Reviews by Keith

New off the rolling tables in Esteli, Nicaragua comes Oscuro Fuerte, a gorgeous line extension from La Herencia Cubana. This rich, extra-strong LHC brings big flavor and knee-knocking strength. Take a seat son, this will only hurt a little. Indeed, Oscuro Fuerte is a powerhouse blend packing heat and bringing the thunder. Its potent, sumptuous PA Broadleaf maduro wrapper pairs with bold, searing ligero filler tobaccos from the growing regions of Esteli, Condega and Jalapa. All told, this LHC is visually striking to say the least, offering a deep, dark chocolate colored wrapper bursting with tooth and glistening with an oily sheen. In fact, before even sparking it up you can imagine the flavor within, just waiting to be uncorked and run roughshod over your palate. Rounding out its discernibly good looks is the cigar’s heft – well-packed, firm, heavy in the hand. Clearly this carefully constructed black beauty was designed for the seasoned cigar smoker.

From first light on, the draw is perfect and the smoke thick and dense. Not overly complex, it brings rich notes of espresso, licorice, spices plus a long and toasty finish. As it develops, a slight sweetness and increasingly pronounced spice becomes clearly noticeable. The first inch or so is medium in body, but as it burns the power increases markedly. Frankly, as it nears conclusion I can really feel the strength most noticeably in the gut. Not unbearably so, but enough to let me know who the alpha male is. A distinctly tasty profile from start to finish coupled with impressive strength and flawless construction make LHC Oscuro Fuerte a winner, winner, chicken dinner on all fronts. Considering you can pick up a box in the $3- $3.50 per stick range, it’s also a phenomenal value. C’mon. You’d be hard-pressed to find a cigar of this caliber for such a price at any store (other than CI of course, chum).

As a general rule, cigars with this type of deep black oscuro wrapper aren’t normally to my liking. I find that while they normally offer well-placed richness and strength, they linger on my tongue in unnatural form….making me want to scrape my mouth clean to rid myself of the troublesome beast. But that ain’t the case at all with Oscuro Fuerte. It’s strong and rich but feels properly fermented and utterly natural on the palate. It’s a bit heavy toward the end yet remains uber-flavorful and nicely balanced.

Fans of full-bodied maduros, feast! La Herencia Cubana Oscuro Fuerte delivers the goods.

Man O’ War Ruination. Oh yes. This holy cocktail of Cuban-seed Nicaraguan and Honduran long-leaf ligeros along with Habano Ecuador ligero leaf is a veritable powderkeg. Ligeros are the tobacco plant’s highest priming (the leaves on the top of the plant). This means more sun exposure which in turn leads to maximum strength and robust flavor. And since Man O’ War Ruination features both ligero filler and wrapper, I braced myself for a searing, flavor-packed powerhouse. It delivered…and then some.

Pre-Light: gorgeous. In the hand it’s a weighty, firmly packed stick with an impressive looking wrapper that’s deep brown in color and shimmering with natural oils. Even pressing the foot of the cigar to the nostrils yields an enticingly fragrant aroma. See it, touch it, smell it….you’ll know what I’m talking about son.

Strength: the power is all consuming and noticeable the instant you spark it up. An intensely heavy smoke along with a bold accumulation of spice and pepper characterize the first inch or so, but it mellows a bit from there. It never loses its zesty character – not by a long shot – but the strength settles to a point where it’s balanced and downright addictive.

Flavor Profile: strength aside, Ruination is no one trick pony. When the dust settles after the first inch, Ruination’s brilliant array of flavors take center stage. Its distinguished profile is characterized by notes of cedar, espresso, leather, spices and a long, toasty finish. MOW Ruination’s most cherished characteristic is balance. Just when the intensity teeters on overbearing, it settles into a smooth smoke brimming with flavor – and then the cycle repeats. Considering its complex and disarming multi-layered flavors and constantly shifting roller coaster of taste and strength, this blend is the complete package.

Conclusion: for dudes seeking strength, complexity and flavor all rolled into one tidy package – your search has ended. Man O’ War Ruination is the pinnacle of the cigar blending craft. A tad pricey fellas, but this is worth every penny.

Draped in a smooth and even Connecticut shade wrapper with a lovely, golden-brown hue, Erin Go Bragh is downright picturesque. Adorned with a colorful orange, white and green band styled after the Irish flag and appropriately infused with authentic Irish whisky, its name – Erin Go Bragh – as most will know, means “Ireland forever.”

Slide it under thy flared nostrils and you’ll pick up a subtle pre-light aroma of sweet whisky and cedar…. distinct and enticing, if you ask me. I’m usually wary of flavored cigars. But this isn’t a regular flavored cigar. More subtle and nuanced, it more appropriately belongs in the “infused” or “gourmet” cigar category. Produced in the Dominican Republic at the prestigious La Aurora factory, the filler blend is composed of 100% Dominican long-leaf. At a glance, and after rolling it between forefinger and thumb, it has the look and feel of a quality premium cigar.

Surprisingly, the whisky taste is very subtle – just enough to let you know it’s there, and far from influential. The whisky manifests itself in the aroma, which offers a nice interplay of rich, sweet whisky with buttery, well-aged tobaccos. The profile is toasty and creamy with a little natural sweetness balanced by the real taste of tobacco – this crisp tobacco taste complements but doesn’t overpower the whisky infusion.

Characterized by an easy draw and dense clouds of white smoke plumes emanating from the foot, Erin Go Bragh is exceedingly mellow and smooth. The cigar itself is not overly flavorful but the mix of the distinct aroma and the creamy smoke make for a pleasurable experience. I love Erin Go Bragh as a golf cigar, or simply as an occasional and welcome change of pace. The whisky infusion is the key in this blend. Gentle and smooth enough to be your first cigar of the day but still has enough junk in the trunk to serve as a capable after-dinner treat.

File under tobacco hysteria: I read an article in USA Today recently how cigar smoking has wafted its way into “children’s” movies. The movies cited were Iron Man and The Dark Knight. C’mon! I liked those movies – but ain’t no way in hell they are children’s movies. And while the article’s author and grievance mongers he quoted huffed about seeing a cigar on screen, nary a word was spoken about the prevasive violence and adult themes in the rest of these flicks. Good grief….

Sorry, back to the review. Reposado, part deux. Not to be out done by its Habano brother, Reposado ’96 Connecticut is its attractive, smoother counterpart. With a chestnut-brown Connecticut wrapper that’s smooth and elastic with a nice sheen, this mellow sucker is a looker. Frankly, I’m a sucker for a good Connecticut with some chunkiness in the flavor and heft departments. Offering the same meaty goodness as the Habano, the Connecticut is full of promise, heavy in the hand. An inch in and it’s clearly well-made with quality tobaccos. It billows with thick, creamy smoke and burns like a champ, offering an undeniably distinct character with a mellow-medium body and a profile that’s cedary, toasty, nutty and a touch peppery. I’ve smoked about 12 of them so far and the biggest downside is some inconsistency. On some, I detect a touch of harshness and some variation in flavor from stick to stick. When it’s on – it’s a delicious, smooth-bodied treat with ample flavor. And given the flavor, 2-buck-a-stick price, and quality, the Connecticut it is a must for mellow to medium-bodied fans.

Furthermore, if you’re a patient lad, Reposado '96 Connecticut has great aging potential. Within those I smoked some were clearly better than others – some a bit smoother with more even balance and flavor. A few months of TLC and nap time in the humidor will bring out all the goodness and let these babies shine like they were born to. Since the Habano has just bit more body and richness, this allows any imperfections to hide, but the more open-book, smoother bodied Connecticut has no such advantage. Trust me on this one: while the Habano is great right off the truck, before summer is here the Connecticuts are going to smoke like a dream too.

Hoo baby! Reposado ’96 Habano Salomons are attention grabbing, 7.1” x 58 figurados. These beauties are dark, oily, toothy and down right attractive. Quite frankly, when I first saw these Reposados (knowing that they were going to be sold for only $2), I was floored. This cigar is a thing of beauty, a work of art, and a wallet-friendly crowd pleaser from AJ Fernandez. This Nicaraguan-bred monster is draped in a lovely Habano wrapper and generously filled with an all Cuban-seed long-filler blend from Nicaragua. Dig in! Spark it up and the fireworks erupt. With the first puff, I’m greeted by a truckload of lip-smacking flavory goodness. The draw is slightly tight, not problematic but a tad firm for the first half-inch. Predominant is a well-portioned dose of spice, some sweet mocha notes, and a leathery character. Once you burn through the little nub of a foot into the meaty section, the draw opens up, and like releasing the doves, the flavor changes perceptibly and for the better. The smoke is thick and exceptionally cool. Delivering a balanced array of soft, soothing flavors, this Habano-wrapped beaut quickly calms the troubled soul. With each passing inch, the flavors intensify. Exhibiting an earthy sweetness nicely offset by a black pepper spice and complemented by a cornucopia of flavors including cream, coffee and cinnamon, Reposado ’96 Habano offers ample complexity.

Medium to full in body, when you spark one of these you’re in for a serene, mind-easing 90-minute experience. Smooth and interesting for the entire 7” of this gloriously proportioned figurado, at a paltry 2 bucks this stick is a complete and utter no-brainer. In conclusion, you don’t have to go home – you’ve just got to go get thyself a fistful of these babies without delay.

I’ll remark on the Reposado Connecticut shortly.