Reviews by Joe

Today, we live in the world of small batch. From the thousands of coffees and bourbons on the market to the bizarrely hipster artisanal water bars and toast houses (thanks, Portland!) it seems all you need to do to make a mark in this day and age is tell people something’s rare. Off-breed, exclusive, the forbidden fruit… I’m not even sure what artisanal means, really, but it’s damn provocative and gets the people going. 

And indeed, our beloved cigar hobby is no stranger to the limited-edition phenomenon. From anniversary releases to limited run productions, it seems like there’s more “small batch” cigars coming out every year than regular production ones. For this review, I’d like to dive into one of these rare gems from everyone’s favorite cigar manufacturer: AJ Fernandez. 

You may be familiar with AJ’s Man O’ War brand. If you’re not, stop what you’re doing, and go buy a 5-pack of the regular Man O’ War Toro, and a few Ruinations. Seriously. For those who’ve already been initiated, you know as well as I that this boutique blend from AJ’s factory is synonymous with full-flavor, full-bodied blends that are remarkably dark and rich.

Side Projects are tweaked, special edition versions of the Man O’ War brand, with each blend crafted in a single size that perfectly encapsulates the experience. Specifically, we’re going to dive into the Little Devil – a 5.5”x44 corona. For me, this is the perfect size. I know, I know, a ton of you out there prefer the value of Churchills and gordos, but I love smaller cigars and I always will. It’s tough for me to find a time frame I can really sit down and go through a whole 7”x54 monster in one sitting – plus, its way easier to burn through five or six cigars in a day when they’re robustos or coronas. 

Let’s get this out of the way up front — if you glance at this cigar’s smaller frame and assume it’s going to be short on flavor, you’re dead wrong. Incredibly full-bodied and heady, this firecracker packs a real punch. That’s thanks to the wrapper: utilizing a potent, extra-fermented Habano Sun Grown wrapper leaf from Nicaragua, Little Devil is (arguably) even more full-bodied than its full sized counterparts. 

Toasting the foot on this sucker, it reminded me immediately of some old school Don Pepin or Tatuaje brands. Loads of black pepper rush forth, but give it an inch or so, and things mellow out a little bit with the pepper replaced by roasted coffee, earth, cedar, and a rich, natural sweetness. It’s intense, for sure, but in all the right ways. 

Truth be told, this still isn’t my favorite Man O’ War, that honor goes (easily) to Ruination. Hell, it might even be my third favorite, behind Armada. But in this case, third place is still a gold medal – take the affordability into account, and Little Devil is a no-brainer that I can heartily recommend. 

I love cigars. If you’re surprised by that, you may be reading the wrong website… but bear with me a moment, because I want to lodge a little complaint against our handmade industry. Quite simply – there’s a lot of “noise” out there. Every cigar brand likes to hearken back to their century old history, their great-great-grandad’s original vision of “proper, Cuban” fermentation methods, the magic beans they purchased from an Ecuadorian peasant for two cows that went on to become the basis for their farm, or the secret song they sing to their tobacco plants to make them grow big and strong. It’s a lot of marketing nonsense, to be blunt. At the end of the day, here’s what I care about: does a cigar taste good, or nah? 

Why do I bring this up? Because as much as I love Nub cigars, the story behind them is a little hocus pocus-y. Here’s the pitch: standard length cigars take a little while to develop, yeah? If you read the crazy cigar blogs out there, they’ll tell you all about how a cigar’s first through twenty-ninth puff tasted of lemongrass and alfalfa sprout waffles before it finally blossomed into lightly roasted coffee, Madagascar vanilla beans, and licorice sticks. Nub cigars by Oliva, on the other hand, are supposed to start at their “sweet spot” right away – basically, hit the good notes from the beginning and keep things short and sweet (unlike this lengthy Oliva cigar review.) Is it true? Who knows. But today we’re going to ask the more important question — the new Nub Sumatra… does it taste good? 

Yes. Yes it does. 

Oh, you want more? Alright, let’s do this thing. Nub Sumatra by Oliva is a recent release of one single size, a 4”x60 Gordo (sort of the Nub standard) in 10-count boxes. Easy on the eyes and easy on the wallet, I knew I’d be doing a little employee order as soon as these babies hit the dock. Sumatra is an entry in the recent “Studio Tobac” sub-brand of Nub: a series of single-size expressions that each offer something totally unique to the Nub lineup. So what’s this cigar’s claim to fame? It utilizes the same wrapper leaf as the uber-popular (and my personal favorite) former #1 Cigar of the Year – Oliva Serie V Melanio.

Basically, if you love Melanio, but wished it came in a bigger and badder version, stop reading this thing now and pick yourself up a box ASAP. 

Sparking this sucker up, I was nervous. I friggin’ love Melanio, and if this thing didn’t perform as expected, it’d feel the same as watching someone pour out a glass of Pappy Van Winkle and then taking it like a shot of Jack – exciting, and then real, real disappointing. Luckily, the folks behind Oliva Tobacco Company did not let me down. Nub Sumatra is a little smoother and mellower than the Serie ‘V’ Melanio, but beyond that, it was everything I love about that sultry Sumatra profile. The wrapper leaf is dark, thick, oily, and seamless in appearance. Coming in just a notch below full-bodied, this full-flavored Napoleon complex of a stick delivers rich and unique nuances including a slightly-sweet baseline of flavor, complimented by leathery notes, some chocolate, and a nice hint of black pepper that’s never overwhelming. Overall, one of the best Nub cigars I’ve tried to date.

I’ll be clear – this is never going to replace Melanio for me. But it’s definitely an awesome “tweaked” version of the blend that I’ll be sure to keep in my humidor for the foreseeable future. Or, more simply: does Nub Sumatra taste good? Hell yes. 

For today’s review, I’ll be performing two cardinal sins of the uppity-up cigar snobs... that’s right, not only is this cigar a bundled option (gasp!) but it’s also flavored (oh no!). If you pop into your local cigar lounge and listen to the “experts” you’ll come away thinking that everyone only lights up Padrons, OpusX, and ultra-rare small-batch creations… but guess what? They’re lying. You see, I see the sales numbers, and numbers never lie. That’s why I know tons of people across this great nation enjoy bundled brands and flavored offerings day in and day out. To put it another way, if people were telling the truth and didn’t like Kuba Kuba, I wouldn’t have to purchase pallets of them at a clip. 

Today, though, we’re not reviewing an ACID, we’re looking at a line that’s much more affordable — Devil’s Weed Dark Brew Coffee Maduro. A mouthful of a name, that’s for sure, but this cigar lands comfortably at right around $3 a stick and is an absolute bargain at that price. Here’s the skinny. 

Devil’s Weed is manufactured at the world renowned Pinar del Rio factory in the Dominican Republic. You may not hear about this factory often, but let me assure you, they’re still alive and well and producing tons of affordable, delicious cigars on a daily basis. Devil’s Weed was originally brewed up about a year back, offered in a single, Connecticut-wrapped bundle. Recently, Abe Flores (owner and operator of PDR Cigars) let us know he’d be updating the packaging and that with it we’d be receiving two new blends: a “Natural” and “Dark” Brew version influenced by premium coffee. I asked him what on earth a “Natural Brew” meant, but am still just as confused as you are! Anyway… 

The repackaging feels fresh and modern, but you throw all that stuff out in the end, so at the end of the day I’m only really worried about the tobacco. That’s where things get good. Dark Brew Coffee Maduro features a smooth and oily San Andres wrapper – a particularly impressive feat when you consider how veiny and rough most Mexican wrapper leaf is by comparison. Underneath, a Dominican binder and carefully bunched Dominican long-fillers keep things interesting, with the Dark Brew delivering a profile that I feel comfortable calling medium to full-bodied. A real change of pace from many flavored options, which are typically heavy on sugar and light on everything else. 

Toasting the foot of this one, I was a little nervous – the cigar is softer and squishier (that’s a technical term) than I tend to prefer. But good news, this thing burns like a champ, giving off big clouds with every puff. I like an ACID every once in a while (sue me) so I was expecting tons of sugar on this sweetened cap, but it’s a much more subtle experience. Sure, the sweetness is there, but mostly I’m met with hints of dark roasted coffee smoothed out by lots of natural chocolate notes in the background. Some spice and black pepper pop up just often enough to vary the experience, but this certainly isn’t a “spicy “cigar. 

In short, if you love coffee, like flavored blends, or are just looking for a great value, I don’t think you can do much better for the money. Devil’s Weed Dark Brew is easily one of my favorite bundled cigars I’ve tried, and might be the best “bang-for-your-buck” when it comes to coffee-infused blends. My only negatives: the longer sizes are a little one-dimensional, and this cigar burns a bit quick… but those are both just me being nit-picky. Grab yourself a bundle today, and I’m sure you’ll add this one to your favorites. 

2003 — a momentous year for cigars. You see, fifteen short years ago is when the Five Hour Energy shot was first introduced to the market, and after becoming incredibly wired and going on a two week buying bender, the team at Cigars International began mutating into the deal-driven, price-slashing monsters we are today. Wait, wait, my editors tell me that’s not quite right. Ah, yes, in addition to our productivity increasing tenfold thanks to taurine-filled capsules of goodness filling our trashcans, 2003 is also the year that Rocky Patel began putting his name on cigars. 

Think on that for a minute. Sure, Rocky was making cigars in the 90’s, but it’s just fifteen years back that the man we all know now began his path towards household recognition. Today? Rocky Patel is basically the most recognizable cigar manufacturer on the planet, bordering on rockstar status. Indeed, I’ve witnessed grown men swoon upon mere sight of Rocky at our retail stores, like teenaged girls at a Backstreet Boys concert. And for good reason! Producing dozens upon dozens of blends, Rocky is inarguably in the top three most successful, prolific, and important cigar makers working right now.

That long lead in brings me to my review cigar today: the Rocky Patel Vintage 2003 Cameroon. Phew! Only took me 200 words to get to the name of the cigar today – how’s that for short and sweet? Indeed, while my introduction might be overblown, let me assure you the hype for this blend is not. After sampling nearly every RP on the market (a task that would take you about seven months to achieve, if you tried one a day), the ’03 Cameroon remains my favorite Rocky to date. 

So what’s the big deal? Let me assure you: it’s no secret sauce, ancient Chinese secret, or treasured, proprietary fermentation process. Nope. It’s just age and quality. You see, each Vintage ’03 features an absolutely stunning African Cameroon wrapper leaf, aged a minimum of eight years. I don’t want to get too “inside baseball,” but I do want to impress upon you how difficult it is to find quality African Cameroon leaf. 

Here’s the quick facts. If you don’t care about this cigar “nerd”dom and want to get to the good stuff, skip the list: 

1.) Authentic Cameroon leaf is smaller than most of the other tobaccos on the market, meaning, quite simply, there’s less tobacco to work with.
2.) Its a toothy, veiny leaf. That doesn’t mean it’s bad, but cigar consumers demand a certain look to their wrappers, and it can be difficult to find Cameroon that works for it.
3.) The leaf is delicate and thin, almost like Candela, which demands that only the most skilled rollers craft the cigars.
4.) Finally, Cameroon leaf takes longer to ferment and age properly, so it requires a longer time (and therefore money) investment from manufacturers. 

To make a long story short? It’s impressive, requires dedication, and is rather rare. Combine the Cameroon with a Nicaraguan binder, and Dominican and Nicaraguan long-fillers, and you’ve got the beauty at hand today. Toasting this one up, you’re going to get a nice amount of rich, almost syrupy sweetness (that’s the Cameroon). As you progress, soft spice gets added to the mix, but not too much. If anything, the cigar starts to veer more towards a smooth, coffee-driven profile than a peppery one. As for the construction, I couldn’t ask for better. The ash holds on well, not flaking off, and the draw is flawless. Basically, exactly what you’d expect from an RP blend. 

By now, this review’s gone on long enough. So let me give you my final thoughts. Vintage ’03 Cameroon is not only an amazing Rocky Patel cigar, it’s one of the best Cameroon offerings on the market. If you’ve never tried it, do yourself a favor and pick some up: the unique blend will expand your cigar knowledge and let you try something new. Just don’t blame me once you get the craving for some more Cameroon in the future — finding a better cigar than this is gonna be tough. 

Let me start this review off with an apology. For the last year, I’ve been diligently reviewing cigars here, and to my surprise this morning I noticed only one of the cigars I reviewed (Oliva 2nds) has been an affordable option. My bad! Before you get the wrong idea, I don’t take down Padrons and Alma Fuertes everyday. No, in fact, my cigar rotation leans much more towards the “budget” side of the equation. So, as an apology to everyone’s wallets, my next few reviews will be focused on my favorite cigars you can get for $3 or less. And to start it off, we’re going to take a peek at Bahia Brazil. 

Some backstory for you: originally crafted by Tony Borhani in the cigar boom of the ‘90s, Bahia cigars were, at one time, some of the highest rated cigars in the world. Unfortunately, since then, the brand has taken a bit of a tumble, cropping up in new blends that come and go with the seasons… but three cigars have stayed true: Bahia Maduro, Bahia Trinidad, and Bahia Blu. These three bundled beauts represent the best mixture of affordability and flavor on the market – and they’ve all been fan-favorites of CI Nation for years. Indeed, those three cigars alone carry nearly 700 verified customer reviews between them at the time of writing this. 

When things like this work, you just don’t mess with them. No new sizes, no gimmicks, no packaging changes… just sell the cigars, and give the people what they want. So imagine my surprise when a brand spankin’ new Bahia bundle popped up on our docks a few weeks ago. Yes sir, Bahia Brazil is here, and it deserves its spot right along the original trilogy. 

Now my favorite Bahia has always been the Maduro, but after going through about half a bundle of Brazil, I may just have to change my mind. While the Maduro weighed in at a nice medium body, Brazil turns the dial up a notch, delivering a sultry medium to full-bodied profile that’s rife with complexity but stays uber-smooth simultaneously. 

On top of this gem sits a beautiful Brazilian Maduro wrapper leaf, each one a rich chocolate brown color with just a slight hint of oily sheen. Underneath, you’ll find Nicaraguan binder and long-fillers that have each been aged to perfection. And now for the best news — for all you who love big ring blends, and who truly want to maximize the bang for your buck, Bahia Brazil is offered in both a 5”x56 Robusto and 6”x60 Gordo. In many bundled blends, these sizes are ones to avoid: the lower quality filler leaves are more present in larger ring gauges, delivering a less enjoyable flavor. But not here. Bahia Brazil shines in its big ring offerings, and they top out at around $3 per cigar. 

Still with me? Good. Lighting this one up, I’ve got no real complaints. On the larger rings, the draw can be just a tad loose, but that’s typical for me with a 60rg cigar so I can’t really knock Brazil for it. The first half of this cigar delivers tons of spice with a chewy oakiness in the profile as well. As the cigar burns down (which it does very slowly, by the way) it mellows out, and the Brazilian wrapper starts to shine. Indeed, the back half of Bahia Brazil loses most of the spice that starts it off, replacing it with a rich, dark chocolate note and tons of toastiness. 

You want one of the best bundled cigars on the market? Look no further. I guarantee if you popped the bands off these bad boys and asked someone to guess how much they cost after enjoying one, they’d tell you $6-$7. Instead, you pay half of that, and come out on top every time. Enjoy!