Reviews by Steve R

A while back I reviewed the original 601 Serie, a high-end cigar made by Don ‘Pepin’ Garcia in his Nicaraguan-based factory, El Rey de los Habanos. Since I wrote this review, a new breed of 601 has been released, in the form of a box-pressed maduro, which also represents one of the few, if not the only, super-premium maduros made by Pepin Garcia.

CigarFest ‘07 was the first time I tried 601 Serie Blue Box-Press Maduro. It was early in the morning on Cigar Fest Eve, and I was helping set up the show floor. I had nothing in my stomach but a large cup of D&D, and had I known what I know now, I would have waited until after lunch to enjoy this cigar.

It’s almost noon here at the office, and I already have 3 meals under my belt for the day, so I’m ready to revisit the 601 Serie Box-Press Maduro. Vitola du jour, Toro. Blue Box-Press Maduro is a serious cigar, for serious cigar enthusiasts. It’s powerful and loaded with complexity, offering a long, satisfying finish. But, like most Pepin-made cigars I’ve tried, it’s balanced and smooth, with a slow burn that never goes out, allowing you to puff sparingly if the strength becomes too much, but enjoy thoroughly. In case you didn’t figure it out, this cigar gets the nod.

This dark variety of 601 Serie is blended with Pepin’s traditional tobacco types. A Cuban-seed Nicaraguan binder securing a mixture of Cuban-seed, long-leaf tobaccos grown in Nicaragua. The wrapper, also Nicaraguan, but dark in nature with a smooth texture and even a few crystals shining here and there. In true Pepin fashion, each cigar is fitted with three perfectly applied caps. The pre-light aroma is somewhat sweet, with a barnyard finish. A touch of pepper hits the nose. And then the box-press, a nicely rounded press, making this cigar feel great (and heavy) in the hand.

The wrapper itself lends a dry flavor that becomes spicy when chewed long enough. Off the start, the cigar is relatively mellow, with a rich core and a vanilla-like sweetness. After each puff, a spice tickles the sides of my palate. I notice pepper and licorice through the nose, and in doing so, my eyes begin to tear. I don’t think I’ll be doing that again for a little while. After about 10 minutes, the full-bodied nature of this cigar becomes prevalent. I can now feel it in my belly and in my head, right behind the eyes. The salt and pepper ash is quite flaky, but holds until I help it into my ashtray after every inch or so.

After the first third, the cigar becomes earthy in character. The aroma is spicy with an earthy influence. Almost like potting soil. In addition to this earthiness, which now dominates, a hint of coffee bean finishes each puff, and the wrapper begins to lend a very (very) faint sweetness. Indeed, there is a lot going on here, and I am only half-way through. Which leads me to my next point: this powerhouse burns slow, and the smoke is thick and cool; the furthest thing from harsh. The final third seems to mellow a bit, just before the cigar unleashes a wealth of spice on its final leg. The finish is robust, completing an eventful cigar layered with bold flavors.

Serie

The fact that certain cigars fly under the radar amazes me. I mean, there are some wonderful sleepers out there: anything by Felipe Gregorio or Oliveros, La Aurora Leoninos, and many, many more. These brands go unknown by most, who simply reply with a “who?” or “what?” whenever mentioned. Yet, Gispert is a great seller. Now, I’m not saying Gispert is a bad cigar, because I haven’t tried enough to give it a fair vote, but I have yet to hear this cigar come up in conversation, nor have I met a consumer that can actually pronounce it correctly, yet I watch it steadily sell, week after week.

To see why this is, I picked me up a box in the Churchill size, which rivals the Robusto for the top-selling vitola. The cigar is pretty, no doubt, dressed in a caramel-colored Connecticut shade wrapper from Ecuador. The pre-light aroma is subtle, and the pre-light draw is extremely easy. Each cigar seems to be moderately filled, with some soft spots among the bunch, but overall I’d say it’s pretty well made. The churchill is lit and I’m puffing away.

Off the bat, the flavor is a little rough, with a sharp finish. This quickly mellows, resulting in a much smoother smoke, with a mellow, earthy core. The aftertaste is dry, with a faint, papery note and I picked up a gentle floral influence on the aroma. The strength is relatively soft, or at best, a mellow medium. The burn is slow and deliberate, creating a flaky, but strong, salt and pepper ash. The flavor is consistent, a subtle and smooth earthy core with a short, dry finish. A straightforward, laid back cigar that’s far from offensive. The smoke remains cool down to the last inch and a half, thanks to the thick 54 ring. As I set the cigar down in my ashtray, I recall saying to myself, “self, I want another cigar, I’ve still got that craving.”

I’ve burned through about 1/3 of the box at this point, and am fairly convinced this cigar is the equivalent of a Honduran-made Macanudo. This would help explain the sales end of things. Many enthusiasts want a no-nonsense cigar with little variation from head to toe, that’s balanced and easy-going. If that’s you, more power to ya, Gispert is one of many great choices. Me, I like complexity, and look for an eventful cigar that varies in flavor throughout the burn. While this is a nice cigar, it just doesn’t answer every call. I’ll gladly burn through the rest of the box, sparingly, with more complex cigars in between.

Is anybody else sick of seeing Paris Hilton on the news every minute of the day? In jail, outta jail, in jail, finding God, changing her life...who cares?! It’s sickening. Last night I turned on the television to see yet another report on the status of Princess Parasite, a clip of her being carted away in a squad car crying her eyes out. After watching just long enough for a sheepish smile to creep over my face, I quickly grew ill and retired to the sights and sounds of Downtown Bethlehem with a big, fat cigar.

The cigar of choice, MAXX by Alec Bradley in ‘The Freak’ size. At 6.3” x 60, this cigar is a monster. An over-stuffed toro that guarantees an extra-long break from the daily grind. Normally I wouldn’t choose a cigar of this size for a daily smoke, but part of my job is writing the newsletter for our Cigar of the Month Club, which involves the cigar write-ups. You guessed it...MAXX is part of next month’s selection, along with 3 other fantastic cigars. And so, I am going to kill two birds with one stone!

MAXX is an intriguing cigar made in Nestor Plasencia’s Honduran factory, El Paraiso, for Alec Bradley. Each of the five vitolas is unique, sporting juiced-up proportions to maximize the flavor produced by its already complex blend of tobaccos. This includes a 4-country blend of long-fillers (Columbia, Nicaragua, Honduras, and Mexico) bound by a Costa Rican leaf, all hugged by an attractive Nicaraguan maduro. Oh my!

I now sit at my desk with another 'Freak' in front me. Aesthetically, the cigar might bring a tear to your eye. The wrapper is dark and oily, with minimal veins, consistent color, and a well-applied double-cap. As expected, it’s very heavy in the hand and the roll is solid from head to toe. The pre-light aroma smells like baked bread, with some spice tingling through the nose. I had to use Brandon's Swiss Army Knife Cigar Scissors to cut this bad boy, and upon doing so, noticed a nice pre-light draw with just enough resistance. I lit up with about 20 minutes to go here at the office before I cut out for a quick round of 9 holes, our CI Golf League is in full swing!

The ‘Freak’ opens with a rich, toasty blast of flavor that coats the entire palate. The aftertaste is long and enjoyable, with a robust, tobacco flavor that seems to cling to my taste buds. Throughout the smoke, a variety of flavors hit different parts of the palate. The dark maduro leaf leaves behind a sweetness on the tip of the tongue and lips. On the sides of the palate, I note a deep, woody flavor, especially during the first third. Then, as I approached the 2nd tee, I picked up something really interesting - yes I already have one hole under my belt and I am still have plenty of cigar to go. It was just past the midway point when this happened. While rolling the smoke around in my mouth, the back of my palate began to pick up a meaty flavor, almost like stewed beef. Weird, yes, but pleasant and surprisingly fitting, considering how ‘meaty’ this cigar is in stature. This flavor was prominent until the last inch, when I decided to set the cigar down one final time after 3-putting on the 6th tee.

MAXX is a beast. In both the size and flavor departments. But, it’s far from overpowering. Definitely a medium-bodied smoke with balanced layers of rich, toasty flavors that evolve during the burn. Truth be told, I first had this cigar in the FIX size about a year ago, and instantly knew it would be a hit among customers due to its level of complexity. Considering the price, it’d be silly not to give this cigar a shot. And, it gets better...Alec Bradley will be introducing a new size, the Nano, which is a smaller, petite corona.

I’ve really been struggling this week. I can’t snap out of it. The weather has been flippin’ gorgeous and I just want to be out on the golf course. Despite putting the lives of others at risk with my horrific slice, it’s always good to be out in the sun with the guys and a great cigar or three. But, I’ve hardly had time to hit the range after work, let alone make room for the course.

Adding insult to injury, a delicious new cigar hit our docks just in time for the golf season. Montecristo Media Noche, a very different breed of the industry’s most powerful brand. Of course, the standard No. 2 Torpedo can be found among the lineup of sizes. However, two new vitolas have been introduced: a ginormous 7” x 58 Churchill and a stout 5” x 55 Edmundo. The Edmundo is actually a variation of Cuba’s Montecristo Edmundo, just made a little thicker with a 5 inch frame.

I chose the Edmundo. I love the size.

The Media Noche is dark. Very dark. The wrapper may not be the oiliest leaf on the planet, but you can feel its soft, silky texture when rolling it between your fingertips. This Connecticut Broadleaf is used to complete a long-filler blend of Nicaraguan, Dominican and Peruvian tobaccos; the same combination used for Montecristo Platinum and the new Montecristo Serie C. The pre-light aroma is sweet with a slight barnyard influence, with no hints of ligero.

The cigar is packed pretty solid. So much so, it took some extra effort to cut with my Xikar MTX. Fortunately, the pre-light draw was just fine...a little resistance, exactly how I like it. First thought after lighting: the Edmundo is a chimney, filling my palate with thick, chewy smoke and leaving behind a series of thick, pillowy clouds overhead. The burn is somewhat slow, creating a dark grey ash that’s a bit flaky, but strong.

The smoke is leathery in character with a toasty (almost smokey) note that hits the center of my tongue and the nose. A hint of cedar sneaks in just before the sweet aftertaste takes center stage. The aftertaste is very long, and the surrounding area has become filled with the lovely aroma of toasted wood. The Edmundo finishes with a bang, developing a deep richness and creeping into the full-bodied realm. Thanks to the Edmundo’s thick 55 ring, the burn remains cool right down to the last inch.

Yeah...I really need to get out on the golf course sometime soon. Montecristo Media Noche will no doubt keep my mind off my terrible game.

Wow. It’s literally been over a month since I posted a staff review. Don’t get me wrong...I’ve been burning my way through boxes of cigars during this time, but the craziness that is CigarFest kept me from actually sitting down and writing a review. Hosting 2,000 cigar lunatics and 26 of the world’s finest cigar makers for the best damn Herf on the planet can be very time consuming!

It’s insanely hot in the office today. We decided to keep the windows open rather than turn on the air conditioning. Why? I have no idea…the heat is making me extremely sleepy and cranky. Fortunately, I’ve re-discovered a tasty old friend, the Ashton Aged Maduro.

Since day 1, I’ve always been fond of Ashton Aged Maduro. But, several years ago, this cigar became very difficult to find due to the tobaccos and time required to make it. This has since changed, and although the cigar is a steady seller, it’s now in stock more than on backorder, so life is good.

Many new cigar enthusiasts fall victim to the old myth, “the darker the wrapper, the stronger the cigar.” I hate this myth, because it scares plenty of people away from trying a cigar just because it’s a little darker, or dressed in an oily maduro leaf.

The Ashton Aged Maduro is a great way to diffuse this myth. For one, it has big-brand recognition. Ashton is a sales juggernaut among new enthusiasts, and has a high level of quality and consistency to demand respect. Secondly, the Aged Maduro may be dark as night, but it’s gentle on the palate and offers a pleasant, mellow flavor.

The cigar is well built and firm from head to toe. The classic combination of aged Dominican long-fillers presents a smooth, creamy flavor with toasted hints of wood, while the dark Connecticut maduro wrapper lends a rich, chocolatey element with a spicy sweetness on the finish. Some unique flavors come and go during the burn, including a touch of leather and a slight earthiness. For a smooth(er) cigar, there’s a variety of flavors at play, making the Aged Maduro something that can be enjoyed by most palates. The burn is suprisingly even, considering how oily and thick the wrapper leaf is, and the ash is white and strong. All things considered – quality, flavor, consistency, performance – this is a very good cigar that pairs perfectly with an espresso or mature single malt.

The Ashton Aged Maduro ain’t cheap, and you may not be sparking one up every day, but I am confident you’ll want to treat yourself every now and then after giving it a try.