Staff Reviews

It’s Christmas Eve and I’m feeling the holiday spirit all through my veins. Grinning from ear to ear, drinking eggnog, trimming the tree, decking the halls and singing Christmas carols all throughout the CI office. Actually I’m not, but I figured it sounded nice. In reality, I just sat down to do what I love – burn a tasty, tasty cigar. That puts a smile on my face every time.

Over the last few weeks, I’ve become quite attached to the newest installment in the 5 Vegas line – a rich, dark maduro beauty by the name of Triple-A. A new extension to the Series ‘A’ line, the Triple-A boasts a dark, oily and toothy Pennsylvania Broadleaf maduro wrapper that is simply oozing with richness. On the inside lies a hand selected collection of bold, Nicaraguan ligero long-filler tobaccos ripe with flavor.

Dressed in a mouth-wateringly handsome wrapper and complete with a two shiny, crisp bands (I like shiny!), the stout 5” x 56 Triple-A is quite a sight. Firm, dense, and heavy in the hand, Triple-A is well built too.

When lit, the Triple-A doesn’t disappoint, billowing out thick clouds of cool, velvety smoke. It’s surprisingly light on the palate, but there’s plenty of power waiting in the wings (just blow it through your nose and you’ll know). Sweet, rich and bready notes dominate initially before more intricate flavors come into play. As it burns, the flavors develop significantly into a truly complete smoke. Subtle notes of pepper, nuts, espresso and a long, toasty finish round out the mix. There’s a lot going on – tons of well-balanced flavors that mingle, harmonize and play off of each other well. And most impressively, despite the abundant flavor and full-body, Triple-A is impressively smooth and balanced. Never harsh, never hot, always delicious.

I like it, I love it, I want some more of it. Yeah, it’s good. 5 Vegas Series ‘A’ Triple-A is among the best. Elegantly refined, full of flavor, and interesting from start to finish, this is a good cigar. 5 Vegas Triple-A is a cool, slow burner that you will savor.

Enjoy a good cigar, enjoy friends and family, enjoy good food and drink, and enjoy the season - Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all.

When I think of a maduro cigar, I imagine dark, rich flavors. I’m talking rich flavors....flavors that coat the palate with notes of chocolate, roasted coffee, and rich well-fermented tobacco. Flavors that linger on the palate and leave behind that velvety feel on the taste buds. Flavors that stick with you - in a good way - and urge you to draw in big, thick clouds of smoke with each puff. I have found many that do this, and I just found one more. The new La Estrella Cubana.

Keith just wrote about this cigar. I realize this. Why? Because when we like a cigar, we always talk about about it during or after we write a review. Sometimes both. Lots of “bro, this cigar is legit” messages from me and “try this stat or you’re fired” notes lofted in my direction. Regardless, he tried it, I tried it, and we both wanted to talk about it.

La Estrella Cubana has returned to its roots of Nicaragua, where it all began for this old brand, and I couldn’t be happier. The heart of this new blend is composed of aged, Cuban-seed long-leaf tobaccos grown in the Dominican and Nicaragua. On the outside, a Costa Rican maduro wrapper oozes with oils. Thick, pitch black, and silky to the touch....this leaf screams delicious, and is perfect for the mellow tobaccos within.

Snip, spark up, and away we go. From the get-go, La Estrella Cubana pumps out huge volumes of smoke. I’m talking lots of smoke....thick, heavy smoke that fills the air above. I love it. The flavor is deep and toasty with a rich core of savory maduro flavors. I was in the supermarket last night (always Wegmans – if you have one near you, go early and often because the place is amazing) and saw a jar of ‘Savory Beef Gravy.’ That word couldn’t be more fitting for this cigar. It’s rich and savory to the core. This is my sixth LEC of the week and it’s spot on compared to the rest. There won’t be any twists. No turns. No surprises. Just a rich, savory smoke that brings a variety of maduro flavors throughout a mellow to medium-bodied bouquet. I always pick up dark chocolate, and I love it. There’s also a deep, roasted espresso influence that lingers after each puff. And then the sweetness....oh, the sweetness. The coal-black maduro wrapper lends a delightful sweetness to the mix that’s just perfect. The way a quality, naturally fermented maduro should. And it remains this way down to the nub. The cigar never gets harsh and never gets hot. It’s jam-packed with tobacco and solid from head to toe, but the draw is perfect producing a razor-sharp burn that’s slow and cool from start to finish. The strength doesn’t build, nor do the flavors, but that’s ok with me because each and every cigar pumps out enough rich and savory flavors to satisfy my palate no matter when I spark one up. Did I mention I like this cigar?

There you have it. I think I said just about every good quality one could possibly say about a top-notch cigar. Except for price, I forgot that one. The price is the best part. Seriously, look it up, but don’t close your browser without adding to your cart. Trust me on that one.

La Estrella Cubana's new Oscuro blend is an interesting handmade hailing from Nicaragua. What's extra interesting is that it's a quality handmade maduro costing you 2 bucks a stick (and under). That's a true rarity in these post-SCHIP days. In fact it could easily sell for $4 or $5.

La Estrella Cubana - “the star of Cuba” - is eerily reminiscent of Gurkha Doble Maduro, from aesthetics to flavor profile. It's put together - firm, heavy in the hand and seamlessly constructed, draped in a coal-black, slightly mottled Costa Rican maduro wrapper. This triple-fermented leaf is loaded with richness and flavor usually found on much pricier sticks. Inside there's a mellow blend of Dominican and Nicaraguan long-fillers. After a quick glance of this ebony beauty you’d be tempted to think 'full-bodied'. But La Estrella is far from it. Rich and flavorful but mellow to medium-bodied....and extry smooth. Yes, extry.

From first spark up on the draw is on point - each puff releases thick clouds of aromatic smoke. The flavor remains fairly static throughout - not overly complex but quite tasty. Smooth and creamy with notes of coffee, cocoa, pepper and a toasty, semi-sweet finish. It’s gentle enough for burning in the morning with a cup o’ joe and rich enough for after dinner. The draw is good, the burn is straight, and the flavor is right....solid on all fronts. It's also prime for aging. If you lay a few down for a 6 month nap, you're in for a real treat.

Dollar for dollar, this is a killer. A well-made, mellow maduro for less than 2 bones? Winner winner, chicken dinner. 

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.