Emilio Cigars AF1 BMF Review

Wrapper: San Andres Maduro

Filler: Nicaraguan

Price: $7.00 - $8.00

For the past couple months I have been trying to get my hands of the Emilio AF1 and AF2. After months of waiting to find a shop with them, my local shop finally started carrying them. So after smoking a couple of these and falling in love with them, I decided that I had to review them. The AF1 comes in a few sizes, but the BMF is my personal favorite. If you care to know what BMF stands for, look it up, its entertaining.

The maduro wrapper on this cigar is dark brown, almost the color of dark chocolate. The wrapper is very smooth as well with no veins throughout the entire wrapper. The cap is also perfectly flush. This cigar is definitely packed tight from cap to foot, there isn’t a single spot where it feels a little soft. The cigar smells very sweet, almost like chocolate. This cigar is also very easy to light.

As soon as I lit this one up, the flavors just popped out. There was a nice helping of peppery spice right off of the light, but the spice quickly mellowed out. Once the spice died down, some earthy notes as well as woody notes came into the picture. The wood builds up quite quickly on my palate. Then I was greeted with another surprise, I started getting a good amount of sweetness on the draw.

Punch Uppercut Toro Review

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sumatra

Filler: Nicaraguan

Price: $7.00

Since this cigar was smoked as my Thanksgiving cigar, I feel I should start out by thanking all of my readers. I would like to extend a special thanks to all of my readers and friends over at r/cigars as well for helping me find and smoke new cigars. I was asked what I was smoking for this Thanksgiving, and why? The only think that popped into my head was the Upper Cut because it is more or less the movement used to stuff a turkey. That was the best I could do.

Well the wrapper on this cigar is almost like a dark chocolate shade. There are a couple thin veins that don’t bother me much at all. This stick is also very solid throughout the entire stick. There are two layers to the cap and both lay perfectly flush. The smell is actually sweet and slightly bitter. The cigar cut clean and was easy to light.

With a name like “Upper Cut” I was expecting a nice punch of spice, but I was greeted with the exact opposite. The start was very creamy with a slightly earthy and woody flavor to it. About a half of an inch in, there was a light spice that came out. By the one-inch mark, this cigar really opens up. There are much stronger wood and earth notes. The spice remains very mellow with a slight sweetness in the background.

Savinelli Liga Especial Review

Wrapper: Ecuadorian

Filler: Nicaraguan

Price: $8.00

A couple months ago I was sent a couple cigars from Savinelli. Prior to that package, I did not know this company made cigars. After talking with them I learned a little bit more about them. The weather was actually nice enough to day to smoke and relax so I felt it was a good day to sit outside with this cigar and just enjoy my day off.

This cigar has a very nice, medium brown wrapper. There were a couple thin veins, but none of them were big enough to cause any concern. The cigar is solid throughout the entire length of the stick. The torpedo cap is perfectly flush and smooth. There is also a slightly bitter smell coming off of this cigar. The torpedo cut very clean and didn’t unwrap at all.

As soon as I lit this cigar up, I was greeted with a mild spice. There were also some strong earthy tones that came out. As the cigar slowly progressed, there were some good wood notes that entered into the picture. By about the one-inch mark, the earthiness takes over. The mild spice picked up a little bit more and actually stuck to my tongue a little bit.

San Cristobal Elegancia Imperial Review

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut

Filler: Nicaraguan

Price: $7.00

For my birthday a couple weeks ago, my family and I went over to Center City Philadelphia. While we were over there I had to make a stop into Holts Cigar Shop. I went in there for the sole purpose to find new cigars to review. I have been trying to get my hands on this cigar because I enjoyed the other San Cristobal lines. I couldn’t pass up this opportunity.

The Connecticut shade wrapper is very light brown, almost the color of sand. The wrapper is also very smooth. There is a very thin vein that runs the length of the cigar, but nothing I am worried about. . The stick is very solid with a softer mid-section. The cap is perfectly flush and gives off a nice and earthy smell. The bands on this cigar also made it stand out in my humidor.

As soon I lit this cigar up, I was greeted with a slight spice. There was also a great amount of earth that came out right away. About an inch into this cigar, the spice mellowed out quite a bit. As the cigar progressed, there were some nice wood notes as well a little bit of sweetness. By about the one-inch mark, the spice was gone and there was plenty of earth and wood to fill the gap. Just around the start of the second third, there was a slight bitterness like black coffee that comes out.

Chess Cigars Habana 2000 Review

Wrapper: Dominican

Filler: Dominican

As many of you may know by now, I am always in a search for new and unknown cigars. So over the past couple months I have been getting in touch with people through social media websites. I came across Chess Cigars and found them to be quite interesting. After viewing their website and seeing an amazing humidor that doubles as a chess table (complete with the chess pieces) I wanted to reach out to them. They sent me a few samples of the Habana 2000 to try out.

These cigars are a nice size for these cold winter months. The 5” x 42 cigars last about a half hour each, which when the weather calls for a heavy coat, these are a nice quick break. The light to medium brown wrapper was very nice and smooth. The stick was solid throughout. There were a couple very thin veins in the wrapper, but they weren’t bad at all. This cigar gave off a sweet and earthy smell. This cap on this cigar was perfectly flush and cut nicely.

As soon as I lit up this cigar, there were also some strong earthy tones. There was also a little bit of spice that came out as well. This flavor combination stayed relatively consistent throughout the first inch and a half until some strong wood notes entered. It didn’t take long for the spice and wood combination to coat the tongue and palate.

Gurkha Seduction Review

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano

Filler: Columbian Corojo

Price: $7.00

 A couple weeks ago, someone from Gurkha Cigars found my reviews on some of their cigars. After going back and forth by email for a couple days, they offered me a couple samples to review for them. Once I reviewed the package about three days later, I let the cigar get readjusted to the humidity. The first of the cigars I chose to review was the Seduction because it was smaller and I didn’t have a couple hours to spare to smoke a larger cigar.

This cigar has a very nice, medium brown wrapper that does not have a single thick vein in it. The cigar is very solid throughout. The cap is perfectly flush and consisted of a few layers. The cap also cut clean, which was very nice. This cigar had a very sweet smell to it, almost like bittersweet chocolate mixed with a little bit of earth.

As soon as I lit up this cigar, I knew I was in for a treat. There was a good amount of spice right away. The earthy tones are also very strong. There was a sweet chocolate flavor that I was getting off of the draw. About an inch or so into this cigar, the sweetness mellows out. Once the sweetness dissipates, there are some wood notes that start to take over. The spice is also quite mild as the wood and earthy notes take center stage.

La Gloria Cubana Artesanos Retro Especiale Review

Wrapper: Honduran

Filler: Nicaraguan and Dominican

Price: $7.00

In the past few months, I have been exploring the various La Gloria Cubana lines. I heard from a couple people that they were releasing a new line. This news was exciting to me because I love trying new cigars. So when this cigar was released I got my hands on some. I put one away to review one morning because it was mild and would be a great morning cigar. So over this past weekend I figured it was a good day to smoke my last one.

The light brown wrapper is very nice and smooth. There were a couple veins, but they were all thin. The cigar is solid from cap to foot. The cap is also perfectly flush. There is a strong, sweet and earthy smell coming off of this stick. Upon looking the stick over, I noticed a slight crack in the wrapper by the foot, but I wasn’t too worried about it. The cigar cut very clean as well.

Upon lighting up this cigar, I got some strong earthy notes. There were also some little notes of wood and nut that formed. Shortly after the wood and nut flavors, came a mild spice. About an inch into this cigar, the nuttiness picked up a great deal and a sweetness like honey formed. The honey nut flavor was great and coated my mouth perfectly.

Viaje Holiday Blend Review

Wrapper: Nicaraguan Crillio

Filler: Nicaraguan

Price: $10.00

 As most of my readers probably remember, I reviewed the Viaje Skull and Bones a couple weeks ago. Once I smoked that I had to find more Viaje cigars because they would all be new to me. I asked around to see if anyone knew of anywhere to get them. Before I knew it, a package was on my doorstep with a couple other Viaje cigars in it. I let them rest a little bit and get back to proper humidity. This one is the first of the cigars I will be reviewing.

This cigar just looked like the perfect cigar to enjoy in a nice, brisk, Saturday morning. The wrapper is chocolate brown and very smooth. There were no veins throughout the entire wrapper. This cigar is also complete with a closed foot. The cigar is solid throughout without one soft spot. Even the foot is very solid. There is a multilayered cap that is perfectly flush and cut very clean as well. There is also a sweet and bitter smell coming off of this stick.

As soon as I lit up this cigar, I was getting strong notes of oak and earth. There was also a light spice that started to form. About an inch into this cigar, the spice mellowed out and gave way to a slight leather flavor. The leather flavor nicely coated the palate, whereas the oak and earth coated the tongue. This flavor combination stayed fairly consistent until I started getting a mild bitterness, like black coffee.

A. Turrent Triple Play Gran Toro Review

Wrapper: San Andres Morron

Filler: Nicaraguan and Mexican Long filler with Honduran Maduro

Price: $8.00

A couple months ago I was walking around one of my local cigar shops when this cigar popped out at me. I have heard about it quite a bit, but never actually grabbed one. So I grabbed a couple of them on the owner’s recommendation.  I smoked one while I was there, and decided to hold the other one for review. I felt that with the couple months of age, this one would be a good one to review.

The wrapper on this cigar is a very nice shade of brown, almost like dark chocolate. The wrapper is also does not have any veins that would bother the burn pattern. The one thing that scared me about this cigar was the couple soft spots that I could easily feel. The cap was perfectly flush and cut very clean. There was also a very sweet chocolate-like aroma coming off of this cigar.

When I lit up this cigar, I was surprised at how mild it was. I was expecting a full-force punch. The start was very smooth and creamy with some subtle chocolate notes. There was a light spice that came out with some strong earthy tones. About a half inch into this cigar, the power picked up. The earth tones got much stronger, as did the chocolate flavor. There was also a nice creamy flavor remaining on the palate.

Cu-Avana Punisher Review

Wrapper: Nicaraguan

Filler: Nicaraguan Ligero

Price: $8.00

I originally was going to smoke this cigar for my Halloween review, but that got voted down. But I have had this cigar in mind for some time to review. This cigar has been on my “to try” list for about a year because I am a fan of spicy cigars. Once I got my hands on this cigar, I let it rest for a few weeks until I had a good day to smoke it. So yesterday when I left work, its was 70 degrees outside with no wind. To me that is a perfect day for a cigar.

The dark brown wrapper looks pretty good, but a little rough to the touch. There are a couple thin veins that run the length of the cigar, but they aren’t a worry to me. This stick is solid throughout from the foot to cap. The cap is nicely wrapped and pretty flush. The cigar actually gives off a slightly sweet smell which surprised me quite a bit. The cut was very clean, and there was no effort in lighting it up either.

Upon lighting this cigar, the spice was ridiculous. Not only did the spice overpower my taste buds, but my lips were on fire. It seriously felt as though someone rubbed a sliced jalapeno pepper across my lips. Behind the spice, there were some very mild earthy tones. The earth tones were no competition to the pepper because it was just too strong. Finally about an inch in, the spice started to mellow, but it was still the strongest pepper flavor I have ever had in a cigar. It was seriously like I was smoking a spicy pepper.

God of Fire by Don Carlos 2007 Robusto Review

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sun Grown

Filler: Dominican

Price: $20.00

 A couple weeks ago, this cigar was sent to me. As soon as I received it I figured it would be the perfect cigar to review for my birthday. Since today is my birthday, I woke up nice and early to light this one up. I couldn’t think of a cigar that would be more unique to review than a God of Fire. This is one of the cigars I have been trying to find for some time.

The wrapper is dark brown and oily. There is one vein running the length of the cigar that is a little thick. The cigar is very solid. The cap is perfectly flush. The only flaw I see with this cigar is that there is some extra glue that is visible around the bands and cap. The cigar gave off a sweet and spicy smell. This stick cut perfectly clean and was very easy to light.

As soon as I lit up this stick, there was a very pleasant light spice. Shortly into this cigar, there was a good amount of sweet cedar that forms as well. There was some strong earthy tones that came out  that were very flavorful and complex. By about an inch into this cigar, the spice mellowed out. There is a little bit of sweetness that forms. There were nice hints of chocolate and coffee.

Alec Bradley Prensado Robusto Review

Wrapper: Honduran Corojo

Filler: Honduran, Nicaraguan

Price: $8.00

I have been on a mission for some time now to find an Alec Bradley cigar that I really like. Several people have told me to look into this one. So when I went up to The Smoking Dog Friday night, the owner got in a few samples. She wasn’t completely sure what these were like, so she asked me to see what I thought on it. I figured it was a great time to see if it was the one I would like.

This cigar appears to be flawless. The wrapper is a chocolate shade of brown and very smooth. There is a nice oily sheen to the stick as well. The wrapper has a couple very thin veins. The stick is a very solid box press. Usually with box pressed cigars, they are softer. Not this one. The cap is perfectly flush. This stick gives off a sweet and earthy smell. The cigar cut clean and lit very easily.

The flavor was very spicy right off of the light. The spice quickly mellowed out and gave way to some strong earth tones. Once the earthy tones came out, there was a good amount of oak that came out. There were also some sweet hints of chocolate. The combination of oak and chocolate sat on the tongue. There was also a little bit of leather that built up on my palate.

Illuminati Shield Robusto Review

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano

Filler: Nicaraguan Ligero

Price: $7.00 - $8.00

A couple weeks ago I was introduced to this cigar company. I was talking with one of the company’s distributors and he asked me to write up some reviews on the cigars. So once the cigars came, I let them rest in my humidor for some time to get them back to ideal humidity. After I got out of work, the weather was so nice that I had to take advantage of it before it gets ridiculously cold. After looking through my humidor, I felt these cigars were back to ideal smoking conditions.

The wrapper on this cigar was dark brown and smooth. There were a couple thinner veins running the length of the cigar, but nothing that worried me. This cigar is solid throughout with not a single soft spot. The cap was evenly wrapped but had a couple rough spots. This cigar also gave off a sweet and earthy smell. The cut was clean with no peeling occurring.

As soon as I lit up this cigar, the flavors jumped out. There were some very strong wood and spice notes. Shortly into this stick, the spice mellows out a bit. When this happens, there are much more robust wood and earth flavors. The wood becomes more distinct like oak. There is also a good amount off leather that forms as well. By an inch in, the spice is very mellow. The wood continues to pick up. Then all of a sudden, a nice sweetness forms in the background to compliment the leather.

Oliva Serie V Limited Edition Maduro Toro Review

Wrapper: San Andres Maduro

Filler: Nicaraguan

Price: $11.00 - $12.00

Just wanted to start off by saying Thank You to all of my readers. This is my 100th review. It feel like yesterday that I started this website. Once I realized that this milestone was approaching, I had to find an amazing cigar to smoke for the occasion. So when I was walking around a cigar shop, this cigar was just put on the shelves. I couldn’t think of a better cigar to smoke for this one.

The maduro wrapper is dark brown and very oily. The wrapper is flawless. There is no thick veins throughout the entire wrapper. The cap was multiple layers and perfectly flush. This stick is solid from cap to foot. The cigar itself gives off a very sweet chocolate smell. The cut was very clean, and the cigar was very easy to light.

The flavors are amazing right away. There are some very nice wood tones that come out right off of the light. Shortly into the stick, some spice comes out. As soon as the spice comes out, so does some strong earth. About an inch into this cigar, the flavors all combine together nicely. The wood and spice notes are a perfect compliment to each other.