The Rocky Patel 15th Anniversary Robusto Natural measures 5x50 with a dark, oily/leather wrapper. This cigar features Nicaraguan fillers, a Jalapa binder, and an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper. The wrapper has a nice leather aroma, and a few veins which are very visible. It has a nice tight pack with a triple cap. Time to light up.
When you get this cigar lit up, you get a nice smooth nut flavor with a leathery finish, which is what I expected. The finish doesn't have any spice on it, but feels like there could be some spice to come later on in the smoke. The cigar has a perfectly even burn, an excellent draw, and nice smoke output. Definitely a medium-bodied smoke... full of flavor with a little strength. So far so good.
The 2/3 point of this cigar was interesting to me. I felt as if the flavor on the finish swapped with the flavor on the initial puff. So I was getting leather flavors with nut on the finish. Also, some black pepper came into the finish, adding a little spice. Very nice transition/addition.
3/3's to the end of this cigar stayed the same for the most part. The leathery flavor stayed but the hints of nut went back and blended with the leather making for a very nice smoke at the nub. The smoke stayed cool all the way until the end. Even burn the whole way through, perfect draw, and nice smoke output made this a cigar that I will definitely buy again. This is the second Rocky Patel in a row to impress me. I hope he keeps it up.
Stogie Rite score: 98
Mi Barrio Robusto Dark Natural
The Mi Barrio Robusto Dark Natural measures in at 5-3/4x52, featuring a nice dark wrapper with a sandpaper feel to it. The aroma has notes of coffee, leather, dark chocolate, and wood. Construction-wise, the cigar has a very loose pack with a few visible veins. This cigar came with a sampler I ordered from Famous Smoke Shop, and had the most hype out of every cigar in the sampler. Let's see if it's worth all the hype it's getting.
When you first light up this cigar, you get an almost overwhelming rush of dark chocolate with notes of coffee and leather, accompanied by a nice black pepper spice on the finish. During the 1/3 point of this cigar, I noticed something that was causing some problems. The burn has no resistance whatsoever. I'm not a big fan of that. Yes the pack was pretty loose, but I wasn't expecting the draw to have no resistance at all. That's just me, if you like very loose draws, then here's a great stick for you. On the plus side, the burn is dead even and the smoke output is tremendous, so I would say that makes up for the bad draw.
The 2/3 point of this cigar didn't bring many changes to the flavor or construction. The flavors are still a blend of coffee, dark chocolate, and leather. The finish has toned down a little bit... there's still a black pepper taste, but the spice has cooled off a little. Burn is still perfect, the smoke output is still great, and the draw has stayed the same.
The 3/3 point to the end of this cigar, like my last review, ended quickly. When I got to where the band would have been, the smoke became very hot, too hot to continue smoking. Overall, this was a decent cigar. If it had a better draw, I would have enjoyed it much more. The construction was great, the burn was even, and it produced a lot of smoke. If what I described in this review sounds like something you would enjoy, I recommend picking one up.
Stogie Rite score: 90
When you first light up this cigar, you get an almost overwhelming rush of dark chocolate with notes of coffee and leather, accompanied by a nice black pepper spice on the finish. During the 1/3 point of this cigar, I noticed something that was causing some problems. The burn has no resistance whatsoever. I'm not a big fan of that. Yes the pack was pretty loose, but I wasn't expecting the draw to have no resistance at all. That's just me, if you like very loose draws, then here's a great stick for you. On the plus side, the burn is dead even and the smoke output is tremendous, so I would say that makes up for the bad draw.
The 2/3 point of this cigar didn't bring many changes to the flavor or construction. The flavors are still a blend of coffee, dark chocolate, and leather. The finish has toned down a little bit... there's still a black pepper taste, but the spice has cooled off a little. Burn is still perfect, the smoke output is still great, and the draw has stayed the same.
The 3/3 point to the end of this cigar, like my last review, ended quickly. When I got to where the band would have been, the smoke became very hot, too hot to continue smoking. Overall, this was a decent cigar. If it had a better draw, I would have enjoyed it much more. The construction was great, the burn was even, and it produced a lot of smoke. If what I described in this review sounds like something you would enjoy, I recommend picking one up.
Stogie Rite score: 90
Alec Bradley Sun Grown Blend Robusto Natural
The AB Sun Grown Blend Robusto Natural measures 5x50 with a Brazilian Mata Fina wrapper and Nicaraguan Esteli and Jalapa longfillers. The cigar has a nice tight pack with a very deep earth/chocolate aroma. It features 3 caps with a few visible veins here and there. Alec Bradley cigars have always been a favorite of mine.. let's see how this one goes.
When you first light up this cigar you get a pretty good rush of a dark coffee blended with an earthy flavor. On the finish I got a semi-sweet nut, which isn't surprising because of the fact that it is sun-grown. This cigar has great smoke output, a very even burn, and a perfect draw. It's definitely medium to full bodied. The only thing I don't like so far is the cigar has a very flaky ash that will only hold on a little less than an inch at a time. Otherwise, so far so good.
The 2/3's point of this cigar brings change, but mainly to the finish and flavor. One little thing is the burn has become slightly uneven, nothing severe. The coffee flavors disappeared and the earth flavoring became much deeper along with the semi-sweet nut on the finish changed to a leather sort of flavor with a lot of spice. At this point I developed a pretty good buzz from this cigar.
3/3's to the end of this cigar was a quick one. Meaning, the cigar became very hot to the point where I ended about halfway through where the band was before removal. Although the stick did get hot at the end, I had no problems with this cigar. It provided a perfect draw, great smoke output, and a decently even burn the whole way through. Another great smoke from Alec Bradley.
Stogie Rite score: 96
When you first light up this cigar you get a pretty good rush of a dark coffee blended with an earthy flavor. On the finish I got a semi-sweet nut, which isn't surprising because of the fact that it is sun-grown. This cigar has great smoke output, a very even burn, and a perfect draw. It's definitely medium to full bodied. The only thing I don't like so far is the cigar has a very flaky ash that will only hold on a little less than an inch at a time. Otherwise, so far so good.
The 2/3's point of this cigar brings change, but mainly to the finish and flavor. One little thing is the burn has become slightly uneven, nothing severe. The coffee flavors disappeared and the earth flavoring became much deeper along with the semi-sweet nut on the finish changed to a leather sort of flavor with a lot of spice. At this point I developed a pretty good buzz from this cigar.
3/3's to the end of this cigar was a quick one. Meaning, the cigar became very hot to the point where I ended about halfway through where the band was before removal. Although the stick did get hot at the end, I had no problems with this cigar. It provided a perfect draw, great smoke output, and a decently even burn the whole way through. Another great smoke from Alec Bradley.
Stogie Rite score: 96
How to Write a Cigar Review
Here's a "how to" I wrote to show about reviewing cigars. Reviewing a cigar is almost completely opinion, but here's how I write mine.
Look: When you first get to your local cigar shop, or online (wherever you buy them, it doesn't matter), you want to take a look at the stick and just analyze the basic features that it brings. Examples: look at the wrapper (what color is it? Light? Tan? Dark?), look at the cigar tag (does it have a basic design? Or something unique?), and figure out exactly who makes the cigar you are looking at, what size, and know style for the specific cigar you chose (toro, gordo, corona, etc.). *Remember, the color of the wrapper is no indication of how strong the cigar will be*. If you can't find the specifics of the cigar you chose, ask the owner of the shop, or look it up online. After you look over the basics, check and see if you can see any visible veins and/or seams and see the amount of caps the stogie has. Average cigars have 2, sometimes you can find one that has 3-4.
Feel: After reviewing the look of the cigar, you're going to want to get a basic feel for the stick you chose. First, feel the wrapper... does it feel soft? Does it feel like sandpaper? Does it have an oily feel to it? Those are just the basics, you can, if you choose, get more detailed. Next, feel and see if the cigar has a tight pack or a loose pack. If you feel that the cigar has a loose pack, the cigar will most likely burn faster and have an easy draw. For a tighter pack, the cigar will most likely do the opposite and burn slower with more resistance in the draw.
Smell: This is the last step before lighting up the cigar. Smell up and down the cigar and see what it smells like. If you have read cigar reviews before, you probably heard the reviewer say what the cigar smelt like. (Normally it has an earth/soil aroma). But, not everyone is going to smell the same thing, so you need to smell it yourself to see what you get out of it.
Smoke: The first step for smoking, is lighting the cigar. In this post, I'm not going to describe how to light a cigar, one, because that would take a while, and two, because how you light up a cigar is strictly your preference. There are several ways to do it, just find what works for you. Ok, now that I got that point across I can continue... When you get the cigar lit up, you want to take your first 2 or 3 puffs and see what flavors you get out of them. You can get several flavors out of one cigar, or you can just get one flavor... it really just depends on the cigar. Once you decide what flavors you got, make a note of them so you don't forget. Then, you describe how the finish is. In case you don't know, the finish is the taste in your mouth after you take a puff, you usually can describe those as harsh, smooth, spicy, etc... When that is all done, you're going to want to review your cigars in halves or thirds. The way I do my reviews is I do 1/3 and describe what flavors I get, smoke to the 2/3 point and describe the flavors, and then I finish it off and tell what the end consisted of. You're going to want to describe how even/uneven the burn is, how the draw is, and how much smoke you are getting out of the stick. Remember, it's your review, so you describe what YOU got out of the cigar. Which brings me to another piece of advice. It's best not to look up the cigar you purchased and see another's review on it. Your palate is different than anyone else's. Ex: you may be getting a coffee flavor out of a cigar, and the person next to you may be tasting some chocolate. I believe it's psychological... if you read a review on the cigar you're about to review, I believe it prepares your taste buds to get the same flavors as the review you read, which could be totally different than what you would have tasted if you had not read the review. So, it's best to just review it yourself first, then you can read what you want to read about it. Again, this is all my opinion, not required.
Now that you have my steps to reviewing a cigar, I hope that you can go out and start reviewing some! One last thing.. keep it short. Personally, I hate long cigar reviews. Before I started reviewing stogies, I would be at a cigar lounge picking out a cigar. When I finally decided on one, I would pull a review of it up on my phone and start reading it. I wouldn't end up reading the whole thing because it was 5 paragraphs. That's a turn off. So, keep it short and to the point. Well... at least try.
Look: When you first get to your local cigar shop, or online (wherever you buy them, it doesn't matter), you want to take a look at the stick and just analyze the basic features that it brings. Examples: look at the wrapper (what color is it? Light? Tan? Dark?), look at the cigar tag (does it have a basic design? Or something unique?), and figure out exactly who makes the cigar you are looking at, what size, and know style for the specific cigar you chose (toro, gordo, corona, etc.). *Remember, the color of the wrapper is no indication of how strong the cigar will be*. If you can't find the specifics of the cigar you chose, ask the owner of the shop, or look it up online. After you look over the basics, check and see if you can see any visible veins and/or seams and see the amount of caps the stogie has. Average cigars have 2, sometimes you can find one that has 3-4.
Feel: After reviewing the look of the cigar, you're going to want to get a basic feel for the stick you chose. First, feel the wrapper... does it feel soft? Does it feel like sandpaper? Does it have an oily feel to it? Those are just the basics, you can, if you choose, get more detailed. Next, feel and see if the cigar has a tight pack or a loose pack. If you feel that the cigar has a loose pack, the cigar will most likely burn faster and have an easy draw. For a tighter pack, the cigar will most likely do the opposite and burn slower with more resistance in the draw.
Smell: This is the last step before lighting up the cigar. Smell up and down the cigar and see what it smells like. If you have read cigar reviews before, you probably heard the reviewer say what the cigar smelt like. (Normally it has an earth/soil aroma). But, not everyone is going to smell the same thing, so you need to smell it yourself to see what you get out of it.
Smoke: The first step for smoking, is lighting the cigar. In this post, I'm not going to describe how to light a cigar, one, because that would take a while, and two, because how you light up a cigar is strictly your preference. There are several ways to do it, just find what works for you. Ok, now that I got that point across I can continue... When you get the cigar lit up, you want to take your first 2 or 3 puffs and see what flavors you get out of them. You can get several flavors out of one cigar, or you can just get one flavor... it really just depends on the cigar. Once you decide what flavors you got, make a note of them so you don't forget. Then, you describe how the finish is. In case you don't know, the finish is the taste in your mouth after you take a puff, you usually can describe those as harsh, smooth, spicy, etc... When that is all done, you're going to want to review your cigars in halves or thirds. The way I do my reviews is I do 1/3 and describe what flavors I get, smoke to the 2/3 point and describe the flavors, and then I finish it off and tell what the end consisted of. You're going to want to describe how even/uneven the burn is, how the draw is, and how much smoke you are getting out of the stick. Remember, it's your review, so you describe what YOU got out of the cigar. Which brings me to another piece of advice. It's best not to look up the cigar you purchased and see another's review on it. Your palate is different than anyone else's. Ex: you may be getting a coffee flavor out of a cigar, and the person next to you may be tasting some chocolate. I believe it's psychological... if you read a review on the cigar you're about to review, I believe it prepares your taste buds to get the same flavors as the review you read, which could be totally different than what you would have tasted if you had not read the review. So, it's best to just review it yourself first, then you can read what you want to read about it. Again, this is all my opinion, not required.
Now that you have my steps to reviewing a cigar, I hope that you can go out and start reviewing some! One last thing.. keep it short. Personally, I hate long cigar reviews. Before I started reviewing stogies, I would be at a cigar lounge picking out a cigar. When I finally decided on one, I would pull a review of it up on my phone and start reading it. I wouldn't end up reading the whole thing because it was 5 paragraphs. That's a turn off. So, keep it short and to the point. Well... at least try.
Gurkha Ghost Exorcist Double Toro
The Gurkha Ghost Exorcist is a 6x60 stick that has a rough sandpaper feel to the Brazilian Arapiraca wrapper. The cigar brings a really dark wrapper that has a very earthy aroma to it (not lit). You can see the veins which isn't a big deal, along with a tight pack with some soft spots. Time to light up.
First rush you get with this stick is a basic tobacco flavor blended with some pepper and sweetness. Once I got about an inch done, some pepper and spice came in. So, a very nice blend at the beginning. Strength-wise, you can tell right away that this is a full-bodied cigar... I don't mind them, but you will work up a pretty good buzz. The draw is perfect with a even burn. If you look at other reviews for this stick, you'll see them all commenting on how much smoke this cigar will produce... it's all true. I was shocked how much smoke this cigar made. It produced a ton of smoke when I puffed on it, and when the cigar was just sitting there. Definitely one of the smokiest smokes out there.
2/3 to the end of the smoke really make you feel that this cigar is full-bodied. The flavoring stayed the same but they all intensified which left me feeling a strong buzz. To all you full-bodied lovers out there, this would be a cigar to try. The even burn, perfect draw, nice blend of flavors, and tremendous smoke output made this cigar an enjoyable smoke.
Stogie Rite score: 89
First rush you get with this stick is a basic tobacco flavor blended with some pepper and sweetness. Once I got about an inch done, some pepper and spice came in. So, a very nice blend at the beginning. Strength-wise, you can tell right away that this is a full-bodied cigar... I don't mind them, but you will work up a pretty good buzz. The draw is perfect with a even burn. If you look at other reviews for this stick, you'll see them all commenting on how much smoke this cigar will produce... it's all true. I was shocked how much smoke this cigar made. It produced a ton of smoke when I puffed on it, and when the cigar was just sitting there. Definitely one of the smokiest smokes out there.
2/3 to the end of the smoke really make you feel that this cigar is full-bodied. The flavoring stayed the same but they all intensified which left me feeling a strong buzz. To all you full-bodied lovers out there, this would be a cigar to try. The even burn, perfect draw, nice blend of flavors, and tremendous smoke output made this cigar an enjoyable smoke.
Stogie Rite score: 89
Nording Toro Grande by Rocky Patel
This 6x58 stick is a fantastic smoke. If you read my Rocky Patel Renaissance review you'll know that I'm not a fan of Rocky Patel cigars. I liked the look of this stick and it was one I was unfamiliar with, so I picked it up. It has a nice dark, oily wrapper that has a earthy/coffee aroma to it. It has a Costa Rico Maduro wrapper with Honduran and Nicaraguan fillers. The price is very reasonable, running around $7.
As you light this cigar you get a strong roasted coffee flavor mixed with a few hints of nut here and there. The nut flavor was pretty strong on the finish for the beginning of the smoke. The burn was super even, the draw was great with very litte resistance, and the smoke output was amazing.
2/3's point to the end of the smoke brought a little change, mostly to the finish. A nice leather flavor came into play which blended very nicely with the coffee flavor. The finish changed from the nut flavoring to a basic tobacco flavor. All the flavors blended great for a nice medium-bodied smoke. Rocky Patel gained some points with me today... great smoke.
Stogie Rite score: 97
As you light this cigar you get a strong roasted coffee flavor mixed with a few hints of nut here and there. The nut flavor was pretty strong on the finish for the beginning of the smoke. The burn was super even, the draw was great with very litte resistance, and the smoke output was amazing.
2/3's point to the end of the smoke brought a little change, mostly to the finish. A nice leather flavor came into play which blended very nicely with the coffee flavor. The finish changed from the nut flavoring to a basic tobacco flavor. All the flavors blended great for a nice medium-bodied smoke. Rocky Patel gained some points with me today... great smoke.
Stogie Rite score: 97
H. Upmann Legacy Toro
This 6x52 stick has a great oily feel to its Ecuadorian Sumatran wrapper. The cigar has a blend of Nicaraguan and Dominican tobaccos that blend together for a really great flavor.
As you light up, you get a sweet earthy rush. In my experiences, whenever you have a cigar with a smooth oily wrapper, the flavor is going to be sweet at some point during the smoke. Just an observation... back to the review. In the sweet earthy flavor, you get a few hints of nut and pepper. With the pepper comes a little bit of spice, nothing overwhelming. The smoke output could be better, same with the draw. The burn, however, is very even.
The 2/3 to the end point takes away the spice but makes the nut flavor more prevalent. The finish has been very nice. It brings an oily/wood flavor that blends perfectly. I really enjoyed this smoke, mainly because I like medium-bodied cigars with complex flavor. I recommend you pick one up (around $7).
Stogie Rite score: 94
As you light up, you get a sweet earthy rush. In my experiences, whenever you have a cigar with a smooth oily wrapper, the flavor is going to be sweet at some point during the smoke. Just an observation... back to the review. In the sweet earthy flavor, you get a few hints of nut and pepper. With the pepper comes a little bit of spice, nothing overwhelming. The smoke output could be better, same with the draw. The burn, however, is very even.
The 2/3 to the end point takes away the spice but makes the nut flavor more prevalent. The finish has been very nice. It brings an oily/wood flavor that blends perfectly. I really enjoyed this smoke, mainly because I like medium-bodied cigars with complex flavor. I recommend you pick one up (around $7).
Stogie Rite score: 94
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