Cigars

Padron Robusto

My friend Jason turned me on to this cigar. It is not to be confused with its much more expensive sibling the Padron Anniversario Series(an excellent cigar, but it costs around $6). The cigar that I am refering to costs around $3.00. It was built very well and had intense coffee/expresso flavors. I immediately(well, the next weekend) went out to buy some more in a variety of sizes to see if they were all as good as the robusto. The corona gorda(6x50) was pretty good, but the draw was a bit tougher than the robusto. Still a very good cigar. More to come on the Padron's in the future.

Partagas 150 "C"

There is a story behind this cigar that goes something like this: Partagas wanted to do something special for their 150th anniversary(like launch a limited edition cigar) but they needed something different to make their product stand out from the crowd. Personally, I think that their product already does, as they make consistently fine cigars, especially the No. 10. Anyway, one of their buyers was in Spain and came across some 18 year old Cameroon wrapper leaves aging in a warehouse. Can you believe that, 18 year old tobacco just lying around in a warehouse?? They immediately bought the whole lot and proceeded to make these cigars out of the wrapper. When they first came out, I was told that they wouldn't be around long, so I bought a box of the size "C" cigars. Although you can still get these cigars at some stores(at least in NY), I am very happy that I have around 20 of them left to smoke, becuase each time I take one out of the humidor, I am assured of around an hours worth of sublime pleasure. The point is, these are great cigars, the only problem being the price(around $12 each).

Licenciados Toro

These are my everyday cigar. I have been smoking these for a few years now, and until Cigar Afficionado rated them at 93 out of 100(better than the Cubans in that issue) they were relatively inexpensive($55/box) and not that hard to get. Now, the price went way up($80/box) and they are almost impossible to find. I think that Marvin Shanken and his magazine are doing a great service to the cigar smoking community, but it certainly has made finding some of my favorite cigars a big problem. This cigar is very well constructed with a nice Conn Shade wrapper and has a nice easy draw with mild flavors. Not at all a "big" smoke, but refined.

Mi Cubana Churchill

A relatively new(to me, anyway) cigar on the market. Not too expensive at around $4.50, and worth every penny. If you are into stronger cigars, this one's for you. Normally I don't smoke stong cigars because I find too many of them that are one- dimensional, and by that I mean that other than being strong, they have no other redeeming qualitites like flavor and/or aroma. I have found that many of the Cubans that I have smoked lack these qualities(I could be smoking the wrong ones, though). This cigar has it all: strength, flavor and aroma. Granted, the first time that I had one I was boozing it up at d.b.a. 41, which IMHO is the best best bar in all of NYC, so my judgement might be off, but then I had another during my yearly visit to LA and it was as good as I had remembered it. Highly recommended.

Hoyo de Monterrey No. 55

My cousin Bill gave me this cigar one night and told me that it was his daily smoke, that it only cost about $20 a box and that I should give it a try. I wasn't expecting much from a cigar that costs less than one dollar, but Bill knows his cigars. As soon as I took the first puff, I knew that I was wrong and he was right. This is a fantastic cigar for the money. If I had more room in my humidor, I would go out and buy a box. It's like smoking a bar of fudge. I haven't had any since then because every time I go to buy some more at the J & R Cigar store in mid-town, they're closed. For about a buck it's worth a try.

Davidoff Special "R"

Supposedly these cigars were out of stock for a while and the ones that did come in were of sub-standard quality, although I've never heard of Davidoff having QC problems. Well, to make a long story short, I was visiting my tobacconists and there were a few people ooh-ing and aah-ing and generally drooling over this particular box of cigars. So I walk over and they are all lavishing platitudes over the latest shipment of these Special "R"'s that just arrived. Not one to be left out, I bought one. One of the guys said that I should buy a whole bunch because there wouldn't be any left soon, but at $8.50 each I wasn't about to spend that much money on a cigar that I'd never smoked before, Davidoff name or not. After finishing the cigar, I'm very glad that I didn't waste my money on any more. I didn't enjoy this cigar at all. The draw was tough, the cigar tasted dirty(and I don't mean that the cigar had earthy overtones, I mean the cigar tasted like dirt), and it was a rather "hot" smoke. I found it to be an altogether unpleasant smoke. It wasn't the worst cigar that I'd smoked, but I've had alot that were better and for half the price at that.

Arturo Fuente Chateau Fuente

This used to be my daily smoke until I found the Licenciados. It still remains one of my favorites to this day due to its great price to value ratio. This is an excellent cigar for the money(about 2 bucks). This cigar is made with both maduro and colorado claro wrappers. Although I prefer the Conn Shade version to the maduro, they are both very good. Arturo Fuente consistently makes some of the best cigars on the market from the inexpensive ones such as this cigar to the very expensive Opus X line(more to come on that). I have never smoked a Fuente that I found to be terrible, maybe not to my tastes, but still a good cigar.

Arturo Fuente Opus X Torpedo

Definitely one of the best cigars I have had the pleasure to smoke. It looked, smelled, felt and smoked great. The construction was superb and the wrapper was of beautiful leaf that the Fuente's had grown in the Dominican Republic, the first such wrapper leaf to be grown there. After experiencing this cigar, I'm sure that more people will be planting leaf soon. The aroma and taste were complex and strong, but not overbearing. I can't really lavish enough platitudes on this cigar except to say that if you can find one, and you have the money, buy it, you won't be dissapointed. About the price, this cigar cost me $14, the most expensive non-Cuban cigar I've bought, but it's worth every penny.

El Rey Del Mundo Flor de Llanza

I hope that I spelled the name of this cigar correctly. This cigar is a larger ring-size torpedo. It's another good cigar for the money. These days it's hard to find a good torpedo for under $5, and I think that this cigar is under that mark. When I first found this smoke, it was selling at J & R for about $3.50 and that was a deal(wish I had bought more at the time to put away). This cigar might benefit from some aging in a humidor, as some of the ones that I had sitting in mine for a while definitely got better. I'm not sure if the taste is for everyone, but try it, it can't hurt.

Puros Indios Churchill

This cigar is from the same people who make Cuba Aliados, another very fine cigar. This cigar looked and felt great. It actually had one of the nicest wrappers that I have ever seen. These people supposedly make 3 types of cigar in each size, a colorado claro, a colorado and a maduro, but I've only seen cigars with the colorado wrappers. If the other wrappers are as good as this one, I can't wait for them to come out. This cigar was fantastic, offering over an hours worth of a fine smoking experience. As is the norm these days, this great cigar carries a steep price, costing $7.50 in NYC(including the 18 3/4% tobacco tax). Along with the high price, this cigar only enjoys limited distribution, being offered for sale only the more reputable shops in the major metropolitan areas, not a problem here in New York, so availibity will definitely be a problem in some areas. If you see one, buy it, you won't be sorry.

Puros Indios Toro

After trying the first Indios, I decided that to try some other sizes since the first one was so good. The "Toro" size - a corona gorda(6" x 50 ring) - was superb. The corona gorda is one of my favorite sizes. I prefer larger ring cigars because they tend to offer greater depth of flavor than the thinner cigars of the same make(this is a generalization however, and you can't compare between brands, obviously). Alot of people prefer a robusto(5 x 50), but I tend to smoke my cigars pretty fast, so the corona gorda is the prefect size for me. But enough about my preferences, back to the cigar at hand(or in mouth as it may be). It was great. I think that it was even better than the Churchill. The construction and wrapper were first rate. The aroma was pleasing to the people at the bar where I was smoking(always a good thing) and the flavor was great, and there was alot of it with this cigar. The draw was excellent, allowing you to take in a large amount of smoke to enjoy. Another highly recommended cigar.

Hoyo de Monterrey Double Corona

I had the pleasure to try this cigar at my friend Pete's engagement party(why do engagements and weddings always seem to bring out the Cuban's, there are so many good Dominicans out there), and it was as good as all of the rumors that I have heard. It wasn't nearly as strong as some of the other Cuban cigars that I have smoked, it was more like a smooth Dominican cigar. Overall it was excellent, but I'm pretty sure that these cigars sell for well over $20 American, and that's where you can legally get them. In this country's black market, they fetch over $50(I've heard). For that kind of money, I think that one could find other suitable alternatives for less.

Fonseca Triangulares

I'm always searching for a good pyramid that dosen't cost $10, and I think that I finally might have found what I was looking for. My friend Pete(the one from the engagement party) told me about this cigar, then it took me two weeks to find one. It turns out that I am not the only one who feels that this is a great cigar, because the shop where I go gets about 20 cases a shipment and they sell out in less than two weeks(that's over a case a day!). This cigar is probably the best value pyramid on the market today at $6.50. If anyone knows of a better one, please e-mail me. The construction and draw on this cigar were amazing, and the aroma and flavor were complex and yet mild at the same time. Nothing overwhelming here, just a great smoking experience.

La Gloria Cubana Crown Imperial

This is what people expect when they hear the name "La Gloria Cubana". This was an ablsolutely fantastic cigar, along with the Opus X torpedo one of the two best cigars that I have ever smoked. To start, this was a HUGE cigar, at 47 ring by 9 inches the longest that I have smoked to date. I actually thought that it might be too long, as it took me well over an hour to smoke, and I smoke fast. It wasn't overpowering like the only other LGC that I've had, the torpedo, yet it was strong. I smoked this one while walking down Madison Ave. looking at all of the construction that was going on(although at midnight there isn't much activity), and I must say that Mad. Ave. is definitely looking alot nicer than it used to although all of the high-priced stores that are opening up will probably attract a snooty crowd. It definitely made the walk more enjoyable, but by the time I reached my apartment I felt as if I was starting to suffer from an overdose of nicotine. This is a cigar to enjoy while you are seated, preferably with a nice port or barley-wine, not while walking 40 blocks. I am very glad that I bought a box(10) of these, well worth the 68 dollar price tag. I will treasure these for a while to come.

Just a note to those of you who find LGC's too strong or who have recently purchased some - I've been told(and have read) that LGC's tend to be shipped "green", that is, they haven't been aged in the box for a couple of months in the warehouse, as is the norm for most cigar manufactures, so they really benefit from aging in a humidor once you get them. Mine sat for at least two months before I smoked the first one, and they tasted great.

Cubana La Tradicion Torpedo

I've never seen this cigar anywhere except for Arnold's in NYC(one of my usual haunts). It was recommended to me by Harris, who to this day has never done me wrong with his recommendations. This is a well built torpedo, with a nice dark wrapper. Not quite a maduro, more like a colorado. The cigar has this fantastic aroma to it, and that's before you even light it. Once lit, you realize why they call this cigar Cubana - La Tradicion. It is strong and spicy with a well-rounded complexity(whatever that means) to it. I need to smoke a few more of these before I make up my mind fully, but I can see this becoming a "everyday" cigar. The only drawback that I see is the fact that it costs $6.25 and I'm broke. Oh well, I'm sure I'll think of something.

Padron Palmas

An excellent small(for me anyway) cigar. I smoked two of these while hiking in Palisades Park with some of my friends. Actually quite a good cigar for the outdoor trek. Good solid construction, a Padron benchmark, nice aroma and sharp spices in the flavor. I think that with most of the Fuente line being next to impossible to find, these cigars represent the best bargain going. I'm pretty sure that not including tax this cigar lists for under $3, a great buy if I ever saw one.

Don Lino Toros

A nice cigar. Calling a cigar(or anything, for that matter) is like a death sentence. It's like saying that you really didn't like it but that you don't know why. Well, I didn't dislike this cigar, it's actually well constructed and has a great draw, it's just that it didn't really appeal to my tastes. Maybe it's just a little on the light side and I prefer my cigars a bit stronger. I would recommend this cigar to the beginner smoker. It doesn't do anything wrong and will probably appeal to the smoker who doesn't like stronger smokes.

Puros Indios No. 2 Especial

These Indios are excellent cigars. I love the way that they taste, and the way that they feel. They have what I consider to be the smoothest wrapper around. Very consistent cigars. Along with the Padron's, the Puros Indios represent one of the best cigar values going. Highly recommended.

Royal Jamaica Park Lane

This cigar had a closed foot, similar in shape to the Hemmingway cigars made by Arturo Fuente. I doubt that the shape of the tip influences the flavor of the cigar, but it sure makes it a hell of a lot easier to light. Simply get the small tip lit and your good to go. I think that more cigars should be made this way, especially since this shape is closer to what the cigar looks like after it is rolled. About the cigar itself, well, it was pretty darn good. Slightly larger than a corona, it managed to pack in some complex flavors into its shape. Recommended. Beware, however, that I smoked a cigar from Royal Jamaica that was almost the exact size of the Park Lane and it wasn't nearly as good. There really shouldn't be that much variation within a line of cigars by a manufacturer(especially if they are similar in size), so look for the Park Lane itself.

Gliberto Oliva Robusto Maduro

I wasn't too impressed with this cigar. It's kind of like the Don Lino Toro, it didn't offend, but it didn't impress either. It had interesting expresso flavors in an otherwise mild cigar. This would be an excellent cigar for the novice who wants to try a maduro for the first time. For the second try, I would recommend an El Rey Del Mundo Robusto Maduro.

Double Happiness Robusto

Bought this cigar in Georgetown Tobacco with my friend Ken J. Not a bad robusto, kind of on the strong side and one-dimensional. Not much flavor to it other than its strength. Flaky white ash. Near the end, it became tough to draw. Again, not a bad cigar, just not to my tastes. I smoked this cigar on the way to the new beer distributor that opened on 91st street between 1st and York. I was VERY happy when they let me smoke my cigar in the store while I was choosing my beers. More to come on the beer.

Por Larranaga Pyramid

An all around fantastic cigar. Great construction and draw with solid core of spice to it. The only problem is its $7 price tag. Highly recommended if you don't mind spending the money.

Partagas Aristocrat

Another fantastic Partagas. Borderline 10. Excellent construction, felt VERY solid. Good draw. Somewhat spicier than the No. 10, the benchmark Partagas, and the spiciness is a definite improvement to an already great cigar. Definitely will try more. Good value too(around $5). Very highly recommended if you can find them, as these are a new release from Partagas and I don't think that they are available everywhere.