Series: Fausto

Size: FT127 (Robusto) 5” X 54 ring

Origin: Habano Ecuador Wrapper, Nicaraguan binder and filler

A few weeks ago, I dug the Tatuaje ‘Fausto’ out of my humidor for the simple reason that I had just enough time for a robusto sized cigar.  So, when I opened the humidor and saw the Fausto at the top of the pile, the decision making ended right there.  I grabbed the Fausto, paired it with some diesel strength coffee, and made for the man chairs on my balcony.  Here’s how it all played out:

Construction:  My Fausto was generally ominous looking, and medium firm from cap to foot.  The dark wrapper was slightly oily to the touch, and had a little bit of tooth to it. The cap was very well done, and there were no distinct aromas off the foot. The cold draw was medium, and did not give any notable flavours.

First Third: The Fausto welcomed me with heavy, meaty flavor, and poured off smoke from the moment I lit up.  Earth and coffee bean flavors hit the front of the palate, and the finish tasted of cocoa.  The Fausto had a nice medium draw, and burned well.  The Fausto was medium in strength through the first third.

Second Third:  The Fausto continued to deliver solid, organic flavor through the second third.  I picked up dark chocolate flavours with a bit of a “spicy – not peppery” character on the finish.  The draw was medium, the burn was good, and my Fausto continued to belch thick clouds of smoke at my command.  I’d describe the Fausto as medium to full strength through the second third.

Final Third:  Thick, but not overwhelming.  That’s the best way I can describe the final third of the Fausto.  The flavours remained consistent with what I’d picked up halfway through, but the finish took on a nice, sweet leathery character reminiscent of well aged Cuban wrappers.  The draw and burn remained good, and during the final third, the Fausto showed its true, mouth watering strength. I smoked the Fausto down to the finger burning end.

Overall:  The picture of me scorching my fingers is all the review this cigar needs.  That being said, the Fausto was so damn good, I figure I’ll expand on that last picture a little bit.

I chose the Tatuaje Fausto looking for a cigar that would occupy a robusto sized chunk of my afternoon.  In exchange for my time, I got a mouthful of well balanced, old school flavor that changed up just enough to keep me guessing. Organics like earth, coffee and cocoa dominated the mix, and played nicely with the massive strength of the blend.  The Fausto poured off smoke and had an excellent, rich mouth feel to it while also being powerful and balanced.  All said and done, the Fausto was a thoroughly enjoyable, incredibly strong cigar.  Would I recommend this cigar?  Absolutely, but with the disclaimer that the Fausto is an incredibly strong cigar which doesn’t quite hit you until you’ve let your guard down.   Would I buy another? Hell yes.

Rock out,

-Matt

Series:  Antano – Dark Corojo ‘Doble Forte’

Size: El Martillo – 5 ½” x 54

Origin:  Nicaraguan wrapper, binder and filler

Saturday night I found myself sifting through the humidors, looking for an ‘after dinner’ kind of cigar. As usual, I was having a tough time choosing.  I finally decided to make a blind grab, and found myself holding a dark, dark cigar with set of slightly ominous looking black and gold bands.  Closer inspection showed that I’d pulled the Joya De Nicaragua Antano Dark Corojo,  Doble Forte (or, double strength) in the ‘El Martillo’ size.  I’ve been a fan of JDN cigars for years, so the Dark Corojo had a high set of expectations to meet.  Here’s how it played out:

Construction:   My Antano Dark Corojo sported a very dark, slightly rumpled wrapper, and was very firm from end to end.  There was one notable vein on the wrapper, and the cap was absolutely perfect.  The foot of the Antano Dark Corojo had a mild tobacco smell to it, and after choosing a V-cut, the unlit draw didn’t offer up any distinct flavours.

First Third:  Each draw from the Antano Dark Corojo filled my mouth with a fantastic sweetness that made me think of spiced honey, before finishing with notes of black cherry.  The taste was smooth from start  to finish, and the Antano Dark Corojo gave off phenomenal clouds of smoke with little effort.  I recognized the sweetness as a warning sign that this cigar was not to be messed with, and focused on not hurrying through a powerhouse cigar. During the first third, the draw was easy, the burn required a minor correction, and the strength was medium to full.

Second Third: The second third introduced a hint of white pepper at the start of the draw.  The pepper was really noticeable through the nose, but only faintly present on the palate.  The sweet, rich mouth feel continued, and a hint of spice crept into the finish.  The draw firmed up a bit and wasn’t quite as open, but the Antano Dark Corojo was still giving off as much smoke as I could handle with almost no effort.  Anyone who enjoys cigars will understand me when I say that heading into the second third, the Antano Dark Corojo was strong enough that it was making my mouth water.  My palate was fully engaged, and the cigar was definitely full strength through the second third.

Final Third: The Anatano Dark Corojo kept things interesting moving into the final third.  The black cherry finish from the first third showed up at the front of the draw.  The white pepper taste faded from the palate but was still present through the nose, and a hint of leather was noticeable mid-palate.  A strong, sweet, lingering finish showcased the ligero content of the cigar through to the end.  The draw remained medium firm, and offered up ridiculous amounts of smoke.  The burn was good, and the Antano Dark Corojo was astonishingly powerful through the final third.

Overall:  I finished the Antano Dark Corojo grateful that I’d had a big dinner, and convinced that it was one of the three most powerful cigars I’ve ever smoked, if not the most powerful.  A few days later, I haven’t changed my mind on that.  It’s one thing to make a cigar strong for the sake of strength (which I’m not a fan of), but to make a cigar this strong that is easy to smoke and has such depth of flavor shows  a level of craftsmanship not often seen.  In summary, the Antano Dark Corojo was beastly strong, burned forever, offered up a fantastic range of flavor, and gave off so much smoke I was worried someone would think my balcony was on fire.  Would I recommend this cigar?  Absolutely, but heed my warning…. This is a very, very strong cigar, blended for serious cigar smokers.  If you’re usually a casual smoker or prefer milder cigars, the Antano Dark Corojo will give you a good rodgering and leave you in a world of ligero hurt.  Would I buy another?  I can’t wait to.  Three cheers for the folks at Joya De Nicaragua for balancing raw power with depth of flavor.

Rock out,

-Matt

The V Cut Cigar Lounge,  Los Angeles, CA

On a recent trip to sunny Los Angeles, California, I had the pleasure of stopping in at ‘The V Cut’ Cigar Lounge.  In a city packed with sketchy smoke shops, The V Cut was a fantastic place to visit and relax with a few cigars. After my afternoon there, I feel I’d be doing the Cigaropolis faithful a disservice by not writing it up.  Here’s the lowdown on The V Cut Cigar Lounge.

Where Is It?

The V Cut Cigar Lounge is located at 8172 Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles.  It’s a short distance from all sorts of great restaurants and shopping, and you’ll find street parking in the area.

What Does the V-Cut Cigar Lounge Offer?

The V-Cut Cigar Lounge features a large, walk in humidor with an expansive selection of handmade cigars.  During my visit to the V-Cut, I found just about every brand of cigar I was looking for. CAO, Nestor Miranda, Illusione, Tatuaje, Ashton, J.Fuego, Jaime and Don Pepin Garcia are just a few of the names you’ll find represented in the V Cut’s humidor.  I also noted that the selection at The V Cut spans from straightforward, basic cigars to high end smokes that are not easily found.  The V Cut also offers a small selection of pipes, and a modest selection of brand name cigar accessories such as lighters, cutters, and humidors.   Despite the fact that the V Cut Lounge is a sizeable shop in a premium location, I found the cigar prices to be quite fair. Whether you’re in the mood for a $5 cigar or a $50 cigar, you’ll find it in the V Cut’s humidor.

In addition to the excellent cigar selection, the V cut Cigar Lounge also has spacious lounge areas both inside and outdoors where you can enjoy your cigar from the comfort of a couch or chair.  If you’re inside, you can catch whatever is on the large, flatscreen TV, or just chill out and watch the world go by through the entirely glass storefront.

Why The Hell Should I Go There?

As anyone who reads Cigaropolis knows, I won’t recommend a place unless the cigars, staff, pricing and overall experience are excellent.  The V Cut Cigar Lounge scores big in each of these categories, and also plays host to plenty of faithful regulars who are friendly as hell, and add to the overall laid back vibe.  I could go on at length about what makes the V Cut Cigar Lounge such an excellent location for cigar lovers,  but I think it’s best described as an incredibly relaxed cigar experience whether you’re there to buy, smoke, or both.  I also have to give a big thanks to Adam, who was working when I first arrived.  Adam was happy to answer any question I had about cigars, and clearly knew his products inside and out.  In the short period of time I spent at the V Cut Cigar Lounge, I felt at home, and was glad I was able to stop and visit.  If you, or any of your cigar lovin’ buddies happen to be in Los Angeles, you’d be a fool not to stop and check out The V Cut Cigar Lounge.  Check ‘em out at http://thevcut.com/index2.php#/home/  for more information.

Rock out,

-Matt

Series:  ‘Xen’ by Nish Patel

Size: Toro –  6” x 52 ring

Origin:  Connecticut wrapper, Nicaraguan binder and ‘secret’ filler

After a far too lengthy hiatus, Cigaropolis is once again going full smoke ahead.  Due to a number of big changes over the last few months such as moving and starting a new job, I’ve had woefully little time to smoke, and even less time to write about it.  Thankfully, balance has pretty much been restored, and I’m resuming my one man mission to share the passion that is cigars with everyone I can.

I recently had the pleasure of rocking the ‘Xen’ by Nish Patel, which is made by Rocky Patel cigars. There’s not much more I can say without tipping my hat, so let’s plow into the review.

Construction:  After several months of hanging out in the humidor, my Xen was silky smooth, and had a nice oily sheen to the tan colored Connecticut wrapper.  The box-press treatment was more noticeable near the foot, which smelled of aged tobacco. From end to end, there was not a blemish to be found on the Xen.  The cap on my Xen was perfect, and offered a nice medium draw after I chose to V-cut.

First Third:  The Xen started off with a solid, medium draw, and gave a hint of pepper mid palate. The cigar was smooth with an excellent mouth feel, and the wrapper had a nice mild leathery sweetness to it.  In between puffs, the Xen smoldered low and barely burned, then roared to life again and poured off smoke with each puff.  The burn was good through the first third, and required a mild touch up.  I’d describe this as being a mild cigar through the first third.

Second Third: The hint of pepper settled down a little as I burned through the second third of the Xen. Each draw started with a nice toasty flavor and finished with a bit of a nutty flavor.  The excellent taste from the wrapper and smooth mouth feel continued through the second third of the Xen.  The draw stayed at a comfortable medium, and the burn required minor touch ups.  The cigar was mild to medium in strength through the second third.

Final Third:  The Xen remained excellently smooth on the palate heading into the final third. It remained creamy, smooth and toasty at the start of each draw, and finished a little stronger with a nutty, almost nutmeg flavor. The draw remained medium, the burn required a few touch ups, and the strength hit a solid medium near the end.   

Overall:  The ‘Xen’ is likely one of the most appropriately named cigars I’ve smoked in a while.  Paired with dark rum and a little bit of port, this cigar was deadly smooth, nicely balanced, and smoked incredibly well from end to end.  Just a few minutes in, I found the excellent wrapper and rich mouth-feel of the ‘Xen’ had me completely at ease. Near the end, I found myself thinking that the ‘Xen’ would also pair beautifully with a nice strong coffee.  Would I recommend the Xen?  Yes, absolutely.  I feel that the Xen is a nice, medium strength smoke which is balanced enough to be appreciated by both serious and novice cigar smokers.  Would I buy another? Absolutely.  Next time I’ll smoke my Xen with a strong black coffee and see how it goes.

Rock out, and thanks for following the ‘Opolis,

-Matt

Series:  Havana VI

Size: Angeles – (Petit Corona – 4 5/8 x 42)

Origin: Made in Nicaragua by Jaime Garcia at My Father Cigars S.A. – Habano Ecuador wrapper with Nicaraguan binder and filler.

If cigars are a regular part of your life, then you probably have the occasional struggle to pick the right cigar for a certain timeframe.  I found myself in this position a few nights back.  I had about an hour to commit to a cigar, including prep, review pictures, and building a beverage.  I knew anything robust-ish or larger just wouldn’t do, and found myself reaching for the Tatuaje Havana VI in the ‘Angeles’ or petit corona size.  At a slender 4 5/8” x 42, I figured this smoke would  work perfectly.

Construction:  My Havana VI had a fantastic dark brown wrapper with a nice oily feel to it.  There were no defects in the wrapper, the cap was near perfect, and the cigar was medium-firm from end to end.  The unlit foot had a fresh tobacco smell to it, and I got no distinct flavour from the cold draw.

First Third:  The Havana VI came out of the gates with a mouthful of pepper, followed by a rich leathery finish with hints of dark chocolate or cocoa.  The cigar smoldered and barely burned between puffs, but roared off smoke when required.  The draw was a happy medium, and the burn required minor correction.  I found the cigar was medium in strength through the first third.

Second Third:  The second third reminded me again what I love about Tatuaje cigars.  There was absolutely no confusion about what sort of flavours were hitting my palate. Each draw offered up a nice pepper / leather combo at the front end, which turned into a savoury chocolate / leather finish.  The finish became a little sweeter as I worked through the second third.  The burn improved, and the draw remained excellent.  The cigar continued to belch smoke on the draw, but barely smolder between puffs, and I had to relight on two occasions. The strength was more of a medium-full through the second third.

Final Third:  The final third of the Havana VI was like the exclamation mark finishing a sentence.  A straightforward pepper and leather combo balanced perfectly, and the leather finish became a little stronger.  The draw stayed great, and I had to relight a couple more times, but I wasn’t terribly concerned about it.  The relights in the final third may have been partially user-error, as the strength of the Havana VI was starting to hit me, and I slowed it down a little.

Overall:  The Tatuaje Havana VI in the Angeles size was rock and roll in a small package.  It ripped off smoke on command, had a balanced, well defined flavour profile, and a subtle strength that was impressive for a petit corona size cigar.  In the end, the slow, slow burn of the Angeles pushed me over my one hour window, and I was truly shocked at how long this petit corona burned for.  Would I recommend this cigar? Absolutely I would.  Just be forewarned that this petit corona has a deceptive kick to it.  Would I buy another?  Indeed.  For a sub $8 stick, the Havana VI in the Angeles size is plenty of bang for the buck.

Rock out,

-Matt

Series: Allones Extra / Edicion Limitada 2011

Size: 44 ring x 143mm (5 5/8”) in length

Origin:  All tobacco in this cigar is from Vuelta Abajo, Cuba.  The wrapper is shade grown, and the wrapper, binder, and filler are aged for a minimum of two years.

A few days back, it hit me that it’s been far too long since I dipped into my Cuban humidor for a Cuban cigar review.  I decided to remedy my Cuban craving with the Ramon Allones, Allones Extra ‘Edicion Limitada 2011’.  I’d been hanging on to this particular stick for about a year, and figured there was no time like the present to see how this all Cuban smoke had aged.  Once I’d set up with some Havana Club Anejo and a V-Cutter, the review was underway.

Construction:  The wrapper on my Allones was medium brown, slightly rumpled looking in places, and had a mild toothiness to it.  After a solid year of rest, I also noted some light bloom near the cap.  The cigar was medium-firm from end to end, and the unlit foot had an earthy tobacco aroma to it.  After a V-cut, the unlit draw gave off a mild leathery taste.

First Third: My Ramon Allones got off to a good start with a thick mouth feel and plenty of smoke.  The flavors were interesting, with a subtle dark chocolate taste hitting the palate before a soft leather finish came in.  The wrapper had a distinct taste of fennel / licorice which stood on its own, and didn’t seem to come through in the smoke.  The draw was medium firm through the first third, and the burn was good, requiring a mild correction. The strength of the Ramon Allones was medium.

Second Third:  I had a moment of panic as the draw tightened up heading into the second third. I was hit with flashbacks of Cuban cigars, and some big name non Cubans, which I’d paid dearly for and aged carefully, only to have them plug up on me.  Just as a single bead of sweat broke out on my brow, the draw began to open up again, the Ramon Allones began to hit my palate a little harder, and balance was restored.  The dark chocolate note was a little stronger at the beginning of the draw, and a vanilla taste crept into the leathery finish.  Aside from a moment of panic, the draw remained good, and the burn required more correction.  The strength was a pleasant medium.

Final Third:  The Ramon Allones remained fairly stable as I burned through the final third.  The cigar had a little more bite to the finish, and I made note again of the nice anise taste from the wrapper.  The burn required minor correction (again), the draw and strength remained medium.

Overall:  The Ramon Allones ‘Edicion Limitada 2011’ was a solid, medium strength smoke, delivering distinct flavours of dark chocolate, leather and vanilla.  The wrapper is what really makes this cigar stand out in my mind, as the fennel character paired unexpectedly well with the rest of the cigar.  The burn required several minor corrections, but it wasn’t enough to take away from my overall enjoyment of the cigar. Would I recommend this cigar?  Yes.  If you’re in the market to spend a few bucks more than you usually would on a limited edition Cuban, give it a shot.  Would I buy another? Definitely. It’d be worth the price to hang on to a few of these and see how they age over say, 5 to 10 years.

Rock out,

-Matt

Series: 1888 ‘Longfiller’

Size: Short Robusto – 4” x 50

Origin: Made in the Dominican Republic with Ecuadorian wrapper, and a “…blend of tobaccos from several countries”

One of the challenges in conducting cigar reviews is resisting the urge to reach for cigars you’re familiar with.  I could name a few brands that I’d be quite happy to smoke forever, but that wouldn’t lend much variety to Cigaropolis.  With this in mind, I dug through one of the humidors a few nights ago and came out with the Villiger 1888 Longfiller – another cigar I’ve never smoked.  Knowing absolutely nothing about this cigar, I set myself up with some Bowmore 12yr and made for the deck.  Here’s how it played out:

Construction:  The Villiger 1888 was generally well made.  The cigar was quite firm from cap to foot, and the tan coloured wrapper was smooth with a nice oily feel to it.  There were no prominent veins in the wrapper, and the cap was noticeably uneven.  The unlit foot of the cigar gave off a smell that I struggled to describe for a minute, until I realized it was fish food I was thinking of.  Anyone who’s ever fed fish using fish flakes would instantly recognize that same pungent-sweet aroma on the foot of the Villiger.  This actually excited me, as there’s quite often a link between foul smelling cigars and big, complex flavour. There were no distinct flavours on the cold draw, although the wrapper had a notable sour taste to it.

First Third:  For the first minute or two, the draw was so open that it was actually difficult to get any smoke.  The draw soon balanced out, delivering mild earthy notes and a subtle hint of leather. After a while, I started to get an ash-like aftertaste with each draw. The strength was mild through the first third, and the burn required several corrections.

Second Third:  Mild leather with the occasional hint of sweetness was about as complex as this cigar got during the second third.  This is right around where my disappointment with the VIlliger 1888 began.  With each draw I received a mild, pleasant enough taste and mouth-feel for a split second. The mild pleasant taste then gave way to the ashy tasting finish. The burn remained poor during the second third, and required several corrections.  The strength was just a little past mild.

Final Third:  Only for the education of the Cigaropolis faithful did I hang in this long. In fact, if I wasn’t enjoying The Bowmore 12 year, I might have quit at the 2/3 mark.  I never finished the final third of the cigar, as the ash taste on the finish became stronger, and the cigar started to hit me in the back of the throat a little bit. There was no redemption at this point, and the cigar was flat out unpleasant.  I snapped the last of the review photos and quit the cigar.

Overall:  I was sadly disappointed by the Villiger 1888 in the short robusto size.  The cigar was constructed well, and had a promising pungent aroma on the pre-light, but it was all downhill from there.  An ash aftertaste plagued what might have otherwise been a mild, straightforward cigar.  The draw was generally good, but the burn was a pain in the ass.  Would I recommend this cigar?  Based on this experience, there’s no way I could. Would I smoke another?  Not likely. With some convincing, I may be open to trying the VIlliger 1888 in another size, as I believe my short robusto may have been a dud, but it’d be a tough sell after this bitter smoke.

Rock out,

-Matt

Product: The Xikar ‘VX’ Metal V-Cutter

So I’ve realized there’s no way to do this review without a little preamble about my history with V-cutters.  Many years ago, when I started to get into cigars seriously, I wound up purchasing a green plastic no-name ‘3 in 1’ style cigar cutter for less than $10 from a local corner store. The el-cheapo guillotine style cutter offered small and large guillotine options, as well as a V-cutter on the side.  This was my first real experience with a ‘V’ cut (sometimes referred to as a ‘cats eye’ cut), and I loved it. I ‘V’ cut every cigar I got my hands on until my el-cheapo cutter dulled to the point where it was just mangling my smokes.   Did I mention the transition from sharp and new to mangling my smokes only took about a dozen cuts?   And so for years, this has been the problem with V-Cutters. If you’re a serious cigar smoker, you can find them cheap, but you’ll be mangling smokes in no time. You can also find them built into lighters and sold at outrageous prices, but frankly, most serious cigar smokers, and most of the guys I smoke with, can’t be bothered with something that costs so much and looks so pretty you’d be worried about dropping it or losing it. Enter Xikar with the VX series V-Cutter.  The VX is a relatively new entry to the cigar cutter market, and as soon as I caught wind of the product, I had to have one.  I purchased my Xikar VX cutter for roughly $49.99 with the gunmetal finish in March of 2012, and have been using it steadily since.  After roughly 7 months of solid usage, it’s time for me to share what I’ve learned about the Xikar VX Cutter.

Construction:   The Xikar VX cutter has a solid, hefty feel to it as soon as it’s out of the box.  The all metal build looks great, and there’s not a wobble or rattle to be found.  The cutter works with an action similar to that of a single guillotine cutter.  Whether you use a thumb and forefinger, thumb and index finger, or any other combination of digits to open and close the VX, there’s plenty of room for your fingers on either end, and it grips comfortably.  Viewed from the front, the VX shows just enough of the razor sharp stainless steel blade that those of you who haven’t used a Vcutter will be wondering if it’s really going to cut your cigar, or perhaps just scratch the cap.

If you flip the VX over to look at the backside of it, you’ll notice several metal screws holding the VX together. This impresses me for two reasons, the first being that if dropped (which I’ve done), you know the VX will not split open or otherwise come apart on you. The second reason this impresses me is because the exposed screws are bad-ass, and Xikar has taken care in the placement and setting of the screws, so that they become part of the overall aesthetic.  While looking at the backside of the VX, you’ll also notice that it’s curved just slightly enough to allow the VX cutter to act as a cigar rest.

Function: The slick looks and solid build of the VX would be utterly wasted if it couldn’t produce consistent, clean V-cuts again and again.  To my delight, the VX handled the first few robusto sized cigars I threw at it with ease. The razor-sharp stainless steel blade cut smoothly and produced incredibly clean cuts each time.  That was 7 months ago, and I’ve cut dozens of cigars of varying ring gauges with my VX since then. With no maintenance other than a cotton swab and some rubbing alcohol to clean oils from the blade, I’ve been getting consistent, excellent cuts every time the VX comes out. Even if you haven’t used a V cutter, there’s no trick to it, and no real explanation required. You just need to open the cutter, settle the cap of your cigar into the circular depression on the face of the cutter, and decisively make the cut.

Overall: After several months of moderate to heavy usage, a few road trips, and a bit of abuse, my Xikar VX cutter looks and performs as flawlessly as it did the day I bought it.  Yes it’s a V cutter, but for me it’s become more of a dependable piece of cigar machinery that I rely on regularly.  Polished, tough looks, outstanding function, a very attractive $50-ish price point, and Xikar’s outstanding warranty all combine to earn the Xikar VX Metal Cutter the Cigaropolis seal of approval. I feel comfortable recommending this cutter to anyone, and if you’ve never used a V cutter, or are still hanging onto a cheapo-mangler like me a few years back, you’d do well to try the VX.

Rock out,

-Matt

Series:  1878

Size: Robusto (5×52)

Wrapper: Brazilian

Binder: 1998 Dominican Criollo

Filler: Nicaraguan and Dominican Criollo

This review starts with a shout out to Dan, a fellow Brother of the Leaf who hooked me up with this fine cigar unexpectedly.  The 1878 Cubano Especial Capa Madura is made by Pinar Del Rio (PDR) Cigars, and up until this review was not a smoke I was familiar with.  After I got my hands on the 1878, it was all I could do to wait for the weekend to fire it up.  When the appropriate Friday evening arrived, I paired it with a glass of The Balvenie 12 year Doublewood and made for the garage.

Construction:  My 1878 Capa Madura was excellently built. The cigar was quite firm, almost hard, from end to end, and rocked a perfectly executed pigtail cap.  The unlit foot gave off a rich, sweet tobacco smell, and while the cold draw didn’t offer any distinct flavours, the unlit tobacco which contacted my palate had a pleasant spiciness to it.

First Third: My 1878 came to life like some sort of maduro monster, belching smoke which quickly filled my garage.  The cigar had a rich mouth-fell right from the beginning, and hit hard with a hint of vanilla, cocoa notes right through the palate, and a touch of what reminded me of nutmeg on the finish.  The draw was excellent, strength was medium, and the burn through the first third required a minor correction.

Second Third:  My palate had become accustomed to the 1878 by this point, and while the rich, cocoa presence was still front and center, I started to get a little more leathery earthiness at the front of the palate.  The nutmeg like finish became less defined, and I just referred to it as ‘a hint of spice’ on the finish at this point.  The cigar was still smoking beautifully, drawing well, and a little beyond medium strength.

Final Third:  I was enjoying the smoke so much that I found it tough to write about it, but the final third was all earth and cocoa, with a hint of the former and much more of the latter.  The 1878 poured off smoke until the end, and the strength kicked up a notch to where I’d call it a full strength cigar by the end.  The draw remained excellent, and the burn required minor correction.

Overall:  The PDR 1878 Cubano Especial Capa Madura was a cigar that wasn’t on my radar before this review, and now I’m dying to smoke another.  This cigar was smooth, excellently made, had a rich mouth feel to it, and featured a carefully balanced pairing of just a few of the right flavours.  It started subtle, finished strong, and the fact that mine belched off smoke like a foundry was an added bonus to an overall great cigar experience.  Would I recommend this cigar? Hell yes. I think this is one of the rare smokes that can be appreciated by a variety of palates, although the strength of the cigar is something to consider if you’re a novice smoker.  Would I buy another?  Definitely.  Go smoke a PDR 1878 Cubano Especial and you’ll see what I mean.

Rock out,

-Matt

Series: Cru Royale

Size:  Robusto (5” x 50)

Origin: Ecuadoran Habano Wrapper, La Vega Especial Binder (Dominican Republic), and Dominican, Brazilian and Nicaraguan filler

A few days ago I forced myself to deliberately stray from my usual cigar preferences and reach for something I’d never tried before.  As I pawed through the humidor, a metallic, silvery band stood out against a dark wrapper and caught my eye.  Closer inspection revealed a Macanudo ‘Cru Royale, a cigar that I’d never tried, and had been quietly aging in my humidor for a few months.  After deciding on a rum and coke to pair with the ‘Cru’, I headed for the garage and set fire to the uncharted smoke.

Construction: My Cru Royale was below average in the construction department.  From the cap to one third of the way down the cigar was firm to hard. A large soft spot was noticeable in the middle of the cigar, and the foot was a little spongy.  The unlit foot gave off a mild earthy aroma, and the cold draw didn’t offer any distinct flavours.

First Third:  The Cru Royale fired up and offered an earthy, mildly woody taste.  The finish had a slight sweetness to it, and I couldn’t really identify any distinct flavours.  Near the end of the first third, a faint tinny or metallic flavor crept into the mix.  The burn and draw were both good through the first third, and the strength of the cigar was a little past mild.

Second Third:  Into the second third, the flavours from the Cru Royale seemed to thicken up a little.  If it makes sense, the cigar started giving a little more punch to the palate midway through the draw, and the finish smoothed out.  The faint metallic notes from the first third seemed to fade out.  The flavours were mild and earthy through the middle, and a hint of cocoa was present on the finish.  The draw became wide open, and was actually too wide open as the cigar burned through the soft spot I’d noted earlier.  After several minutes, this passed, and the draw and burn became passable again. The strength was a bit shy of medium.

Final Third:  It was in the final third that the Cru Royale took a nosedive.  I’d spent most of the cigar trying to pick out flavours and hoping for a moment where the cigar would impress me.  That moment never came.  Instead, the cigar became muddy tasting, and the finish once again turned metallic on me.  It’s worth noting that the cigar maintained a good draw and burn, but the taste was unpleasant, and it wasn’t worth finishing.

Overall:  I had high hopes for the Macanudo ‘Cru Royale’ but the cigar fell short.  The flavours started off muted, and became muddy and unpleasant as the cigar burned on.  The draw and burn were passable, then became difficult due to a construction flaw, before returning to being somewhat normal again.  Would I recommend this cigar? No.  Unfortunately this experience didn’t justify trying the Cru Royale again, or recommending it to anyone else.  I’m hoping for better luck with the next review and a few good cigars between now and then.

Rock out,

-Matt