The Quesada Cigars Oktoberfest has, for three years now, been one of my favorite seasonal releases. Also, one of the few releases I enjoy in a larger format – my max preferred ring gauge is 54.
In either case, the Quesada Oktoberfest series is a medium to full bodied offering that I think offers a fun and approachable flavor profile that can be enjoyed by new or experienced cigar smokers. Today’s review covers the Triple Bock, one of the larger sizes in the series.
Blend Specifics
Wrapper – Nicaraguan
Binder – Nicaraguan
Filler – Nicaraguan
Size: Triple Bock (6 x 56)
Appearance & Construction
The Quesada Oktoberfest 2017 is a deep, dark brown. The branding has been updated for 2017, with a new white band and a new band shape. After a straight cut, the draw is slightly restrictive (which when I light up proves to create a huge amount of smoke, which is awesome). Throughout this smoke, the burn was even, smoke production was high, and the ash a mix of white and gray.
Flavor & Smoke Characteristics
Lighting up the Quesada Oktoberfest 2017 is like lighting up a good memory. Opens with an ultra velvety smooth texture, with hints of spice. Predominant though is a deep milk chocolate combined with flakes of sea salt and peanuts.
About an inch in, the smoke becomes a bit spicy, with a sort of smoky (charcoal grill) sort of flavor rounding out the sweeter notes.
Moving into the second third, the body moves from mild – medium to a solid medium. The spicinesss and smoke become the predominent notes and the creamy, chocolatey notes take back seat.
In the final third, the Quesada Oktoberfest 2017 becomes a solid full bodied smoke. Really, really enjoyable. The smoke doesn’t heat up, construction remains perfect, and the flavors, though unchanged, are delicious.
Final thoughts
This cigar goes down as my favorite cigar from Quesada cigars ever, and that’s saying a lot because Manuel has created some truly special smokes, most recently the Plasencia Alma Fuerte.
Buy a box of these from Famous Smoke Shop, our preferred retailer, here.
Like many cigar smokers, the name Perdomo brings back fond memories of my earliest days smoking. Lot 23 Maduro, for instance: one of the first cigars I ever reviewed. So I was excited to finally get a chance to review the 20th Anniversary Maduro.
Beautiful branding and a great overall look. The wrapper of the Perdomo 20th Anniversary is a deep dark chocolate brown that sports a lot of oils as well. Just a touch of toothiness. The cold draw is slightly restrictive and gives clear notes of sweet granola, chocolate, hay, and earth.
Flavor & Smoke Characteristics
The 20th Anniversary Maduro kicks off with medium bodied smoke with notes of black pepper, bittersweet dark chocolate, dry cedar strips, some salt and other spices. The spices border more on being akin to hot peppers. Combine that with the dry cedar and you’ll need a drink to go along with this cigar.
Into the second third the cigar changes considerably. The hot pepper tones down (my palate is thankful) and moves more toward the retrohale, and the flavor becomes a bit sweeter, with the dark chocolate note becoming a bit more like milk chocolate. Additionally, there is a slightly savory note akin to beef jerky.
By half in, the peppers are still drawing down, and the texture of the Smoke is changing from very dry to slightly creamy.
In the final third, the smoke becomes dry again, a shift I’m not a big fan of.
Conclusion
Overall, I wasn’t impressed with the Perdomo 20th Anniversary Maduro. My favorite part of this cigar was probably the first 10 minutes, but I found after about an inch in the pepper notes and dry consistency of the smoke too much to be enjoyable. You’re better off sticking with other classic cigars from Perdomo like the Champagne 10th Anniversary or Champagne Noir.
I’ve been a well known fan of the team at Ashton and San Cristobal Cigars for a long time now. They create some of the most well balanced, flavorful cigars in their price range. So when I chanced upon a few San Cristobal Quintessence cigars at Nat Sherman on 42nd st, I picked them up for this review.
Enough chit chat, let’s find out how this cigar performs.
Blend Specifics
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Size: 5.5″x 50 (Robusto)
Appearance and Construction
Like other San Cristobal cigars, the Quintessence is moderately soft to the touch. There are some veins apparent, as well as other minor imperfections. The wrapper is just a shade lighter than milk chocolate. The band features the beautiful artwork so typical of San Cristobal, with the parrot centered dramatically.
Flavor and Smoke Characteristics
First third kicks off plenty with of smoke. Notes include black pepper, wood, toasted bread, and a slightly sweet, creamy flavor. It’s apparent right away that this is a sipping cigar: one that has a delicate balance of flavors and shouldn’t be smoked too quickly or flavors degrade. By an inch in, the flavors have diversified. The pepper has drawn back and joining it are notes of cloves, vanilla, and grass.
By the halfway mark, the flavor has moved from medium to medium full. Whereas in the first third the pepper was dominant on the retrohale, in the second third the retrohale is a bit gentler. By halfway, construction has remained solid and smoke production is still high
Moving into the final third, notes include pepper, some salt, floral, and creamy sweetness. Body is solid medium.
Conclusion
I don’t know what the guys at Halfwheel were smoking when they gave this cigar an 82 rating (ok, theirs is the Bellicoso size). The San Cristobal Quintessence is a phenomenal cigar for the new or veteran Smoker. You can buy the San Cristobal Quintessence from Famous Smoke Shop, our recommended retail partner, here.
It isn’t often in the world of spirits (or cigars for that matter) that a new accessory creates the veritable firestorm of buzz on whisky social media that was created by the release of the Norlan Glass. In 2017, Norlan Glass announced its newest product: Norlan VAILD (not veiled or vailed!). In this post, I’m going to go into a lot of detail on my experience thus far with the Norlan VAILD. But, I’ll cut to the chase first so you can get the gist if that’s all you want:
The Norlan VAILD is an amazing product and elevates the scotch experience. Not only that, it elevates the experience in such substantial and emotive ways that I have to recommend purchasing a set to anyone who either loves whisky or has a loved one who does.
Why? Let’s find out.
For the purposes of this review, I’ll be taking a look at form (how is it made), aesthetics, and function (what do I like / dislike about using the product).
Form
The Norlan glass is made of hand-blown borosilicate glass. For the Norlan VAILD, a matte black exterior finish is added. Inside the glass, the designers of VAILD added a recursive infinity mirror that traps the light entering the glass and putting it on full display within the glass.
The lip is concave, giving it a width very uncharacteristic of most whisky glasses.
The shape of the glass, inside and out, is distinctive, and intentional. The unique shape was made to achieve two goals, and here I’ll let the creators do the talking.
Goal 1: Aeration Through specially developed protrusion forms inside the glass — adapted through studying bio-mimicry — when swirled around the glass the fluid forms a standing wave shape, which increases the surface to air ratio and rate of oxidization. The effect here is that considerably more ethanol evaporates. This resulting reduction in volatility allows the whisky to become significantly more expressive. This feature is an invention of the Norlan glass — no other whisky glass will do this for you.
Goal 2: Aroma Focus The second main performance feature is the shape of the inner walls, which close as they rise and then flare out again so as not to hit the nose. The height and diameter of the smallest aperture focuses the aromatics to the nose while simultaneously diffusing the ethanol away from the face, fantastically improving the taste of your whisky.
Marks for form: 15/15
Aesthetic
I was in Toronto on a business trip when I saw this video in a Facebook ad for this glass. As the camera panned over the glass and the whisky was highlighted by the light emanating from the infinity mirror, I fell in love and ordered the set on the spot. However, after ordering I had my post-purchase thought: it can’t be as awesome as that video. There’s no way that the scotch is going to glow in the glass, it’s a marketing effect.
Two weeks later, I opened up the box, dropped a dab of Glenfiddich XX into the glass, and behold: there was light. It really works as advertised. Even after testing in high light to low light rooms for this review, the glow ranges from a faint, dark gold to a bright shine. It is positively hypnotic, and gives every glass of scotch I have a sense of mystery.
The glass itself is gorgeous. It falls far outside the aesthetic of a typical scotch glass. Its angular curves are modern without being flashy. Its black color is modest, creating stark contrast to the light emanating from within and keeping the focus where it belongs: on the whisky. I think aesthetic deserves a perfect 15 out of 15, but I have heard some comment that the design seems snobby or pretentious. Since the world isn’t joined in agreement on the aesthetic, I’ll knock one point off
Marks for aesthetic: 14/15
Function
As of my writing of this post, I’m about one week in to owning my Norlan Glass. Here are the highlights of what I love most about the form of this glass:
Infinity Mirror:I’ve already mentioned it but I’m going to do it again: I love the infinity mirror on the inside of this glass. It is a brilliant touch. It works as advertised. I continue to be impressed.
Wide lip: the wide lip adds a ton to the experience. As I sip my whisky, I can’t help but feel that the additional thickness of the lip adds a sort of feeling of substance to the taste of the whisky. Almost a kind of chewiness. I won’t keep going into detail on this: you’ll have to try it for yourself.
Aeration: my experience thus far is that scotches I know to be heavier on the nose in terms of ethanol are softened with this glass. I couldn’t explain to you exactly how it works, just that it does.
Weight: I’ve seen some comments about the glass itself being too light and feeling almost fragile. I think the weight is perfect, perhaps a touch on the light side. But I like the delicate feel – it encourages me to pay attention more, to take my time, to experience my whisky intentionally.
Marks for function: 15/15
Overall score: 44/45
Numbers are, of course, symbolic when it comes to reviews. The point is, this glass ups the ante on any other scotch glass in existence today, including the original Norton Glass. Of course, price is an important component, and at $58 for two, they are the most expensive whisky glasses I’ve ever purchased. But the Norlan glass is also the only scotch glass I’m likely to purchase from this time on, and that’s saying something.
Conclusion
The Norlan VAILD is a no brainer for any new or veteran whisky enthusiast. If my experience of the glass changes at any point, I will of course come back and update this review. Until then, consider me a Norton glass fanatic.
El Gueguense (“The Wise Man”) is the first release from Nicholas Mellilo of Foundation Cigar Co. Like The Tabernacle, it was reviewed very favorably by myself, the wider cigar blogosphere, and also Cigar Aficionado which gave it a Top 25 rating in 2016.
As you’ll see in the review below, this cigar deserves the praise that it gets.
Silky smooth, almost velvety wrapper. Chocolate brown criollo wrapper. Solid amount of weight in the hand. Slightly springy when squeezed. Off the foot I can smell some hay, spices, and woodiness.
Beautiful artwork on the band, but zero points for pronunciation of the name.
Flavor & Smoke Characteristics
Opens with strong notes of cedar, cinnamon, brown sugar, and touches of white pepper, baking spices, floral notes and salt. Very intriguing. Throughout the first third remains very smooth, with an enjoyable mix of sweet and savory notes. Smoke production is strong.
In the second third, black pepper notes begin to predominate, alongside lots of Oak. On top of the floral notes, this is one heck of a flavor profile. No touch ups on the burn required so far.
In the final third, the strength increases and I’m really feeling the nicotine of the smoke. The taste borders much more on the savory side. As the cigar comes to a close, the smoke is mostly dry with notes of oak and some floral notes. Not how I hoped it would end, but still a fantastic smoking experience overall.
Conclusion
This cigar offers a flavor profile that is very unique given what is currently on the market. If you are looking for a cigar that is bold, complex, and unique, then pick up a five pack.
Final grade: A
Buy the Foundation Cigar Co Gueguense from Famous Smoke Shop (our preferred retailer) here.
Up for review today is the Aging Room Sungrown Solera Fantastico (Toro). The Solera line was released at IPCPR 2016 and since then has gained significant traction in the U.S. and international market. This line is particularly visible on social media because the large double-bands make this line impossible to miss on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.
A beautifully constructed cigar in just about every way. The brown wrapper has a marblized texture, and veins are minimal. The draw is perfect, with just a bit of restrictiveness. The branding is also extremely well done, both from a practical standpoint (it stands out on the shelves) and also aesthetically.
Flavor & Smoke Characteristics
This cigar opens with mild to medium bodied smoke. Initially, there are touches of pepper and strong woodiness, but at about 3 – 4 minutes in, additional floral notes and touches of peanuts are present. The rest of the first third is dominated by round, smooth smoke and soft floral, peanut, and oak notes. Strength increases to a solid medium.
The second third changes dramatically, with the smoke becoming more dry, with notes of black and white pepper, spices, dry wood, with a touch of the peanuts from the third before.
In the final third, the smoke remains more dry than the first third, but the smoke becomes smoother than the second. Notes include dry cedar and bitter espresso. The smoke gets a bit hot near the end so I put the cigar out.
Conclusion
For under $9, this cigar is a must-smoke. It has what many $10+ cigars don’t have: clear, distinct notes, complex aromas, great construction, and a great look.
Final Grade: A-
Buy the Aging Room Solera Sungrown from Famous Smoke Shop (our preferred retailer) here.
The Tabernacle by Foundation Cigar Co has been making big waves since its release in 2016, particularly on social media and some blogs where it has some die hard fans. I picked one up at Cigar Inn on 53rd and 2nd ave almost by accident a few weeks ago, and after smoking it decided I needed to come back to it for a review.
TLDR: does ti live up to the hype? I think so (read on below to find out why). The Tabernacle, though not overly complex, produces some very definite notes that will leave lovers of darker cigars hypnotized.
Blend Specifics
Producer: Foundation Cigar Co.
Wrapper: Nicaraguan (Connecticut Broadleaf)
Binder: Mexican San Andreas
Filler: Nicaraguan and Honduran
Size: Corona (5 1/4 x 46)
Appearance & Construction
Off the bat, I love the branding on this cigar. Looking past the fact that the name is a bit sacrilegious, the color combinations and art on this band are phenomenal and leave a lasting impression (exactly what a band should do). The wrapper itself is a rustic dark brown that has a velvety texture to the touch.
The draw is mostly free and, if any past Tabernacle’s I’ve smoked are any indication, there will be plenty of smoke produced for this review.
Smoke & Flavor Characteristics
Smelling the foot of the cigar, I pick up notes of chocolate, some cedar, whiffs of caramel and some hay.
Lighting up the Tabernacle is a lot like lighting up a dark chocolate bar sprinkled with sea salt. Extremely smooth and opulent smoke. As the minutes inch on, the smoke builds in flavor and strength, adding white and black pepper and cedar. The cigar produces a lot of smoke.
Working into the second third, I’m picking up notes of peanuts and butter on top of the chocolatey base. The texture is reminiscent of marshmellow. The burn is pretty good, though not perfect, and the cigar stays lit for a decent amount of time — just don’t set it down for more than 3 – 4 minutes or you’ll have to relight.
In the final third, the peanut note is back and more prominent than before, along with a marshmallow like flavor.
Conclusion
The Tabernacle is an easy recommendation. Anyone who likes full bodied cigars that are complex, spot on in terms of flavors, and just undeniably enjoyable will love this smoke.
Final Grade: A
Buy The Tabernacle from Foundation Cigar Co from Famous Smoke Shop (our preferred retailer) here.
Let me start by saying I’m not a big fan of Jim Beam bourbon. There’s always been something on the back end of the flavor and finish of this brand that has bothered me. But, a week ago I was at my favorite liquor store in Queens (36th Ave Wine & Spirits), and saw that a bottle of Jim Beam Signature Soft Red Wheat was on sale for far below it’s typical price. So I thought, what the heck. I’ll give it a try. Below is the whiskey review.
Specifics
Distiller: Jim Beam
ABV: 45%
Age: 11 Years
Mashbill: 76% corn, 13% red winter wheat, 10% malt
Appearance
The bottle itself is very beautiful, and well branded. Gives it a look of quality that most bottles of American whiskey simply don’t have. The color of the whiskey is a deep amber.
Nose
Vanilla, some spice, oak, and some fruity apricot notes.
Taste
On first sip, there’s a lot going on in this whiskey. Although in other whiskies that might amount to high ratings for complexity, in this whiskey I find it just… confusing. Yes, there’s oak, some spice too. But I find myself thinking that this whiskey would be better off with some rye in it. I just don’t see what the wheat component is adding besides making the whiskey feel and taste just a bit drier than a typical bourbon in a rather unpleasant way.
Finish
The finish is long and spicey, probably my favorite part of this whiskey. But even here there is on the back end of the finish that Beam bourbon aftertaste that I’m not attracted to.
Conclusion
I mentioned previously that I got this whiskey at a steep discount from its normal $45 – $50 price. I would never pay that much for a 375 ml bottle of this whiskey. Even at the discounted price of under $25, I don’t think I’ll be returning and this bottle will have to sit on the shelf and wait for a guest to request a Beam whiskey
When it comes to online cigar shops, consumers have a lot of options (ranked here!). But when it comes to cigar auction sites, there are two options: Cigar Bid and Cigar Auctioneer.
Of course, the question then is: which is better? The short answer is that Cigar Auctioneer is currently the better choice by far. Though both websites have great selection and similar shipping rates, Cigar Bid has had serious issues delivering cigars that are properly humidified. Their customer service as well is quite lacking, with many users reporting that after receiving incorrect orders or damaged cigars, the Cigar Bid team was nearly impossible to reach and unresponsive.
With that being said, below is a more exhaustive breakdown of the differences in features, quality, shipping, and more of the two major cigar auction websites. I look at a few factors:
Features
Selection
Prices
Product Quality
Shipping
User experience
Customer service rating
Features – too close to call
First, let’s go over the most basic differences. Cigar Auctioneer has three types of auctions: one item/one winner, multiple items/multiple winners, and multiple items/one winner.
Cigar Bid has those categories as well, and also has “Quick Buy” and “Freefall.” Freefall lots are displayed with prices decreasing, live—I am actually not sure how much value these provide. Quick Buy lots are discounted packs of cigars that can be purchased for a slightly higher—though still highly discounted—rate on the spot.
One advantage I see with Cigar Auctioneer on the features side is the lot history function, which allows you to see the past, present and future lots for a particular brand—perfect if you know exactly what you want and have the patience to wait and be notified. This is a big plus for me. So on this category, the two websites tie.
Selection – Cigar Auctioneer
There’s no quick answer here. Both have good selection, though I think Cigar Auctioneer has more mainstream brands than Cigar Bid does. As a fan of Davidoff cigars, I did notice that Cigar Auctioneer has more from that brand, but from what I’ve seen both sites have different product on display at different times. Cigar Auctioneer wins on this category.
Prices – Cigar Auctioneer
Prices on Cigar Bid, though good, tend to be a bit higher simply because it seems to be the leader in auctions by volume. It’s pretty simple: if more people are bidding, the bids will go higher, as some have reported. On the other hand, Cigar Auctioneer sets a higher minimum bid price.
Product Quality – Cigar Auctioneer
This is one area where Cigar Bid quite unfortunately falls behind. In the probably half dozen orders I’ve received from Cigar Bid, I’ve often had cigars that were underhumidified or cracked. It’s one thing to get a great deal on cigars and get what you ordered. It’s something else entirely to order cigars for cheap and then find out later they might have been cheap because they were improperly handled!
I’ve never had this issue with Cigar Auctioneer. They win the product quality category easily.
Shipping – Tie
Cigar Bid and Cigar Auctioneer are fairly close here. Regardless of what website you are using, it is important to get multiple items shipped in the same box to save on shipping costs.
User Experience – Cigar Bid
I’ve got to say, as much as I like Cigar Auctioneer in terms of quality and selection, I really hate the look and feel of their website. Cigar Bid does a great job of advertising the great deals that they have, and their daily newsletter does a good job of describing new products that go on sale. Cigar Bid wins this category easily.
Customer Service Rating – Cigar Auctioneer
Cigar Bid has had issues selling cigars that they don’t have—where the user wins the auction and is later notified that the cigar isn’t available (this happened to me twice). It’s a frustrating situation, and has been documented by other users.
In fact, Cigars International (the parent company for Cigar Bid), has had a truly awful couple of years. With technology issues and customers receiving incorrect orders and then not having the order corrected, they’ve really dug themselves into a hole that they will have a hard time getting out of. Cigar Auctioneer on the other hand has great ratings with users and I can’t find any consistent negative reviews online.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, Cigar Auctioneer is the site I recommend to use for cigar auctions. They carry more of the brands that I enjoy, and make it easier for me to track when my favorite brands come on sale. I also know that the quality of the product will be consistently great, and that if I have an issue, I’ll have Famous Smoke Shop‘s customer service there if I have any issues.
Only note to the Cigar Auctioneer team: at least make those product photos bigger… please!
I haven’t always been a fan of Montecristo (Altadis). I’ve found many of their classic blends are either a) uninteresting, b) bad, or worst, uninteresting and bad all at once. However, in recent years this brand has released some really incredible blends, some of which have found themselves on my Monthly Burn email recommendation list. I picked up the Montecristo Grupo de Maestro Private Batch III at Davidoff Madison Ave a couple of weeks ago, hoping that this blend would present a flavorful and quality addition to the Montecristo line.
For this review, I happened to be on business in Toronto, so if that marble countertop looks like a typical Marriott suite bathroom, that’s because it is. However, since smoking is illegal anywhere indoor, that leaves only the damned permafrost that is outdoor Canada. So I ended up smoking this cigar in a sketchy back-alley.
Thank God it was a good cigar.
Blend Specifics
Company: Montecristo
Size: 6.125 x 52 Belicoso
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano
Binder: Dominican Santo Domingo
Filler: DR, Nicaragua, Peru
Appearance
This cigar sports a slightly reddish brown wrapper and is moderately soft to the touch. I like the double band branding, not sure if it was originally the Psyko Seven that pioneered it, but I certainly enjoy the option to still have a band on the cigar once the large main band is taken off.
Flavor & Smoke Characteristics
Opens solid medium body. Very balanced flavors of wood, cream, floral notes, touches of white pepper and hints of spice on the finish. Very good.
After an inch, body increases to full, with notes of dry wood and grass. And lots of salt. About one third in, the balance is a bit off now, now in too assertive territory, leaving me hoping that it backs down. The burn is wavy, at times bordering on canoe. Strength goes up and down up through to the first half. Overall very enjoyable and very complex.
Now in the final third, flavors alternate now between semisweet and salty/woody, with a buttered popcorn flavor at times. Sooooo tasty, and this experience solidifies this as a very favored cigar for me.
Body picks up considerably in the final third – and I forgot a glass of water to go along with! I won’t make that mistake next time.
Conclusion
The Montecristo Grupo de Maestros Private Batch III is another win for Montecristo. At roughly $16, this isn’t a no-brainer since that price point has a lot of competition. But if you enjoy full bodied, complex smoke that doesn’t stray into cliche, this is a great cigar to pick up.
One warning: this is an extremely limited blend — only 300 boxes were made. So if you see this, pick it up. Or, save yourself the time and purchase online at our preferred online retailer, Famous Smoke Shop. If the blend is out of stock, take a quick trip over to my previous post about my top Montecristo cigars.
