Staff Reviews

A while back we got our hands on a very nice, no-frills cigar from Gurkha called the Park Avenue Serie 44. Nothing too fancy, simply 25 cigars packaged neatly in a bundle with an elegant gold on copper band. When I saw the price I became very intrigued having always thought of Gurkha as a “high-end” maker of super-premium cigars. So, I pulled out my credit card and bought my first bundle of 25. I say “first” because if you were to look at my order history here at CI you would quickly realize that it is literally peppered with purchases of these cigars. As I have mentioned in past reviews – what typically impresses me with a cigar is a characteristic that makes it stand out from the crowd. It could be anything from an unusual level of complexity to a unique flavor or spice that I have never experienced before. That’s just what we have here…

Light this cigar up and you will likely think to yourself, “pretty smooth with just a bit of spice on the back of the tongue”. What is exciting to me is the gradual and consistent change in both strength and flavor as the Park Avenue continues to burn. It is deceptive how this cigar quietly evolves into a full-bodied and more spicier version of its former self. Certainly the spice is attributable to the Nicaraguan long-fillers that make up the filler in its entirety. Yet the unmistakable smoothness encountered at the start is no doubt due to the aged Connecticut Shade wrapper that is used to finish of the Park Avenue Serie 44.

Bottom Line: A tremendous value cigar that delivers cigar after cigar, bundle after bundle. At less than $2.80 per stick it certainly qualifies yet the construction and quality is everything you would expect form cigars costing 3 times as much!

"Slow-Aged No. 826", tell me that isn't the perfect Barry White song title? Or maybe one of the lost Mozart Concertos, who knows? I've been smoking this for the past week and brought some along on my first round (well 9 holes) of golf for the year. Lesson #1: it was windy as hell so learn from me - you need 1 cigar per hole on windy days or you'll feel like a schmuck b/c the 5-pack you brought will be gone by the 4th hole. Dammit. Lesson #2: this beaut is not for the following situation: "hey Sally, never tried a cigar before, try this one." Sally's green complexion didn't even go-away when she returned from the can.

Are you awake yet? You bet, I lit one of the Connecticut Broadleaf Maduros about 10 minutes before I started typing and I'm rip-roaring and ready to go. The rich, rich body of the Nicaraguan filler and abundant full-flavored aroma will violate that plug-in air-freshener you've got plugged in your office. A seemingly generous helping of ligero leaf (that top part of the leaf that ads a deep almost bitter flavor) is at just the right amount to provide a unique flavor profile that fills every part of your palate and finishes with an espresso-bean flavor lingering on the back part of your tongue. About mid-way through, the richness mellows a bit and I've started to taste the sweetness of the maduro wrapper more prominently. The size is perfect for me, generously proportioned at a 52 ring gauge and 6 inches. This clearly adds to the robust-ness of flavor. The burn is a bit ornery at first, but the ash holds firm to well over an inch with little flaking even with a slightly awkward shaped burn.

The final half is a true-delight, you can burn this to your fingertips. The cigar is perfectly chock full of tobacco, rolled extremely well, and truly up-to the perfecting Perdomo standards - those guys really know what they’re doing. Billy Perdomo now runs the shop in Nicaragua and I'm telling you - they're doing so many good things right now. I had the pleasure of seeing him in action at CigarFest '05 and he is amazing. Now, the best part, true to the Gonz cheapskate style - this cigar is $2 a stick! What a gem. Light up a few, be prepared for a circus of dancing magicians and you'll get nothing less.

Light'em up!

Have you ever had one of those weeks where nothing, and I mean nothing, could get you in a good mood? No special cigar, no special lovin' from the wife, no special wine, no 12 shots of tequila, no nuthin'. I never thought I'd make it to Saturday. But here I am, finally bright-eyed and bushy-tailed after a solid 6 hours sleep (woohoo!), with tremendous hope that this week will be the week I hit the PowerBall jackpot (as of right this second, according to the powerball.com website, it's at $44,000,000.) And if that happens, I'll be writing a helluva lot more reviews, but from my yacht docked somewhere off the coast of Aruba. I'd be livin' la vida loca relaxin' with my sombrero, guayabera shirt, and Hawaiian shorts --> strawberry margarita in one hand, lit cigar with long ash in the other, and Jimmy Buffet playing all-day-long.

Ahhhhhhhhh. Thanks for letting me wander a bit, my head's a bit fried. I've done extensive research for you, my friends, for this review. I've smoked the good, bad, and the ugly to bring you the very best that Cigar Tasting has to offer. Every few weeks, I venture into the humidor and pick one of these, one of that, one of that, one of these, etc. and smoke one each night. I like to separate the adventure into different nights to get a fairly objective decision. Usually on an empty stomach, and usually on my way home. That way, if I'm comparing 2 from the El-Dog-Rocket-O category, it doesn't become relative (like "that one was really bad, and this one is not as bad as that one, so it must be good.") Get it? This is my service to you. It's a tough job, I know.

Where was I? Oh, my extensive research brings (drumroll, please ...........) Cu-Avana. It's a bit of a tongue-twister, but I think your tastebuds won't mind after you've smoked a few. Made by the stellar cigar maker Manuel Quesada - producer of the 90+ rated brands Licenciados and Fonseca. If you're looking for that "damn, my heads spinning cigar", you can skip the rest of this review and quickly turn to the page on Diesel or Perdomo Fresh-Rolled. Cu-Avana represents the heart and soul of superb cigar-making. Very cliche, right? Well, it's true. Take some of the biggest brands out there - Montecristo, Avo, Ashton, etc. - and I'll stack this cigar against each and every one of them. A mellow anytime smoke, perfect construction, impeccable wrapper.....wait a second, I'm jumping the gun. Let me give you the 4-1-1 first (that's ebonics for "information" for those of you not on the club scene like me.) Man, I'm all over the place today.

Back to Cu-Avana - let's start with the wrapper. A delicate Connecticut-shade that's almost transparent. Light, smooth, perfect. Fillers and binder are taken from the Cibao Valley in the Dominican Republic. Simple, that's it, not complicated. It's amazing how many manufacturers can complicate things so much and ultimately screw it up. There-in lies the beauty of this cigar, you'll find it to be a consistent one-after-another-after-another cigar. I'm smoking the 6x50 Toro right now. Light one up and you'll find that the construction is solid with no soft spots, inconsistencies, or blemishes anywhere. I find the draw to be firm and the smoke to be abounding. This cigar never seems to go out either. I've left it on my desk for what seemed like a 1/2 hour without dragging and it was still lit. The initial mellow-flavor is not overly sensational, but soft and subtle. It builds every so slightly with a hint of a sweet undertone and never overwhelms whatsoever. I was doing some mindless work around my garage a few weekends ago and I smoked three in a row. They relaxed me, didn't spoil my supper, and put me in a great mood. The burn is nearly perfect while building an ash that'll form to nearly an inch with out fear of falling off. It's solid and doesn't flake a bit. You'll find all these characteristics from start to finish. The flavor won't move much and it won't burn hot toward the end.

After the week I've had, this put me into the ultimate state of relaxation I needed. I'm ready to go home, sleep for 12 hours, and just rest my brain. Oh, I almost forgot the best part - these babies start at about $2 per stick. Grab a box - if you like a mellow-to-medium cigar, it's a can't miss.

Oh, I'll keep ya posted on my pursuit of the PowerBall jackpot.

Everyone seemed to stand by waiting to see if the Vintage rating was a fluke or at best, a one-trick pony. Then came a few more fantastic editions to the Rocky Patel label including the Edge and the Sun-Grown by Rocky Patel…

So let’s get down to it. The Sun-Grown is the newest edition to Rocky Patel’s lineup and is produced with a beautiful and oily Ecuadorian Sun-Grown wrapper. In the past it has been my experience that most Sun-Grown wrappers tend to deliver an overpowering and spicy smoke. Not so with the Rocky Patel. The 5 years of aging these wrappers undergo really tones down the spice without sacrificing that rich buttery flavor that you expect from a quality Sun-Grown wrapper. Upon lighting up a Sun-Grown you will first be greeted with a mellow and woody flavor followed by just a hint of spice that develops on the back of your tongue. As the cigar continues to burn you will quickly notice a slow and even change happening as the Sun-Grown gains complexity and trades spice for an intensely rich yet smooth smoke that will keep you guessing as to what will come next. Since their release I have smoked roughly 75-100 of the Rocky Patel Sun-Growns each time putting the cigar down between the half-way and three-quarter mark where the cigar becomes so complex that it just boggles the mind.

Truly a cigar fit for the most discriminating of connoisseurs, the Rocky Patel Sun-Grown achieves a new level quality and consistency that previously could only be found in cigars costing upward of $8-$10 each.

When we first received samples of this new line, I was ecstatic – it’s absolutely gorgeous and the flavors follow suit. Since I just finished my samples and the experience is fresh in my mind, I’ll cut right to the chase and explain the flavor. Connecticut generates an abundance of ultra-smooth, earthy notes that coat your palate to the nub. It’s just that simple. There are no hints of leather, no notes of white pepper, and although I tried my hardest, red wine and floral nuances could not be found. Nope, none. Just a clean, crisp earthiness, coating my palate in a smooth, velvety manner. Exactly how a premium, mellow to medium bodied Honduran should smoke. The aftertaste seems to last forever after each puff, allowing you to fully enjoy the genuine flavors produced by quality Honduran tobaccos. The wrapper does its job well, taming the blend into a sit back ‘n relax, mellow strength that can be enjoyed anywhere, any time, any day. And quality hardly comes into play. Rocky Patel is on the ball, and each roll is perfect. There’s nothing more I can really say about this cigar. It’s solid in every aspect. If you enjoy Rocky’s cigars and want a nice, relaxing cigar to break the monotony of your full bodied selection, this cigar is an absolute must.