Graycliff G2 Pirate Review

Wrapper: Ecuadorian

Filler: Costa Rican, Nicaraguan, Filipino

Price: ~$5.00

Well as most of you know, today is Halloween. I help a little contest on one of the forums that I frequent to get a little bit of a contest going. I went through my “Coming Soon” list to pick out the ones that had some sort of connection to Halloween, either with the name of the cigar, or the size. So after about 6 hours of voting, the Graycliff G2 Pirate won. “Pirate” is the size of the cigar, but I was reaching out for something.

This cigar looks pretty good. The light brown wrapper is very smooth with only a couple very thin veins throughout it. The only flaw that I noticed with the wrapper were a couple water spots, but that really doesn’t give me a bad impression. The stick is very solid with a slightly softer foot. The cap is a little rough, not as flush as I would have liked to see. The cigar gives off a very earthy and cedar-like smell. The torpedo cap cut very clean and was very easy to light.

The flavor was robust right off of the light. There was some strong earth and nutty flavors that jumped out immediately. Shortly into the stick, there was a little bit of spice that formed. The spice wasn’t strong, but it was a nice compliment to the earthy tones. The wood notes pick up about an inch in. The spice that is there actually mellows out and allows the earth to pick up.

Bolivar Gold Medal Review

At least the weather prior to yesterday was nice. It gave me the perfect time to do a few reviews since the weather was going to be so bad this weekend. Yesterday was a great 33 degrees and full of winter weather, not quite the ideal weather for doing a review. I can handle reviewing in the cold, but getting hit with and ice, snow and rain mix isn’t the best time.

Well on Friday I review this cigar. The gold wrap on it covering the cap makes this cigar appear very elegant. This is the first thing that I noticed, Once I took it off, the light brown wrapper was flawless. There was not a single vein or a spot of a different shade. The cap was multiple layers and flush. The only flaw that I saw was on the foot. There was a slight crack in the wrapper and binder. Overall this cigar was solid. The cigar cut clean and lit with ease.

Upon lighting this cigar I noticed the very light and earthy flavors. There was a good amount of woody notes, especially a sweet cedar undertone. This flavor stayed very consistent for the first couple inches. The earthy notes were very strong, but that sweetness of the cedar made the flavor profile very nice. A couple inches in, there was a mild spice that came out to compliment the earthy tones. Just shy of the halfway point, there was a feint chocolate note in the background.

Viaje Skull and Bones Review

Wrapper: Sun Grown Criollo

Filler: Nicaraguan

Price: $9.00 - $10.00 

When I first looked at this cigar, it didn’t look like much. But, I was warned not to judge it by its looks. I was told not to smoke it on an empty stomach because of its sheer power.  So I did exactly the opposite. I woke up early Sunday morning, around 7 am, and went out back and lit this cigar up. Yes, I smoked this cigar without eating or drinking anything first. And just so you know ahead of time, that wasn’t smart.

The cigar is very visually appealing. The dark wrapper is completely flawless. There are no veins throughout the entire wrapper. This is also the first cigar I have ever seen that is capped on both ends. Both are completely flush too. This cigar is ridiculously solid without a single soft spot in it. The cigar smells very earthy and very spicy.

Lars Tetens Bellator Review

Wrapper: Pennsylvania Broadleaf

Filler: Georgia, Kentucky, and North Carolina

Price: $40

A couple weeks ago there was a “Grand Opening” even at the new cigar shop by my house, The Smoking Dog. During the opening weekend they had the area representatives for Lars Tetens in the shop. Well I got to talking with the reps and they suggested I review this cigar. After finding out a little about this stick, I learned it had a massive $40 price tag. So, for the record, this is the most expensive cigar that I have ever smoked.

This cigar is massive 6” x 60. The wrapper is a couple shades of brown, but that is what you get with the Pennsylvania broadleaf. The cigar itself is a little soft, not as solid as I expected. There are no veins throughout the entire wrapper. The cap is also perfectly flush. The cigar gives off a very strong smell. There is a strong black cherry aroma. The cigar cut very clean and was very easy to light.

When I first lit up this cigar, I didn’t know what to expect. I was hit with a great amount of earth as well as a faint black cherry flavor. There is a little spice that comes out after a few puffs, and the spice eventually stains the lips. About an inch into this cigar, the spice picks up a bit more. There is a little bit of sweetness compliments the spice nicely. The remainder of the first half of this cigar is full of earthy notes and nice wood notes.

Savinelli 20th Anniversary Review

Wrapper: Sun-Grown Ecuadorian Habano

Filler: Vintage Nicaraguan

Price: $10.00

A couple weeks back there was a post on one of the cigar websites that I use. The person who was running the contest was giving out samples from this company. I got a couple of cigars to review. Up until that contest, I had never heard about this company. But I was interested to see just how these cigars are. So I woke up bright and earthy this Saturday and went out back to give this one a try.

The wrapper is a medium shade of brown with no thick veins throughout it. The cigar is very solid from cap to foot. There is not a single soft or spongy spot in the cigar. The construction appears flawless. The cap is perfectly flush and cut very clean. The cigar gives off a sweet and earthy smell. This cigar lit almost effortlessly.

Cain Daytona Torpedo Review

Wrapper: Nicaraguan Habano

Filler: Nicaraguan Ligero

Price: $7.00

In the past couple months I have been smoking my fair share of Cain cigars. Ever since I was turned on to the Oliva Serie V, I wanted to find comparable cigars. Since the Cain line is made by Oliva, I figured I would look there first. After smoking several different Cains, I found myself liking just about all of them for different reasons. When I came across the Daytona, I didn’t know what to expect. So I figured I would review it.

The wrapper is a light to medium shade of brown with no thick veins throughout it. There were a couple thin veins, but nothing I would worry about. The cigar was very solid like the other Cain cigars I have smoked. This cigar was very tightly packed all the way through. The wrapper, itself, was very smooth to the touch. The torpedo cap was perfectly flush. This cigar surprisingly cut clean and was very easy to light.

The flavor is very spicy off of the light, just like the other lines. But shortly into the stick, there are a good amount of wood notes that come out. By an inch into this cigar, the spice completely coats the palate. I was surprised with the lack of complexity in the flavor. I was expecting a little bit more out of it in the first third.

Siglo Maduro VI Review

Wrapper: San Andres Morron

Filler: Dominican and Nicaraguan

Price: $6.00 - $7.00

Over the past couple months, I became a fan of the Siglo brand, but never came across the Maduro line. So about a month ago, I found a cigar shop in a small shopping center that I had never been to before. From the outside, I didn’t expect to find much. Once I walked in, there was a fantastic selection of cigars. Along the back wall I spotted a box of these, with only a few left. So naturally I had to grab some to try out.

The dark brown wrapper is very smooth and oily. There are no thick veins throughout the wrapper either. The cap is perfectly flush with the wrapper, as well as being the exact same shade. This stick is very solid with a softer, box-pressed foot. This stick gave off an odd aroma, almost smelled like dried fruit. The cut was very clean, and was very easy to light.

Upon lighting this cigar, the flavors were very earthy and woody. There was a mild spice that formed about an inch into the stick. Shortly after the spice comes into play, a powerful black coffee flavor builds. Throughout the remainder of the first third, the black coffee and earthy flavors were strong and prominent.

Rocky Patel Vudu Robusto Review

Wrapper: Mexican Maduro

Filler: Nicaraguan

Price: $5.00

A while back, a reader of mine sent me this cigar for review. It is a completely new stick to me, but I have heard of it before. I have seen specials on these, and was always tempted to try them, but did not want to commit to a box. So when this cigar showed up, I was excited to give it a shot. I have heard mixed things about it, so it was time for me to find out for myself.

The Mexican Maduro is almost the color of dark chocolate. He wrapper itself is flawless. There were no veins, and no spots that were different shades. The stick is very solid throughout. There were no softer spots, not even the foot. The cap was multiple layers, and perfectly flush. The cigar gave off a very earthy and sweet aroma. Cutting this cigar was very easy and clean. Lighting it wasn’t easy because of the morning breeze.

Once I got this cigar lit, the flavors came out immediately. It was very earthy off of the start, but shortly into the cigar, a mild spice formed. Some nice oak flavor comes out about in inch into this cigar. Around this same point, the spice picks up quite a bit. This flavor combination stayed pretty consistent until almost the halfway point. Around then, a slight, creamy sweetness starts peeking out.

601 Yellow La Bomba Atom Review

Wrapper: Nicaraguan Habano

Filler: Nicaraguan Ligero

Price: $8.00

Last week I went to a cigar shop in Philadelphia that I had never been to before. The shop is Twin Smoke Shoppe in South Philadelphia. When I walked into this store, I was blown away by the massive selection of cigars. As I was talking to the owner, he pointed me towards this stick. I have had other 601 cigars before, but never this particular one. He told me that it was powerful. So I smoked one while I was there and brought the other one home to save for this review.

The dark brown Habano wrapper is flawless. This cigar also looks very interesting. It has a wick off of the cap so that the cigar actually looks like a stick of dynamite. The aroma coming off of this cigar is very spicy and actually tingles the nose before it is even lit. This is a solid stick that I can tell is constructed very well.

Upon lighting this cigar, I was blown away. The strong pepper spice sends your taste buds for a loop. Then the smoke becomes a little smoother when a woody flavor enters. The wood could best be described as a charred cedar. It had just the slightest bit of sweetness to it. There are quite a bit of earthy tones that come into play as well. As the first third comes to a close, a mild leather flavor builds on the palate.

Ron Mexico Churchill Review

Wrapper: Dominican

Filler: Dominican

Price: $2.00 - $3.00

Back in May, I purchased a five-pack of these cigars for one purpose. I figured they would be great cigars to smoke while relaxing in a pool during the summer. Since they were so cheap, if they got wet, I wouldn’t mind. Well summer came, and I took one of these into the pool with me. I got about two inches into it before I had to put it out. So then I figured that I would let them age a little bit. Well here it is, October, five months later, and I decided I would give it another try.

This cigar is nothing to look at. The light brown wrapper is very veiny, and almost looks stitched together. The cap is at least flush, but it is a darker shade than the rest of the cigar. The wrapper is also covered with dark spots, almost like freckles. The stick itself is very spongy. When I cut this cap off of this stick, the wrapper cracked, and the entire cap came off. The foot was also very soft which made it pretty easy to light.

The initial flavor of this cigar isn’t bad at all. It starts off pretty sweet and earthy. I was picking up little notes of honey and wood. But, the flavor became very bitter. The bitterness combining with the wood notes was not that nice. Then, all of a sudden, the flavor became very grassy..

Partagas Lusitania Review

This cigar looks flawless in every aspect. The light brown wrapper is very smooth with absolutely no veins throughout it. The cigar is very solid with a slightly softer foot which made it quite easy to light. The cigar gave off a very earthy, yet sweet, aroma. Upon cutting this cigar, I noticed just how clean it was and how evenly placed the filler tobacco was.

Upon lighting the monster of a cigar, there was a little bit of spice. The spice slowly subsides and allows some other flavors to come out. Once the flavor opens up, there are some robust earthy tones. There is also a very strong wood flavor that comes out. The wood flavor was very much like oak. Along with the wood flavor, I was also picking up a faint almond flavor.

Lars Tetens Fatez Rocky Review

Wrapper: Cuban-Seed Mexican Maduro

Filler: Pennsylvania Broadleaf Maduro

Price: $9.00 - $10.00

Up until a couple days ago, I had never heard of Lars Tetens cigars. The new shop by me, The Smoking Dog, recently got a large shipment from this company. I was talking with the owner, and she asked me if I would be interested in reviewing one of his cigars. So she gave me this one to try out. Since I had never had any cigars from this company, I was intrigued by what I could experience here. Since I am a fan of full bodied cigars, she suggested this particular cigar.

As soon as I took this cigar out, I new it was different. The wrapper was very dark brown and very solid. This cigar smells like birch beer. Yes, that’s right, like birch beer. I have never had a cigar that wasn’t infused or flavored smell quite like this before. There were no veins throughout the entire wrapper. The cigar was a little difficult to light, but it cut very clean.

The flavor right away was spicy. The spice was very overpowering and actually dulled out some of the other flavors. There was a slight birch beer flavor coming through that I was expecting to get eventually because of its strong aroma. About a half inch in, the spice finally dulled down. Then some nice earthy tones came out. There were also some nice oak flavors that came out as well. The peppery spice then transformed into a cinnamon flavor which was a good change of pace.

Gurkha Spec Ops Review

Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro

Filler: Nicaraguan and Dominican

Price: $8.00 - $10.00

A couple days ago, I received a package in the mail from a cigar trade. There were three of these cigars inside of it. I had never had any of these before. I have smoked several different Gurkha cigars in the past few years, but the Spec Ops has never been in a store near me. So when I was asked a fellow cigar smoker was interested in trading a few, he agreed to send me some. So I finally had my opportunity to smoke this special edition cigar.

The maduro wrapper is dark brown and slightly oily. There were no veins throughout it that would cause any burn problems. The wrapper was also very smooth to the touch. This stick was solid throughout with a slightly softer foot that made it very easy to light. The cap was placed on very flush and produced a very clean cut. This stick gave off a very distinct aroma of chocolate and wood.

This cigar started off  completely different than what I expected. It was very sweet right away. Almost like a sweet tea flavor. There was a very creamy taste to it as well. Within about an inch, there was a mild spice that comes out as well as a little bit of a chocolate flavor. As the cigar progresses, the spice picks up a little bit more. There is a good amount of earthy and wood notes that develop as well. The wood notes become prominently cedar.

CAO Mx2 Box Press Review

Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro and Brazilian Maduro

Filler: Nicaraguan, Honduran, Peruvian, Dominican

Price: $7.00 - $8.00

This line was one of my go-to cigars back in college. I always like the full body and pepper flavor. Well three months ago I picked up the box press because it was the first time I had seen it. I learned from college that this line always tasted better with a couple months rest to them. So after sitting for three month, I decided it was the perfect time to smoke.

The one thing I notice about this cigar is the shade of the maduro wrappers. This stick is almost black. The wrapper is very smooth with no big veins throughout it. This one is very solid and the box press is very sharp. The edges are not rounded much at all. The cap is perfectly flush. This stick actually gives off a slight sweet and bitter smell before it is lit.

The flavor is very nice right off of the light. There is a nice amount of spice and creaminess to start it all off. Very quickly, a chocolate flavor enters and knocks the spice down immediately. About an inch into this stick, the smoke is very sweet and the spice is just an accent. The chocolate flavor is very pleasant and just becomes stronger and stronger.

Gurkha Vintage Shaggy Foot Maduro Toro Review

Wrapper: Connecticut Maduro

Filler: Dominican

Price: $9.00 - $10.00

Gurkha cigars are always hit or miss with me. There are some where the construction is flawless, and then some that unwrap upon cutting. I smoked the Shaggy Natural while I was in college and enjoyed it very much. When I went into The Smoking Dog the other day, I saw the maduro version. I was unaware that the shaggy came with a maduro wrapper. So the owner asked me to review this stick. I was excited to get to give this one a chance since I remember the natural being quite good.

The maduro wrapper on this one is very nice. It is dark brown, very oily, and very smooth. There are no veins throughout that entire wrapper that would pose a problem with the burn. The construction is actually very good. The shaggy foot makes it very easy to light, but difficult to light evenly. The cap was perfectly flush which led to a nice clean cut. This cigar also gives off a very sweet, earthy smell.

The flavor was actually harsh and powerful off of the light. But it slowly eased it. When the harshness went away, it opened up to a nice spice and a little bit of coffee flavor. About an inch in, the coffee dulls down and allows a sweetness to come out. The sweet cedar flavor becomes a nice compliment to the spiciness. There is also a good amount of earthy tones that pop out as well. As the cigar progresses, the earthy tones open up and the spice winds down to just being an accent flavor.

Diamond Crown Julius Caeser Robusto Review

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Havana Seed

Filler: Central American Blend

Price: $10

As a huge fan of the Diamond Crown line, the release of this cigar was highly exciding. The only problem with this stick, to me, is that it is exclusive to Diamond Crown Lounges. There are none around me that I could easily get to. So when the opportunity finally arose for me to grab a couple, I jumped all over it. I finally had the chance to try the stick I have been waiting on for the past several months.

The cigar has a medium brown wrapper that appears flawless. There are no veins, no spots, and a perfectly flush cap. The cap is made up of several evenly laid layers. This stick is also very solid. There is not one soft spot throughout it. The cut was very clean, and the light was very easy as well. The pre-light aroma of this stick is very woody and earthy.

When I finally lit this one up, there was a nice spice and a good amount of oak up front. Shortly after the light, more flavors started to enter into the picture. I started picking up a few nutty notes that were quite nice and complimented the spice and oak greatly. I was also getting a nice mild sweetness in the background. The sweetness was mild, but just enough to hit the tip of my tongue every few puffs.

Victor Sinclair Bohemian Buddha Review

Wrapper: Connecticut Shade

Filler: Dominican

Price: $5.00 - $7.00

Last month I purchased a Victor Sinclair sampler box that contained ten different cigars. I have always been interested in the Bohemian line, but never purchased any of them. So when I saw the price of this box, I figured I couldn’t go wrong with it. So I took the limited edition Buddha and set that aside to review. And today I was in the mood for a light cigar.

The cigar has a very light Connecticut shade wrapper with a couple green spots in the wrapper. There was a nice, tight pigtail cap that unrolled to be about two inches or so. Also there was a closed foot. This stick was very solid and had no veins at all. The cigar gave off a very earthy aroma before it was lit. The cigar lit with ease because of the closed foot.

The flavor was very mild with just a little hint of spice off of the light. There were some very nutty and earthy notes that formed. The nutty flavor completely took over within the first inch. There were quite a few flavors that were trying to come out, but the nuttiness was just to strong. The most powerful undertone that I was getting was a little bit of cedar. The cedar notes would peek out every few puffs.

Camacho Corojo Limited 07/05 Review

Wrapper: Honduran Corojo

Filler: Honduran Corojo

Price: $10.50

 The other day I received a package in the mail from a friend of mine, inside the package contained this beauty. So I was sitting down last night trying to figure out my next few reviews, this one was on the top of the list. I have not reviewed many Camacho cigars, nor have I smoked that many. So with this opportunity to do my friend a favor, as well as enjoy this smoke, I decided to do the review right away.

The first thing I notice about this cigar is its odd shape. The foot is very thin, and it tapers to get thicker. It almost resembles the shape of a baseball bat. The beautiful corojo wrapper was a medium shade of brown. There were a couple thin veins throughout it, but nothing was major. This stick is very solid with a very solid foot. This cigar gives off a very sweet pre-light aroma, almost resembling chocolate and earth. This stick cuts very clean and is very easy to light.

The flavors are very robust right off of the light. There is some strong earth and some strong wood right away. There is a little bit of spice that lingers on the tongue early on as well. About an inch in, there are some strong leather notes to come out. The spice also picks up quite a bit. The combination of the leather and spice coat the palate nicely. Towards the end of the first third, there was a slight bitter undertone of coffee that I was sensing.

Panacea Black Classic Toro Review

Wrapper: Brazilian Maduro

Filler: Cuban seed Seco, Ligero, Olor Dominicano, Nicaraguan

Price: $6.00

Since I enjoyed the Panacea that I smoked earlier this week, I thought it would be fitting to smoke another one for review. So I went back up to the new shop near my house, The Smoking Dog, and I was asked to review this one as well. Since they are the only shop around me that I know of that sells these, it a good thing its only a ten minute drive. I am really looking forward to their new lounge opening up in a couple weeks so that I could do some reviews from there.

This cigar looks amazing. It has a very smooth wrapper, and is practically veinless. The cap is perfectly flush, to the point where I had to make sure it wasn’t the wrapper folded over. The Brazilian maduro is a medium shade of brown, and lighter than most maduros I am used to. There is a very sweet smell coming off of this stick. Almost like cedar and chocolate combined. This stick is very solid, with a nice solid foot. The clean was very clean and was very easy to light.