Sancho Panza Belicoso

I’ve never been a big fan of Cuban cigars. Obviously, there are great smokes made by the tiny island but for the cost of your average Havana stick, I'd rather buy 2 to 3 great Dominican or Honduran or Nicaraguan cigars. The most obnoxious smokers are those that say “I only smoke Cubans”. Shut the f**k up. That just makes you sound like a conceited arse or a complete cigar newbie.

Enough venting.

So I’m down in Cabo San Lucas for my buddy’s wedding and I figured this would be a great time to smoke some Cubans. Actually, I don't have much of a choice since most of the cigar stores in town exclusively sell Cubans (whether they are authentic or not is another matter). I bought my first stash at J&J Habanos which is an authorized dealer of Cuban cigars. Here I bought a Sancho Panza Belicoso, a Partagas Series E, and a Montecristo #3. At 15 to 20 bucks a stick, I could have bought a bunch of my favorite normal smokes back home. But since I was on vacation, what the hell.

Tonight is the perfect night to light up a cigar. I’m staying at the ME Cabo and right now I’m sitting on my balcony overlooking the ocean. It’s approaching sunset and the view of the sun slowly setting into the Sea of Cortez (or Pacific Ocean...whichever, my geography sucks) is quite unbelievable. I light up the cigar and was blown away...by a pretty average smoke. The medium-bodied cigar has a toasty aroma and earthy flavors, however, I didn’t find either particularly rich. The cigar burned evenly but did go out a few times towards the end of the smoke.

While the Sancho Panza was not a horrible cigar, it was still a huge disappointment considering the perfect surroundings. At 15 bucks a stick, there are many, many, many other cigars I would rather smoke.

Overall rating: 7 out of 10

Perdomo Lot 23

Well the fine folks at Perdomo have another winner on their hands. The Lot 23 refers to a specific lot of experimental Nicaraguan tobacco planted in 2000. They could have been planted in Area 51 for all I car since the resulting cigar is a good tasting cigar. This is a medium-bodied stick that has flavors of sweet cedar delivered in a creamy smoke. There was nothing particularly complex about the flavors, just a nice well-balanced smoke from beginning to end. The burn was slightly uneven, requiring some adjusting flames throughout the smoke. While I didn't enjoy this cigar as much as the Perdomo Habano which I reviewed last week, this is still a great cigar at a great price. You can buy a box of the Belicoso that I smoked for $90.

Overall rating: 7.5 out of 10

Oliva Series V

Creamy yumminess. That is the best description of this wonderful Nicaraguan cigar by the folks at Oliva. Rated as the #4 cigar of 2006 by Cigar Aficionado, the Series V is a fantastic cigar that is loaded with coffee and earthy flavors, all delivered in a smooth and creamy smoke. You can smoke this bad boy first thing in the morning (as I'm doing now) or as a dessert cigar after a good meal. The construction of the double robusto that I'm smoking is perfect. The ash is firm and I'm able to smoke the cigar down to the nub with no problems. The amazing thing is that you can buy a box of 24 for only $116, which proves once again that you don't need to spend a small fortune to get a great cigar.

Overall rating: 8.5 out of 10

Don Pepin Garcia Black Label Churchill 1997

Merry Christmas everyone. Well actually, it's Christmas Eve Day but I'm not at work so it's still a Merry Christmas. A couple of weeks ago, I ordered the Show Stopper Sampler from Holt's Cigars. I figured today was a good day to try one of the cigars from this great package. I selected the Don Pepin Garcia Black Laber since I was so pleased by the San Cristobal (made by Don Pepin for Ashton) that I smoked a few days ago.

The Black Label is a well made medium-bodied Nicaraguan cigar with earthy flavors. It's a good cigar but honestly, I was not blown away. The flavors and aroma isn't as rich as I expected. But still, not a bad cigar especially considering the price. You can buy a box of 20 for $120.

Overall rating: 7.5 out of 10

Perdomo Habano Maduro

No other word better describes this cigar as delicious. What an absolutely tasty cigar from the folks at Perdomo. This morning, I'm smoking the torpedo shaped version that measures 6.5 x 54 (along with my obligatory cup of coffee). The cigar looks beautiful and the construction is perfect. But the best parts of this cigar are the flavors and aromas that come through from every puff. There's a rich, bold sweetness from the tobacco and while this is a medium to full bodied smoke, there is a nice smoothness that makes this a very easy smoke. Unbelievably, this is a very affordable cigar. I found a box of the torpedo cigars at TinderBox.com for only $108. Buy a box NOW!

Overall rating: 8.5 out of 10

San Cristobal

With all they hype around cigars made by the legendary Jose Pepin Garcia, I've been eagerly waiting to try the San Cristobal to see if the cigar matched the hype. Unlike the huge disappointment of the Coronado that I smoked last night, the San Cristobal easily lived up to its hype, and then some.

What an absolutely wonderful cigar.

What's not to love about this cigar? From its rich, dark Nicaraguan wrapper to the amazingly complex and luscious flavors, this cigar is a winner from beginning to end. I'm smoking the guajiro sized cigar which measures 6.625 x 46. It's a smaller cigar than I usually go for but the smoking experience was pleasantly robust. I've got a larger monumento in my humidor that I'm saving for a special occassion.

Boxes of 22 cigars range from $176 to $264. You can buy a 5 cigar sampler at Holt's Cigars for $58. Go buy some now!!!

Overall rating: 9 out of 10.

Coronado by La Flor Dominicana

Last week, I ordered a sampler of the Coronado by La Flor Dominicana from Holt's Cigars. I was looking forward to lighting up one of these bad boys when I had some quality time to really appreciate the smoke that Cigar Aficionado named the #2 cigar of 2006. Well tonight's the night. It's a cold Friday night and I made myself a delicious cup of coffee and the crazy man Bear Grylls is on TV eating some gawdawful things.

Boy was I in for a disappointment.

Now don't get me wrong, this is not a bad cigar. It's just not what I consider a great cigar. The sun-grown Nicaraguan wrapper is beautiful and the blend of Dominican tobacco packs a punch, but I never tasted the full, rich flavors that I was expecting. I smoked the double-corona which measures a hearty 7 x 54. After smoking 2/3 of the cigars, I gave up. One more puff of the full-bodied cigar and I was going to hurl. If you like strong cigars, you can buy a box of 24 for $162.

Overall rating: 6.5 out of 10

Don Tomas Sun Grown

Spicy and sucky. That's what I thought of this cigar. While this Honduran stick looked good enough, I really didn't enjoy the smoke at all. There was a spicy kick to the cigar, but there was none of the richness of flavors that I enjoy in a good cigar. In fact, there seemed to be a chemical aroma to the smoke. Luckily, I didn't spend too much on this cigar as it was included in the Big Smoke grab bag. If you insist on trying this cigar, you can buy a box of 25 robustos (which I smoked) for $72. Yes, they are cheap, but I've smoked better cigars for less. In fact, I just ordered a sampler of Old Henry cigars from Holt's which are supposedly pretty decent value cigars made by the folks at Pepin Garcia. I'll have a review on those next week.

Overall Rating: 6 out 10

Rocky Patel Olde World Reserve

The Rocky Patel Olde World Reserve is a great cigar. This medium to full bodied cigar from Nicaragua provides a full, yet smooth smoke with licorice flavors coming through every puff. This evening, I'm smoking the torpedo which measures 5 x 54. The cigar burned nicely although it did get a bit uneven as it got closer to becoming a nub. I'm a big fan of Rocky Patel cigars and the Olde World Reserve is no exception. This isn't a cheap cigar at around $10 a stick but it's well worth the money.

Overall Rating: 8.5 out of 10

El Rico Habano

El Rico Habano is a full-bodied, Dominican cigar filled with Nicaraguan tobacco and enveloped in a beautiful dark Ecuadorian wrapper. The cigar's earthy and spicy flavors were enjoyable. One slight problem was that the Corona Suprema (6 x 60) I smoked was having issues staying lit. If you put this puppy down for more than 30 seconds, odds are that you'll have to relight. I don't think it was a construction issue since the cigar burned quite evenly. Overall, these is a great everyday cigar, especially for budget-conscious veteran cigar smokers. You can pick up a box of 25 for $74.

Overall Rating: 7 out of 10

Bolivar

Once again, it's a nice Saturday morning and I'm sitting on my trusty couch with a delicious cup of coffee and wonderful cigar. The Dominican Bolivar is one beautiful cigar. The Honduran ligero wrapper is a deep, rich brown color. This particular toro that I'm smoking this morning has been sitting in my humidor for a couple of months and it's perfectly moistened. After the first light, this cigar is just a pleasure to smoke. The aroma and flavors are of rich tobacco, exactly what I desire when I light up any cigar. Basically the cigar tastes as it looks: luscious. The burn was slightly uneven, but nothing that can't be easily managed. This is a great cigar, and at $84 for a box of 25, you can afford to smoke these everyday!

Rating: 8 out of 10

La Caya

As a veteran of thousands of cigars, I usually don't like mild cigars as they tend to be too bland for my palate. However, I thoroughly enjoyed the toro-sized La Caya cigar I smoked this evening. La Caya is a mild Domican cigar made by Luis Tomas Mendez (to be honest, I have no idea who he is). The cigar's construction was impecable. The draw was solid and the ash held very well. Despite the cigar's mildness, there was a pleasnt mellow sweetness in its flavor and aroma. This is a cigar that all of you Macanudo smokers would love. The best part of this cigar is it's price. You can buy a 20-pack sampler for only 40 bucks. 40 bucks!!! That's almost 20 hours of smoking pleasure for the price of 2 lap dances.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10

Oliva Series G

I'm usually a big fan of the Oliva Series G but the toro I smoked tonight was a real disappointment. The draw was tight from the very beginning and the flavors were well to mild for my palate. It seemed as if the creamy and earthy aroma and flavors were struggling to break through. It could have been due to the tight draw, as the cigar seemed to have opened up as I got towards the end. Before I banish this Nicaraguan cigar to the ash bin, I'll probably smoke another one in a few days to see if I just got a bad stick. One thing I can't complain about is the price. You can buy a box for $78.

Rating: 6.5 out of 10

Cuba Aliados

This is a Honduran cigar made by Rolando Reyes Sr. (of the Puros Indios fame). After I first lit the cigar, I hated it. It was too earthy, too grassy. I actually put down the cigar and planned on lighting up a different cigar from my humidor. But after a few minutes, I decided to give the cigar another shot. After lighting it up for a second time, a new layer of flavors started to emerge from the cigar. While the earthiness still dominates the palate, hints of chocolate started to come out. The burn was even and the draw was nice. The best part of the cigar is the way it looks: it just has that old school cigar look, down to its simplistic brown band. After a second chance, this turned out to be a decent cigar. The best part is that you can buy a box of the Corona de Lux size for about $92.

Rating: 7 out of 10

La Aroma de Cuba

This is one of my favorite everyday cigars. Consistantly scoring in the high 80's, low 90's by Cigar Aficionado, La Aroma de Cuba is a wonderful yet very affordable cigar made in Honduras. The silky smooth brown wrapper is simply gorgeous and the cigar band is one of my favorites. But all those asthetics don't mean a damn thing if the smoke sucks but this cigar also delivers a wonderful dose of flavors and aroma. The sweet tobacco flavor has touches of chocolate and a slight spiciness. I'm smoking the churchill version I got from the Las Vegas big smoke but I've tried a number of sizes, including the mongo Immensa, and they're all just as wonderful. You can buy a box of the churhill for $105.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Hoyo de Tradicion

From the makers of Hoyo de Monterrey comes this yummy Honduran cigar. There's a wonderful richness with hints of woodines and nuts. The cigar construction is beautiful. The combination of Dominan, Honduran, and Nicaraguan filler is wrapped in a luscious, dark Honduran wrapper. It's almost as good to look at as it is to smoke. I'm smoking the Epicure version on a grey Saturday morning with sweet cup of coffee. Life is beautiful. You can buy a box for just over $100.

Rating: 8 out of 10

Alec Bradley MAXX

Boy, was I in for a surprise. With a name like MAXX, I was expecting an overpowering cigar that would make my stomach churn and my head spin. This was not the case with this tasty and surprisingly smooth cigar by Alec Bradley. The filler is a combination of Columbian, Nicaraguan, Mexican and Honduran tobacco wrapped in a Nicaraguan wrapper. While the construction of the cigar is good, the burn was a bit uneven and I had trouble keeping the cigar lit throughout. The cigar had a rich tobacco flavor with hints of cocoa. MAXX comes in a number of sizes, all fairly big. The one I smoked was the Culture which measures 6.5 x 54. You can pick up a box for about $90.

Rating: 8 out of 10