Staff Reviews for Blue Label

Shop Now

Blue Label

Posted by Keith

Since I write the drivel you read in the CI catalogs, you'd think I'd be cranking out staff picks and reviews at a feverish clip. But I'm looking at the list here above and these other jokers have 2 and 3x the number of reviews written as me. Even Brando has more written. I am like the cobbler who has no shoes. 

Anyway gents, it's time for us to have a frank discussion about Blue Label. Here's a terrific cigar, one that has become extremely popular among those who favor fuller-flavored blends. Launched about a year ago in 2007, Blue Label hails from Danli, Honduras. The maker is Gran Habano, the father-son team of Guillermo and George Rico. These guys are under-the-radar, making consistently good cigars at very reasonable prices. Their various Gran Habano blends and the 3 Siglos are spectacular, especially when you factor in quality for the dollar. Blue Label in my view is their most interesting though. It combines a hearty, rich and medium to full-bodied flavor profile with an exceedingly reasonable cost. When I visited them in Honduras circa early 2007 they gave me a handful of samples in various sizes. I was blown away. Had to contain the excitement because so many times (with most factories) I have seen the actual product when released taste noticeably different than the samples smoked prior to release....many a slip between the cup and lip as they say. But this one they nailed - it's exactly the same, equally good, as those magical samples we furiously soaked up in March of 2007. 

The wrapper is a thick, dark brown Habano leaf which covers a long-filler recipe of Honduran, Dominican and Nicaragua tobaccos. It's well-packed and firm to the touch. There's a spicy opening followed by copious clouds of creamy smoke. As it burns it becomes increasingly heady and satisfying - you can feel it in the belly. There's a core of crisp tobacco flavor and an interesting vanilla-like flavor that is undeniable. Stay with this one....it gets better as it burns, culminating in a highly enjoyable conclusion starting the last 1/2 of the cigar. Just like its makers Guillermo and George Rico, this blend is an unpretentious one that underpromises and overdelivers. The more Blue Labels you smoke the more you begin to crave them - they grow on you, big time.

So buy yo'self a box of Blue Label this instant! For the price you'll be as happy as a clam at high tide.

Blue Label

Posted by Steve-O

Ahh...winter time. I despise the cold, but look forward to it, for it grants me the opportunity to enjoy darker micro-brews, smokier single malts, and heartier cigars. And, since I have the ability to burn cigar after cigar while plugging away here at the office. Which also happens to be what I’m doing right now. Jealous?
 
Today’s cigar of choice is the same as yesterday’s...and the day before yesterday, actually. It’s called Blue Label, and it hails from the Danli, the bustling cigar capital of Honduras. The wrapper is Habano, grown in Honduras, and it conceals a long-filler combination of Honduran, Nicaraguan, and Dominican tobaccos bound by a Corojo leaf. The cigars are a pretty sight, sporting a dark and silky outer leaf that’s leathery to the touch, with a chocolate brown color, with a tint of red. It sits heavy in the hand, feels firm from head to toe, and comes topped off with a handsome band and carefully applied caps.
 
Pretty much all week, I’ve been burning my way through these cigars left and right, trying to pinpoint each of the flavors it has to offer. From Corona to Churchill, I’ve tried them all, and although I can identify most, there are still some nuances that escape me. And just when I think I’ve got it, and begin puffing more furiously to seal the deal, the full-bodied nature of the cigar hits me upside the head, telling me to slow down and enjoy the ride.
 
What I can tell you is this. The cigar opens with a rich, oaky sweetness, releasing heavy clouds of smoke with each puff. There are some unique spices at play. After each puff, I pick up a flavor that can be only described as graham cracker. It lasts for a few seconds, but is quickly overtaken by a pronounced spice. Interesting. The aroma is pleasant; like burning cedar. If you’ve ever lit a Spanish cedar sleeve on fire, you know exactly what I mean, pyro. After making my way through the first third of the Churchill size, the spice mellows considerably, allowing a cool rush of vanilla-like oaky flavors to coat my palate. If you’re a fan of spice, fear not...it returns towards the end of the cigar, and brings a nice full-bodied character along with it. Each and every Blue Label finishes strong, and somehow wraps all of its unique attributes into one enjoyable whirlwind of flavor during the final 2 inches.
 
Describing this cigar is a challenge. But it’s good, and that’s all that matters to me. If you are looking for a strong, complex cigar, Blue Label is a safe bet.