Bolivar Edition Regional Benelux Fabulosos

This cigar has a very smooth light brown wrapper. The cap lays perfectly flush with the wrapper and is made up of several layers. There are only a couple very thin veins running though the wrapper leaf. This cigar appears flawless upon first inspection. The smell coming off of this cigar is very earthy with a hint of sweetness.

Arturo Fuente Opus X Black Orchid Review

Wrapper: Dominican Maduro
Filler: Dominican
Binder: Dominican

This cigar is absolutely stunning. The maduro wrapper is a chocolate shade of brown with a couple veins running through it.The most distinct feature is clearly the cap. The cap is similar to that on the Opus X BBMF but a bit smaller. The cigar was firm to the touch and the wrapper leaf was a bit rough. This cigar had a very distinct sweet and earthy scent.

Once I lit this cigar up the tastes of earth and spice were very prominent. As this cigar progressed through the first inch some dark chocolate notes came out to add a bit of sweetness. Once I hit about the one-inch mark that distinct Opus X spice came out.

Arturo Fuente Casa Fuente Double Robusto

Wrapper: Cameroon
Filler: Dominican
Binder: Dominican

The Cameroon wrapper on this cigar is absolutely flawless. The wrapper is a medium shade of brown and is very smooth to the touch. There are a few thin veins running through the wrapper but none are worth worrying about. The cap is actually composed of three layers that all lie perfectly flush. The cigar itself is solid throughout and gives off a very sweet smell.

Once I lit up this cigar, I knew this cigar was special. The initial puffs were very smooth with a slight sweetness. There was a little bit of a woodiness that came out. After a few more puffs some mellow earthy tones formed. The flavors from the Cameroon wrapper were very dominant withing the first inch. As this cigar slowly progressed some mild pepper and creamy notes coated my palate.

Viaje TNT 2012

Wrapper: Nicaraguan Corojo '99
Filler: Nicaraguan
Binder: Nicaraguan

This cigar definitely looks like a stick of dynamite. There was a nice long wick that extended down from the cap to about the middle of the cigar. The wrapper leaf was very smooth with a nice oily shine to it. This cigar also had a closed foot with excess wrapper leaf. The cigar itself was solid throughout with no veins. The cigar was a medium shade of brown. Due to the closed foot it was easy to get an even burn from the start.

As I lit this cigar up I got some very strong wood and pepper notes. After a few puffs the profile really smoothed out. The cigar becomes pretty leathery after about a half inch. As the leather picked up, the smoke became much smoother and creamier. There was also a very nice combination of pepper and oak still sitting on my palate.

Tatuaje Mini Mum (Little Monsters)

Wrapper: Nicaraguan Sun Grown Criollo
Filler: Nicaraguan
Binder: Nicaraguan

The Mini Mum is the only cigar out of the Little Monsters set that has yet to have the "Original Release" available. So in my eyes, I am considering this cigar more of a test sample to what is to come.

This cigar has a medium brown wrapper that looks flawless. The cigar itself has a closed foot that is covered with excess wrapper leaf. The cap is perfectly flush and made up of three separate layers. There are a couple thin veins running through this cigar, but none are a worry to me. The cigar is smooth and solid throughout. The foot is slightly softer though. There is a very earthy and grassy smell coming from this cigar.

As soon as I lit this cigar up there was a very smooth combination of peppery spice and woody tones. There was a slightly sweet undertone that popped out every few puffs. After about a half inch the pepper flavor mellows out a leaves a very sweet earthy base. My palate was coated with a smooth and creamy combination of flavors.

Tatuaje Wolfie (Little Monsters)

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sumatra
Filler: Nicaraguan
Binder: Nicaraguan

This is the only Little Monster in which I have reviewed the original release. I reviewed The Wolfman a few months ago.

The wrapper on this cigar is a medium to dark shade of brown. Like the Wolfman, this cigar is also a box pressed torpedo. This cigar's foot isn't as "shaggy" as the Wolfman, but it is a shaggy foot nonetheless. The wrapper is very smooth and oily. This cigar is very solid throughout. I'm actually surprised that it is this solid given that it is box pressed. There is one thin vein running through the wrapper but nothing to worry about. Also the smell coming from this cigar is a combination of chocolate and earth.

As soon as this cigar was lit up I got some very strong pepper notes. There was also a strong coffee flavor that started to build up. The earth and wood tones slowly built up as this cigar moved past the shaggy foot and hit the wrapper. The bitter coffee notes started to become more prominent as this cigar progressed.

Tatuaje Baby Face (Little Monsters)

Wrapper: San Andres Mexican Maduro
Filler: Nicaraguan
Binder: Nicaraguan

This cigar has two separate leaves used for the wrapper. The main leaf is the San Andres Mexican Maduro which is a medium to dark brown. There is also a light brown, most likely Connecticut, leaf that makes up the "Face" of this cigar (reference to Leatherface). This cigar isn't quite a torpedo, but there is a pointed cap.

The cap is made up of 3 layers that were all perfectly flush. The foot on this cigar is covered with excess wrapper leaf. The cigar itself is very oily with only a couple veins running through it. The cigar is solid throughout and gave off a very sweet smell.

Once I lit this cigar up, I knew I was in for a treat. There was a strong leather flavor right away, which was actually expected. There was a light spice that formed quickly as well. After I smoked through the first half inch some wood and earth tones picked up. By an inch in the pepper picked up and complimented the earthy tones perfectly. The combination of earth and leather coated my palate completely.

Tatuaje Lil' Drac (Little Monsters)

Wrapper: Nicaraguan Habano Maduro
Filler: Nicaraguan
Binder: Nicaraguan

The wrapper on this cigar was a medium shade of brown with a few darker spots. The torpedo cap was wrapped very smooth. The whole cigar was smooth and had a very oily layer coating it. There were a couple veins running through the wrapper, but none were thick enough to worry about. The cigar itself was solid throughout with a strong earthy smell coming off of it.

Once I lit this cigar up the pepper was very strong and a nice punch for a start. Then after a few puffs, the creamy woody tones came out. The flavor profile was very smooth and balanced. Through the first inch, it seemed as though the spice picked up with each puff. The first third stayed fairly balanced with some nice accent tones popping out every once and awhile.

Tatuaje Frank Jr (Little Monsters)

Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
Filler: Nicaraguan
Binder: Nicaraguan

This cigar features a dark brown wrapper with no flaws. The cigar itself is solid from cap to foot. It is also perfectly box pressed with sharp edges. The cap on this cigar is made up of three layers that all lie perfectly flush. The cigar has a very smooth and oily appearance with no thick veins running through it.

Once I lit this cigar up there was a nice pepper flavor. There was also a strong woodiness that poked out that leaned more to an oak flavor. As this cigar slowly progressed, there were some sweet cinnamon notes that came out. After about a half an inch of this cigar burned, the spice mellowed and became nicely balanced. The draw had some sweet and spicy notes with and oak and earth exhale.

Arturo Fuente Don Carlos Edicion de Aniversario Toro

Wrapper: Dominican
Filler: Dominican
Price: $30.00

Well it is official, this will be the last review that will be publicly posted. Tomorrow I will be setting the website to private due to work. I thank everyone who has been reading my reviews over the past year.

I wanted to make the last public review. So I chose this cigar. I have heard nothing but praise about the Don Carlos line, so I felt it was fitting to make this my last public review.

The Dominican wrapper on this cigar is very light brown, only a shade or two darker than Connecticut shade. The cap is made up of three flush layers. The cigar itself is very smooth to the touch. There are no veins running through the wrapper leaf. The stick itself is solid from cap to foot with not a single soft spot. The smell coming from this cigar was very sweet.

Mark's Own Cigars Short Filler Blast

This cigar featured a medium brown wrapper that was very smooth. The cap was composed of two separate flush layers. The cigar itself was solid with a slightly softer foot. There were really no veins running through the wrapper leaf. The smell coming off of this cigar was pretty sweet.

Once this cigar was lit up, there was a nice bit of pepper and earth. I was surprised at how smooth this short -filler cigar was. There was a little hint of sweetness that started to poke out after about an inch. Shortly after the sweet notes, a mild coffee flavor formed. Throughout the first half of this cigar the flavor stayed pretty balanced.

Viaje Satori Nirvana Review

Wrapper: Mexican San Andreas
Filler: Nicaraguan
Price: $11

This cigar features a dark brown wrapper that is very smooth and oily. The cap is very smooth and composed of multiple layers. The cigar itself is solid throughout with not a single soft spot. There a really no veins running through the entire wrapper. There is also a pretty sweet smell coming from this stick.

Upon lighting the cigar, I got some strong coffee and earth tones. There was also a little bit of spice in the background, but not too much. As the cigar slowly progressed, some new flavors emerged. I was greeted with some cinnamon, chocolate, and oak tones.

Drew Estate Liga Privada T52 Belicoso Review

Wrapper: Stalk Cut Connecticut Habano
Filler: Honduran, Dominican, and Nicaraguan
Price: $12.00

There are two reasons why this cigar is being reviewed today. The first reason is because it has been one of my favorite Liga Privada cigars for a while now. The other reason is because I held a vote last week to see what this weeks cigar reviews would be. This cigar won the vote by a landslide. Therefor this cigar gets reviewed first this week.

The wrapper on this cigar is dark brown and very oily. This cigar clearly has a smooth oily shine covering it completely. The cap on the belicoso tip is perfectly smooth and wrapped. There were a couple thin veins running through the wrapper, but none of them caused me to worry. The tobacco is very tightly rolled and causes this cigar to be solid from cap to foot. The last thing I noticed was the sweet smell coming from this cigar.

Casa Fernandez Aganorsa Leaf Toro Review

Wrapper: Nicaraguan Corojo
Filler: Nicaraguan
Price: $7.50

The first time I saw these cigars was a couple weeks ago. I have heard several good things about the Casa Fernandez cigars, but never actually reviewed one. When I was sitting in my back yard the other day, I wanted something newer to review. So I went back into my humidor, and this one was right on top. This cigar was a the perfect size for the time I had to do a review.

The first thing I noticed about this cigar was the flawless wrapper. There were a couple of very thin veins running through the medium brown corojo wrapper. This cigar is also evenly box pressed. The edges are perfectly rounded and smooth. The wrapper has a nice oily shine to it as well.

This cigar is solid from cap to foot. Usually box pressed cigars are a little softer, not this one. The cap was perfectly smooth and flush. It was also made up of three separate layers. Upon last inspection I noticed an aroma coming from this cigar that was sweet and spicy.

Bolivar Royal Corona Review

This is the second time I have had the pleasure of smoking this cigar. The first time I smoked it I was completely blown away. I remember waking up, making a cup of coffee, and just sitting outside with the nice morning Spring breeze. When I decided this passes weekend to review this cigar, I wanted to recreate the exact relaxation. Except this time, water instead of coffee because it was for review.

This particular cigar is from November 2010.

This cigar is stunningly beautiful. It is nicely box-pressed with perfectly rounded edges. The wrapper leaf is a light to medium shade of brown. The cap on this cigar is made up of three separate layers that all laid perfectly flush.

There were also no veins running through the wrapper that would have any affect on the burn. This cigar is perfectly uniform and solid throughout. There is also a sweet earthy smell coming from this cigar.

Man O War Side Project 52C Review

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano Ligero
Filler: Nicaraguan
Price: $9.00

Man O War cigars have been a favorite of mine for a while now. A couple months ago, they released the "Side Projects" which are limited edition cigars. Previously I had reviewed the other two side projects. The Phalanx and the Little Devil were both very good cigars.

The only one left was this one, the 52C. It wasn't until recently that I was able to get this cigar, and I couldn't wait to complete my reviews of all the Side Projects.

The firth thing that I noticed with this cigar, is the chisel tip, which is how this cigar got the name. 52C stands for 52 ring gauge chisel tip. The wrapper leaf is the color of milk chocolate. The chisel's cap is a little rough and made up of three layers.

Room 101 LTD OSOK (One Shot One Kill) Trucha Review

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano
Filler: Honduran Corojo and Dominican Piloto Ligero
Price: $10.00 - $12.00

When I first saw this cigar about a month ago, I was instantly drawn in by its fancy packaging. The huge skull and ornate designs. I originally thought it came in a tube, but after seeing a couple reviews on it, I noticed that it was paper. It took me some time to finally get my hands on this cigar. No shops around me seemed to carry the Room 101 cigars. But through a trade, I was finally able to get this cigar.

Once I slipped this cigar out of its packaging, I saw the flawless wrapper. The Habano leaf was a medium shade of brown and very smooth to the touch. Since it is a perfecto, the cap was wrapped. The wrap was perfectly smooth.

There were a couple thin veins in the wrapper, but nothing out of the ordinary. This cigar is actually pretty solid from cap to foot. There was one area that seemed to be a soft spot, but it wasn't bad. Upon last inspection, I noticed the very sweet smell of this cigar.

La Fontana Vintage Galileo Review

Wrapper: Connecticut Shade
Filler: Honduran
Price: $5.50

It was about three weeks ago when I saw a post on a forum about this cigar. The question asked was if anyone had ever tried this cigar, and if they anyone had any views on it. I replied saying that I would keep my eye out for them, and if I saw them, I would review it. About a week later, I got them in the mail. The person sent me this cigar to try it out and review it. For that, I thank you.

The Connecticut shade wrapper on this cigar is flawless. It is very light brown and very smooth. There were a couple thin veins, but they were so thin that there was no way they could affect the burn pattern. This cigar actually had a flush cap that was composed of four layers.

This cigar has a couple softer spot, but overall this cigar is pretty solid. The foot is slightly softer than the rest of the cigar, which made it pretty easy to light. Also the smell coming from this cigar is very earthy, yet sweet.

Tatuaje Anarchy Review

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habana 2000
Filler: Nicaraguan
Price: $10.00

For the past couple months I have been seeing pictures of this cigar popping up on forums and cigar websites. In that time, I have been waiting for them to restock so that I could buy a few. Little did I know that these were a limited release. It wasn't until last week that one of my readers agreed to trade cigars with me so that I could try this one out.

When this cigar is in the cellophane, you do not get to see the sheer beauty of this cigar. When you look at it, it has a very oily, dark brown wrapper. The cigar is very smooth to the touch with only a couple of very thin veins running through it. The cap on this cigar is a pigtail wrap. When I unwrapped it the pigtail, it was approximately six inches long. This stick, from cap to foot is very solid and gives off a sweet and spicy smell.

My Father Cigars Flor De Las Antillas Belicoso Review

Wrapper: Nicaraguan Sun Grown
Filler: Nicaraguan
Price: $7.50

Last week I got an email from Holt's Cigar Company saying that they just received the new cigar from My Father Cigars. I have been hearing about this cigar for a little over a month and was very excited when I learned they were received.

Yesterday I had a little over an hour to go head up and grab some. I smoked one while I was there, and was blown away. When I got home, I relaxed for a little bit, then went out back around 8:00 to review it.

The sun grown wrapper is a medium shade of brown with a couple veins running through it. None of the veins were thick by any means. The cap was perfectly flush and evenly wrapped. This was a very solid box-pressed cigar. Usually box-pressed cigars tend be a bit softer, not this one. I also noticed that this cigar gave off a very sweet smell.

Arturo Fuente Hemingway Between the Lines Review

Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf and Connecticut Shade
Filler: Dominican
Price: $14.00 - $15.00

Over the past fourteen months I have become quite a fan of the Fuente cigars. I have had to opportunity to smoke, enjoy, and review a good amount of them. I have seen this particular cigar a couple times, but never dished out the money to grab one. Well about a month ago, a friend of mine traded me for one. Now I finally had the chance to review a cigar that I have heard nothing but raves about.

The one thing that visually drew me to this cigar was the barber pole wrap. Some times with the barber pole, one leaf is thicker than the other, and you can physically feel the difference. This cigar was perfectly smooth, almost seamless.

The broadleaf wrapper was chocolate brown while the Connecticut shade was more of a caramel color. The cap was made up of two layers, one of each wrapper leaf. This cigar itself was very solid. There was no play when pinching the cigar. There were also no veins throughout the entire wrapper. The last thing I noticed what the smell of the cigar. The broadleaf gave off a sweet smell while the Connecticut gave off an earthy smell.

Padron Serie 1926 80 Years Maduro Review

Wrapper: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Price: $31.00

This passed Thursday and Friday Holt's Cigar Company hosted Padron events. While I was there I met Jorge and Orlando Padron. After talking to them for some time, I had to grab this cigar to review. Since they actually had a good deal on their cigars, I didn't feel bad grabbing this cigar. For the past several months, the price tag has stopped me from buying it. And I recently got some awesome news about my friend Timo, so I dedicate this review to him as a celebration cigar.

The first thing I noticed about this cigar was how flawless it looks. The wrapper is dark chocolate brown. The cigar is a box=pressed perfecto where both ends become tapered. The cap on this cigar was wrapped tightly and was perfectly smooth and flush. The wrapper leaf also had no veins in it whatsoever leaving the cigar very smooth. Upon last inspection I noticed its consistent solid pack and the very sweet, earthy smell the cigar gave off.

San Lotano Oval Maduro Churchill Review

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano Maduro
Filler: Honduran and Nicaraguan
Price: ~$10

As you may recall ,the original San Lotano Oval made my "Top 10 of 2011" list. When I learned that one of my favorite cigars was getting a slight tweak and coming out with a maduro wrapper, I had to hunt it down. My one local shop, The Smoking Dog, just got them in so I had to get up there and grab a couple before they were gone. Luckily I managed to snag two Churchills.

This cigar has a very nice looking wrapper. The Ecuadorian Habano Maduro leaf is dark brown and marbled with some darker spots. There are no thick veins running through it, which leads the cigar to be very smooth to the touch. Th cap is made up of two flush layers.

The stick itself is pretty slid throughout, but has a couple softer areas. Upon final inspection, I noticed the smell coming from this cigar was very unique. It had a slightly sugary smell as well as a cinnamon hint to it.

Cohiba Maduro 5 Secretos Short Review

This cigar was sent to me a few months ago in a trade. I wasn't originally going to review this cigar because of its small, cigarillo-like size in length but has a ring gauge similar to a corona. But I recently started to do "quick reviews" on small cigars. You may recall that a little over a week ago, I did a quick review of the Jean Sibelius. This review is formatted in a similar fashion.

This cigar's maduro wrapper is chocolate brown and oily. There is a nice shine to this cigar. There were a couple thin veins running through this cigar as well. The cap was made up of three layers, two were flush and the top layer was a little rough.

There was a little extra glue on this cigar in several spots. Also there was a slight chick in the wrapper at the foot of this cigar. The cigar itself though was very solid and gave off a very sweet smell.

My Father Atlantic 15th Anniversary Review

Wrapper: Ecuadorian
Filler: Nicaraguan
Price: $8.00

This cigar was sent to me a couple months ago in a trade. I was pretty excited when I saw this cigar in the package because it was new to me. I have had many other My Father cigars, and reviewed a couple of them, but this one is exclusive to Atlantic Cigar Company. When I got home from work on Friday, it was absolutely beautiful outside, and it was just the perfect day to relax and review this cigar.

This cigar looks flawless in ever aspect. It truly is a miracle that I haven't smoked it prior to this. The wrapper is very smooth to the touch and is a medium shade of brown. The cigar itself is box pressed and is capped with three flush layers.

There is also a slight oily shine to this cigar. There are a fer very thin veins running through this cigar. The cigar itself is pretty solid, especially for a box-pressed cigar. The smell coming off of this cigar is reminiscent of sweet chocolate.

Drew Estate Liga Privada No. 9 Toro Tubo Review

Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf Ligero Oscuro
Filler: Honduran and Dominican
Price: Unreleased, Estimating $10.00 - $11.00

Back in March when I met Marvin Samel from Drew Estate he handed me this cigar to try. He said it wasn't yet released, so I was instantly excited about it. The No. 9 was the first Liga Privada cigar I ever smoked back when I was in college. I believe it was my sophomore year that I finally found one in my local shop up there. I have recently been on a Liga Privada kick, so I felt the need to review this one now.

Once I look this cigar out of its awesome tube, I noticed just how great the cigar looked. The wrapper was dark brown with several spots on it that were almost black. The shades of brown and black had an almost marble-esque appearance because of the oily shine.

There were a couple very thin veins running through the wrapper leaf. The cap was made up of two layers that both were perfectly flush and blended perfectly with the rest of the wrapper. Like all of the Liga Privadas I have smoked, this one was solid all the way through from cap to foot. Then I noticed a very sweet smell coming off of this cigar.

Man O War Puro Authentico Maduro Review

Wrapper: Pennsylvania Broadleaf Maduro
Filler: Nicaraguan Ligero
Price: $7.00

As many of you have probably learned by now, I am a huge fan of the Man O War cigars. Actually, I just thing that A.J. Fernandez makes great cigars. I was recently offered a trade for this cigar, and I couldn't pass it up.

I reviewed the original Puro Authentico almost a year ago to the day. So I felt it only fitting to review this one right away.

The Pennsylvania Broadleaf wrapper is dark chocolate in color. This cigar looks absolutely delicious. Started at the double layer cap, that comes to a small twisted end, all the way down to the closed foot.

There were a couple very thin veins, but nothing to worry about. This cigar is perfectly uniform and solid all the way through. After a final look over, I noticed it gave off a very sweet yet peppery smell.

E.P. Carrillo New Wave Connecticut Short Run 2012 Review

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut
Filler: Nicaragua and Panama
Price: $7.00

A couple weeks ago this cigar was sent to me by a friend to see what my take on it was. I haven't smoked many cigars by E.P. Carrillo, so I was excited when I saw this cigar in the package. I have heard several people rave about this cigar, and have heard that it is a great morning cigar. So, Saturday morning I got up early, and lit this cigar up.

The Connecticut wrapper isn't the same shade as the others I have smoked. This one was more golden than light brown. There were literally no veins running through this cigar, leaving it to be very smooth. The cap was made up of four separate layers that were all perfectly flush.

The cigar itself was solid throughout. From cap to foot there wasn't one spot that softer than any other. The only flaw in this cigar was a small chip out of the wrapper on the underside, just above the band. Since this probably happened in transit, I wont hold that against the cigar. The smell that came off of this cigar was very sweet and had a slight cinnamon hint to it.

Jean Sibelius Short Review

I wasn't sure if I was going to review this cigar or not for a couple reasons. The first reason being, it is extremely rare. The other being, it is only available in Finland. Now I do not know a whole lot about this cigar, so this is going to be a short review. The extent of my knowledge about this cigar is that it is rolled in Finland using Cuban tobacco.

This cigar features a very light brown wrapper with a slight green tint to it. There are a couple flaws and cracks in the wrapper, but nothing too bad. Also, the cigar is very small, a petite corona, and is actually very solid. The cap is composed of a couple flush layers. There was a strong earthy smell to this cigar.


Once I clipped and lit this cigar, the flavors came out immediately. There was a very earthy start with a mild sweetness in the background. As the cigar slowly progressed, there were some light woody notes that came out.  The flavor profile wasn't very complex, but the present flavors were actually very nice.

Viaje Zombie Review

Wrapper: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Price: $10.50

Whenever I am in the mood for a powerful cigar, Viaje is one of the companies that I look to. They are very rare in my area. Luckily a friend of mine, and fellow cigar reviewer, Traveling Stogie, sent me this cigar to try out. Yesterday I was debating what cigar to review next, so I asked a couple of people that follow my reviews. This was the cigar that was chosen based on their feedback.

The Nicaraguan wrapper on this cigar is a medium shade of brown and very oily. This cigar just shines. There were a few very thin veins running through this cigar. I knew that these veins wouldn't be of any bother to me.

One thing that stands out about this cigar is that it is capped on both ends. Both caps are composed of three layers that all lay perfectly flush. The cigar itself is very solid and gives off a very sweet pre-light draw and smell.

Alec Bradley New York Six Two Review

Wrapper: Honduran Havana 98 Criollo
Filler: Honduran and Nicaraguan
Price: $6.00 - $7.00

Last Thursday, April 19th, there was a huge Alec Bradley event at Holt's Cigar Company. When I got up there I noticed they had several of these cigars there. Since I am in Philadelphia, it is extremely difficult to get my hands on cigar that are exclusive to a specific area. I was lucky enough to snag a whole box of these cigars. And since I will be up in New York City on Tuesday, I wanted to review this cigar immediately.

The Honduran Havana 98 Criollo wrapper n this cigar is a medium shade of brown and very smooth. There is also a slightly oily shine to the cigar. Like most cigars, there were a couple very thin veins running throughout this cigar, but nothing to worry about.

The cap was actually composed of four separate layers. All of the layers were perfectly flush with the rest of the cigar. The stick itself was solid and uniform throughout and gave off a very strong and earthy smell.

Jose Llopis Robusto Review

Wrapper: Connecticut Shade Nicaraguan
Filler: Panama
Price: $6.00 - $7.00

A few weeks ago I met the representative for Panama Caribbean Tobacco and we talked for a little bit. He then sent me a few cigars to try out and review. Another one of the ones he sent me was the Mad Dog Cigar that I reviewed a couple weeks ago.

He asked me to review this one next because he said there wasn't a review of this cigar yet. So I was told I was going to be the first person to review this cigar. I couldn't pass up that opportunity.

The Connecticut shade wrapper on this cigar is a very light brown shade. The cigar is very smooth to the touch with only a couple very thin veins running through it. This cigar also features a closed foot which made it very easy to light.

The cap was made up of only one, perfectly flush layer. The cap was also twisted on the end like a shirt pig tail. The cigar itself is solid all the way through and gave off a very earthy smell.

Sosa Piramides No. 2 Maduro Review

Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
Filler: Dominican Republic
Price: $10.50

This cigar is another one that was sent to me from a friend a couple months ago. I have heard about Sosa Cigars several times, but have never actually seen them in any store. So when I opened up the package and saw that this was sent to me, I knew it was one I would look forward to reviewing. After letting it rest for awhile, it was time to pull this one out and review it.

The Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper is two shades of brown. Most of the leaf is very dark brown, but around the veins it is much lighter. The leaf is also very oily with one thick vein on the underside of the cigar. The torpedo cap is very smooth with an almost glass-like shine to it. I noticed that for the most part this cigar was solid, but it had a couple soft spots on the underside. There was also a very sweet, earthy and chocolate smell coming from this cigar.

Tatuaje Wolfman Review

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sumatra
Filler: Nicaraguan
Price: $13.00

This cigar gave me quite the run around just to get my hands on. I went to a couple shops very early in November, and they were already sold out. After a few months of trying to find one of these, a friend of mine agreed to trade one to me. Now I finally had my chance to review this cigar to see what all the fuss was about.

The Sumatra wrapper is a chocolate shade of brown and very smooth and oily. The oily shine completely covers the cigar. There were a couple veins that ran through the cigar, but none of them seemed thick enough to be concerned about. This cigar was not only a box-pressed torpedo, but it also has a shaggy foot. The torpedo cap was perfect and evenly wrapped. The cigar was solid all the way through and gave off a strong earthy smell.

As soon as I lit this cigar up I was hit with a nice spice almost immediately. There were some earthy tones that really started to come out once the burn got passed the shaggy foot. Once the wrapper was fully burning, the flavors started to pour out. There were some coffee tones that seamed to form, as well as a very nice creaminess. The creaminess and coffee tones were perfect.

Camacho Connecticut Toro Review

Wrapper: Connecticut Shade Ecuadorian
Filler: Honduran and Dominican
Price: $7.00

This is a cigar I received several months back as a gift. I honestly forgot about it until i was craving a milder cigar, which is a rare occurrence. I have had good experiences with Camacho cigars in the past so I instantly grabbed this one. It was towards the bottom of my humidor where it has been aging for at least the past six months, possibly even longer.

I first had this cigar about a year ago, and it was very good then. I am excited to see how the age on this cigar is going to change the profile.

The one think I do like about Connecticut shade wrappers is just how smooth they are. A downfall to them, is that they can be very thin and delicate. This one was flawless. Its light brown color would have shown the slightest imperfection, but I didn't see any.

JC Cigars Natural Churchill Review

Wrapper: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Price: $7.00

A couple months ago I received this cigar in a trade. From what I learned this cigar is a "house brand" for a shop out of St. Augustine, Florida. The JC stands for Julio Cardenas who rolls these locally in St. Augustine. I am not one who usually reviews house blends because they are usually only available to people that go to that particular cigar shop. But, because a friend asked me to review it for him, I was more than willing to review this one.

This cigar's wrapper was a light brown shade. It was a little bit darker than a Connecticut shade, but not by much. The cigar itself was very smooth with a couple thin veins running through it. The cap appeared to be made up of four layers, all of which were perfectly flush. This cigar was pretty solid, but the first third seemed a little softer than the rest of the cigar.

Payne-Mason Reserva Selecta Torpedo Barber Pole Review

Wrapper: Connecticut Shade and Dominican Corojo
Filler: "Complex Combination"
Price: $19.00


A couple weeks ago I received this cigar in the mail unexpectedly from one of my readers. I personally had never heard of this company prior to receiving the cigar. I put this cigar in my "to review" humidor and forgot about it for a couple weeks. I forgot about it because it was in the glass tube that it came in, and it was under a couple other cigars. I got a message from the person who sent it to me to see when I was going to get to it. When I got home from work I grabbed it and reviewed it right away.

This is the first time I have ever reviewed a barber pole wrapped cigar so I was interested in seeing how things would go. The Connecticut shade wrapper is very light brown, almost tan, while the Dominican corojo wrapper was a medium shade of brown. The cigar was so smooth that I couldn't feel any of the seams where the wrappers met. The torpedo cap was very smoothly wrapped as well. The cigar was solid all the way through and gave off a very earthy smell.

Tatuaje Limited Release 2010 HCS #2 Toro Grande Review

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano Rosado Criollo
Filler: Nicaraguan
Price: $8.50

This Tatuaje is an exclusive blend made for Holt's Cigar Company. When I learned this I had to grab a couple of these to try. I still consider myself fairly new to Tatuaje, but I find fun in trying the various blends. I have smoked probably five of these so far, and saved my last one for this review. If you find yourself wanting to try this one, they are available on the Holt's website.

The Ecuadorian wrapper on this cigar is a medium shade of brown. The wrapper is very smooth with a few very thin veins that run through it. The cap is composed of three layers, all of which lay perfectly flush with the rest of the cigar. The cigar is evenly box-pressed and is pretty solid all the way through. After the last look over I noticed that the cigar gave off an earthy and spicy smell.

Mad Dog Cigars Robusto Review

Wrapper: Nicaraguan Rosado
Filler: Nicaraguan
Price: $6.00

I understand that most of you probably have never heard of this cigar, that is the main reason why I decided to reach out to these guys. I personally have never had a cigar from the Panama Caribbean Tobacco Company. Now I know that these probably aren't in your local shops, but these can be found online. I let this cigar rest about a week after I received it to let it adjust from transit.

The thing that really drew me into this cigar is the wrapper leaf. As you can see in the pictures, it is actually a deep red. Some of the cigars I have reviewed has slight red hints to the wrapper, but this one was literally red. The wrapper is also very smooth and has a nice oily shine to it.

There are absolutely no veins running through the leaf. The cap is a little off center, but it is flush. The only flaw in the cigar I noticed was a small chip out on the wrapper on the underside of the stick. I also noticed that the cigar itself was fairly light and gave off a very interesting scent of fruits and flowers.

Drew Estate Liga Privada Unico Series "A" Review

Wrapper: Connecticut Habano
Filler: Nicaraguan, Honduran, and Dominican
Price: Not For Resale

Well this past week has been quite fun. I sincerely thank everyone that has read my reviews, as well as everyone who has helped me along the way. Whether it be sending me cigars, trading cigars, or even searching for cigars for me, I thank you.

As I have done for the last four reviews, this cigar was chosen to represent my past year. The reason I chose this particular cigar was because of its size. This is one of the longest cigars I have ever come across, and the journey through the first year was a long journey. And again, I thank all of you, because without you, none of this would have been possible.

Ave Maria Reconquista Review

Wrapper: Brazilian Habano Oscuro
Filler: A blend of Nicaraguan tobacco from various regions
Price: $20.00

This is cigar is the fourth installment for my anniversary series. And like the other three, there is a reason I chose this particular cigar. When I first started reviewing cigars, one of my favorites was the original Ave Maria line. That cigar was also the cigar the got my dad hooked on enjoying cigars with me. That cigar will always be special to me. Not only did it bring my dad and I closer, but it gave me a regular smoking buddy.

Thankfully I met someone who lives near and frequents the Cigar International Superstore, because without him, I most likely would not have had the ability to review this cigar. Since the original Ave Maria has been a personal favorite of mine for about a year, I could only imagine how this one would compare.

The packaging on this cigar is awesome. This cigar comes is a fancy coffin case. When you open the coffin, it lifts the head of the cigar up so you can grab it easily. The cigar has a very dark brown, oily wrapper. The wrapper is very smooth with just a couple smooth veins. This cigar is very solid all the way through. The torpedo cap is perfectly smooth and come to a nice point. The smell coming off of this cigar has sweet chocolate scent to it.

Padron Serie 1926 No. 2 Maduro Review

Wrapper: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Price: $16.00 - $17.00

As I continue this series of reviews, its getting harder and harder to choose which one I want to review next. This cigar was a sure thing when I first started thinking of this series. The reason I decided to review this one was because it was a gift from my dad. My dad has been my smoking buddy for about a year now. The first cigar he ever bought me was a Padron 1926, and he also bought this one for me. When he gave it to me, I had to sit it aside for something special. And since he has been helping me everything cigar related this year, I had to review this one for him.

This cigar looks perfect in every way. The dark brown maduro wrapper is very rough looking, but very smooth to the touch. The leaf is dark brown with no veins at all. The cap is a little rough as you can see in the first picture, but one I cut it, it showed the perfectly even pack. This cigar is very solid all the way through from the cap all the way to the foot. There is not one spot that is soft whatsoever. The smell of this cigar is interesting because at first it was very spicy, then it had a slight sweetness to it.

Arturo Fuente Opus X Lost City Double Robusto Review

Wrapper: Dominican
Filler: Dominican
Price: $20.00 - $29.00 (depending where you shop)

This cigar is the second installment of my celebration set of cigars. Each one of these cigars were picked for a reason. This one actually represents my start. Be warned, my puns are quite bad. The reason I chose this particular cigar was because when I first started reviewed I felt... yes... "Lost." I started out not knowing how my style of reviewing would be perceived among the cigar world. And thanks to all of you, I am no longer "Lost" in this wonderful cigar world.

This cigar has a very appealing wrapper. The leaf is a medium shade of brown and is very smooth. There also appears to be a slightly oily coat on it. The cap is consisted of three layers and they all lay perfectly flush. There are a few veins that run throughout the wrapper but none of which are thick enough to worry about.

Viaje C4 Review

Wrapper: 1999 Nicaraguan Corojo
Filler: Nicaraguan
Price: $11.00

This week is a pretty big week for me. Today marks the start of the second year of these reviews. It’s hard to imagine that a year ago I was just thinking of something constructive to do, and now I look forward to writing these reviews for all of you. This week I plan on doing five reviews of cigars that are, in my opinion, celebration cigars. The reason I chose to start with this one is because it has been a blast doing these reviews for all of you over the past year.

The wrapper on this cigar is very dark brown with a slight reddish hint to it. This cigar is very interesting because it is flat on the top and bottom, but rounded on the sides. It also features a capped foot. The caps are both perfectly flush and are made up of three layers. This cigar is solid all the way through and gives off a sweet and earthy smell.

Don Pepin Garcia Series JJ Maduro Sublime Review

Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro
Filler: Nicaraguan Corojo and Criollo
Price: $11.50

This cigar has been sitting in my humidor for a couple months now. I first picked one up back in December to try out, and thought it was very good then. So I decided to pick up another one and let it rest in my humidor for a couple months to see how it matured.

Since the weather has been so nice lately, I have been able to review bigger cigars instead of just robustos. This one was in my radar when I was searching for something to review.

This cigar features a chocolate brown wrapper with a slight red hint to it. There is not a single thick vein running through the wrapper at all. There is also a nice oily shine to this cigar as well. The cigar is solid all the way through from cap to foot. The cap is perfectly flush and composed of three layers. The aroma coming off of this cigar is very sweet and resembles that of aromatic pipe tobacco.

Man O War Side Project Phalanx Review

Wrapper: Pennsylvania Broadleaf Maduro
Filler: Nicaraguan
Price: $9.00

If you recall, last week I took the time to review the Little Devil Side Project and I absolutely loved the cigar. Well my fiancé knew that I liked it because I raved about it after I smoked it. Well out anniversary is coming up in a couple weeks, and she decided to get me a box of another side project for it. Well she knew she couldn’t hold them from me for that long, so she gave them to me a little early. I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to review this one right away either.

This cigar looks awesome. The chocolate brown wrapper is very oily and smooth. There are actually no veins running through the wrapper at all. As I felt this stick, it was very solid all the way through with not a single soft spot. The cap is made up of two layers that both lay perfectly flush. I gave the cigar a good look over and noticed that it gave off a very strong aroma from the foot that resembled hot pepper and chocolate, very unique.

Padron Family Reserve No. 85 Maduro Review

Wrapper: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Price: $20.00

When I first started going to Holt's in Northeast Philadelphia, I got to know a lot of the employees there. Most of them seemed to point me towards this particular cigar. One of the employees, Chris, told me that is was one of the best cigars that he ever smoked. Given that he has access to just about any cigar, I had to try this one out. The next time I went, I picked it up, but didn't want to review it right away. I have smoked a couple of these now, but this one is the original one I bought over two months ago.

The wrapper on this cigar instantly drew me in. The dark brown color makes it look like dark chocolate. The box press is perfect with sharp edges. There are a couple of very thin veins that run through this solid cigar. The cap is made up of only of layer of tobacco which lies perfectly flush with the wrapper. There is a very sweet smell, like chocolate, that comes off of this cigar as well. Since this cigar is packed so perfectly and evenly, it cuts very clean and is very easy to light.

Man O War Side Project Little Devil Review

Wrapper: Nicaraguan Habano Sun Grown
Filler: Nicaraguan
Price: $7.00

As many of my readers probably know, I am a huge fan of A.J. Fernandez's cigars. When I first experienced the original Man O War several years ago, I was instantly hooked. I was browsing a few websites late last week and noticed that there were a few new blends that came out with the Man O War name on them. I couldn't pass up the opportunity to grab a box of them. So I chose these "Little Devils" because they were the perfect size for me to enjoy any time of day.

The wrapper on this cigar is a medium to dark shade of brown and is very smooth and oily. The cam is made up of two layers and is topped off with a nice twisted end. There is actually a closed foot on this cigar as well which makes it very easy to light. There are no thick veins running through this cigar. There are a few thin veins, but nothing out of the ordinary. The cigar is pretty solid all the way through with a slightly softer foot. Before I lit this cigar, I noticed that it gave off a strong smell of pepper and chocolate.

Romeo y Julieta Wide Churchill Review

This week has been absolutely beautiful. Between the 70 degree weather and daylight savings, i have been able to review a little bit more. When i got home from work on Monday, I went through my humidors to find something great to smoke and review to celebrate this fantastic weather. This cigar was sitting right on top, calling out to me. I couldn't resist it.

The only flaw I saw in this cigar, was a little chip in the wrapper. But I cant hold that against the cigar because it happened during transit. But, the wrapper is very nice looking. It is a medium shade of brown and ridiculously smooth. There were a few thin veins, but they were nothing for me to worry about. The cigar itself was a little soft, which had me a little uneasy because I was afraid it may burn crooked. The cap on this cigar is perfectly flush and consisted of several layers. It looked like three separate layers made up the cap. As i looked over this stick one last time, i noticed just how strong the sweet and earthy smell was coming off of this stick.

Padilla Miami Edicion Limitada 2010 Review

Wrapper: Nicaraguan Maduro Oscuro
Filler: Nicaraguan
Price: $8.00 - $10.00

A few months ago I purchased a sampler of cigars online. This cigar happened to be one of the ones that I really wanted to try. The reason this one stood out to me was because of how much I enjoyed the original Padilla Miami. I saw this cigar when it first came out, but I never got around to buying it. So when this sampler came along, and included five or so cigars that i really enjoyed, the risk on this cigar was fairly low.

This cigar features a dark chocolate brown wrapper that appears to be flawless from the top. When you flip the cigar over, there is one pretty thick vein that runs the length of the cigar. The wrapper itself if very smooth and oily. The cap on this cigar was made up of two layers, but they weren't perfectly flush with the rest of the cigar. They stood up a little bit. This cigar was solid from cap to foot and gave off a sweet chocolate aroma prior to being lit.