So thats what $1000.00 in Cubans looks like…
Full Reviews Coming Soon!!!
Saint Luis Rey Churchill——————————————————————————-Hoyo De Monterrey Churchill
Punch Churchill———————————————————————————————–Punch Double Corona
Archive for July, 2009
Coronado by La Flor Lancero
Coronado by La Flor was created by Litto Gomez, one of the most innovative minds in the cigar industry. Gomez recently won the #3 rated cigar of 2008 in Cigar Aficionado for his Chisel Puro, who’s shape was inspired by chewing on a Perfecto. Back in the 2006 ratings he won the #2 rated cigar for the Coronado by La Flor Double Corona. I have yet to try the Double Corona, by I did just smoke the Lancero as my Sunday Morning Cigar.
The Coronado by La Flor Lancero’s wrapper looked rich and oily. It smelled great too, especially toward the center of the cigar which was reminiscent of honey. After cutting away the pigtail I proceeded to light my Lancero using the 3 Long Matches Technique, which I will describe in a future post.
The flavor of the Coronado by La Flor Lancero was interesting. It had strong hits of earth and chocolate, yet it’s smoke carried a sweet scent. It also had faint notes of Champagne, which was very unique. Unfortunately, it never developed any of the sweet flavors I had been expecting, and so I was left slightly disappointed. It had a semi-tart aftertaste which was also less than perfect. Overall a nice smoke, especially for those that like a consistent earthy flavored cigar. I can definitely see the potential in this blend, and if the Double Corona were to add in the missing citrus notes, it would be a dam good cigar.
AVO 787
The blending of the AVO 787 is like a jazz session. While smoking, the various flavors seem to drop away, and then return harmoniously to join the rest of the group. This is where the magic of this cigar lies…in the ever changing flavor profile, that although constantly moving, maintains a progressive harmony.
Launched at the 2007 RTDA Trade Show, it was accompanied by Avo Uvezian himself (whom the cigar is named after) with some of his legendary Jazz Music. The AVO 787 was created by Davidoff’s Master Blender Hendrik Kelner.
The blending of this cigar is superb! It’s balanced, aromatic and complicated all at the same time. It starts off with an array of flavors ranging from caramel, coffee, cream, chocolate, nuts and spice. The AVO 787 moves from flavor to flavor, like a symphony moving from one song to the next. It truly is an amazing cigar that every aficionado should try at least once, if not more.
Ambos Mundos
I smoked an Ambos Mundos yesterday after work, the new inexpensive Nicaraguan Cigar from the makers of Tatuaje. The wrapper was dark brown, oily and veiny. Upon lighting the cigar the taste and smell reminded me of a Padron, although I’m not sure why. I guessed it was going to be a pretty good cigar.
The first few puffs tasted like coffee with some black cherry notes, and had a clean finish. The cigar evolved to a leathery taste with a longer, spicier black pepper finish.
Overall this was a good cigar, and a great cigar for the price.
Future Cuban Cigar Memoirs
We just got a hold of 4 new boxes of Cubans! Nice 
I guess I am a Cigar Snob, as I only smoke Cubans rated 90 points or higher. LOL
Here is a sneak peak at our future memoirs, and what Cigar Aficionado currently rates them:
Punch Double Corona - Score: 94
Punch Churchill - Score: 92
Hoyo de Monterrey Churchill - Score: 90
Saint Luis Rey Churchill - Score: 90
Punch Regional Edition at the Gloria Ferrer Catalan Festival
This weekend Chloe and I attended the annual Catalan Festival at Glorria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards in Napa, California. Gloria Ferrer www.gloriaferrer.com makes some of the best Champagne (ok…Sparkling Wine) in the world, and in my opinion their $30 Champagne tops other companies $150 bottles. Gloria Ferrer has a sparkling wine history spanning four generations, and also owns Freixenet – the Catalan based Cava house.
The Catalan Festival featured Paella and Tortilla Espanola cooking demonstrations, authentic Flamenco Guitar, and Flamenco Dancing. It also included tons of restaurants offering samples of their Catalan Cooking, and of course all the Gloria Ferrer Wines and Sparkling Wines you could drink. We even had a chance to sample their new 93 point Royal Cuvee, which was first tried by the King and Queen of Spain.
After the festival it was time to spark up my Regional Edition Cuban Punch. This Regional Edition Punch is distributed exclusively to Spain, and is called the Punch Exclusivo Espana. A soft and clean tasting Cuban with tastes of leather earth and spice. It also had a slight taste of dried flowers, and was full of that classic cuban taste.The Punch Exclusivo Espana was the perfect way to end our day trip to Catalan Region of Espana.
Cuaba Distinguidos
In the mid 1990′s the Partagas factory in Cuba started producing a limited number of Salomon cigars for special events. In 1996, they launched the Cuaba brand, which exclusively makes Salomon type cigars or Figurados (fancy cigars).
At 6 5/8 inches long, the Cuaba Distinguidos is one of the largest Cuaba Salomones in regular production. A medium bodied cigar with very soft and supple smoke. The start of the cigar tastes predominantly of nutmeg and cinnamon, with a mellow wood taste and subtle honey notes. The finish of the cigar tastes of toasted tobacco and is both earthy and sweet. The last third of the Distiguidos did get a big strong, but up until that point it was perfectly mild and balanced. This cigar was so soft and smooth I honestly had a hard time keeping myself to a conisieurs smoking pace.
The Cuaba Distinguidos tastes very similar to the Partagas Presidente Salomon I smoked a week earlier, which makes sense since they are produced in the same factory and come from the same cigar bloodline.
Partagas Presidente Salomon
I recently happened upon 2 Cuban Cigars. These were not just any Cuban Cigars but 2 Partagas Presidentes. These 93 point cigars come in a Salomon size (pronounced Salomones in Cuban).
The Partagas Presidentes are one of only 2 Salomon sized Partagas cigars still made in the world famous Partagas factory. All the other Salomones have been transitioned over to the Cuaba line. At 6 and 1/4 inches long, the Partagas Presidente Salomones is a beautiful cigar. It’s easy to see why this size has been reserved only for special occasions over the years.
The taste of the Partagas Presidente Salomones was smooth and suave from start to finish. A very mild and balanced smoke with a pronounced taste of nutmeg. It also features a clean tobacco taste on it’s finish. I shared these 2 Partagas Presidentes Salomones with my buddy Rich from work. Not only did he get a free Cuban, but he found a folded $100 bill on the sidewalk. What a lucky guy!
Fuente Fuente Opus X Lancero
I found myself in San Francisco early one afternoon, so I decided to stop by Grants Tobaconist on Market Street. Grants has a great walk in humidor, a great selection of cigars, and some wonderful store made sampler packs. The samplers come with 4 cigars, a double-guiletune cutter, and Davidoff matches for $35.00. They even come in a ziplock bag that has a built in humidifier pack good for 90 days. I have been keeping this bag in my car for some time now, and trust me, it really works.
The Fuente Fuente Opus X Torpedo was the #2 Rated Cigar of the Year in 2007, so when I saw they had released a Lancero size, I jumped at the opportunity to smoke one. I cut and lit this baby while my Visa was still authorizing the charge.
As with many good Lanceros, the Fuente Fuente Opus X Lancero started of with a bit of spice. The smooth cinnamon spice was just right, and blended into a balanced caramel and earth treat. A great cigar, with a great draw, and of course that killer Opus X look.
One of the classic Cuban Cigar Brands, the tobacco coming from the Hoyo de Monterrey (or ‘The Hole of Monterrey’) region was once considered the best tobacco in the industry. The Hoyo De Monterrey cigars are famous for their unique flavor and uncommon smoothness. Similar to the trademark ‘grassy’ taste of Cohiba, Hoyo de Monterrey has a unique ‘tangyness’ to them. I experienced this with the cabinet of Hoyo De Monterrey Epicure #2′s I smoked in Central America last year.
This Hoyo de Monterrey Epicure Especial was different. Amazingly smooth and vibrant, with a full blast of their trademark ‘tangyness’. Usually when smoking a ‘smooth’ cigar the flavor just sits there quietly and unassuming, but with the Hoyo de Monterrey Epicure Especial the smoothness is loud and pronounced. Like the static sound of a record turned up to full blast, this Hoyo’s smoothness was extremely noticeable, and very special, and this cigar was only 1 year old!
I have only smoked 1 Epicure Especial so far, but I’m planning on smoking my 2nd very soon. I think this is my new favorite cigar. Strategically it is an excellent selection as it only requires 1 year of age to taste wonderful, whereas most Cubans require a good 3 years or more to really reach their potential. This is actually true of the entire Hoyo de Monterrey line, they offer an excellent choice for Cuban cigar lovers who don’t want to wait for years of aging to enjoy their fully developed Habanos.
Gran Habano Corojo #5 Lancero
Yesterday after work I felt like relaxing outside and enjoying the great weather, so I grabbed an amazing looking cigar to keep me company. I also grabbed a bottle of PowderKeg Petite Sirah that I picked up recently at the BevMo “Buy 1 Get 1 for 5 cents” Sale.
The Gran Habano Corojo #5 is an awesome looking Lancero. It’s dark Nicaraguan Corojo Wrapper is smooth and oily, and it’s cigar bands just look fantastic. It hails from Honduras, but is made of Nicaraguan and Costa Rican Tobacco. It’s a bargain priced cigar, but I had high hopes for the quality.
I was right. This Lancero was excellent, and to dismiss it as a bargain smoke would be ludicrous. It smoked beautifully and presented perfectly balanced flavors of pepper, spice, cedar and earth.
I plan on trying the other Gran Habano Cigars now that this full flavored Corojo Lancero has made me a believer. Do you believe in Corojo?
This Sunday I sat down with a cigar and a book. You could say it was the cigar and the book if you wanted to, and you would be hard pressed to find a disagreeing Cigar Connoisseur.
“The Book”
Published in 2003, “An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Post-Revolution Havana Cigars” is the the definitive source of knowledge on Cuban Cigars and their history. Written by Min Ron Nee, a World Renowned Cigar Collector based out of Hong Kong, along with Honorary Cigar Consultant Adriano Martínez Rius, who for 15 years was the adviser to the presidents of Cubatabaco and Habanos S.A., the wealth of knowledge that has been accumulated in this Encyclopedia is amazing! Most of the photographs are from Min Ron Nee’s own personal collection, and most of the tasting notes are from Min Ron Nee’s own smoking experience.
The most unique facet of this extraordinary book is Min Ron Nee’s comments on Cigar Aging. Never before has the Aging of Cuban Cigars been so accurately and scientifically described. The subject is not approached in years, but in decades, and consequently, most of us will never age a cigar past the first 2 of the 4 phases of aging described. I found the recommended Minimum Aging for each cigar particularly useful.
“The Cigar”
The Montecristo A is a 9 1/4 inch Cuban Cigar which originated in 1971. It is the Cigar for which the ‘A’ size is named after. It’s about 3 cigars long, and took me over 3 hours to smoke!
It was once in the Guinness Book of World Records as The Most Expensive Cigar in the World. Today it retails for around $100.00, but I was able to get mine for $50.00.
The flavor profile is a perfect Montecristo. Pronounced Vanilla Bean flavors were present even when dry smoking (puffing on the cigar post-cut but pre-light). The cigar maintained it’s amazing Vanilla Bean flavor throughout, mixed with creamy caramel and earth. An outstanding Habano. A work of art. A piece of Cigar History. To be honest, words can not describe the pleasure and satisfaction I felt when smoking my Montecristo A, and now that it is gone forever, I am left with my Memoirs of a Cigar.
Cuban Quiz
Time for another round of everybody’s favorite game ‘The Cuban Quiz’!!!
Today’s question: Which of these Cubans is machine made?
Bonus Question: Which of these Cigars is actually not Cuban?
Answer: The 3 small La Flor De Cano cigars on the bottom right are all machine made, in fact all La Flor De Cano cigars are machine made except one, the Coronas.
Bonus Question Answer: The Illusione #1 a the top is not Cuban, even though its size makes it look identical to the Montecristo A. Illusione cigars are made in Honduras.
Cabaiguan Maduro
I smoked my last Cabaiguan Maduro last night walking on Maverick’s Beach. It was the first time Chloe and I have been to Maverick’s since returning from camping 4th of July Weekend. Not seeing it for a few days sure makes you see the beauty of the place again.
The Cabaiguan Maduro is a great cigar. Created by Pete ‘Tattoo’ Johnson and rolled by Don ‘Pepin’ Garcia, obviously this has to be a good smoke. The cigar is strong and spicy, but I wouldn’t call it full bodied. I would say it straddles the fence between medium and full bodied quite nicely, with flavors of caramel, nuts, cedar and spice.
NOW THE STORY GETS REALLY INTERESTING…
It turns out the Cabaiguan Maduro (Robusto) and the El Triunfador (Lancero) are the exact same cigar, just in different sizes. I found this quite shocking. If this is true, which it must be since Pete has released published statements to this effect, I am amazed at the difference shape and size can have on the taste of a cigar, because honestly, they taste completely different. The El Triunfador is one of my favorite cigars, whereas the Cabaiguan Maduro felt a little off for my personal taste. It might be that the blend in the full size cigar slightly overpowers the wrapper, whereas in the Lancero the wrapper shines through uncontested, more to my preference.
Either way, I recommend smoking both of these ‘Twin Cigars’ if you can find them, just make sure to try them both because the differences are staggering.
