A creation from Christian Eiroa comes the Asylum Premium 6 x 66. By the way, if you haven't tried the Eiroa by Christian Eiroa, I suggest you get on that soon... you're missing out. I hope to review that cigar for you guys at some point. But I digress - the Asylum Premium 6 x 66 comes at us with a maduro wrapper from Nicaragua along with a binder and fillers from Nica (a Nicaraguan Puro).
1/3 - This cigar is a beast. Measuring 6 x 66 (thus the name), featuring a beautiful, oily maduro wrapper. As soon as you light up, you get sweet notes of chocolate blended with a leathery finish. With this cigar, you get a nice even burn, an exceptional draw, and a lot of thick smoke.
2/3 - Transitioning into the 2/3 portion of this cigar, I'm starting to pick up a change of flavor. Hints of soil are starting to blend in with the chocolate flavor you get at the beginning of the smoke. On the finish, you have earthy notes and some pepper. You really realize the richness of this cigar when you get to this point.
3/3 - Coming to the end of this cigar, the notes of chocolate are making a comeback. Accompanied by a peppery finish, we come to the end of the stick. The Asylum Premium 6 x 66 has a kick-ass flavor profile as well as great construction. Great cigar for a great price.
H. Upmann The Banker
In 1844, Herman and Carl Upmann traveled to Cuba to create a cigar that they could give to their important clients. Now, here we are in 2014, and this cigar has been recreated and released. This classic looking cigar from H. Upmann comes to you with a beautiful, shiny Ecuadorian Habano wrapper surrounding fillers from Nicaragua and the Dominican. It has everything you need for a great cigar, now let's get this beauty lit up.
1/3 - The first few puffs you take of this cigar bring you an incredibly rich peppery flavor with a spicy almond finish. It's not an overwhelming spice, but overall, it is pretty strong. After you really get into it, the flavor already starts to change from the pepper to notes of creamy chocolate. The finish stays consistent through this section of the stick with the spicy almond flavors.
2/3 - About halfway through the cigar, we get yet another flavor change. Transitioning from notes of creamy chocolate to a coffee flavor with a spicy/toasty nut on the finish. The construction is flawless through this point of the cigar. You get a dead even burn, very easy draw, and good amounts of smoke.
3/3 - Alright, we're coming up on the end of the stick, unfortunately. The cigar ends with a nice, smooth nutty flavor combined with notes of leather, chocolate, and coffee on the finish. A nice way to end a phenomenal cigar from a phenomenal cigar company. I don't usually buy boxes of cigars, but this cigar is too good not to. If you haven't had one, pick one up here.
1/3 - The first few puffs you take of this cigar bring you an incredibly rich peppery flavor with a spicy almond finish. It's not an overwhelming spice, but overall, it is pretty strong. After you really get into it, the flavor already starts to change from the pepper to notes of creamy chocolate. The finish stays consistent through this section of the stick with the spicy almond flavors.
2/3 - About halfway through the cigar, we get yet another flavor change. Transitioning from notes of creamy chocolate to a coffee flavor with a spicy/toasty nut on the finish. The construction is flawless through this point of the cigar. You get a dead even burn, very easy draw, and good amounts of smoke.
3/3 - Alright, we're coming up on the end of the stick, unfortunately. The cigar ends with a nice, smooth nutty flavor combined with notes of leather, chocolate, and coffee on the finish. A nice way to end a phenomenal cigar from a phenomenal cigar company. I don't usually buy boxes of cigars, but this cigar is too good not to. If you haven't had one, pick one up here.
Rocky Patel Supter Ligero
If you've read any of my reviews on this website, then you know that I'm not one to go and promote Rocky Patel. It's nothing personal against Rocky, I've just never had a Rocky Patel cigar to go crazy about. Anyways, I was sent his new Super Ligero to smoke and review. This cigar, featuring a Habano wrapper and fillers from Nicaragua and Costa Rica, is like no other Rocky Patel available. Here's the inside scoop:
1/3 - When you get this cigar lit up, you get a very woody flavor right off the bat. The finish brings a smooth chocolate flavor with some spice that lingers in the back of your throat and on your lips. So far through the 1/3 of this cigar, the construction is stellar. You have a very cooperative draw, a dead even burn, and a lot of smoke output.
2/3 - Now that we're breaking away from the first part of the cigar, it's beginning to get sweeter. Not in a swisher sweet way, but more of a cinnamon kind of sweet. Blending with the cinnamon, is a nice oaky/earthy note. The spice on the finish has vanished, leaving us with notes of earth, chocolate, and a little pepper.
3/3 - Coming up on the end of this Rocky Patel. Very enjoyable thus far. The initial flavor has not changed much, but I can't say the same about the finish. On the finish we have a very musky pepper flavor. Blends beautifully with the woody/cinnamon notes. A great cigar - I recommend picking it up if you can.
Purchase this cigar here! - http://www.famous-smoke.com/brand/rocky+patel+super+ligero+cigars
Ashton Symmetry - Coming Soon
"Four years in the making, Ashton Symmetry is the first new cigar launched under the Ashton brand name in nearly a decade! Handcrafted in the Dominican Republic, Ashton Symmetry is blended by legendary cigar-maker, Carlito Fuente. Beautiful Habano wrappers grown in the cloud-covered fields of Ecuador accompany a bold, yet balanced blend of proprietary aged tobaccos. This exclusive blend features Dominican tobaccos from Chateau de la Fuente and Villa Gonzalez, as well as some rare leaves from the Fuente family's Un Buen Vecino farm, located in Esteli, Nicaragua. Medium to full-bodied, Ashton Symmetry offers a wonderful creamy richness garnished with notes of spice, oak and toasted nuts. Available in 5 sizes, shipping is lated to begin this fall."- released from Ashton on Instagram.
The Big Payback Hueso
Nicaraguan tobacco, an affordable price, and created by Room101. Can you ask for something better than that? The Payback that I'm smoking/reviewing is the Hueso. The Hueso measures 6x60. Like I mentioned everything about this cigar is Nicaraguan, but I wanted to point out how smooth and oily the wrapper is. This cigar has a great feel to it, not to mention a big ring gauge (Room101's first line with 70 gauge).
Flavor Profile
-1/3 of the cigar offers a sharp black pepper flavor with a very light cedar on the finish
-2/3 of the cigar brings a very noticeable change. Now you get more of a chocolate/soil flavor now with a mild spice on the finish.
-3/3 point stays consistent with the chocolate, but the notes of soil are pushed back to the finish.
Performance/Construction
The Big Payback does exactly what you'd expect from Room101. A great draw that puts out a lot of thick, creamy smoke. The burn is almost dead even throughout a majority of the cigar. This cigar brings a tight pack with visible seams and a few veins. Smoking this is definitely an experience you don't want to miss out on.
Flavor Profile
-1/3 of the cigar offers a sharp black pepper flavor with a very light cedar on the finish
-2/3 of the cigar brings a very noticeable change. Now you get more of a chocolate/soil flavor now with a mild spice on the finish.
-3/3 point stays consistent with the chocolate, but the notes of soil are pushed back to the finish.
Performance/Construction
The Big Payback does exactly what you'd expect from Room101. A great draw that puts out a lot of thick, creamy smoke. The burn is almost dead even throughout a majority of the cigar. This cigar brings a tight pack with visible seams and a few veins. Smoking this is definitely an experience you don't want to miss out on.
The Big Payback is going to catch the eye of all cigar smokers. When you see the price along with the Room101 name, you're sold. You know Matt Booth isn't going to get cheap on you because of the amazing quality of everything else he offers. And he didn't. One of the best Nicaraguan sticks I've had. Give it a try.
Herrera Esteli Short Corona
The Herrera Esteli Short Corona by Drew Estate measures 4.6x47 with a smooth, dark tan Ecuadorian Habano wrapper. The cigar features a Honduran binder and filler from Nicaragua. The aroma of the cigar is very earthy, almost a manure smell (which is a good thing!). As I mentioned above this is a short corona, but it also comes in Lonsdale (6x44), Piramide Fina (6x52), Robusto (5.5x52), and Toro (6x52).
One the first puff you get sweet earthy notes with a short, sharp spice on the finish that lingers on the tip of the tongue. The sweet stays consistent throughout the smoke, mixing with notes of cedar, pepper, oak, and a nice basic tobacco flavor. Right away you can tell that this stick has quite a flavor profile. This cigar has a very nice draw with a burn that is a little uneven, but fixes itself as you smoke it. When you hit the halfway point, the spice has died down, leaving you with a nice sweet, maple-like flavor.
I will smoke this one again, but next time I'll pick up the Toro. The Herrera Esteli is one of the best smokes that Drew Estate has to offer at this point. Great construction and flavor profile makes it very easy to recommend!
Stogie Rite score: 98
One the first puff you get sweet earthy notes with a short, sharp spice on the finish that lingers on the tip of the tongue. The sweet stays consistent throughout the smoke, mixing with notes of cedar, pepper, oak, and a nice basic tobacco flavor. Right away you can tell that this stick has quite a flavor profile. This cigar has a very nice draw with a burn that is a little uneven, but fixes itself as you smoke it. When you hit the halfway point, the spice has died down, leaving you with a nice sweet, maple-like flavor.
I will smoke this one again, but next time I'll pick up the Toro. The Herrera Esteli is one of the best smokes that Drew Estate has to offer at this point. Great construction and flavor profile makes it very easy to recommend!
Stogie Rite score: 98
1502 Emerald Toro
Hello
readers and aficionados, today we’ll be looking at the 1502 Emerald. This cigar
is one of three cigars being put out by Enrique Sanchez and his team at Global
Premium Cigars (GPC). The other two cigars in his line are the Ruby and Black
Gold. The entire 1502 cigar line is being distributed under the House of Emilio
brand name. Now, let’s get into the cigar!
The
cigar that I have smoked for review today is the toro size, which measures in
at 6 x 50. This cigar features a beautiful Nicaraguan Corojo Habano wrapper.
The binder is Nicaraguan and the fillers feature tobaccos from the regions of
Nicaragua (Estelí and Condega) and Mexico (San Andreas). The look of the cigar
is beautiful. The wrapper is smooth, silky, and has no visible veins. The foot
of the cigar is covered around the edges by the wrapper.
I
snip the cap and take a taste. The pre-light draw is very open and features floraly and spicy notes. I light it up and begin
smoking. The 1502 Emerald is producing wonderfully thick smoke, which covers
the palate well. The smoke features a nutty component and there is definitely
that Nicaraguan “zing”; that lingering spice that just hits you and hangs
around. By no means is this a bad thing, it keeps your mind and palate on its
toes waiting and hoping for next flavors to hit you. The 1502 Emerald is a slow
burner, and for us slow smokers out there, it’s a match made in heaven! The
burn is a bit wonky, but it’s correcting itself. As I progress into the cigar,
the flavors still remain the same; floraly, peppery, but now I’m getting a hint
of cedar. Along with the cedar, I’m also getting a note of vanilla and a faint
touch of cinnamon. The aramotics of this cigar are something else, in a good
way though! I can’t exactly put into words what I’m pulling in, you’ll have to
smoke it for yourself to find out! The 1502 Emerald lasted for about an hour
and twenty minutes. To sum it all up, wonderful smoke, wonderful ash, wonderful
construction. Everything about the 1502 Emerald is wonderful!
Kudos to a job well done, Enrique and the GPC team. He has a
homerun product on his hands and the ratings that this cigar is receiving are,
without a doubt, worthy! If you haven’t tried the 1502 Emerald or any of the
1502 line in general, I suggest you do. I will review the other lines in the
coming weeks. So, that’s it for the review. I hope you all enjoyed it and to
close it out, I quote Enrique Sanchez, “remember, it’s not a cigar, it’s a
1502”.
Score: 91
To look at his product line and see where there is an
authorized retailer near you visit:
Fonseca CXX Anni Rarissimus Corona
The CXX Anni Rarissimus Corona measures in 6 3/8 x 46 with a dark brown, oily but rough Dominican Habano Vuelta Arriba sun-grown wrapper. Featured in the cigar is a Cuban seed Dominican grown binder along with a Cuban seed - Domincan and Nicaraguan grown filler. This cigar honors the 120th anniversary of the Fonseca cigar company that was a limited release in 2011.
Once this cigar is lit up, I picked up some nut and cocoa backed by a mild spice on the finish. Right away you get a good bit of heavy, creamy smoke with a dead even burn and a very smooth, easy draw. About the halfway point is when the flavors take a turn from the notes of nut and cocoa to more of a spicy pepper/coffee flavor, still accompanied by a mild spice on the finish. When you get to the 3/3 point, the cigar loses momentum - you lose the thick smoke and it gets much warmer.
A nice, full-bodied smoke with a great flavor profile and solid construction makes this cigar easy to recommend to any of you cigar smokers out there. If you haven't smoked this Fonseca yet, go and pick it up! (Running just around $8).
Stogie Rite score: 89
Once this cigar is lit up, I picked up some nut and cocoa backed by a mild spice on the finish. Right away you get a good bit of heavy, creamy smoke with a dead even burn and a very smooth, easy draw. About the halfway point is when the flavors take a turn from the notes of nut and cocoa to more of a spicy pepper/coffee flavor, still accompanied by a mild spice on the finish. When you get to the 3/3 point, the cigar loses momentum - you lose the thick smoke and it gets much warmer.
A nice, full-bodied smoke with a great flavor profile and solid construction makes this cigar easy to recommend to any of you cigar smokers out there. If you haven't smoked this Fonseca yet, go and pick it up! (Running just around $8).
Stogie Rite score: 89
E.P. Carrillo New Wave Conecticut Brillante
The E.P. Carrillo New Wave Connecticut Brillante measures 6x52 with a nice, oily smooth Ecuadoran wrapper. Inside the cigar you get a very tasty blend of Nicaraguan and Dominican tobaccos. I'm just going to come out now and say that this cigar is fantastic. One of the best smokes I've had for it's price (around $6). Let's light it up and get down to details.
When you get the cigar lit up, it will be hard not to notice the thick smoke that the stick produces. The first flavors I picked up started with some nut backed by a mild spice on the finish. One thing I noticed was it had a very smooth/easy sweetness that lingers on your tongue almost throughout the whole cigar. A nice touch, especially if you're into mild cigars.
The 2/3 - 3/3's point ends with hints of earth and coffee. This New Wave Connecticut has caught my attention and will definitely go down on my "everyday smoke" list. Perfect for an early morning, noon, or night smoke. If you haven't picked this cigar up yet, I highly recommend it.
Stogie Rite score: 94
When you get the cigar lit up, it will be hard not to notice the thick smoke that the stick produces. The first flavors I picked up started with some nut backed by a mild spice on the finish. One thing I noticed was it had a very smooth/easy sweetness that lingers on your tongue almost throughout the whole cigar. A nice touch, especially if you're into mild cigars.
The 2/3 - 3/3's point ends with hints of earth and coffee. This New Wave Connecticut has caught my attention and will definitely go down on my "everyday smoke" list. Perfect for an early morning, noon, or night smoke. If you haven't picked this cigar up yet, I highly recommend it.
Stogie Rite score: 94
2013 Cigar of the Year
A lot went into deciding which cigar would be the Stogie Rite 2013 cigar of the year. Many cigars were smoked and reviewed, but choosing just one is the hardest part. When examining a cigar, I look for overall flavor, construction, aroma, complexity, and finish. Finding a cigar that reaches perfection in those categories is hard, but possible.
For 2013, the Davidoff Nicaragua Tubos Rosado Robusto was the obvious choice for cigar of the year. This cigar rocked the categories mentioned above. Not only are the flavors phenomenal, but this cigar pairs well with almost any drink. Flavor-wise you get sweet pepper, roasted nut, floral notes, and coffee combined with a very tasty Habano wrapper. This stick provides everything you can possibly want in a cigar: perfect burn, draw, and smoke output. Fantastic for both a first-time cigar smoker and a pro.
Stogie Rite isn't even a year old yet and we already have a solid following. Much appreciation goes out to those who follow on Instagram and those who read the reviews. Here's to another great year!
For 2013, the Davidoff Nicaragua Tubos Rosado Robusto was the obvious choice for cigar of the year. This cigar rocked the categories mentioned above. Not only are the flavors phenomenal, but this cigar pairs well with almost any drink. Flavor-wise you get sweet pepper, roasted nut, floral notes, and coffee combined with a very tasty Habano wrapper. This stick provides everything you can possibly want in a cigar: perfect burn, draw, and smoke output. Fantastic for both a first-time cigar smoker and a pro.
Stogie Rite isn't even a year old yet and we already have a solid following. Much appreciation goes out to those who follow on Instagram and those who read the reviews. Here's to another great year!
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