Staff Reviews

‘O’ Maduro….Oh wow, where do I begin...

Like a monkey attracted to a shiny object, I first picked one of these up when the fabric band adorned with gold sparkly stuff caught my eye some years back. I love Maduro cigars and I also love full-bodied cigars and when I first laid my eyes on this beauty it was love at first sight! Oily, dark and superbly constructed, the ‘O’ Maduro is truly in a class by itself. A Nicaraguan puro, the ‘O’ derives much of its unique flavor and subtle strength from the five-year old Nicaraguan Habano wrappers that are often in short supply. I’ve been enjoying these for a few years now and most often will reach for one after a nice dinner when in the company of friends. In fact, I have a little story for you that has made me and my ‘O’ Maduros famous. Well, maybe notorious is a little more accurate...

I remember it vividly as we had just finished dinner at a local cigar bar famous for their filet mignon. Now, by “we” I mean 6 of my co-workers and their significant others for a healthy and rambunctious crowd of about 14 people. I had enjoyed a few cocktails over the course of the evening and had just pulled out an ‘O’ Maduro Ovation, clipped the top and begun to toast the foot. I should mention that I had just popped “the question” less than a month earlier and as luck would have it she actually said yes. Thoughtfully (or in retrospect, thoughtlessly) I gazed at my smoldering cigar and said to my fiancé, “do you see this band?” as I am pointing to the band on my cigar... “this band means as much to me as the one on your finger means to you” As I slowly realized what I had said, I looked up from my cigar to see every person sitting at the table with their mouths agape. I stuttered and reeled as I struggled to find the words that might help exonerate me from the world of trouble I now found myself in but the only thing I managed to stammer was “I...uhh...should go to the...umm...men’s room now...” and off I went. Fortunately for me my fiancé is very understanding and has grown accustomed my moments where my mouth is fully engaged while my brain is stuck in stupid.

So that’s my little story about my favorite Maduro that nearly ended my marriage before it ever began. But, the real point here is that this is a magnificent cigar and one that you really must try. Recently the bands have been changed from the beautiful blue fabric accented with gold to a less expensive paper version but no matter because what makes this cigar special is the blend of tobacco.

The Bottom Line: Rich in flavor, full in body and with just enough complexity to keep you guessing as to what comes next, the ‘O’ Maduro is as much a standout from the crowd as an elephant in a barnyard full of chickens.

Rolando Reyes, Sr. is tireless. The man is over 80 years old, widely acknowledged as the best blender alive, and he still works like a horse day in and day out. Actually, it's probably more like night in, night out: his work habits are legendary - he sleeps during the day, wakes up late in the afternoon, and then stays up the entire night sorting cigars until rollers arrive the next morning. He inspects every cigar rolled in his factory. Yes, every single cigar. Amazing. Most people think that's some made up myth....but it ain't. My last trip to Honduras in July, I popped in on his factory late in the afternoon thinking he'd be up. Unfortunately he was asleep in his house, which sits about a pitching-wedge away from the front door of the factory. They woke him - damn, I felt bad about that - and we sat down at his kitchen table. On the table were 3 things - a pile of unbanded cigars, a bottle of rum, and a giant box of Twinkies. Twinkies! Forget that Atkins diet or South Beach crap - the "Rolando diet" is my kind of regimen. Rolando is an old school, no-nonsense guy who isn't really into bells and whistles. Which is probably why you don't see any glitzy packaging, slick marketing, or tons of publicity on his flagship Puros Indios or Cuba Aliados brands. But to me, "no pretense" is exactly what Flor del Todo is about, so while it's certainly not his finest blend it's a tidy personification of the man himself.

So on to the cigar: at first glance, Flor del Todo is certainly not winning any beauty contests. It is however one of Keith's top five knockaround cigars...cigars I burn when I'm putzing around the yard, on long car rides, playing golf, stuff like that. The Churchill is a meaty 7.25"x53 vitola packed to the brim with fillers. It feels like there's 2 cigars worth of tobaccos in here; in fact it takes a solid hour+ to burn it down to my knuckles. The draw is not effortless - not that it's a tough draw - but there's a little bit of resistance to it which I especially like in a knockaround cigar like this. The wrapper is a thick, double-fermented Ecuadorian leaf with a sort of marbelized appearance and rustic, chewy texture to it. The body is medium, the flavor smooth, slightly creamy, a little gritty on the tongue with a nutty character and pleasant aroma. The finish is very clean and crisp.

I give this one extra credit in the ratings category because of the enormous value - each stick costs around a buck each and that my friend, is unbeatable.

I recently re-introduced myself to CAO Brazilia, my favorite CAO blend prior to the re-release of CAO Black. I particularly enjoy the Brazilia because both the flavor and strength varies drastically between the different sizes. I find, ironically enough, the strength decreases as the size increases. Because of this, my favorite size is the Gol! – a well-fed Robusto shape that boasts a solid 56-ring frame. It’s a very close 2nd to the Piranha in terms of full bodied strength and full-flavored taste, but burns significantly longer at about an hour to an hour and 15 minutes.

Dark, toothy Brazilian maduro wrappers surrounding an aged blend of Nicaraguan long-leaf tobaccos, bunched inside a thick Nicaraguan binder. That’s the recipe CAO cooks up for this flavorful, big-ring line, and it sure does deliver an enjoyable experience filled with flavorful goodness. The Gol! opens with a “charry”, spicy eruption that instantly calls my palate to attention. The flavor mellows shortly after lighting, losing any hints of char or burnt toast, while gaining an oakiness that’s chewy and rich. Ahhh...smooth sailing from here on out, folks. Time to sit back and enjoy the rich, robust flavors of well-aged Nicaraguan tobaccos, complemented by a slow-burning wrapper leaf that lends just the right amount of pepper after each puff. It’s not the most complex cigar, by any means, but it’s damn flavorful and quite consistent from cigar to cigar. The construction is quality – strong, white ash, cool, even burn and a perfect balance between semi-strong strength and flavor. Bottom line, this blend is good across the board and is a must-try for anyone who appreciates a full-flavored maduro.

I've hesitated to write this pick for a few weeks now, I admit it, I was trying to keep these for myself and not let the masses know how awesome a deal this is. I'm not kidding, first time I saw them in our catalog I did a double-take...what? RP Vintage Seconds? Can't be. Well my friends, it's true. Strap me up and call me Sally if I'm not telling ya that these are the best darn Seconds I've ever smoked. We seem to sell more and more Rocky Patel products around here, and I've had the pleasure to be passed an RP Vintage a time or two (the bosses upstairs were nice-enough to pass us "geekers" a couple smokes after a Rocky Patel visit a few months back, I'm forever thankful) and smoked it until my fingers were charred purple. Listen sister, if you haven't spent your grocery money yet, forget the TP and get yourself a couple of RP Vintage but if you can't live without a couple extra 12-packs of Charmin in the closet like me, you need a bundle of these Seconds.

I'm getting soft and with two kids at home soaking my candy bar money, I'll try almost any cheap smoke. My only 3 requirements for smoking a second are:

1. There are no visible fingernails sticking out of the wrapper
2. It's doesn't unravel when I snip the end
3. My ears don't bleed when I try to suck through the cigar

Yeah, tough requirements, eh? So I grabbed me a 15 spot of the Churchill '92s. No fingernails, and after a quick snip, no unraveling of the wrapper, and a quick, firm, but easy draw. So far so good, let's continue. Spark it up baby, this one made it past the screeners. A few strokes in and the flavor is spot in - a meaty, full flavor that leaves a deep creamy walnut splash at the back of your tongue. The finish lingers but doesn't erode your taste buds and anything you might eat or drink later. But, they'll sure take on the heartiest Guinness Extra Stout or McEwan's Scotch Ale any day of the week (if you haven't tried a McEwan's Scotch Ale - awesome!) A solid persistent body holds throughout the 7" cigar and won't leave you begging for more. In fact, you might want to throw a PB&J sandwich into your stomach a few minutes before lighting up, for some reason, these leave me a little woozy. The charcoal gray ash forms and drops on demand, just perfect, slow-burning construction.

The best part about RP Vintage is that they're consistent and the same is true here with the 2nds. I started writing this review over the course of several days, have smoked another 1/2 dozen, and they're all identical, identically good. With each one I get a slight awkward shaped burn to start, then it evens out nicely after about 1 inch, and the flavor holds every step of the way. The aroma is powerful and fills your personal space for days, so I don't recommend a shared office or your bedroom. Also, in case it matters, they don't have that nice box press (well, they come in a bundle, duh!) that the RP Vintage has. Nevertheless, bargain, bargain, bargain.

Light'em up,
Gonz

I just returned about a week ago from New Orleans, where the annual RTDA cigar industry trade show was held this year. Man, talk about a roll in the catnip. I always look forward to RTDA - catching up with friends in the industry, working out deals, discussing new projects, smoking 20 cigars a day....and hatching schemes to destroy the competition (he he he). It's sensory overload, with cigars as far as the eye can see, tons of new releases and all the cigars you can smoke. Since getting back I've let my palate recover for the past 5 days without a cigar. And now I'm back in the swing. One of the samples at my fingertips is a new size of La Gloria Cubana Serie R - it's about 5"x56 in size, natural wrapper. The Serie R blend was actually on the forefront of the trend toward full-bodied cigars when it first came out 4 or 5 years ago. In fact back, this was a regular in my rotation when it was released. But come to think of it, I haven't had one in quite some time so I'm looking forward to this review.

At first glance it's a little rough-looking in appearance, the wrapper very marbelized with several prominent veins, plus I noticed one soft spot in the midsection. I like this vitola, not grotesquely thick yet ample girth to showcase the blending abilities of maker Ernesto Carrillo. It produces abundant spice on the back of my throat from the get-go, frankly a little overwhelming for my palate at 9:00 in the morning. I know I know, go ahead and call me Sally. Let me get a refill of coffee.....okay I'm back! It settles down a bit from here but remains very bold and complex. The aroma is intoxicating and the big, creamy clouds of smoke are a treat. Around the mid-point however I experience some bite and a slight grassy taste as it begins to burn a little hot and harsh for just a brief spell, before evolving back to the more familiar rich, creamy, and full profile with distinct notes of cedar. The finish is long and lingering, tingling the back of the tongue.

The Serie R is a very good full-bodied cigar with ample complexity and flavor, one that deserves credit for helping to kick-start the trend toward heavier blends. Perhaps it has been eclipsed slightly by other, newer blends in the full-bodied department (CAO Brazilia, Edge, 5 Vegas 'A', Camacho, Joya Antanos, etc.) but should remain a staple in most humidors.