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
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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