Event: Tatuaje at New Havana Cigars

Saturday night, Dan at New Havana Cigars hosted Pete Johnson for a Tatuaje event.  They spent the day having an online specials sale and afterward, Dan invited a few BOTL over to his place for some cigars and drinks. A big thanks goes out to Dan for putting this on for us and providing complimentary cigars and drinks all night!  It was cool to meet Pete for the first time, also, and listen to some details on up-coming releases from Tatuaje. All in all, it was a great event and a great Saturday night. Some pictures from the event below.

 

 

 

Review: Tatuaje Series P

Sorry for not posting my normal mid-week review on Wednesday, but I was just too busy to make it to the shop. So, with that said, today I have a review of a cigar I've been dying to smoke. If you smoke cigars and  minimally keep up with the trends then you know all about Pete Johnson, Don Pepin and Tatuaje. I won’t go into all the details, history of the brand and partnership between the two men, but, if Tatuaje cigars aren't already on your radar, they should be. Mark my words.

Now. On with the show... Todays’s cigar (The Tatuaje Series P) is the budget line stick from Pete Johnson's immensely popular Tatuaje brand. The cigar has the same filler as one of Pete's premium Tatuaje's (Havana VI, my favorite Tatuaje ), but in a mixture of 60% medium filler and 40% long filler. It's this "sandwich" style of cigar rolling that makes the Tatuaje Series P less than $4 a stick. Can a Tatuaje still be a great cigar for less than four bucks? Let's smoke it and see.

Specifics
Vitola: Toro
Length: 6
Ring Gauge: 50
Wrapper: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan (60% medium filler, 40% long filler)
Binder: Nicaraguan
MSRP: Approx. $3.50
Smoking Location: House of Cigar, Columbus, Ohio
Beverage: Water

Pre-Light

 

Tatuaje Series P has that come-to-be-expected, very solid construction of a Pete Johnson cigar.  It has surprisingly great weight when held that doesn't give the impression of a medium filler cigar.  The wrapper on this stick is very smooth, has a nice medium brown color and minimal veins. The unlit aroma of the cigar is sweet and smells of tobacco and coffee. Once clipped, the draw is perfect and tastes very sweet but also somewhat earthy on the finish.

First Third

 

In the first few puffs of my Tatuaje Series P, I immediately get a strong peppery spice flavor.  On back end of each puff, I can also pick out a few notes of coffee and something else that I couldn't put my finger on. The draw is perfect and the cigar produces tons of great, thick smoke. The body of the cigar is a solid medium and very relaxing. The ash is pretty tight and a nice mix of gray and black colors. 

Second Third

In the start of the second third, the peppery spice mellowed out a lot.  The flavors coming to the front now are hints of leather and what I can only describe as a strong graham cracker taste.  The flavor was almost cinnamon, but not that spicy, and almost honey, but not that sweet.  Needless to say, this had me intrguiged. The body of the cigar backed off a bit also, but not nearly to the point of mild or weak. Ending the second third of my cigar the leather started to step up and brought a even nicer compliment to the graham cracker taste than I had experienced ten minutes earlier.

Final Third and Final Thoughts

 

The final third of my Tatuaje Series P is where this cigar truly gelled to perfection for me. The smoke volume was just as good as the first two thirds and the body had picked back up to a very relaxing medium. The flavors of the tobacco were now in full force with a perfect mixture of leather, graham cracker, and the reemergence of peppery spice. Not one flavor overpowered the others and they seemed to go hand-in-hand with each puff. The cigar never got hot, even as I approached the nubbing point.

"The Tatuaje Series P is a value line mix filler cigar." What? You must be kidding me? True, it is a mix filler cigar, but if you had told me this was a premium eight to ten dollar cigar, I would have told you to get as many as you can at that price.  For less than $4,  you are getting a real steal. The burn on this cigar was perfect from start to finish, and the flavors were so outstanding that I was disappointed when it was over. I will be stocking my new coolidor with these ASAP.

Would I buy it again? See my above comments. And if you have not smoked a Tatuaje Series P, I suggest you run to your B&M/online shop and pick some up.

Would I buy a box? ASAP.

Dan

Review: Alec Bradley Tempus Magistri Maduro

Tonight's up-for-review cigar is one that redbeerd9er from Twitter pointed out to me at the Oliva event this past Friday night.  The Alec Bradley Tempus Magistri Maduro is a Limited Edition figurado in the Tempus line and is the only Tempus to feature a maduro wrapper. After doing some research, it seems that only 750 boxes (15,000 cigars) were produced for the U.S. market. Lucky for those of us in Columbus, House of Cigar still has a box on the shelf. Let's light this cigar up and see how I think it preforms.

Specifics (notes taken from http://www.acigarsmoker.com/)
Vitola: Figurado
Length: 6.5
Ring Gauge: 53
Wrapper: Mexican San Andres Maduro
Filler: Trojes, Honduras, Nicaragua
Binder: Trojes, Honduras Criollo ‘98 – Indonesia Embetunada
MSRP: Approx. $10.50
Smoking Location: House of Cigar, Columbus, Ohio
Beverage: Diet Coke


Pre-Light

Alec Bradley Tempus Magistri Maduro is a beautiful cigar to look at. It had one very minimal vein and a dark, oily maduro wrapper. The figurado shape was rolled to perfection and when held in my hand, it had a great weight and feel to it. The cigar omitted very little scent pre-light but with the cap clipped, it gave off a nice earthy tobacco aroma.  The pre-light draw was very tight and tasted like bitter chocolate.

First Third

On the first few puffs of my Alec Bradley Tempus Magistri Maduro I was hit with a strong mocha flavor and a bit of peppery spice.  I also noted a few floral notes and even a hint of cinnamon. Very flavorful!  The cigar produced a lot of thick smoke despite having a very tight draw.  The finish on the cigar was long and coated my mouth with great flavors for well over a minute between puffs. I would rate the body of the beginning of this cigar as medium.  Toward the end of my first third of this cigar, the draw started to become very problematic.

Second Third

The flavors in the second third of my Alec Bradley Tempus Magistri Maduro changed up from the first third.  The spice that I had tasted before fell off and the cigar was producing a very nice strong coffee taste. The finish on the cigar was still long and had redeveloped a lot of those bitter dark chocolate notes.  The flavors were still fantastic...the problem was the burn/draw. During the second third, I could barely draw any smoke through the tobacco. The cigar actually went out more than once, requiring me to keep reaching for the torch. I was loving the flavor profile, but the cigar was becoming unsmokable. 

Final Third and Final Thoughts

 

Before starting on my final third, I re-clipped the head. This is exactly what the cigar needed. Once clipped higher up on the stick, the draw on the smoke opened up considerably. I was again delighted with a strong coffee flavor and a bitter dark chocolate finish. The burn from here to the nub was almost prefect and the entire smoking experience improved greatly. The body ramped up a bit to in my opinion medium to medium full.

My final thoughts on the Alec Bradley Tempus Magistri Maduro are mixed.  I really loved this particular cigar's flavors. The coffee notes were really nice and relaxing and the bitter dark chocolate finish kept you on your toes between puffs. The problem was the draw/burn. Smoking a cigar that you constantly have to work at to keep lit can become very annoying. I highly recommend if you smoke this cigar to cut the head much higher then you would normally. 

Would I buy it again? If I get a chance to buy this cigar again in a few months, I would buy more.  Maybe the problems I experienced were due to a bad stick in the bunch.

Would I buy a box? I'm not sure if you can find a box of these anywhere anymore, but if you have some extra cash laying around and enjoy the Tempus line, I would recommend getting a box.

Dan

Event: Oliva

Tonight the House of Cigar in Dublin OH, hosted a event sponsored by Oliva. I had a good time meeting our local Oliva rep Ian (@olivaian on twitter) and hanging out with two other twitter friends @redbeerd9er: @theroberthogan

 

Review: Oliva Connecticut Reserve

For my mid-week smoke, I wanted again something mild in body but still strong in flavor.  After reading some reviews online, I decided to pick up the Oliva Connecticut Reserve in a robusto size. Oliva, known for some great full bodied smokes (like the praised V line), created the Connecticut Reserve to fill their customers' need for a lighter experience. I believe this particular cigar was released at the end of 2008 or the beginning of 2009.  To learn more about Oliva cigars, visit the official website here. Let's light this guy and see how it goes.

Specifics (taken from stogiereview.com)
Vitola: Robusto
Length: 5
Ring Gauge: 50
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut
Filler: Nicaraguan
Binder: Nicaraguan
Origin: Esteli, Nicaragua
MSRP: Aprox. $4.50
Smoking Location: House of Cigar, Columbus, Ohio
Beverage: None

Pre-Light

When looking at this cigar, the first thing that stands out is it's beautiful wrapper.  The Connecticut wrapper is very smooth and has minimal veins. It shows a nice oily sheen when held to the light and has a nice milk chocolate color. It felt slightly spongy yet solidly-packed when pinched. There was little-to-no aroma coming off the pre-light cigar. After clipping the cap, the pre-light draw was very loose and produced almost no flavor.

First Third

This Oliva Connecticut Reserve cigar lit very easily and evenly and produced tons of thick, room-filling smoke. The initial flavors from the cigar were earthy with a mild black pepper taste that sat nicely on the tongue. At this point, the draw on the cigar was looser than I prefer, so I hoped it would firm up as it burned lower into the stick. The finish only lasted a few brief seconds and the body, as advertised, showed mild strength.

Second Third

Into the second third of my Oliva Connecticut Reserve, the earthy flavors were pretty much the only tastes coming through.  The spice that was in the first third had disappeared, which left me wanting more depth. The cigar was still producing tons of smoke, which I enjoyed, but the draw continued to be looser than I prefer. A positive for the cigar was the ash. It created a very strong ash that took a few knocks on the ashtray to remove. After that first ash had fallen, I felt pretty confident I wouldn't be wearing any stray ash as the evening progressed.

Final Third and Final Thoughts

There isn't much to say in my final third of my Oliva Connecticut Reserve review that hadn't already been said in the second third.  The cigar still produced lots of thick smoke and a light earthy flavor. The spice that I encountered in the first third never reappeared, which left the smoke somewhat uneventful. The mild body of the cigar was consistent, having never changed from the first puff to the last and the draw never firmed up, as I had hoped. At one point, my cigar went out and required a re-light, but relit at once and the volume of smoke was still there.

My overall thoughts on the Oliva Connecticut Reserve is that of a very consistent mild-bodied cigar with one primary flavor. Based on quite a few other reviews of the Connecticut Reserve, I had hoped a few more flavors would've surfaced to keep things more interesting, but this particular stick just didn't produce them for me and it left me a little bored.

Would I buy it again? I would be hard-pressed to buy this cigar again, even at it's current low-tier price.  There are just too many other mild-bodied cigars that I enjoy more. Is it fair to judge the Oliva Connecticut Reserve just by smoking one stick? No, probably not, but with my tight cigar budget,  it's hard to purchase another just hoping for a better experience.

Would I buy a box? No

Dan

Review: La Riqueza No. 5

For this Sunday's review, I tackled a cigar recently sent to me by Johnny from theweeklycigar.com. The La Riqueza No. 5 was released in 2008 by Pete Johnson (maker of the ever popular Tatuaje Cigars) and rolled by Don Pepin Garcia at his famous Tabacalera Cubana S.A. factory.  Pretty much everything these two guys have collaborated on recently has been getting high scores across all forms of cigar media. We'll see if my experience matches those of the big dogs in the industry.
  
Specifics
Vitola: Petit Corona  
Length: 4 3/8
Ring Gauge: 42
Wrapper: Connecticut broadleaf  (purchase from Oliva)
Filler:  Nicaraguan
Binder: Nicaraguan
Origin: Nicaraguan
MSRP: Aprox. $8.00
Smoking Location: House of Cigar, Columbus, Ohio
Beverage: water

Pre-Light (excuse the photos in this review. They were all taken with my iPhone)

The Connecticut broadleaf wrapper on this cigar is beautiful. It had a deep brown chocolate color that is very smooth and oily. When holding this cigar it had a nice weight to it for its somewhat smaller size. Squeezing the cigar from foot to cap, it was well-packed and firm without any soft spots. The pre-light draw was free and tasted of natural tobacco with some hints of black pepper spice.

First Third

The La Riqueza No. 5 lit very easily and started off producing tons of thick smoke. The initial flavors were of leather and natural tobacco with some spice that sat in the back of my throat. The spice was black peppery but not too overpowering. It was neither hot nor bitter. The texture of the smoke coated my mouth and felt very creamy and rich. The body of the cigar was a solid medium, reaching into the full range.

Second Third

In the second third of my La Riqueza No. 5, the spice that was lingering in the back of my throat all but disappeared. The leather notes seemed to fall back a bit also and the natural tobacco taste took the lead. At one point, I detected a slight cinnamon flavor but it did not last more then a few puffs. The draw was still very free and the cigar still produced tons of thick smoke that filled the room nicely. I did have to do one touch up with the torch, but again, I think this was due to me ignoring the cigar as I chatted with the other locals. The body of the cigar was a great medium that didn't cause any jitters or nicotine buzz.

Final Third and Final Thoughts

In the final third of my La Riqueza No. 5, the natural tobacco flavor was at it's fullest and overpowered anything else I could taste.  This in no way was a bad thing, as the flavor was exceptionally clean and enjoyable. The finish on the cigar was very smooth and I didn't run into any of the problems I had read about with a bitterness creeping in. The burn line was straight and thin and continued to burn perfectly all the way to the nub.

My final thought is that it's another winner for the Johnson/Pepin combo. If these guys keep coming out with more cigars like this one, I have no doubt that they will creep to the top spot of many reviewers' top ten lists (some already have them there.) This cigar is consistent from start to finish, producing tons of flavor and smoke volume. I enjoy a really nice medium body cigar and this one will definitely make it into my standard rotation.

Would I buy it again? 100% for sure

Would I buy a box? On a quick search, I found these listed online for $187.88 for a box of 25. To rich for my blood right now, but I would consider it if I fell into extra funds.

Dan

Review: CAO Gold Vintage Bouchon

Tonight I went to the local B&M and grabbed an off-the-shelf smoke I'd had a few times before -- a CAO Gold Vintage Bouchon.. I was in the mood for something mild/medium in body because I had not had dinner, but not a cigar boring in flavor nor smoke volume and this cigar fit the bill.

The CAO Gold Vintage is another cigar released in 2009 by the Ozgener family that is often over-shadowed by the highly praised La Traviata. The story behind the CAO Gold Vintage, as I understand it, is that it is comprised of the same blend as the normal CAO Gold release but with a aged 2004 Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper. According to the CAO website, Ecuador experienced a "banner harvest" in 2004. All of the CAO Gold Vintage wrappers come from that harvest and have been carefully aged and selected for this cigar.

Specifics
Vitola: Bouchon/Figurado
Length: 6.75
Ring Gauge: 60
Wrapper: 2004 Ecuadorian Connecticut
Filler:  Nicaragua, Honduras
Binder: Nicaraguan
Origin: Honduras
MSRP: Aprox. $8.75
Smoking Location: House of Cigar, Columbus, Ohio
Beverage: water

Pre-Light

The wrapper on my CAO Gold Vintage is very smooth and soft.  Pinching the cigar it has a slight give but isn't spongy. The aroma coming off the cigar is of a very mild, sweet tobacco. After cutting the head, the draw is perfect and the taste is sweet. I had not smoked this size of the CAO Gold Vintage before, but from the pre-light assessment, it shaped up just like the other sizes offered.

First Third

 

After lighting up this CAO Gold Vintage, I immediately tasted sweetness and creaminess with some slight notes of molasses just on the finish. The cigar produces tons of smoke both when puffing and when resting. I'd rate the body from mild to medium. As others have said, I would agree that this is a great smoke for the morning paired with coffee or, in my case, an evening before dinner.

Second Third

The second third of my CAO Gold Vintage stayed true to the first third with strong creaminess and smooth sweet flavors. The molasses flavor was amped up quite a bit, with several very spicy-sweet puffs.There was a very slight hint of leather in some of the finish which was intriguing. The ash on the cigar was very strong and held for well over two inches.

Final Third and Final Thoughts

The final third of my CAO Gold Vintage saw the molasses flavor take over the cigar and some of the cream drop off. It seemed to dry up a bit but never to the point where it felt harsh or hot. The burn on this cigar is perfect...no really...perfect. I never had to touch it with the torch after the light and the burn line was thin and straight. The body picked up slightly towards the nub but not enough for me to rank it more than a mild/medium cigar.

My final thought on this cigar is it is fantastic and what is advertised. CAO claims this is a mild/medium body cigar with a lot of flavor and I agree 100%. I got a strong sweet/molasses flavor mixed with cream that stayed pretty consistent throughout while smoking. I recommend this cigar to anyone who wants an easy smoke that is not boring.

Would I buy it again? 100% for sure

Would I buy a box? I have a box :)

Dan

Review: Illusione Epernay

For my first cigar of the new year, I thought, "What better smoke to have than one named after a region in France known for it's champagne?" The Epernay, from Dion Giolito of Illusione Cigars fame, was first released as a limited release named ECCJ in 2008. Since production of the ECCJ was discontinued, Dion has said that the Epernay blend was to take its place. To learn more about the Epernay, please visit the official Illuisione website.

Specifics (taken from stogiereview.com)
Vitola: Le Ferm
Length: 5.25
Ring Gauge: 48
Wrapper: Cafe Rosado
Filler: Nicaraguan
Binder: Nicaraguan
Origin: Honduras
MSRP: Aprox. $8.50
Smoking Location: House of Cigar, Columbus, Ohio
Beverage: water

Pre-Light

The wrapper on my Epernay is a milk chocolate brown color with a few areas of a lighter brown here and there. The cigar has a few vains running up from the foot that are very minimal. When pinched the cigar, it is very firm...almost too firm. That gave me ideas that the draw could be very tight. The aroma coming off of the cigar was that of typical tobacco and not extremely strong. To my happy surprise, the pre-light draw was perfect and free. I did not get much flavor out of the pre-light draw, other than slightly sweet tobacco.

First Third

As soon as I lit up the Epernay, I was hit right in the face with a blast of spice. The cigar produced tons of thick smoke in which I picked up a woody flavor along with a hint of roasted nuts. The draw and the burn were perfect. The ash was solid and a dark gray color. The body of the smoke was a solid medium.

Second Third

The second third of my Epernay saw the woody flavors pick up and the subtle nuttiness fade away, which was to my liking as I enjoy that flavor profile greatly. The cigar did need one touch up with the torch, but that could have been due to me talking to the others at the shop and not smoking the cigar as fast as I normally do. The body of the cigar increased quite a bit but was not even close to overwhelming. The smoke added an almost creamy coating to my tongue, which helped catch those developing flavors.

Final Third and Final Thoughts

The final third of my Epernay continued in flavor to match the second third with strong woodiness. The finish on the smoke was still very creamy, smooth and left my palette feeling very clean. The body increased even more to a solid medium-full status.


My final thought on this smoke is "Wow... what a great cigar."  It's no secret that I am a big fan of the cigars that Dion produces. Although I wouldn't put the Epernay as my favorite of his lines, I would recommend it to anyone who is looking for a new cigar that is not overpowering in body, but very strong in flavor.


Would I buy it again? 100% for sure
Would I buy a box? I wish, but Illusione cigars are out of my price range for box purchases.

Side note:  I'm very excited to get my first review done on my new blog. If you have a second, please leave a comment and tell me what you thought. If you'd like to share what you liked, disliked or what you think I could do differently, I am all ears.  Til next time...Dan

Not much going on?

So I was really excited to get my cigar blog up and going.  I thought... "this is going to be awesome! I can write about the cigars I’m smoking, learn more about my favs from comments, and document what I have tried and what I liked most".  So boom! Launch the blog.  Let’s get to smoking and writing right?  Oh ya…. It’s January…. I live in Ohio… and I don’t smoke in my house.  Below is the weather forecast for the next 4 days.

It is just to cold to sit outside and have a smoke.  I might be heading to my local B&M later this week for a cigar and if so I'll be posting my first review shortly.

Dan