tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37446098948931331972024-03-05T22:57:29.805-05:00Zack The Stogie ManJust an avid cigar smoker. Open to any suggestions. I'll give any cigar a try.Zack The Stogie Manhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06290313966138436609noreply@blogger.comBlogger204125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3744609894893133197.post-61166493418810526962012-11-01T08:00:00.001-04:002012-11-01T08:56:20.194-04:00Bolivar Edition Regional Benelux Fabulosos<div>
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.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPvLkPsGgd8xfEb-m6pkCckYPZtJR-BOKYrrI7VXaTX8nEfUDl6ft7ZInR8skUeTILTZi9-5q9SZs0rz_JzxVDLvxD8gEzx7Uxre8vZowyU-W0Po050AZ9EvnEGt3tGJoPraO5Z_SBik4/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPvLkPsGgd8xfEb-m6pkCckYPZtJR-BOKYrrI7VXaTX8nEfUDl6ft7ZInR8skUeTILTZi9-5q9SZs0rz_JzxVDLvxD8gEzx7Uxre8vZowyU-W0Po050AZ9EvnEGt3tGJoPraO5Z_SBik4/" /></a></div>
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Right as I lit this cigar I was greeted with a sweet earthy flavor. There is a very faint spice that comes through after a few puffs. The sweet notes continued topic up with each puff. As this cigar slowly progresses the sweetness tends to mellow and allow a nice leathery flavor come out.<br />
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As I move into the second third the flavors all open up tremendously. There is a perfect combination of spice, sweetness, earth, and leather in each puff. As I move closer to the half way point the leather flavor starts to coat my palate. Pepper also picks up a bit more right at the halfway point.<br />
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The last third was even smoother than I could have imagined. The leather and earth tones took over completely and mellowed the sweet and spice tones down to perfect accents. Text finish on this cigar never got bitter or hot. It stayed smooth and flavorful through the very lat puff.<br />
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Ash: Darker gray, layered appearance, held on until halfway<br />
Burn: Became slightly crooked at times but always evened out<br />
Draw: Perfect amount of resistance<br />
Smoke: Very thick light gray<br />
Aroma: Sweet with some underlying floral tones<br />
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This cigar was great from the first to the last puff. Construction was perfect. The burn issue was mostly due to the wind, so I won't count that against the cigar. This cigar deserves nothing less than a 9 out of 10.<br />
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Zack the Stogie Man<br />
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Zack The Stogie Manhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06290313966138436609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3744609894893133197.post-24044845909130777192012-10-14T20:06:00.000-04:002012-11-01T08:54:54.673-04:00Arturo Fuente Opus X Black Orchid Review<div>
<a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-uq-Df26BH74/UHtUK5l1j1I/AAAAAAAAB-Y/YTte0Abmyic/2012-10-14_15-32-02_696.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-uq-Df26BH74/UHtUK5l1j1I/AAAAAAAAB-Y/YTte0Abmyic/2012-10-14_15-32-02_696.png" /></a>Wrapper: Dominican Maduro<br />
Filler: Dominican<br />
Binder: Dominican<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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<a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-o940CaFftnc/UHtUMFaFJkI/AAAAAAAAB-o/79W_hxQW4Y4/2012-10-14_15-54-23_423.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-o940CaFftnc/UHtUMFaFJkI/AAAAAAAAB-o/79W_hxQW4Y4/2012-10-14_15-54-23_423.png" /></a>As this cigar moved into the second third the flavor profile really smoothed out. It was almost like the profile made a complete 180 degree turn. There was a bit more sweetness and a little bit less of that spice. Once I got to the halfway point a very strong oak flavor forms.<br />
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the last third of this cigar certainly did not disappoint. The sweetness picked up even more while keeping the whole earthy and woody base. The finish of this cigar had a ton of great flavors, almost like every flavor came back and joined together. The very end of this cigar was full of woody tones and the spice was left on my palate.<br />
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<a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-Dv4W36MILWU/UHtULgpnAgI/AAAAAAAAB-g/0cvKsEPHJlw/2012-10-14_16-08-34_620.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/-Dv4W36MILWU/UHtULgpnAgI/AAAAAAAAB-g/0cvKsEPHJlw/2012-10-14_16-08-34_620.png" /></a>Ash: Medium to dark gray and held on for about an inch<br />
Burn: Slightly crooked but not bad. Also burned very fast<br />
Draw: Very easy for such a thin ring gauge<br />
Smoke: Thick and dark gray<br />
Aroma: Very earthy and wood<br />
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This was a cigar I have been looking to try for some time now. A customer at work came into and just gave it to me. I was excited because the search has finally ended. This cigar met just about every expectation I had. I just wish it lasted more than about 40 minutes. I hive this cigar a 9 out of 10.<br />
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Zack the Stogie Man<br />
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Zack The Stogie Manhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06290313966138436609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3744609894893133197.post-14306767006729411182012-09-16T22:02:00.001-04:002012-09-16T22:03:27.929-04:00Arturo Fuente Casa Fuente Double RobustoWrapper: Cameroon<br />
Filler: Dominican<br />
Binder: Dominican<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkhZWo_eTtkSZs65V2EwGdGjTVpuJM8qYvEYT-QKZlKZonSGoKQDrADX8Id_HzpL6QQyNdOsjPejVHp7PoAW900wxsh3ek2vhnVKAOeB_OBZkT-Mfn10qKupE3bCn3k6Ce163crUxE_u0/s1600/2012-07-23_11-37-33_979.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkhZWo_eTtkSZs65V2EwGdGjTVpuJM8qYvEYT-QKZlKZonSGoKQDrADX8Id_HzpL6QQyNdOsjPejVHp7PoAW900wxsh3ek2vhnVKAOeB_OBZkT-Mfn10qKupE3bCn3k6Ce163crUxE_u0/s320/2012-07-23_11-37-33_979.jpg" width="180" /></a>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.<br />
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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.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>As I moved into the second third some light cinnamon notes started to form. There was still some nice pepper wood and earth tones poking through with just about every puff. The wood and earth notes both began to pick up around the halfway point. There were also a ton of creamy notes still gathering on the roof of my mouth. After this cigar passes the halfway point, the flavors open up even more.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-K2vS9Tlr6Ac/UFaEom0d76I/AAAAAAAAB9w/-KbzQ-6eaVo/s1600/2012-07-23_12-10-58_842.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-K2vS9Tlr6Ac/UFaEom0d76I/AAAAAAAAB9w/-KbzQ-6eaVo/s320/2012-07-23_12-10-58_842.jpg" width="180" /></a>By the time I got to the last third, there was a little bit more sweetness. The combination of the sweetness and the earthy tones make for an outstanding experience. The finish of this cigar was full of unforgettable flavors. This cigar was definitely full-flavored. And I, for one, cant wait to get to try these again.<br />
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Ash: Light gray, layered, held on until halfway<br />
Burn: Perfect throughout<br />
Draw: Very easy, Perfect amount of resistance<br />
Smoke: Thick, white<br />
Aroma: Light spice, very earthy.<br />
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This is the third time that I have had the opportunity to smoke this cigar, and each time I was blown away. This is definitely up there with my favorite Fuente cigars of all time. I have to give this one a 9.25 out of 10 hands down.<br />
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Zack the Stogie ManZack The Stogie Manhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06290313966138436609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3744609894893133197.post-54928631061889815842012-07-22T07:43:00.001-04:002012-07-22T07:43:52.649-04:00Viaje TNT 2012Wrapper: Nicaraguan Corojo '99<br />
Filler: Nicaraguan<br />
Binder: Nicaraguan<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eIi0RZQZg5g/UAvnS-yT7dI/AAAAAAAAB88/GJi0AyrGwH8/s1600/2012-07-16_08-49-59_774.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eIi0RZQZg5g/UAvnS-yT7dI/AAAAAAAAB88/GJi0AyrGwH8/s320/2012-07-16_08-49-59_774.jpg" width="180" /></a>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.<br />
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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.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>As I moved into the second third, there was much more spice that came out. The leather flavor had started to take over on my palate. There was a little bit of sweetness that came out to balance the whole flavor profile. Around the halfway point the spice really started to mellow out, leaving a very earthy yet smooth profile.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-X1kfT6tpe10/UAvnTz5VxYI/AAAAAAAAB9E/ooWoKDtMTCk/s1600/2012-07-16_09-26-11_722.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-X1kfT6tpe10/UAvnTz5VxYI/AAAAAAAAB9E/ooWoKDtMTCk/s320/2012-07-16_09-26-11_722.jpg" width="180" /></a>As the final third started to burn, there was almost no spice left. The flavors were very smooth, which was the exact opposite of what I was expecting the end of this cigar to be. The finish was full of strong earth and oak tones. The finish, although not spicy, was still very strong and powerful. The leather really picked up again in the last inch and a half of this cigar.<br />
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Ash: Medium to dark gray with little bits of brown. Held of for an inch and a half.<br />
Burn: Wrapper a bit uneven at time. Required a couple touch ups.<br />
Draw: Very easy<br />
Smoke: Very thick light gray color<br />
Aroma: Little bit spicy<br />
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This cigar wasn't exactly what I expected, but I was surely not disappointed. This cigar was seriously full bodied, and the name alone told me that. I would suggest this cigar to people who like a nice punch of nicotine. I think this cigar deserves an 8.25 out of 10.<br />
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Zack the Stogie ManZack The Stogie Manhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06290313966138436609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3744609894893133197.post-75490169950745257642012-07-01T20:10:00.000-04:002012-07-01T20:10:10.331-04:00Tatuaje Mini Mum (Little Monsters)Wrapper: Nicaraguan Sun Grown Criollo<br />
Filler: Nicaraguan<br />
Binder: Nicaraguan<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ATIOp3dZUCU/T_DmwFPcY0I/AAAAAAAAB8c/cHs0mLFSqb0/s1600/2012-06-30_07-38-59_796.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ATIOp3dZUCU/T_DmwFPcY0I/AAAAAAAAB8c/cHs0mLFSqb0/s320/2012-06-30_07-38-59_796.jpg" width="180" /></a>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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2HipOLmw7bk/T_DmxL_v3wI/AAAAAAAAB8k/ol7v8p9tXRI/s1600/2012-06-30_08-01-10_18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2HipOLmw7bk/T_DmxL_v3wI/AAAAAAAAB8k/ol7v8p9tXRI/s320/2012-06-30_08-01-10_18.jpg" width="180" /></a>As I moved into the second third the earthy tones became much stronger. There was a great combination of sweet and spicy tones on the draw. The wood and pepper notes picked up as well as I moved towards the halfway point of this cigar. My palate was now covered with a combination of wood and cream.<br />
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The last third of this cigar was much better than the first two thirds. Now the wood and earth tones are at their strongest. The sweet and spicy tones were almost gone, but every few puffs they pop out. The cinnamon tones started to coat my tongue as well now. The finish was great and full of earthy tones.<br />
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Ash: Medium gray and held on for about and inch or two<br />
Burn: Perfectly even throughout<br />
Draw: Little bit of resistance but not bad<br />
Smoke: Thick white<br />
Aroma: Very strong earthiness<br />
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Since I now know that the original releases can be better than the "Little Monster" release, I am extremely excited about the Mummy release coming out in a few months. I give this cigar a 7.75 out of 10.<br />
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Zack the Stogie ManZack The Stogie Manhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06290313966138436609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3744609894893133197.post-15480433349129251582012-07-01T19:52:00.000-04:002012-07-01T19:52:12.609-04:00Tatuaje Wolfie (Little Monsters)Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sumatra<br />
Filler: Nicaraguan<br />
Binder: Nicaraguan<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LpeD8qOlA6w/T_DihX3lxBI/AAAAAAAAB8A/9WAPOBeNChQ/s1600/2012-06-25_14-23-04_294.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LpeD8qOlA6w/T_DihX3lxBI/AAAAAAAAB8A/9WAPOBeNChQ/s320/2012-06-25_14-23-04_294.jpg" width="180" /></a>This is the only Little Monster in which I have reviewed the original release. I reviewed <a href="http://zackthestogieman.blogspot.com/2012/04/tatuaje-wolfman-review.html">The Wolfman</a> a few months ago.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>Once I burned down to the second third the peppery spice really picked up. Then all of a sudden this cigar became pretty creamy, which started to balance out the flavor profile. By the halfway point this cigar was completely balanced out. The combination of pepper and oak is absolutely great. The coffee notes and leather added nice minor accents.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oKzpC-nXNcQ/T_DiicXwA-I/AAAAAAAAB8I/Ny6iIHwbUyE/s1600/2012-06-25_14-39-59_518.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oKzpC-nXNcQ/T_DiicXwA-I/AAAAAAAAB8I/Ny6iIHwbUyE/s320/2012-06-25_14-39-59_518.jpg" width="180" /></a>The last third of this cigar had a bit more leather flavor to it. The strongest flavor was the oak tones. There were actually some mild cedar notes that added little hints of sweetness to the flavor profile. The creaminess of the smoked coats my palate as this cigar comes to a close. The finish was very smooth with a good amount of flavor.<br />
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Ash: Medium gray, layered, held on for an inch and a half<br />
Burn: Pretty even after the shaggy foot<br />
Draw: Actually very good. Little tight, but eased up<br />
Smoke: Very thick gray<br />
Aroma: Very strong earth tones<br />
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This cigar was missing a little something that the original release had. This one was still very good though. Now that I know the original releases can be better, I really wish I had the opportunity to try all the originals. I give the Wolfie an 8 out of 10.<br />
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Zack the Stogie ManZack The Stogie Manhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06290313966138436609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3744609894893133197.post-44507533268337955282012-07-01T19:28:00.002-04:002012-07-01T19:29:22.937-04:00Tatuaje Baby Face (Little Monsters)Wrapper: San Andres Mexican Maduro<br />
Filler: Nicaraguan<br />
Binder: Nicaraguan<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3EF84iJVk-0/T_Dc-G-APtI/AAAAAAAAB7k/OeXUBUNEA5w/s1600/2012-06-24_13-57-19_511.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3EF84iJVk-0/T_Dc-G-APtI/AAAAAAAAB7k/OeXUBUNEA5w/s320/2012-06-24_13-57-19_511.jpg" width="180" /></a>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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
<a name='more'></a>As I moved into the second third the leather and pepper notes both picked up. The profile was pretty smooth overall. There seemed to be a very mellow sweetness coming through on the draw. Around the halfway point this cigar became very creamy. The sweet notes and pepper notes both mellowed out toward the end of the second third.<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qM3SUdC1_KA/T_Dc-wEsfXI/AAAAAAAAB7s/VGIcGzXyoMA/s1600/2012-06-24_14-22-46_197.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qM3SUdC1_KA/T_Dc-wEsfXI/AAAAAAAAB7s/VGIcGzXyoMA/s320/2012-06-24_14-22-46_197.jpg" width="180" /></a><br />
Once the last third started to burn the flavor profile became very smooth. The leather flavor was still the main focus. The earth and wood tones seemed to mellow out and become accents to the leather flavor. Ever few puffs a sweet accent popped out again. The finish was absolutely great with some strong flavors.<br />
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Ash: Light gray, nicely layered, held on for an inch and a half<br />
Burn: Perfectly even throughout<br />
Draw: There was a little resistance, but nothing bad<br />
Smoke: Thick white<br />
Aroma: Very earthy with some leather notes<br />
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This cigar had a great leather flavor throughout, but it was the accent flavors that took this cigar above just being "average" The construction was great. I can only imagine how great the original production of this cigar was. I give this cigar an 8 out of 10.<br />
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Zack the Stogie ManZack The Stogie Manhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06290313966138436609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3744609894893133197.post-23025462813421690962012-06-30T09:44:00.003-04:002012-07-01T19:12:36.602-04:00Tatuaje Lil' Drac (Little Monsters)Wrapper: Nicaraguan Habano Maduro<br />
Filler: Nicaraguan<br />
Binder: Nicaraguan<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mT992-EsrjU/T-8CnZ10j-I/AAAAAAAAB7I/jz3Iyzn_JW0/s1600/2012-06-23_06-55-03_188.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mT992-EsrjU/T-8CnZ10j-I/AAAAAAAAB7I/jz3Iyzn_JW0/s320/2012-06-23_06-55-03_188.jpg" width="180" /></a>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.<br />
<br />
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.<br />
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<a name='more'></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-d7NA-Jpwfn0/T-8CoGKDPNI/AAAAAAAAB7Q/T0kf_v3Y1CE/s1600/2012-06-23_07-13-13_848.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-d7NA-Jpwfn0/T-8CoGKDPNI/AAAAAAAAB7Q/T0kf_v3Y1CE/s320/2012-06-23_07-13-13_848.jpg" width="180" /></a>The second third balanced out even more. I was shocked by how smooth and balanced this cigar was. There was now a slight sweetness that formed and the spice mellowed out a bit. Even though the spice mellowed, the combination of the pepper and sweet notes coated my palate. The wood tones picked up quite a bit as I moved towards the halfway point. Right towards the end of the second third, the sweetness picked up.<br />
<br />
The last couple inches were full of fantastic flavors. The strength of this cigar picked up quite a bit more as well. There was a little bit of leather of the finish as well. As this cigar came to a close, the combination of leather and wood notes coat my palate. The finish was absolutely delicious because the spice had completely mellowed out to an accent.<br />
<br />
Ash: Medium gray, layered, held on for an inch and a half.<br />
Burn: Perfectly even throughout<br />
Draw: Very easy, even though the torpedo cap<br />
Smoke: Very thick and gray<br />
Aroma: Very earthy with some spicy accents.<br />
<br />
This cigar was great. The flavor profile had some very smooth transitions and the construction was perfect. I should try to get some of the original release Dracs to see how it compares. 8.5 out of 10.<br />
<br />
<br />
Zack the Stogie ManZack The Stogie Manhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06290313966138436609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3744609894893133197.post-76765985881907579602012-06-30T09:24:00.002-04:002012-06-30T09:24:56.889-04:00Tatuaje Frank Jr (Little Monsters)Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf<br />
Filler: Nicaraguan<br />
Binder: Nicaraguan<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2aUPN7-CtUI/T-799dgB7TI/AAAAAAAAB6o/HzhB4ajNaD8/s1600/2012-06-22_17-57-04_757.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2aUPN7-CtUI/T-799dgB7TI/AAAAAAAAB6o/HzhB4ajNaD8/s320/2012-06-22_17-57-04_757.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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.<br />
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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.<br />
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<a name='more'></a><br />
As I moved into the second third, the spice picked up a bit more. The pepper and cinnamon notes were both fairly strong. The wood notes started to mellow out. By the halfway mark the sweetness picked up a little bit more on the draw. Once this occurred, there were some slight leather notes that started to coat my palate. There was a ton of flavor with each puff.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdM9lEKIiT0cNnquL6u52Q2BqVXrR_v0zfB2fQpzo1mw6G0S31IwqMaGq1mucX_LPgQg6qdFHfDrrI3PvBwifursdWodxKCYAmeduYTZEMWKB1Av5DAOy70CwYZS-_8SHjlcc-or7sEd4/s1600/2012-06-22_18-14-59_547.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdM9lEKIiT0cNnquL6u52Q2BqVXrR_v0zfB2fQpzo1mw6G0S31IwqMaGq1mucX_LPgQg6qdFHfDrrI3PvBwifursdWodxKCYAmeduYTZEMWKB1Av5DAOy70CwYZS-_8SHjlcc-or7sEd4/s320/2012-06-22_18-14-59_547.jpg" width="180" /></a>Once I smoked down to the last third, the power of this cigar really picked up. The combination of oak and pepper were the main flavors. The cinnamon and leather notes added great accents. The finish of this cigar was great. There was a bit more leather and a ton of accents.<br />
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Ash: Medium gray and brown. Nicely layered. Held on for a little over an inch.<br />
Burn: Uneven through the first half, then evened out.<br />
Draw: Little tight but not bad.<br />
Smoke: Thick gray<br />
Aroma: Very earthy and spicy<br />
<br />
The burn was uneven through the first half due to a thick stem in a leaf from the filler. Overall this cigar was very good. The flavor profile was very good. I give this cigar an 8 out of 10.<br />
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<br />
Zack the Stogie ManZack The Stogie Manhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06290313966138436609noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3744609894893133197.post-48597919041595754242012-06-19T09:21:00.002-04:002012-06-19T09:22:03.230-04:00Arturo Fuente Don Carlos Edicion de Aniversario Toro<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-85xeeUxfagQ/T-B8w5LVIvI/AAAAAAAAB6E/34kSqoSKHWg/s1600/2012-06-18_19-58-37_484.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-85xeeUxfagQ/T-B8w5LVIvI/AAAAAAAAB6E/34kSqoSKHWg/s320/2012-06-18_19-58-37_484.jpg" width="180" /></a>Wrapper: Dominican<br />
Filler: Dominican<br />
Price: $30.00<br />
<br />
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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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<a name='more'></a><br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-A7pcGoy8vzE/T-B8xT4VGMI/AAAAAAAAB6M/axbU90kpcIo/s1600/2012-06-18_20-12-44_761.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-A7pcGoy8vzE/T-B8xT4VGMI/AAAAAAAAB6M/axbU90kpcIo/s320/2012-06-18_20-12-44_761.jpg" width="180" /></a>Once I lit this cigar up i was blown away by how smooth the profile was. There was a little bit of earthiness in the background of the flavor profile. After a few puffs a light spice started to form. The combination of the earthy tones and the woody tones were outstanding. About a half-inch into this cigar some creamy coffee flavor started to come out.<br />
<br />
About an inch into this cigar the spice picked up and really added a nice accent to the earthy tones. The profile was now very woody with a slightly sweet accent. There was a lot going on in the first third for sure. The creaminess of the smoke coated my palate quickly.<br />
<br />
As I moved into the second third the coffee notes and creaminess were very strong. The peppery spice seemed to pick up a little bit more as well. The creaminess of the flavor profile completely coated my mouth around the halfway point. My tongue and palate were completely covered. Around this point, the sweetness picked up a bit as well.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-W-sVg17FEcc/T-B8yN4YsxI/AAAAAAAAB6U/7Va0xj_NyHU/s1600/2012-06-18_20-27-28_66.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-W-sVg17FEcc/T-B8yN4YsxI/AAAAAAAAB6U/7Va0xj_NyHU/s320/2012-06-18_20-27-28_66.jpg" width="180" /></a>The last third was absolutely delicious. The spice mellowed out and allowed the flavor profile to balance out perfectly. The coffee and oak tones combined for a perfect background flavor. The finish was absolutely amazing with a ton of flavor.<br />
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Ash: Light to medium gray. Held on for about two inches.<br />
Burn: Little bit wavy, but not bad.<br />
Draw: Very easy, little effort.<br />
Smoke: Abundant and light gray.<br />
Aroma: Very earthy with little spice notes.<br />
<br />
This is one amazing cigar. Is it worth the $30 price tag? I would say yes. Believe it or not, I would buy another one of these given the chance. Its a great celebration cigar and definitely worth trying. I give it a 9.5 out of 10 hands down.<br />
<br />
Zack the Stogie Man<br />
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<br />Zack The Stogie Manhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06290313966138436609noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3744609894893133197.post-23629325891871635922012-06-18T11:45:00.000-04:002012-06-18T12:26:42.920-04:00Mark's Own Cigars Short Filler Blast<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0atm-NN8hnE/T99M-O-AMsI/AAAAAAAAB5o/OKWcWBbK7Zg/s1600/2012-06-16_09-33-18_127.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0atm-NN8hnE/T99M-O-AMsI/AAAAAAAAB5o/OKWcWBbK7Zg/s320/2012-06-16_09-33-18_127.jpg" width="180" /></a>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.<br />
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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.<br />
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<a name='more'></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1G9P4qhwbho/T99M-0OgqDI/AAAAAAAAB5w/FZvm1cz3hKc/s1600/2012-06-16_10-00-55_550.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1G9P4qhwbho/T99M-0OgqDI/AAAAAAAAB5w/FZvm1cz3hKc/s320/2012-06-16_10-00-55_550.jpg" width="180" /></a>As i slowly moved into the second half the peppery spice seemed to pick up a bit. The flavor profile became much earthier and woodier with each puff. There were several accent flavors present. As the cigar wrapped up, the accent flavors were all over the place. There were coffee notes, sweet spices like cinnamon, and a bit of creaminess. Overall it was a pretty good finish.<br />
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Ash: Light to dark gray. Held on for about an inch<br />
Burn: Even throughout<br />
Draw: Little tight at first, slowly eased up<br />
Smoke: Thick gray once draw opened up<br />
Aroma: Very earthy<br />
<br />
For my first review of a short filler cigar, this one was surprising. It wasn't bad at all. It lasted quite a bit longer than I expected. This cigar lasted about an hour. Overall not a bad cigar, but not great. 7 out of 10.<br />
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Zack the Stogie ManZack The Stogie Manhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06290313966138436609noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3744609894893133197.post-59713846647415418952012-06-07T13:30:00.003-04:002012-06-07T13:35:27.548-04:00Viaje Satori Nirvana Review<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VANlNKbT0yQ/T9DlDIeVUQI/AAAAAAAAB5E/1YUDfp324UU/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VANlNKbT0yQ/T9DlDIeVUQI/AAAAAAAAB5E/1YUDfp324UU/s320/1.jpg" width="180" /></a>Wrapper: Mexican San Andreas<br />
Filler: Nicaraguan<br />
Price: $11<br />
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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.<br />
<br />
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. <br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9qvfksUfwt0/T9DlEPHqL3I/AAAAAAAAB5M/KtD4gATFlks/s1600/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9qvfksUfwt0/T9DlEPHqL3I/AAAAAAAAB5M/KtD4gATFlks/s320/2.jpg" width="180" /></a>An inch in the leathery tones started to form on my palate. The profile was very smooth and the pepper slowly started to fade. There was still a very sweet and coffee background. Toward the end of the first third the profile become more woody.<br />
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The second third of this cigar involved a complete takeover by the sweet and wood notes. There was very little spice left. The profile was very creamy and balanced. This was when the strong earthy and woody background really started to shine.<br />
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By halfway the leather and pepper seemed to pick up a little more. There was really no sweetness left and the coffee had mellowed out to a light accent. The leather and wood stayed prominent throughout the second third.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Xm7_SVJpLz0/T9DlEenSdkI/AAAAAAAAB5U/xBvMhSMtHzo/s1600/3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Xm7_SVJpLz0/T9DlEenSdkI/AAAAAAAAB5U/xBvMhSMtHzo/s320/3.jpg" width="180" /></a>The last couple inches completely spin around again. The coffee was very strong again and the sweetness came back on the draw. The oak flavor was the definite main focus now. Every other flavor seemed to accent perfectly. What a great flavorful finish.<br />
<br />
Ash: Medium gray, flaky at times<br />
Burn: Uneven at times due to a small void in the filler. Couple touch ups.<br />
Draw: Very Easy<br />
Smoke: Thick, light gray<br />
Aroma: Very woody and earthy<br />
<br />
Very complex and flavorful cigar with smooth transitions. If not for the small void in the filler, this cigar would have been stellar. Highly recommend this full bodied cigar. 9 out of 10Zack The Stogie Manhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06290313966138436609noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3744609894893133197.post-46060946415004234882012-06-04T09:02:00.000-04:002012-06-04T09:02:45.918-04:00Drew Estate Liga Privada T52 Belicoso ReviewWrapper: Stalk Cut Connecticut Habano<br />
Filler: Honduran, Dominican, and Nicaraguan<br />
Price: $12.00<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VKtmjmSnnZ0/T8yxugbJRlI/AAAAAAAAB4c/XJ2KTmLrAI4/s1600/2012-06-02_07-27-02_869.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-VKtmjmSnnZ0/T8yxugbJRlI/AAAAAAAAB4c/XJ2KTmLrAI4/s320/2012-06-02_07-27-02_869.jpg" width="180" /></a>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.<br />
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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.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>The flavors come out of this cigar immediately after lighting it. There was a very strong leather flavor combined with a bit of oak right after this cigar was fully lit. I also noticed a bit of creamy sweetness on the draw. The the cigar slowly progressed the sweet notes picked up. Throughout the first inch, the flavors continued to build.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nEXrIZtEK48/T8yxwFlQYTI/AAAAAAAAB4k/--eCuGsVmQE/s1600/2012-06-02_07-47-06_918.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nEXrIZtEK48/T8yxwFlQYTI/AAAAAAAAB4k/--eCuGsVmQE/s320/2012-06-02_07-47-06_918.jpg" width="180" /></a>By about an inch into this cigar, the flavor became much creamier and a little more leather came out. It wasn't until now that the earthiness of this car seemed to poke out. The oak flavor mellowed out slightly. Once the oak mellowed, the pepper tones started to form.<br />
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The second third of this cigar much smoother than the first. There was still a little bit of pepper, but not strong. Each puff seemed to bring out a little more spice, but also brought out more sweetness to keep the flavor profile balanced. The combination of oak and leather combined for a very smooth background.<br />
<br />
By halfway the cigar was still in perfect balance and remained smooth. The creaminess continued to build while a slight coffee flavor came out. The combination of coffee and leather was perfect. The draw was still very sweet and the pepper had mellowed out a great deal.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2HKgDWalf9w/T8yxxRFg3RI/AAAAAAAAB4s/YM7JJ3c7GTE/s1600/2012-06-02_08-13-51_883.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2HKgDWalf9w/T8yxxRFg3RI/AAAAAAAAB4s/YM7JJ3c7GTE/s320/2012-06-02_08-13-51_883.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
The last couple inches of this cigar were absolutely great. This cigar had great sweetness and leather aspects throughout the majority of the smoke time. My palate was left with a very smooth and creamy coating. The spice also finished in the back of my throat. The flavors of this cigar were great from the start.<br />
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The ash on this cigar was light to medium gray. It was also layered and held on until about halfway. The burn was perfect even throughout pretty much the entire cigar.The draw was very easy and produced an abundant, thick gray smoke. The smoke also gave off a very pleasant earthy aroma.<br />
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This cigar has some of the smoothest transitions of any cigar I have ever smoked. The complexity is amazing. I highly recommend this cigar. I love this cigar as well as the <a href="http://zackthestogieman.blogspot.com/2012/05/drew-estate-liga-privada-no-9-toro-tubo.html">Liga Privada No. 9</a>, but I like this one slightly more. I give this cigar a 9.25 out of 10.<br />
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Thanks for reading,<br />
<br />
Zack the Stogie ManZack The Stogie Manhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06290313966138436609noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3744609894893133197.post-27327341994404180402012-06-01T08:44:00.001-04:002012-06-01T09:24:04.296-04:00Casa Fernandez Aganorsa Leaf Toro ReviewWrapper: Nicaraguan Corojo<br />
Filler: Nicaraguan<br />
Price: $7.50<br />
<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Tt4ozn0cXc0/T8i5A1EnV9I/AAAAAAAAB30/aBJ5aBzkDgw/s1600/2012-05-28_11-10-52_485.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Tt4ozn0cXc0/T8i5A1EnV9I/AAAAAAAAB30/aBJ5aBzkDgw/s320/2012-05-28_11-10-52_485.jpg" width="180" /></a>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.<br />
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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.<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DQez5GETaaI/T8i5B7pwN3I/AAAAAAAAB38/LXppOYGujXs/s1600/2012-05-28_11-40-54_560.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-DQez5GETaaI/T8i5B7pwN3I/AAAAAAAAB38/LXppOYGujXs/s320/2012-05-28_11-40-54_560.jpg" width="180" /></a> Once this cigar was lit up, I was blown away. There was a very smooth earthiness with a little bit of sweetness right off the light. There was a slight leather flavor that builds slowly with some sweeter spices. The spices were like a mix of cinnamon and nutmeg. As this cigar progressed, the creamy earthy flavor picked up.<br />
<br />
After I got through the first inch the leather flavor increased slightly. A little more of the sweet spice flavor was present with the addition of a little bit of pepper. The woody earthy tones picked up as well. Towards the end of the first third there was a ton of flavor that was dominated by earth and sweet tones.<br />
<br />
The second third started out even nicer than the first third. The flavor profile smoothed out and became very nicely balanced. The earthiness and woodiness were at their strongest now and the the wide array of spices were adding perfect accents. The combination of the creaminess and the pepper is great.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tx8czH_9Ysc/T8i5C-zcrkI/AAAAAAAAB4E/9OxEwpx-7b4/s1600/2012-05-28_11-58-16_415.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tx8czH_9Ysc/T8i5C-zcrkI/AAAAAAAAB4E/9OxEwpx-7b4/s320/2012-05-28_11-58-16_415.jpg" width="180" /></a>Around the halfway point the flavors all seemed to open up again. A nice coffee flavor came out and mixed with the leather flavor perfectly. The combination of the coffee and leather coated my palate quickly. By the end of the second third the sweetness was pretty much gone.<br />
<br />
As this cigar came to a close, all of the flavors came back. The wood and earth tones were the definite main flavors, while everything else added great accents. The cigar finished off smoother and more balanced than the rest of the cigar. Absolutely great finish.<br />
<br />
The ash on this cigar was quite dark. It was a mix of brown and dark gray. The ash was nicely layered and held on until about the halfway point. The burn was uneven throughout the first half, but eventually evened out. The draw was very easy and produced a thick light gray smoke. The smoke also gave off a very earthy aroma.<br />
<br />
This cigar was a pleasant surprise. For the price, I highly recommend trying this medium to full bodied cigar. Given the opportunity, I will surely be grabbing some more of these to keep around. I give this cigar an 8.5 out of 10.<br />
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Thanks for reading,<br />
<br />
Zack the Stogie ManZack The Stogie Manhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06290313966138436609noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3744609894893133197.post-68601980043423322122012-05-30T08:20:00.001-04:002012-05-30T13:47:55.302-04:00Bolivar Royal Corona Review<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EqBipNnapzA/T8YQS1FxpKI/AAAAAAAAB3Q/TIso0PzKTwM/s1600/2012-05-28_07-37-44_369.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EqBipNnapzA/T8YQS1FxpKI/AAAAAAAAB3Q/TIso0PzKTwM/s320/2012-05-28_07-37-44_369.jpg" width="180" /></a>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.<br />
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This particular cigar is from November 2010. <br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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<a name='more'></a><br />
As soon as I lit up this cigar, I was blown away all over again. The start was very creamy and smooth with a nice earthy background. There was also a light pepper accent. As this cigar slowly progressed, the grassy barnyard flavor picked up a bit more. As the earthy tones picked up, the pepper notes did as well.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-suxoNRTo2ls/T8YQVQzNHlI/AAAAAAAAB3Y/py90bL0BmSk/s1600/2012-05-28_07-57-18_934.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-suxoNRTo2ls/T8YQVQzNHlI/AAAAAAAAB3Y/py90bL0BmSk/s320/2012-05-28_07-57-18_934.jpg" width="180" /></a>Once I got about an inch into this cigar the flavors slightly opened up. The flavor profile was still very creamy. There were some woody notes that came out and combined perfectly with the grassy tones. The pepper flavor had moved back to just being on the draw. I was amazed again at just how much flavor there was in the firs third.<br />
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The pepper began to pick up again around the start of the second third. Now the pepper was sitting in the back of my throat. The earthy tones and woody notes created a fantastic background base flavor. Just shy of the halfway point, there was a definite coffee flavor that came out. <br />
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The halfway point marked a complete twist to the flavor profile. I started to get some nice mild sweet notes. The coffee and wood flavors both picked up and became strong. Also, the combination of wood and pepper coated my palate. The second third finished out was the creaminess at its strongest.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-et0zy4w4DKE/T8YQWNkyQrI/AAAAAAAAB3g/SZ9cZVLe-2c/s1600/2012-05-28_08-18-55_46.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-et0zy4w4DKE/T8YQWNkyQrI/AAAAAAAAB3g/SZ9cZVLe-2c/s320/2012-05-28_08-18-55_46.jpg" width="180" /></a>The last third was very smooth and perfectly balanced. There were a ton of different earthy tones in each puff. The coffee and sweet notes both mellowed out to accents again. The finish was depressing because I didn't want this cigar to end at all. There was a ton of great flavors and a great creaminess.<br />
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The ash on this cigar was layered ad dark gray. The ash also held on until the halfway point. The burn was even for the most part. There were a couple times were it got a little bit wavy, but I never had to touch it up. The draw was very easy throughout the entire cigar and produced a very thick white smoke. The smoke also gave off a surprisingly spicy aroma.<br />
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This is without a doubt one of the best Cuban cigars I have smoked to date. Both times I was upset once it was finished. The flavors were exquisite throughout the entire cigar. If you have the opportunity to try this cigar, it is a must. I give this cigar a 9.5 out of 10 hands down.<br />
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Thanks for reading,<br />
<br />
Zack the Stogie ManZack The Stogie Manhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06290313966138436609noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3744609894893133197.post-2794974842383073322012-05-29T08:26:00.003-04:002012-05-29T14:32:58.680-04:00Man O War Side Project 52C ReviewWrapper: Ecuadorian Habano Ligero<br />
Filler: Nicaraguan<br />
Price: $9.00<br />
<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Km4diuI45r4/T8TANjnk0wI/AAAAAAAAB2s/4Q9JkImPhb0/s1600/2012-05-27_12-19-37_638.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Km4diuI45r4/T8TANjnk0wI/AAAAAAAAB2s/4Q9JkImPhb0/s320/2012-05-27_12-19-37_638.jpg" width="180" /></a>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 <a href="http://zackthestogieman.blogspot.com/2012/03/man-o-war-side-project-phalanx-review.html">Phalanx</a> and the <a href="http://zackthestogieman.blogspot.com/2012/03/man-o-war-side-project-little-devil.html">Little Devil</a> were both very good cigars.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>Other than the cap, the cigar is pretty smooth. There are only a couple very thin veins throughout the wrapper leaf. The cigar itself is very solid throughout and gave off a nice sweet chocolate smell. <br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tWYqveZszG4/T8TAOvtyxdI/AAAAAAAAB20/FNTatstm978/s1600/2012-05-27_12-35-59_92.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tWYqveZszG4/T8TAOvtyxdI/AAAAAAAAB20/FNTatstm978/s320/2012-05-27_12-35-59_92.jpg" width="180" /></a>As soon as I lit up this cigar, the flavors came out. There was a strong oak flavor very early on with a mild pepper flavor. After a few more puffs there was a little bit of coffee flavor. About an inch into this cigar there was a light creaminess, but it never picked up. The first third really didn't have much going on. The majority of the flavor was oak, earth, and light pepper.<br />
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As I moved into the second third the oak and earth flavors really picked up. There were some very light sweet notes poking through every few puffs. Along with the sweetness, there was a little bit more of the coffee flavor coming out. It finally seemed as though this cigar opened up.<br />
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By halfway the coffee flavor became much more dominant. The sweetness and the pepper notes seemed to keep each other pretty balanced. There was still the strong oak flavor throughout the second third, In fact, it seemed to continue to build throughout the remainder of the second third. <br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--7Iqnj-7aDI/T8TAPrlFEaI/AAAAAAAAB28/JXum4cTjs8c/s1600/2012-05-27_12-50-12_658.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--7Iqnj-7aDI/T8TAPrlFEaI/AAAAAAAAB28/JXum4cTjs8c/s320/2012-05-27_12-50-12_658.jpg" width="180" /></a>The last third of this cigar was a little more balanced out and smooth than the rest of the cigar. The oak and earth tones remained very prominent throughout the finish. The sweetness seemed to come back a little bit as well, but it never became a major factor in the flavor profile. Each flavor was noticeable in each puff, some much easier than others. <br />
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The ash on this cigar was actually surprising. It held on until about the half way point and was a light to medium shade of gray. The burn was pretty even throughout the entire cigar except for a minor wave at one point. The draw was actually very easy through the chisel tip. The smoke was a very thick and white shade that gave off a strong oak aroma.<br />
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Out of all of the side projects, this one is my least favorite. Its not bad though. Its a quicker smoke than the other two I feel. Personally the Phalanx is my favorite, followed by the Little Devil. But, if I were to get a few of these, I wouldn't be mad. I give this cigar a solid 8 out of 10.<br />
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Thanks for reading,<br />
<br />
Zack the Stogie ManZack The Stogie Manhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06290313966138436609noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3744609894893133197.post-79146068497010490642012-05-25T08:06:00.001-04:002012-05-29T14:32:47.602-04:00Room 101 LTD OSOK (One Shot One Kill) Trucha ReviewWrapper: Ecuadorian Habano<br />
Filler: Honduran Corojo and Dominican Piloto Ligero<br />
Price: $10.00 - $12.00<br />
<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4pn4PNuHV9E/T791oEBG8_I/AAAAAAAAB18/R3ysZ36Ht74/s1600/2012-05-24_15-40-41_128.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4pn4PNuHV9E/T791oEBG8_I/AAAAAAAAB18/R3ysZ36Ht74/s320/2012-05-24_15-40-41_128.jpg" width="180" /></a>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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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<a name='more'></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-B6TtjvjrSYo/T791qFSv3PI/AAAAAAAAB2E/Mj4VnGn_CrA/s1600/2012-05-24_15-54-36_487.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-B6TtjvjrSYo/T791qFSv3PI/AAAAAAAAB2E/Mj4VnGn_CrA/s320/2012-05-24_15-54-36_487.jpg" width="180" /></a>Once I lit this cigar up I was hit with a very strong earth. It was actually very creamy at the start as well. I wasn't expecting it to be so creamy so early. After the cigar smoked down about a half of an inch I started to get some pepper notes coming through. But even after the pepper came out, it stayed creamy.<br />
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About an inch into this cigar the creaminess actually managed to pick up. But, with the cream, the spice picked up as well. Then a strong oak flavor came out and became a very prominent flavor. Towards the end of the first third, there was a light coffee flavor that came out.<br />
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As I moved into the second third, the oak and earth flavors picked up. Once the oak and earth were at their strongest, the coffee and pepper notes were reduced down to accents. There was actually a little bit of leather flavor that came out and combined with the creaminess.<br />
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The halfway point was the spot where this cigar started to smooth and balance out. The combination of oak and pepper coated my palate pretty quickly. And, yet again, the creaminess picked up. This was also the point where I could tell the strength of this cigar was picking up.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zCp9scHgIK0/T791skQkyVI/AAAAAAAAB2M/yDEIea015ZE/s1600/2012-05-24_16-15-09_508.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zCp9scHgIK0/T791skQkyVI/AAAAAAAAB2M/yDEIea015ZE/s320/2012-05-24_16-15-09_508.jpg" width="180" /></a>The last couple inches were very creamy. There was still a little bit of spice on my palate, but not as strong as earlier. There was a nice combination of oak, earth, and leather in just about every puff. The finish was pretty good with a ton of strength and flavor.<br />
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The ash on this cigar was a bit flaky, but still managed to hold on until the halfway mark. The ash was also a medium to dark shade of gray. The burn was pretty wavy at times, but I only had to touch it up once. The draw was surprisingly easy and produced a thick gray and brown smoke. The smoke gave off a very smooth and earthy aroma.<br />
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The only thing I was thinking once this cigar was finished was that I wished it was as awesome as the packaging it came in. The flavors were good, but there were some minor burn issues. I would definitely grab a couple more of these if I was given the chance though. I give this cigar a 8.5 out of 10.<br />
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Thanks for reading,<br />
<br />
Zack the Stogie Man .Zack The Stogie Manhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06290313966138436609noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3744609894893133197.post-90140812566458526832012-05-23T08:23:00.001-04:002012-05-29T14:32:35.763-04:00La Fontana Vintage Galileo ReviewWrapper: Connecticut Shade<br />
Filler: Honduran<br />
Price: $5.50<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJSGz0DUROmVGPZIaeGkEMftRKYtTHBCsDSWdU0zniCXdAgDmgY2pUS_mv8pU6Xo3Ljs9PnAyHeLiMlz0-SoPt_QiSwYbBM_ra2jhgHQKsVAkGSjsX9aaHgRzyb4uMiLcrrnCpjyyT4x4/s1600/2012-05-22_15-59-23_762.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJSGz0DUROmVGPZIaeGkEMftRKYtTHBCsDSWdU0zniCXdAgDmgY2pUS_mv8pU6Xo3Ljs9PnAyHeLiMlz0-SoPt_QiSwYbBM_ra2jhgHQKsVAkGSjsX9aaHgRzyb4uMiLcrrnCpjyyT4x4/s320/2012-05-22_15-59-23_762.jpg" width="180" /></a>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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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<a name='more'></a><br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Q4ptAQaFVrQ/T7zWpk8pSbI/AAAAAAAAB1k/89Rej4Gbqog/s1600/2012-05-22_16-09-35_373.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Q4ptAQaFVrQ/T7zWpk8pSbI/AAAAAAAAB1k/89Rej4Gbqog/s320/2012-05-22_16-09-35_373.jpg" width="180" /></a>When I lit up this cigar, I was caught off guard. I wasn't expecting it to have a sweetened cap, but it did. When I put the cigar to my lips, there was a very strong sugary sweetness. The smoke was very creamy and earthy though. After a few puffs, a nice woodiness came out. It seemed that with every puff with woodiness picked up.<br />
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Once I smoked through the first inch the flavors started to open up a bit more. The smoke became slightly bitter but much earthier. The creaminess more or less went away. When the creaminess went away, there was a little bit of pepper that came out. The sweetness that was on the cap was also gone.<br />
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As I moved into the second third, I was overwhelmed with a generic tobacco flavor. Also there was a new coffee flavor that came out and quickly coated my palate. The creaminess came back slightly, but the main flavors were still the generic tobacco flavor and earth.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kZq9Z5otSsI/T7zWqHX6WgI/AAAAAAAAB1s/2oLQLLtNkFo/s1600/2012-05-22_16-21-12_969.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kZq9Z5otSsI/T7zWqHX6WgI/AAAAAAAAB1s/2oLQLLtNkFo/s320/2012-05-22_16-21-12_969.jpg" width="180" /></a>The last third had a little more flavor to it. There was finally a little bit more pepper. The earthiness never mellowed out. There was actually a great combination of pepper and creaminess in each puff. On the finish there was no bitter coffee flavor left. The finish was actually pretty good.<br />
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The ash on this cigar was light gray and layered. It held until roughly the halfway mark. The burn was pretty uneven at first, but after a couple touch ups it evened out. There was also a little bit of a wave towards the end.<br />
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The draw was very easy and produced a thick gray smoke. The aroma wasn't harsh at all. There was a very light earthiness to the smoke. The aroma wasn't strong enough to pick out more. <br />
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As I said before, the sweetened cap was unexpected, but that's not a bad thing. This was a very mild cigar, possible one of the most mild cigars I have ever had. There wasn't a whole lot of complexity with this cigar, and there weren't many transitions. For a beginner, this cigar is perfect. I give it a 7.25 out of 10.<br />
<br />
Thanks for reading,<br />
<br />
Zack the Stogie ManZack The Stogie Manhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06290313966138436609noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3744609894893133197.post-16339745112315566862012-05-21T09:00:00.000-04:002012-05-29T14:32:26.638-04:00Tatuaje Anarchy ReviewWrapper: Ecuadorian Habana 2000<br />
Filler: Nicaraguan<br />
Price: $10.00<br />
<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-arvgzL89bZ4/T7o8Jk92I9I/AAAAAAAAB08/QLJnIT29llE/s1600/2012-05-19_06-44-08_481.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-arvgzL89bZ4/T7o8Jk92I9I/AAAAAAAAB08/QLJnIT29llE/s320/2012-05-19_06-44-08_481.jpg" width="180" /></a>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.<br />
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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.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>Once I lit up this cigar, I got exactly what I expected. My mouth was full of a very strong pepper flavor. The pepper quickly coated my entire mouth. There was also a fairly strong earthiness that came out pretty quick. After about a dozen puffs or so, there was a nice smooth coffee flavor that was introduced.<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZxFp-1cno_k/T7o8KU-UdGI/AAAAAAAAB1E/_Y1upGQPn-M/s1600/2012-05-19_07-03-21_209.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ZxFp-1cno_k/T7o8KU-UdGI/AAAAAAAAB1E/_Y1upGQPn-M/s320/2012-05-19_07-03-21_209.jpg" width="180" /></a>At the one-inch mark the flavor profile really smooths out. The peppery spice mellows out slightly. Once the pepper lessened, a great combination of oak and earth came out and became pretty prominent. Towards the end of the first third I noticed a light sweetness peeking through on the draw.<br />
<br />
The second third marked right when this cigar became balanced. The flavor profile was very strong and very full, but pleasant overall. There were a ton of different accents to the oak and earth background. The pepper and coffee both added the strongest accents. The sweetness that poked through became more developed and reminded me of cedar.<br />
<br />
At the halfway point the pepper and coffee flavors seemed to pick up even more. The cigar is now at its strongest. The sheer power of the body of this cigar was unexpected. Towards the end of the second third the flavor became very creamy. There was also a nice leathery flavor that coats the tongue.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dl3C-LGTyNo/T7o8L1b7QSI/AAAAAAAAB1M/K32mUd9vGcE/s1600/2012-05-19_07-25-14_741.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dl3C-LGTyNo/T7o8L1b7QSI/AAAAAAAAB1M/K32mUd9vGcE/s320/2012-05-19_07-25-14_741.jpg" width="180" /></a>The last couple inches were absolutely delicious. The flavor profile was very smooth and balanced. There was a nice pepper on the draw with the sweet cedar on the exhale. The creamy picked up even more as this cigar slowly came to a close. The flavor was very complex with every puff, just a ton of flavor.<br />
<br />
The ash was a little flaky and was multiple shades of gray. The ash also held on for about two inches at a time. The burn was wavy at times. I had to correct the burn once, and after that it remained even. The draw was very easy throughout and produced a thick, almost white, smoke. The smoke gave off an aroma full of spice and wood.<br />
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This may be one of the strongest cigars I have ever smoked. It is definitely the strongest I've had in the past month. The amount of flavor is truly unbelievable. If you have the opportunity to try this cigar, don't make the same mistake I did. Don't smoke this cigar first thing in the morning. This cigar requires a really big meal first. Even with the burn issues, this cigar still deserves a 9.25 out of 10.<br />
<br />
Thanks for reading,<br />
<br />
Zack the Stogie ManZack The Stogie Manhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06290313966138436609noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3744609894893133197.post-14422801565586542672012-05-18T10:06:00.001-04:002012-05-29T14:32:18.661-04:00My Father Cigars Flor De Las Antillas Belicoso ReviewWrapper: Nicaraguan Sun Grown<br />
Filler: Nicaraguan<br />
Price: $7.50<br />
<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yBAkWeDx0I4/T7ZXOWO5ZKI/AAAAAAAAB0Y/Gq0K0rVAe2U/s1600/2012-05-17_20-29-13_970.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yBAkWeDx0I4/T7ZXOWO5ZKI/AAAAAAAAB0Y/Gq0K0rVAe2U/s320/2012-05-17_20-29-13_970.jpg" width="180" /></a>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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>As soon as I lit this cigar up, I couldn't believe how much flavor came out immediately. There was a strong combination of cinnamon and earth right away. There was a little bit of pepper on the lips, which added a nice hint. The pepper started to build on the draw while staying very smooth. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vzoKIPa9euQ/T7ZXPZWYhBI/AAAAAAAAB0g/K2jyu4JLBOY/s1600/2012-05-17_20-45-52_896.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vzoKIPa9euQ/T7ZXPZWYhBI/AAAAAAAAB0g/K2jyu4JLBOY/s320/2012-05-17_20-45-52_896.jpg" width="180" /></a>By about an inch into this cigar, the flavor became very nutty. It seemed as though with every puff the nuttiness picked up a little more. The combination of cinnamon and pepper quickly coated my palate once the pepper came out a little bit stronger.<br />
<br />
The flavor profile became a little bit sweeter during the second third. There wasn't enough sweetness to dull the spice, but it added a nice accent. The sweetness came from the cedar flavor that slowly became more distinct. The combination of cedar and nuts formed a nice base flavor.<br />
<br />
Around halfway some coffee notes started to form . The coffee added a slight bitterness to the flavor profile. Once this happened, the pepper and cinnamon both subsided slightly. Toward the end of the second third a little bit of leather flavor started to come out.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ukpCjP96qTE/T7ZXRU15xLI/AAAAAAAAB0o/68xD7pIXPHU/s1600/2012-05-17_20-54-17_289.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ukpCjP96qTE/T7ZXRU15xLI/AAAAAAAAB0o/68xD7pIXPHU/s320/2012-05-17_20-54-17_289.jpg" width="180" /></a>The last couple inches were very smooth. The spice was really light which allowed the sweet cedar and nuttiness to pick up. There was a ton of flavor on the finish. Every puff was complex. There was a little bit of pepper left on the finish.<br />
<br />
The ash on this cigar was a very light shade of gray. The ash was nicely layered and held on for about an inch and a half at a time. The burn was perfectly even throughout the whole cigar. The burn was a bit tight, but it still produced a very thick white smoke. The smoke gave off a strong woody and nutty aroma.<br />
<br />
This cigar is definitely box worthy for the price. I think this cigar is on par with the My Father line of cigars., it's like a milder version. Every puff brought a ton of flavor. I highly recommend this cigar to My Father fans. I give it a 9 out of 10.<br />
<br />
Thanks for reading,<br />
<br />
Zack the Stogie ManZack The Stogie Manhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06290313966138436609noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3744609894893133197.post-43802873956962340032012-05-16T07:18:00.000-04:002012-05-29T14:32:09.532-04:00Arturo Fuente Hemingway Between the Lines ReviewWrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf and Connecticut Shade<br />
Filler: Dominican<br />
Price: $14.00 - $15.00<br />
<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-S4cze4G7nQk/T7KVoNDrkII/AAAAAAAABz8/1CpwZqUScTY/s1600/2012-05-13_19-11-25_12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-S4cze4G7nQk/T7KVoNDrkII/AAAAAAAABz8/1CpwZqUScTY/s320/2012-05-13_19-11-25_12.jpg" width="180" /></a>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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>Once I lit this cigar up I was hit with a nice amount of pepper. There was also a very strong earthy background. As this cigar slowly progressed, a nice woody flavor started to build up. The flavors really started to open up once I smoked passed the nipple at the foot.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-U-9dDfwN7m8/T7KVokWTI4I/AAAAAAAAB0E/W91XifWZ_ic/s1600/2012-05-13_19-28-11_271.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-U-9dDfwN7m8/T7KVokWTI4I/AAAAAAAAB0E/W91XifWZ_ic/s320/2012-05-13_19-28-11_271.jpg" width="180" /></a>There were noticeable notes of coffee that started to come out. Once the coffee had formed, the woodiness became more defined and tasted more like oak. The entire first third was very creamy and delicious. <br />
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Once I moved into the second third, the coffee and pepper notes both started to pick up and slightly overpower the oak and earth tones. The pepper started to sit on my tongue more while the coffee coated my palate.<br />
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Right around the halfway point, the woodiness started to pick back up . The creaminess of the smoked seemed to slowly fade away with each puff because the spice picked up enough to throw the balance off.<br />
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The last third was unlike the rest of the cigar. There was a very light chocolate flavor that came out. It wasn't quite strong enough to dull the pepper, but with every few puff it would come out. The pepper flavor isn't as strong as earlier because the oak picked up a little bit more on the finish. The creaminess even came back with about an inch and a half left. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oXxd7RSnb1E/T7KVpemSIwI/AAAAAAAAB0M/OLQUFGojob0/s1600/2012-05-13_19-43-52_944.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oXxd7RSnb1E/T7KVpemSIwI/AAAAAAAAB0M/OLQUFGojob0/s320/2012-05-13_19-43-52_944.jpg" width="180" /></a>The ash was very cool to look at. It was two-tone and you could follow the barber pole all the way back to the foot. Half the ash was dark while the other half was light gray. The burn was a little uneven because the Connecticut shade burned slightly faster. The draw was very tight as first, but it slowly opened up. Once it opened, a very thick white smoke was produced. The smoke also gave off a nice aroma full of spice and earth tones.<br />
<br />
This cigar had just the right amount of spice to it. The spice was strong, but not too strong where you wouldn't be able to taste the other flavors. The only downside with this cigar was the burn and the draw, other than that it was great. If I could get a few more of these for a good price, I would be grabbing some more. I give this cigar a 9 out of 10.<br />
<br />
Thanks for reading,<br />
<br />
Zack the Stogie ManZack The Stogie Manhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06290313966138436609noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3744609894893133197.post-84986508214388460122012-05-14T09:02:00.001-04:002012-05-29T14:32:00.046-04:00Padron Serie 1926 80 Years Maduro ReviewWrapper: Nicaraguan<br />
Filler: Nicaraguan<br />
Price: $31.00<br />
<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Z3g5ZxDtUfo/T7ECIgQ-BMI/AAAAAAAABzY/Vz0NLa5w7YU/s1600/2012-05-12_10-43-46_673.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Z3g5ZxDtUfo/T7ECIgQ-BMI/AAAAAAAABzY/Vz0NLa5w7YU/s320/2012-05-12_10-43-46_673.jpg" width="180" /></a>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.<br />
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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.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>I can honestly say that I was extremely excited to light this cigar. I was expecting I good amount of spice off of the light, but instead the start was very smooth. There were some light pepper notes, but they were slightly overshadowed but espresso notes. As this cigar very slowly progresses, the pepper notes pick up. As odd as it sounds, the combination of espresso and pepper was outstanding.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-O3Zy8djneuw/T7ECMScNwrI/AAAAAAAABzg/egRQYiTC7OA/s1600/2012-05-12_11-04-42_174.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-O3Zy8djneuw/T7ECMScNwrI/AAAAAAAABzg/egRQYiTC7OA/s320/2012-05-12_11-04-42_174.jpg" width="180" /></a>Once I smoked passed the first inch, some new flavors entered the picture. A nice strong oak flavor comes out and is about as strong as the espresso flavor. The pepper mellowed out on the draw, but still sits in the back of the throat. Towards the end of the first third, the espresso picks up again and becomes slightly bitter.<br />
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As I moved into the second third the pepper mellowed out again. This actually let the oak and earth tones to take over a bit more. Once the earthiness picked up, a mild leather flavor came out. I say the leather was mild because it never picked up enough to compete with the strong espresso flavor.<br />
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Halfway marked the start of the sweet flavors. Some notes of dark chocolate came out which added a nice accent to the strong wood and earthy background. The cigar starts to smooth out but still has a slight bitterness that sticks out due to the espresso.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqv1dUNpKedkLEPeCFskh9qDsFr6x9-ftKof52VKdEPs2oJZNQ83zHcwXIJSKGzuwWixwpSMk7zjbq6ymm3S-XAWc5O101VjGA1mjxxkIo7q6UI5pscvdczzwglomSQPqV7rOpTOh-6V4/s1600/2012-05-12_11-25-22_336.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqv1dUNpKedkLEPeCFskh9qDsFr6x9-ftKof52VKdEPs2oJZNQ83zHcwXIJSKGzuwWixwpSMk7zjbq6ymm3S-XAWc5O101VjGA1mjxxkIo7q6UI5pscvdczzwglomSQPqV7rOpTOh-6V4/s320/2012-05-12_11-25-22_336.jpg" width="180" /></a>The last third of this cigar was probably my favorite part. The flavors balanced out completely. The pepper reformed and the rest of the flavors picked up. Every puff seemed to be perfectly complex. The espresso coated my palate while the pepper and oak coated my tongue. The finish was very smooth and flavorful.<br />
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The ash was surprisingly not as strong as I thought. The ash was dark gray and held on for a little over an inch at a time. The ask was nicely layered too. The burn was even until the last inch and a half or so. The draw, even through the perfecto cap, was very easy and produced a thick gray and brown smoke. The abundant smoke gave off a very powerful aroma full of oak and espresso notes.<br />
<br />
I enjoyed this cigar quite a bit. This is by far the best Padron I have ever smoked. I'm not sure I can justify the price tag, but if you can get them on a deal, or are having a special occasion, this cigar is worthy of picking up. There was a ton of flavor throughout this entire cigar. The only complaint i have about this cigar is the burn issue in the last third. I give this cigar a 9.75 out of 10.<br />
<br />
Thanks for reading,<br />
<br />
Zack the Stogie ManZack The Stogie Manhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06290313966138436609noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3744609894893133197.post-89492188565705185442012-05-09T08:36:00.001-04:002012-05-29T14:31:49.978-04:00San Lotano Oval Maduro Churchill ReviewWrapper: Ecuadorian Habano Maduro<br />
Filler: Honduran and Nicaraguan<br />
Price: ~$10<br />
<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FZ3Y7m3_oK8/T6pkeN3XyUI/AAAAAAAABy4/Bp01L_Dnq8M/s1600/2012-05-08_15-47-12_361.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FZ3Y7m3_oK8/T6pkeN3XyUI/AAAAAAAABy4/Bp01L_Dnq8M/s320/2012-05-08_15-47-12_361.jpg" width="180" /></a>As you may recall ,the original <a href="http://zackthestogieman.blogspot.com/2011/12/san-lotano-oval-toro-review.html">San Lotano Oval</a> made my "<a href="http://zackthestogieman.blogspot.com/2011/12/zack-stogie-mans-top-10-of-2011.html">Top 10 of 2011</a>" 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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>As soon as I lit this cigar up I was greeted with some fantastic flavors. There were definite notes of oak and pepper immediately. There were some strong earth notes that started to form a nice base flavor. The peppery spice quickly coated my palate, and the flavors just seemed to build with every puff. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8hXAxVB-lWY/T6pke2SO-wI/AAAAAAAABzA/Aeu6KCmdF_M/s1600/2012-05-08_16-03-48_411.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8hXAxVB-lWY/T6pke2SO-wI/AAAAAAAABzA/Aeu6KCmdF_M/s320/2012-05-08_16-03-48_411.jpg" width="180" /></a><br />
At the one-inch mark of this cigar the flavors became very creamy. The pepper was mellowed out a little bit by the creaminess and some cinnamon notes started to form. As the cinnamon notes formed, the oak flavor started to pick up. The cinnamon added a hint of sweetness to the flavor profile.<br />
<br />
The second third had an entirely different flavor profile. Instead of being strong oak based, there was an equally strong leather flavor as well. The base flavor was still very earthy and woody. The pepper mellowed out to just an accent instead of how it was in the first third. My palate was coated with a nice combination of leather and creaminess. Every puff just seems to bring more and more flavor.<br />
<br />
Around the halfway point of this cigar the pepper flavor seems to pick up a little bit more. The background flavors are still the same, but that is actually nice. Once the pepper and cinnamon notes picked back up, the leather flavor dulled out.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_dBeoleI6x6FJ-aHc4puVhfx-na1LA2GEa_7Wn8BP4F2ZIobwZU4hqQq_uhePFtX24E0X1i1-ibJbqyCIJFZofZ0wUwpeSAH2rIEXGy3ORPy0yaglCI62W1O0uqCC3FOCZTPwFJB6DeI/s1600/2012-05-08_16-19-02_899.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_dBeoleI6x6FJ-aHc4puVhfx-na1LA2GEa_7Wn8BP4F2ZIobwZU4hqQq_uhePFtX24E0X1i1-ibJbqyCIJFZofZ0wUwpeSAH2rIEXGy3ORPy0yaglCI62W1O0uqCC3FOCZTPwFJB6DeI/s320/2012-05-08_16-19-02_899.jpg" width="180" /></a>The last third was great in every aspect. There was a ton of flavor and it was very complex. All the flavors were present and full force. I couldn't believe how complex each puff was. The finish had every flavor come together and work perfectly together.<br />
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The ash on this cigar is a medium shade of gray. The ash was nicely layered and held on for an inch and a half at a time. The draw was pretty even throughout. It only had a slight wave once in this cigar. The draw was very easy and produced a hick light gray smoke. The smoke also gave off a very earthy aroma.<br />
<br />
This cigar is very good. Its body flirts on the line between medium and full. I would consider it a high-medium body. The flavors are very creamy and not harsh at all. I would consider this a box worthy cigar. Its on par with the original Oval, but I like the original a bit more. I give this one a 8.5 out of 10. <br />
<br />
Thanks for reading,<br />
<br />
Zack the Stogie ManZack The Stogie Manhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06290313966138436609noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3744609894893133197.post-73616231393579874232012-05-08T08:28:00.000-04:002012-05-29T14:31:26.837-04:00Cohiba Maduro 5 Secretos Short Review<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BDj7mf6s_NM/T6kREhNP4lI/AAAAAAAAByk/DpxXqxdvTBw/s1600/2012-05-06_08-34-45_307.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BDj7mf6s_NM/T6kREhNP4lI/AAAAAAAAByk/DpxXqxdvTBw/s320/2012-05-06_08-34-45_307.jpg" width="179" /></a>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 <a href="http://zackthestogieman.blogspot.com/2012/04/jean-sibelius-review.html">Jean Sibelius</a>. This review is formatted in a similar fashion.<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
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.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>Upon lighting up this cigar, I was greeted with a nice amount of peppery spice. There was also a nice strong woodiness. The spice continued to build as this cigar progressed, but it was mainly on the draw. The woodiness was the main focus for the entire first third.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qtSuvhITn1M/T6kRFhLlEKI/AAAAAAAABys/fh_aGsXKB8A/s1600/2012-05-06_08-51-18_391.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qtSuvhITn1M/T6kRFhLlEKI/AAAAAAAABys/fh_aGsXKB8A/s320/2012-05-06_08-51-18_391.jpg" width="179" /></a>Once I smoked down to the second third, the combination of earthy tones and woody tones took over completely. There was still a nice amount of spice, but nothing like the first third. There was also a slight sweetness that came out. Throughout this part of the cigar, the woodiness was still the main focus.<br />
<br />
The last third became slightly bitter with the introduction of coffee notes. The woodiness started to mellow out slightly and this let the coffee coat the palate and the spice to coat my tongue. The finish was very smooth and flavorful. Right around the end of this cigar, the sweetness started to come through a little bit more on the draw.<br />
<br />
The ash was a medium to dark shade of gray. The burn has minor waves at times, but it never got out of control. The draw was a little tight but not bad, but it still produced a thick gray smoke. The smoke gave off a very earthy aroma.<br />
<br />
For a quick cigar, this is a fantastic choice if you have the ability to get them. It is hard for a cigar of this size to be complex, but this cigar actually had some complexity to it. I give this cigar an 8.5 out of 10.<br />
<br />
Thanks for reading,<br />
<br />
Zack the Stogie ManZack The Stogie Manhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06290313966138436609noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3744609894893133197.post-68362227193956711372012-05-07T08:53:00.001-04:002012-05-29T14:31:10.480-04:00My Father Atlantic 15th Anniversary ReviewWrapper: Ecuadorian<br />
Filler: Nicaraguan<br />
Price: $8.00<br />
<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9vgJtCrqdqQ/T6fFYgPrOII/AAAAAAAAByI/rMViMLtGADE/s1600/2012-05-05_15-12-40_843.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-9vgJtCrqdqQ/T6fFYgPrOII/AAAAAAAAByI/rMViMLtGADE/s320/2012-05-05_15-12-40_843.jpg" width="179" /></a>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 <a href="http://zackthestogieman.blogspot.com/search/label/My%20Father">My Father</a> 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.<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a>Once I lit this cigar up, I was greeted with the exact opposite of what I was expecting. I was expecting a very strong pepper flavor, but instead I got a strong cedar flavor. There was a nice pepper flavor, but it was nowhere near as strong as I thought it would be. The cedar slowly picks up as this cigar progresses leading to a nice sweet and spicy combination. Behind the pepper and wood was a very earthy base.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Jr2ELw2iwS8/T6fFZeGiz-I/AAAAAAAAByQ/PfFEE2_vWD4/s1600/2012-05-05_15-26-59_170.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Jr2ELw2iwS8/T6fFZeGiz-I/AAAAAAAAByQ/PfFEE2_vWD4/s320/2012-05-05_15-26-59_170.jpg" width="179" /></a>By an inch into this cigar, it was easy to taste how smooth this cigar was. Some oak tones started to come out, and both the oak and cedar flavors were present. Also, a slight coffee undertone became present. The combination of the wood flavors became the main focus because the pepper flavor was mainly on the draw.<br />
<br />
The second third became much creamier. This balanced out the pepper flavor a bit. The creaminess and the coffee flavors started to coat the palate. Just shy of the halfway point, the flavor profile became slightly leathery, but there as still a strong woodiness and earthiness.<br />
<br />
The halfway point marked a complete balancing of the flavors. The woodiness started to mellow out and let the earthiness and pepper flavors to pick up a little bit. Even though the pepper picked up, it wasn't enough for it to be anything more than an accent flavor. By the end of the second third, the coffee flavors had dissipated.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SAOgNWRv4Aw/T6fFaIaOs8I/AAAAAAAAByY/F_VYx1Q3o1s/s1600/2012-05-05_15-36-01_415.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SAOgNWRv4Aw/T6fFaIaOs8I/AAAAAAAAByY/F_VYx1Q3o1s/s320/2012-05-05_15-36-01_415.jpg" width="179" /></a>The last couple inches were mainly composed of the oak and cedar flavors. The balanced flavor profile had tilted more toward the woodiness again. The pepper picked up as well, and now was at its strongest. The finish was absolutely delicious and was still balanced for the most part.<br />
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The ash on this cigar was a medium shade of gray, nicely layered, and held on for about half of the cigar. The burn was perfectly even all the way through. The draw was very easy and produced a very thick white smoke. The aroma coming from the smoke was very woody, just like the flavor profile.<br />
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If you have had any of the My Father cigars before, you probably have noticed the amount of spice and pepper in them. This one wasn't like that at all. There was pepper, but not like the others. This cigar, however, was still full bodied and very complex. Even though there weren't drastic changes in the flavor profile, there was still a lot going on. I give this cigar a 8.75 out of 10. I would definitely buy a box of these if I had the money to. <br />
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Thanks for reading,<br />
<br />
Zack the Stogie Man<br />
<br />Zack The Stogie Manhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06290313966138436609noreply@blogger.com3