Staff Reviews

Football’s back and some things never change. Seahawks look dominant on both sides of the ball. Romo takes all the blame. And the commish’s list of friends is dwindling with every passing day. But among the constants, there’s always change. The Jags show signs of life. Johnny Football has come to save Cleveland. And the Patriots hold sole possession of last place. New year, and a fresh fight for the crown. And never does a year go by without some serious surprises and sleepers emerging as contenders.

I could sit here and offer Atlanta and Tennessee as this year’s sleepers, and I’d like my chances. But I’ll just stick to what I know best and call out a deep sleeper in the cigar world that’s a total lock. The Reckoning by Studio Tobac: a bold, newer release from Oliva that somehow stayed very quiet.

As soon as you lay your eyes on it, you’ll know this puppy looks good enough to eat. Its dark, Nicaraguan Habano wrapper is gorgeous to say the least, but it’s the ligero-packed long-fillers inside that make the mouthwatering virtually unavoidable.

At first light your palate will be bombarded by heady notes of white pepper, earth, and espresso. As I puffed my way through the first third, I began to get concerned that the delicious, intense flavors swirling about would vanish quicker than David Carr’s career. To my relief, that didn’t happen, but instead, an intriguing change in flavors took place taking Reckoning’s complexity up one notch. Entering the mix were sweeter notes of leather and oak, but the intense pepper that started it all off still remained, just a bit more subtle. As I approached the nub, even richer, more complex nuances entered the fray, including wood and a slight black cherry note. Still, until the very end, the full-bodied strength and the same pepper that got my attention from the start maintained.

Do yourselves a favor, The Reckoning is one hidden gem and at under five bucks a pop, this is a late round steal that will have your friends furious they didn’t snag em’ first. Low risk and a huge payout with no drama, this sleeper’s the safest bet around.  

As I was sitting at my computer puffing away on sample after sample, looking for a new blend worthy of a place in the humi, I got fed up with getting one dud after another. Either it was just an off day or someone else kept all the good samples to themselves…I’m going to guess it was the latter. By this point I was craving something delicious and remembered that the boss man had been harking on me to get some more reviews up. Perfect! I’ll kill two birds with one stone!

 

Not wanting to run the risk of picking another dud, for this review I decided to go with a proven winner - a timeless brand that never ceases to disappoint, and a brand that has been dipping its feet into some uncharted, robust territories as of late (right up my alley). I plunged head first into the Romeo y Julieta Media Noche.

 

First off, let me add what a breath of fresh air (metaphorically speaking) after the demoralizing morning I had. Even cold draws on this sucker produced an ear to ear smile across my face. A slight tinge of citrus was noticeable before even taking the flame to it and my day just got a whole lot better. The first third was pretty spot on to what you would expect from a San Andres maduro. There was a prominent sweet spice that was carried along by notes of leather and earth. Construction was top-notch as to be expected of anything with the Romeo name on it, but bold, heady flavors made for a nice change of pace from any Romeo I’ve come to know.

 

One unexpected downside was that the initial citrus I picked out on the cold draw seemed a distant memory once I sparked my 5.5 x 44 corona. It certainly wasn’t all bad though, the notes that replaced it were welcoming and complex. By the second third, even more entered the fray. Nuances of espresso teamed up with chocolate to usher in the final third. By this point Media Noche only required one touch up and if I were a more patient man I would put my money on it being able to correct itself…but sadly I am not.

 

About 45 minutes in and I am reclined as far back as my office chair will go, in a state of what I can only describe as a mix of smoking euphoria and relief that I finally found a keeper. At around an inch away from the nub the flavors are dominated by a toasty oak accented by hints of sweet black pepper. The ash impressively held on for close to three and a half inches, only complaint is ash is a bitch to get out from under the keys of my keyboard – but I supposed that is a user error. All in all Romeo y Julieta Media Noche was a pleasing medium to full-body new addition to the historic Romeo brand. It has enough body to satisfy those full-bodied fanatics and enough pronounced flavors for those beginners to be able to pin point some of those nuances all the veterans have been boasting about for so long.

You recognize that mug to the left of this review? You should. No, I’m not that cocky of a fellow. But I am the poor schmuck who got dubbed John Freebie in the catalog. An event that has forever changed my life… alas, It hasn’t been all bad. I quickly became a bit of a CI celebrity. For starters, the Bethlehem locals love me. When I go to the bar, people shout, “hay…you…you that guy from the catawog…from international cigars place.” Close enough, yeah…that’s me. And besides riveting conversations at the bar, I’ve also made quite a bit of headway with the ladies. Man…I really started cleaning up. Both my Mom and my Grandmother put me up on their fridge. I never got that kind of attention before. But now, a new chapter of my time at CI is being written right now. That’s right, this is my first staff review. No more coffee runs and cleaning the bathrooms for me, I’m in the big leagues. I better not botch this too bad, or the days of rockin’ Scrubbing Bubbles cologne is just around the corner.
 

For the longest time, the boss man has been giving me the hairy eyeball to do a staff review. So, after he damn near had a conniption-fit, I knew I better get my rear in gear. I made my selection, and began writing at a feverish clip. But then Jeff threw the new La Perla Habana WIDE on my desk, and like all new product, I had to give it a whirl. After just a few puffs, I deleted what I had jogged down and started over. This, I decided, was the perfect cigar for my first review.
 

To be blunt, big ring cigars aren’t my bag. My max is usually around a 55-56 (luckily the Robusto in the line is a 55-ring, for the guys out there that feel the same way). So you can understand my hesitation when I went to snip this 5.5”x62 chunky Torpedo. A quick snip on my part revealed a draw that was just right – not too tight and not too loose – a perfect medium. The cigar itself felt solid too, packed with tobaccos and containing only one soft spot. The pre-light draw was chocolaty, slightly sweet, and had a bit of a hay-like note. I quickly toasted the foot, and lit it with ease. I took a puff or two, and after the third…I was hooked. Rich, smooth, and dense smoke immediately swarmed my palate. A nice dose of molasses intertwined perfectly with cocoa and hints of toasty tobacco. What really took me by surprise was the smoothness...it was like slicing through butter.  At this point I had to get my hands on the stats. And to say I was impressed is putting it lightly. At play is at three country long-filler mix from Honduras, Nicaragua and Costa Rica, all snugly presented within a Pennsylvania Broadleaf wrapper and a Honduran binder. No wonder this thing was so damn tasty…it’s a friggin’ cornucopia of delicious tobaccos. I kept at this thing for a solid hour and a half, with the profile remaining at an even keel, never backing down, and yet never overpowering. Medium-bodied and delightful.
 

In the end, I was disappointed I had to put it down, because I only had two complaints. Although flavorful, it wasn’t overly complex. There was ample flavor there, yes, but it never truly shifted or transitioned into anything else. Sometimes that’s a good thing, and I think it works for this cigar. But sometimes you need that roller coaster ride to keep you on your toes. This qualm, coupled with the enormous ring-gauge, took it down a few pegs for me. But if you’re into girthy cigars, I’d say this one deserves a few extra points. All around, La Perla Habana WIDE was a nice surprise. One thing is for certain, I’m jonesin’ to give the Robusto size a go.
 

You can’t smoke the box, it’s a true statement. But when you’re investing in a box of cigars, it’s worth noting. And in this instance, it’s hard not to mention. WIDE fuses the traditional La Perla Habana model, with a more modern approach. Sounds like it could yield some funky results, but LPH pulled it off. What can I say…I guess I just like the pretty ladies. The biggest shock was when I checked out our everyday price. In a box for around $3-$4 apiece.  Considering the smoke time on this bad boy, that’s a helluva value. All in all, it’s unlike anything I’ve seen from the La Perla camp. Give it a whirl, I think a lot of you guys are gonna dig it.

If you know me, you know I’ve always been fond of CAO. Brazilia, Sopranos, Black, Italia....hell, I’m man enough to admit I’ve even burned through a fair share of Moontrance and Bella Vanilla over the years. Bottom line is, CAO makes a damn fine cigar, but more importantly, CAO cigars are among the most consistent and reliable in the boutique realm. There’s a reason why CAO maintains 13 different brands with a rating of ‘90’ or better. Seriously, this brand was receiving 93s in 2001, when an ‘87’ or ‘88’ was considered high.

 

Good start, eh? Well, here’s the reality check. If you know I’ve always been fond of CAO, you likely also know I enjoy the older CAO releases when compared to the latest offerings. OSA never really did it for me, Concert missed the mark with my palate, and La Traviata is brick and mortar only so I never think of it.

 

But this....THIS....is why I stuck with CAO all these years. Waiting for and wanting something new from CAO that hearkens back to the old days, when Brazilia stole our taste buds and Sopranos set new standards in super-premiums. The something new is CAO Extreme, and I suggest you give it the long, hairy eyeball.

 

Everything about this cigar is oldschool CAO to the core. The simple box made complex through modern, eye-catching design elements. The oversized band and in your face branding. And then, the most important thing, the blend. Four different ligero varieties were used to create this blend, including a thick and flavorful Habano ligero wrapper from Ecuador. CAO has always been known for using rare or unique tobaccos in blends, and these ligeros – and the amount of them – is no different.

 

By now, you likely know how this review is going to go. I can’t lie....I’ve been burning CAO Extreme for a few weeks now....and by that I mean 1-2 a day, at least. I can’t get enough of them. The flavor isn’t revolutionary, but it’s unique and eventful....and the experience is extremely satisfying. From the thick, aromatic smoke to the top-notch quality, and right on down to the ever-changing flavor....in my mind, Extreme has what it takes to out CAO the mighty Brazilia.

 

The cigar opens which a rich, roasted blast of dark tobacco goodness and a touch of white pepper. The smoke is thick and chewy, smothering my entire palate like a blanket and filling my room with an oily, charcoal-like scent on the exhale. There are literally clouds of smoke lingering above my head....it’s like the smoke is too heavy for the far-too-expensive ventilation system in my ceiling.

 

After about 10 minutes of slow-burning bliss, I begin to pick up a sweetness on the sides of my palate. An oaky, almost syrupy sweetness. Basically, if you told me these tobaccos aren’t barrel aged, I’d call you a liar. If you said it again I’d likely demoralize you publically. There’s oak, there’s toast, there’s sweet cedar, there’s black tobacco, and there’s pepper. But here’s the really interesting part. Ligeros tend to add a ton of spice and power smacking you in the teeth. This doesn’t do that. There’s no doubt pepper and power, but the blend hits you in the gut and just feels powerful, from the weight of the smoke. That doesn’t make sense, I am sure, but think on it if you happen to try this....I think you’ll understand. If you want to feel it for real, exhale through the nose and prepare for a pepper blast that’ll make you want to check for blood. Ahhh....ligero.

 

I am now midway through and the charcoal aroma is really coming off the cigar nicely as the smoke escapes the foot. It’s literally going right into my nostrils with each puff and I love it. A trace of black coffee has entered the fray, and the pepper has moved solely to the finish – right on the front of my palate and tip of my tongue. This is where the brass kicks in. If you’re not feeling CAO Extreme behind the eyes at this point, you’re letting it rest in your ashtray far too long. Pick it up, man up, and enjoy the fruits of well-aged, perfectly processed, and expertly blended ligero.

 

An inch and a half left and I’m looking at the clock to see if I have time to burn another before heading out for the evening. Oak dominates, coffee has faded, and leather surfaces. Pepper remains and shows no signs of going away. The final leg is rich, smokey, and meaty, and the strength has no doubt tipped well into the full-bodied arena. I am ending this review. There’s an inch left and I want to enjoy it. Do yourself a (big) favor and try CAO Extreme, and welcome CAO back to the limelight.

 

Oh, I had the Robusto.

 

Last thing. Had a delicious beer this past week. Finally found Founders Kentucky Breakfast Stout (KBS) on tap, and it was well worth both the wait and the long trip to try it before the keg was killed – which literally happened 10 minutes after my arrival. This dark, 11.2% beast is loaded with rich, roasted flavors, including coffee bean, dark unsweetened cocoa, and a trace of (seemingly charred) caramel. Delicious and satisfying, with no trace of an 11.2% backbone. If you see this, order two immediately. The flavors pop a ‘lil more as the beer warms up.