke in an empty dry box for a day or so, to allow the cigar get rid if the unwanted humidity.

These are tried methods I use my self but they take time. But there is one method that I suggest not to try which is leaving your humidor open for a period of time since it will damage your cigar while getting in touch directly with the cold air and any odor in it.

If you have any useful and tried method of seasoning the humidors in winter please share it with me

Padron 1964 Anniversary Maduro Torpedo

 

its the cigar that attracted me to the non cuban cigars. Years back I was at La Casa Del Habano and there were two guys smoking a cigar that is not like the ones I know from Cuba!! They recognized that I’m looking so one of them offered me a cigar. I smoked it and kept smoking until now and here what I found:

Size: 6″ x 52

Origin: %100 Nicaraguan tobacco

Initial thoughts:
The most beautiful boxpressed cigar ever. Solid like rock and well packed with the best tobacco from nicaragua. Wrapper is very dark, its toothy but oily. The draw is excellent and brings hint of sweet tobacco and cocoa. The burn is razor sharp and the ash hangs very well for 2 inches or so.

1st:
Peppery with notes of coffee and cocoa, medium body smoke. An inch down lots of sweet tobacco flavors cocoa coffee and leather with hints of pepper and the body is almost full. Complex smoke shows how good this cigar is. Mouth watering and delicious smoke.

2nd:
It is already full body and flavors. Hints of old wood, sweet maple and cinnamon mixed well with the big flavors profile by the beginning of this third. By the half way point the smoke still creamy, rich and smooth with all the flavors mentioned above.

3rd:
The flavors gets richer than before with lots of leather, pepper, dark roasted coffee beans, cocoa, wood and sweet tobacco. Some caramel like shows in here to make it very happy ending.

Final thoughts:

This is a cigar that I can’t imagine my humidor without. One of the best cigar made in the world ever. It is the right choice for every time and occasion. This cigar in particular ages very well and very fast so 6 months is enough. And as they says “When Padron On The Label, Quality Is Matter Of Family Honor”. And guys if you have any doubt that Nicaragua produce some of the best tobacco try this “puro”

La Flor Dominicana Double Ligero Chisel Maduro

One of the first non cuban cigars I’ve had. It always reminds me of one of my dearest friends “Bill”. Actually I’ve read that Litto Gomez the founder of ”LFD” came up with the idea of making a chisel shaped cigar while he was riding a horse at his farm in DP and smoking a torpedo cigar. He was chewing the end of the torpedo so he found it very comfortable and easy to hold in mouth, he went back to the factory asked the rollers to make him a cigar shaped the same as the one he got and that was the chisel.

Initial thoughts:

Size: 6 x 54

Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro

Binder: Dominican Republic

Filler: Dominican Republic

A unique shape and beautiful work on this cigar. A very dark oily and veinless wrapper. The prelights draw was good delivering aromas of sweet chocolate and leather. The burn was razor sharp and the ash is white like a clouds and holds well.

1st third:

At first shots of pepper and strong tobacco taste as will be expected from a ligero. It mellow to become like dream with medium body creamy smoke contains pepper, leather and sweet tobacco flavors. It then gain more power an inch down and its the show time, more pepper and ligero with hints of sweetness that comes from this fabulous Ecuadorian maduro wrapper.

2nd third:

The dream continue more flavors of sweet cherry and  maduro, rich leathery peppery liegro tobacco. By the half way point it turns to full body which could be felt in the stomach. Notes of cocoa and coffee beans is obvious. The aroma is very sweet with hints cherry

Final third:

The cigar gets very strong here with pepper leading and every thing else behind like the maduro sweetness and the leather.

Final thoughts:

A power house cigar, one of the strongest ever had. It is what the double ligero should be. It is great match with scotch wine of after dinner. this cigar from my experience age very well and become smoother and more complex. I really like it.

Bolivar Petit Belicosos Edicion Limitada 2009

It is the second cigar from the Edicion Limitada 2009 I’ll be reviewing. I personally like Bolivar Cigars because they are unique in flavors. Ive heard lots about this particular cigar and most were positive. I’ve smoked 5 so far and here what i found:

Initial Thoughts:

Size: 4.9″ X 52

Perfect rolled Belicosos and solid body. The wrapper is dark brown with lots of oil on it. Draw on the Heavy side but not bad delivers Typical Cuban tobacco with a hint of spice, wood, and earthiness. The burn was very good and the ash holds well.

1st third:

mild to medium body smoke with sweet earthy tobacco flavors at first and it fast change to straight medium with more spiciness more pronounced in here. Get sweet by passing the 1st inch with caramel like flavor and hint of earthiness.

2nd third:

It is very nice complex cigar, lots of spicy woody with sweet caramel smoke. It is spicy and earthy at the same time and that happens only when you talking about Cuba and bolivar.

Final third:

The smoke get more complex with more wood rich tobacco flavors. Spiciness got more and the body is medium to full but goes very smooth on the palate.

Final thoughts:

This is a very good smoke by any mean. It is very “bolivar” and enjoyable cigar. Yes its freshly rolled but not fresh tobacco to it will be very good choice for aging for a year or so. The only dislike its a “Petit” and I don’t usually smoke this size of cigar.