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Cigar Review: Hiram and Solomon Cigars Fellowcraft

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HSFC_1

Hiram and Solomon aims to honor the tradition, culture, and fraternity of the Freemason brotherhood. The company is headquartered in Tom’s River, New Jersey, while the cigars themselves are rolled in the Dominican Republic. The Fellowcraft is the company’s intermediate outfit, with the Entered Apprentice serving as the novice line, and the Master Mason as the company’s full-bodied brand. Hiram and Solomon Cigars sent in samples for this review.

Blend Specifics:

Cigar: Hiram and Solomon Fellowcraft

Vitola: Gran Toro 6” x 56

Wrapper: Habano 2000

Binder: Dominican

Filler: Dominican

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Appearance and Construction: The Fellowcraft has a milk chocolate brown wrapper with very minimal veins, a superfine sandpaper texture and a slight oily sheen. Very well construction with tight, though visible seams, and very dense packing at the foot, and a nicely applied double cap.

Smoke and Flavor Characteristics

Cold Aromas: The wrapper has a cedar and grass mix. The foot gives off fresh cedar and a clean vanilla with just a hint of spice. The cold draw has just the right amount of tension, and presents cedar, a bit of citrus; a salty-oily residue can be felt on the lips with an ever so slight hint of cayenne pepper.

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First Third: Big pepper wash as the first notes start to pop up. A dry cedar and a darker and harder wood make themselves present and hold the core while there’s still a pepper wash on the back of the tongue. Lots of salt and cedar are in the aroma. The draw is nice and just right, providing for ample amounts of creamy smoke. There’s a hint of dried fruit, akin to raisins or dried figs. There’s also a decent amount of leather and sweet tobacco present. The pepper starts to die down quite a bit. The ash is a uniform slate gray and is slightly flaky but holds together as a chunk really well. The burn isn’t razor sharp but performance is just fine. The finish is clean and is somewhat short-lived, with a lingering leather note. The body is medium plus, the flavor is medium to full, and the strength is at medium.

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Second Third: Starting the second third, the ash is holding on strong. The flavor hasn’t changed much since the first, but still very entertaining and flavorful. Leather and cedar still teaming with minor notes of dried fruit, dark wood, and a pepper tingle. The burn gets a little wonky at times but corrects itself without any problems and no need for relights or touch-ups as of yet. The ash finally fell off on its own at 2.25”. The body is still holding at medium plus, flavor at medium to full, though starting to drop toward medium and the strength is at medium. Removing the band comes off really nice and easy.

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Final Third: Into the third, the flavors have dropped significantly and have culminated into a dry wood core with a-muted leather. Dried fruit and salt are practically gone. There still lies a touch of black pepper on the finish. Smoke production is still great with plumes of creamy smoke. This cigar required one touch-up here in the final third. The Fellowcraft finishes at medium plus in body, medium in flavor and medium to full in strength.

Final Thoughts: The Hiram and Solomon Fellowcraft seem to have some difficulties in getting lit right, most likely due to its very oily wrapper. Though once it gets going, it goes pretty well and usually without any other hitches. The flavor profile is dominant in cedar and leather, with minor notes of dried fruit, a darker wood, salt, which is also in the aroma in hefty amounts and black pepper, which shines best on the finish and lingers on the back of the tongue. The ash holds on phenomenally on this cigar, and the cigar itself can be best described as a mid-day smoke. Not quite suitable for after supper, and a bit too strong for an early day / breakfast smoke. This smoke is best savored in sips, though at times it can take a few double puffs to get a good draw. The profile is a steady medium plus in body, a varying medium to full to medium in flavor and a medium to medium to full in strength.

Smoking time was 2 hours and 20 minutes.

Grade: B

Cigar Review: Macanudo Cru Royale

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MCR_1

The Macanudo Cru Royale is rolled by General Cigars and Macanudo is one of their flagship brands. Rolled in the Dominican Republic, they are known for their consistent construction and smoking experience, aged wrappers and having a broad, widespread appeal to both novices and experienced smokers. For this review, 2 cigars were smoke and were generously provided by Famous Smoke based out of Pennsylvania.

Cigar: Macanudo Cru Royale

Blend Specifics:

Vitola: Poco Gordo 4”x60

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano

Binder: Dominican La Vega Especial

Filler: Nicaraguan, Dominican and Brazilian

MCR_2

Appearance and Construction: The Macanudo Cru Royale has a semi-dark chocolate wrapper. Minimal veins and tight invisible seams. Very smooth sating feel with a slight oily sheen. Dense, even packing and sports a nicely applied double cap.

Smoke and Flavor Characteristics:

Cold Aromas: The wrapper is bit of wood, faint farmyard, and a touch of spiciness. The foot presents chocolate, wood and leather. The cold draw has chocolate and wood with a touch of mineral grit, not unlike gravel.

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First Third: The first few draws show a lot of leather, more of that mineral grit and a very easy, open draw. A dry wood also becomes present. The draw give off thick clouds of smoke, no spice is detectable at the moment. Though the leather hangs around in the nose and mouth for a good while. The aroma pouring off the foot is also of rich leather.

Burn line isn’t razor sharp but performance is just fine. The ash formation is a very pale gray, almost white, slightly flakey and absent of rings. There’s fair amount of cream that comes into play. I’m tapping the ash off at ¾ inch since it’s really flakey. The body is medium, the flavor is medium to full, and the strength is at medium.

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Second Third: The second third picks right up where first left off, leather and wood with a decent does of cream. Performance is still excellent. A bit of chocolate comes in on the aroma. Removing the band takes little to no effort and is held together with self-adhesive glue. Body still at medium, the flavor is medium to full, and the strength is at a medium.

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Final Third: The final third is holding true to form and still leads with the leather and wood combo. The aroma is still pleasantly woody, earthy, and leathery. Performance and burn are still doing well. Just toward the end, within the last inch or so, the heat started busting the wrapper in multiple areas, though the performance is still ok. Also, the wood ramped up has become the dominant characterizing note. This cigar finishes out at medium in body, medium to full in flavor and medium in strength.

Final Thoughts: The Macanudo Cru Royale features fine leaves, excellent and consistent construction and smoking experience. The profile is more on the drier and bitter side of the flavor spectrum with the leather providing a bit of savory respite. The aroma is calming and luxurious and the profile isn’t at all strong which makes it a good early morning / mid-afternoon smoke. For a small vitola cigar, it has a pretty long smoking time. The body and strength are a solid medium while the flavor is medium to full.

Smoking time was 1 hour and 45 minutes.

Grade: B

Cigar Review: La Hoja Edicion Clasica 1962

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La Hoja Edicion Clasica_1

The La Hoja Edicion Clasica 1962 comes to us via Willie Flores and Carlos Gomez of La Hoja, who are also good friends to all of us over here at FTNYC. You can find these exceptional boutiques at most shops in the NYC area as well as our events where we have featured the brand and their various lines. The Clasica is rolled in the Santiago region of the Dominican Republic and is a recent release from the company, featuring new labeling to their previous offerings.

Cigar: La Hoja Edicion Clasica 1962

Vitola: Toro 5.5” x 56 soft box-pressed

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Corojo

Binder: Dominican

Filler: Dominican

La Hoja Edicion Clasica_2

Appearance and Construction

The Edicion Clasica has a dark chocolate wrapper with minimal smallish veins, a very slight oily sheen, and a very smooth dry satin texture. The seams are visible but the wrapper is noticeably wrapped well around the cigar and still shows good construction. A nicely applied double cap, and comes packaged with a foot band. The cigar also has an even sponginess throughout and the foot shows an even dense bunching.

Flavor & Smoke Characteristics

On the wrapper, there is cedar, a touch of earth and not much else. On the foot, there is cinnamon, a touch of white pepper, a hint of chocolate, and overall on the sweeter side. The cold draw is salt, cedar, a bit of earth and musk, which makes present the good amount of fermentation and aging this tobacco has gone through. Also to note, the wrapper tobacco leaves a salty taste on the lips from the head of the cigar. The draw is an even to slightly loose tension, which is great.

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First Third: The first notes give way to a very soft white pepper, salt, a touch of cedar, and a bit of musk. A nice cream with a bit of a gritty earth on the finish rounds out the initial draws. From the start of the cigar the mouth-feel and retrohale of the smoke are exceptionally smooth. The aroma is characterized of cedar, dark chocolate, earth, and leather notes. Staring off with a close to razor shape burn, the ash is tight but fragile looking (flaky, but not) and is a pale gray with slightly darker, very thin ring lines. The smoke is medium to full in body, medium to full in strength, and medium to full in flavor. Progressing through the first third, the earth, cedar, musk, cream and leather take hold as the main notes, with minor notes of salt, dark chocolate and a slight soapy floral. The smoke is still very smooth, with a clean crisp finish in the mouth, while leather and salt last through on the finish in the nose. The smoke is overall very dry feeling, and cool with no spices to be found. Only a touch of white pepper comes through here and there. Toward the end of the first third, a touch of bitter cinnamon start to also last on the finish.

la Hoja Edicion Clasica_4

Second Third: Transitioning from the first to second third, a little spice comes up, but only last for a moment and primarily on the tongue. Notes are still characterized of earth, leather, musk, even though it has come down a bit, cedar, chocolate, salt, and a slight floral. The ash fell off on its own as one solid chunk at 1.5”. The cigar starts to lose its razor sharp burn and seems to do so when the wrapper leaf is overlapping another part of the wrapper leaf with concentration at the seam. Though, the cigar is still performing well and flavors aren’t being lost due to the burn. It may need a minor touch up here and there. The chocolate comes up a little, with now entering a slight espresso note to complement, while the salt has moved down a bit. The earth, leather and cream are still holding strong. The aroma is also still of leather and salt notes. The smoke is medium to full in body, medium to full in strength, and now moving up to full in flavor. The smoke stays fairly cool as the cigar progresses through the second third. This cigar also gives off nice creamy plumes of smoke.

La Hoja Edicion Clasica_5

Final Third: Starting into the final third, I did have to give the cigar a minor touch up. The flavors are still holding with the cedar and leather taking the fore, with the earth moving down just a little. The espresso has come up a bit with the chocolate; the salt is still moving down but sticking around. The band is a self-adhesive and comes off cleanly. The musk is making more of presence in the aroma and the profile is still holding at medium to full in body, medium to full in strength, and the flavor moving back down to medium to full. The cream is also lasting through the finish, while the smoke in the mouth is getting slightly grittier and the retrohale being very smooth. As the cigar gets down to the nub, the chocolate and espresso both begin to last on the finish, and the smoke stays fairly cool. The leather, earth, cream, musk, and cedar still hold their notes quite strongly to the end.

La Hoja Edicion Clasica_6

Final Thoughts

This cigar screams class, from its top-notch construction, to its choice selection of rare filler, binder and wrapper tobaccos, its complex earthy profile and extremely smooth smoke production. All these characteristics make up an exceptional cigar and a one-of-kind experience. Though, I did have to touch it up a couple times throughout the session, each time was only a minor case. The cigar, its construction and flavors held strong and never strayed away from its intentions of providing a fine experience. The complexity lasts through the duration of the smoke, with its major notes being leather, earth, musk, cedar, and cream and minor notes of salt (though, the salt is a major and minor note, depending on where in the session one is experiencing this note), dark chocolate, and very slight hints of espresso, floral notes, and white pepper.

Smoking time was 1 hour and 20 minutes

Grade: A

Cigar Review: Cohiba Red Dot

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CRD_1

The Cohiba Red Dot is the first and standard offering by the Dominican-based and General Cigars headed Cohiba brand. Utilizing top shelf leaves and fine fermentation processes, it’s considered one of the company’s most luxurious lines. The Red Dot is rolled in the Dominican Republic and Famous Smoke Shop, based out of Pennsylvania, generously sent in samples for this review.

Blend Specifics

Vitola: Corona 5”x42

Wrapper: Cameroon

Binder: Indonesian Jember

Filler: Dominican Piloto Cubano

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Appearance and Construction

The Cohiba Red dot has a light brown, almost tan coloured wrapper that also has a slight green tint. Minimal veins, tight though visible seams. An almost velvety feel with a slight tooth, and a slightly mottled appearance. Dense, even packing and this corona sports a decently applied triple cap.

Smoke and Flavor Characteristics

Cold Aromas: The wrapper shows wet manure, a little grass / hay and a buttery nut. The foot presents cedar / sweet wood and hay. The cold draw opens to a day wood with a bit of pine and a faint fresh mint. It also has a fairly easy and open draw.

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First Third: The first notes are a dry and sweet grain cereal, some black pepper, cedar, a refreshing mint wash and a bit of manure-earth. The aroma is thick with cedar and a touch of leather. Near razor sharp burn, and the ash formation is tight, white, with distinct rings. A very spicy start. The spice calmed a bit. The ash was tapped at one inch due to the small ring gauge of this cigar. The body is medium to full, the flavor is medium to full as well, while the strength is just shy of medium to full.

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Second Third: The second third is still brimming with spice. The fresh mint is still hanging around, as well as the cedar, but there’s also a deeper leather note that’s come in. the sweet cereal is here and there in faint accentuations. The aroma is still pleasantly pungent. The spice has come down way down and the cigar has eased into a mellow burn and profile. The profile is till holding at medium to full in body, medium to full in flavor and medium to medium to full in strength.

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Final Third: The final third is still teaming with flavor and an increased level of balance. The spice is still present and lasts long on the finish but isn’t quite as overwhelming as it was earlier in the session. The cedar and leather with a slight sweetness are still the main components of this smoke. Performance has been great throughout and even up to this point. Removing the band happens pretty easily as the band is held with self-adhesive glue. The cigar ends up as it started and as it has been throughout, with the body at medium to full, the flavor at medium to full and the strength just shy of medium to full.

Final Thoughts

The Cohiba Red Dot is what one would come to expect of an ultra premium offering from large company. Thoroughly consistent, fine grade leaves and fermentation process, and consistent flavor profile and construction. At times it can feel a bit one-dimensional but with all the spice packed into this little vitola, it stays fairly interesting. This cigar makes for a good breakfast or after lunch smoke, in this vitola.

Smoking time was 1 hour and 20 minutes.

Grade: A

Cigar Review: La Pluma Cigars Principia

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La Pluma Principia_1

La Pluma Cigars is rolled out of Nicaragua and blended by Jonathan Maccia of former O.K. Cigars that was based in Soho, New York. The Principia is one of three regular production lines from La Pluma and the company recently celebrated their first year anniversary on June 2nd. Jonathan Maccia provided samples for this review of the Principia.

Cigar: La Pluma Cigars Principia

Blend Specifics:

Vitola: Soft Box-pressed Robusto 5”x50

Wrapper: San Andres Maduro

Binder: Nicaragua

Filler: Nicaragua

La Pluma Principia_2

Appearance and Construction: The La Pluma Principia has a dark chocolate wrapper with a very slight reddish tint. Very minimal veins and very smooth, satin texture. Dense, even packing and a dense even sponginess. Construction looks good and is topped off with a double cap.

Smoke and Flavor Characteristics:

Cold Aromas: The wrapper gives off leather and chocolate and slight wood. The foot shows leather, a spicy-sweetness like the cinnamon flavored candies “Red Hots” and a touch of caramel. The cold draw is perfect on the tension; the notes are leather, wood and tobacco.

La Pluma Principia_3

First Third: Right off, lots of leather set atop a thick creamy backdrop. Not much spice detected, though the cream is almost milk thick and has a milk-like flavor. So far, it’s leather, through and through with a slight caramel sweetness. The smoke is thick and the aroma is also leather dominant. The burn line isn’t razor sharp but isn’t far off the mark, either. The ash is a salt and pepper gray with a nice ring formations. The ash fell off as one solid chunk at 1”. The body is medium to full, the flavor is full, and the strength is medium to full. The retrohale shows a hint of dry wood, as well.

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Second Third: Leather dominates well into the second. There’s also a cookie sweetness on the retrohale now, as well. Still very creamy and thick, the finish is long lasting and a bit of white pepper comes into the fold but it’s very soft and adds a bit of diversity to the mouth feel. The wood is starting to take more hold on the palate, as well as cinnamon spice and black pepper slowly building as the burn carries on. Very subtle in the roll-in, which makes for nice dynamics. The body is full, the flavor is full and the strength is medium to full. Still extremely smooth on the draw, even with the ramping up of pepper and spice notes.

La Pluma Principia_5

Final Third: Removing the band is fairly easy. The pepper is sitting will in the back of the mouth and lasting through the finish. Working its way through the third, the smoke is still rich, creamy and thick, lots of cream still on the profile as well. Leather still dominates the palate and a fairly cool smoke toward the end, still. The profile is holding at full in body, full in flavor, medium to full to full in strength, but moving up to full in strength.

Final Thoughts: The La Pluma Principia is surprisingly complex, even if it has one main note that defines most of this cigar; there are many subtle and hidden notes that lay underneath. Lots of nuance and great interplay between these notes. Consistent burn and smoke production, and steady and subtle progressions make for an extremely interesting smoke. As the cigar progresses, I find many similarities between this and the Puro Authentico produced by Man O’ War, in terms of that firecracker characteristic. This cigar has a medium to small format but packs lots of flavor and body and can be quite fooling to the eye. The main notes are leather and a milky cream that dominate the core with minor notes of white to black pepper, cinnamon spice, wood, caramel and cookie sweetness. Another thing I found interesting but didn’t include it in any of the sections because it wasn’t like a note that stood out, but rather a mood-inducing sort of thing, is this cigar also has an herbal / floral / perfume-y kind of characteristic to it that I find pleasant and amusing. The profile stands at full body, full flavor and medium to full to full strength.

Smoking time was 1 hour and 30 minutes

Grade: A

Cigar Review: Manolo Estates Maduro Heavyweight

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Manolo Maduro_1

Established on January 5th, 2015, Manolo Estates began its foray into the cigar manufacturing aspect of the cigar industry. Established by Luis Gutierrez and Juan Carlos Rojas, also purveyors of Ash Fine Cigars, located in Hoboken and Newfoundland, New Jersey. Manolo Estates is named after both Juan Carlos’ father and Luis Gutierrez’s great-grandfather who both bared this name. The cigars are rolled in Tamboril, Dominican Republic and samples for this review of the Maduro Heavyweight were sent it by Charlie Freeman of FineTobaccoNYC.

Cigar: Manolo Estates Maduro Heavyweight

Blend Specifics:

Vitola: Gordo 6”x60

Wrapper: San Andres Maduro

Binder: Criollo ‘98

Filler: Nicaragua, Pennsylvania, and Dominican Republic

Manolo Maduro_2

Appearance and Construction

The Manolo Maduro has a very dark chocolate wrapper that is thick, oily, and toothy, almost sand-paper-y. Minimal veins, a tight even pack and tight visible seams, with just enough sponginess. Rolled to an extended pigtail and then looped.

Smoke and Flavor Characteristics

Cold Aromas: The wrapper gives off chocolate, earth, and leather with a touch of barnyard. The foot shows sweet tobacco, a little pepper zing and faint leather. The cold draw has just the right amount of tension and presents just a sweet tobacco core with just a faint hint of both, chocolate and leather.

Manolo Maduro_3

First Third: The first few draws open to a deep dark bitter wood with a decent amount of black pepper that can also be felt on the tongue. The pepper quickly dials back and overall the draw becomes much softer. Though, the finish is long and a touch of pepper can still be experienced here. The ash is a pale, slightly flaky gray and makes for a nice contrast between the dark wrapper-color. Draw is quite effortless and the foot pours smoke even while sitting. The burn line isn’t even but isn’t near being problematic; it’s just fine. There’s also a bit of bread that comes into play as well. The body is full, the flavor is medium to full and the strength is medium to full. The aroma is a nice cedar and leather. As it starts to near the end of the first third, the burn is becoming a little more wonky but still not affecting the draw or flavor. The bread and tobacco start to dominate at the core with the wood sticking around but dropping back a bit.

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Second Third: The ash is almost two inches so I’m going to knock it off at this point before it drops where I don’t want it to, but can easily keep going if one wanted to as well. The profile is mainly holding up from the first third, with flavors being a dark wood, bread, leather and tobacco. There’s also an underlying metallic that lingers and pops up every now and then. The ash fell at 2 inches, as one solid chunk. The body is full; the flavor is still medium to full and strength also holding at medium to full. Removing the band is quite easy. One the finish, a bit of espresso bean comes in, though; it’s not heavily noticeable but can be detected.

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Final Third: Entering into the final third, the strength starts to ramp up to full, while the body is still full and the flavor at medium to full. The espresso bean has also come up a bit more but still not a dominant factor. Outside of that, the profile hasn’t changed much and has stayed pretty consistent throughout the duration. During the final third, the burn of cigar starts to slow down significantly and provides an entry way to a cool slow burning finish.

Final Thoughts

The Manolo Estates Maduro Heavyweight is just that, full bodied from start to finish and fairly straight forward flavor profile make for a consistent and relaxing smoke. Where one can ruminate on the few flavors that pass through but also leaves one open to fully divest on other thoughts with ease. Not a cigar that needs to be babied or paid a great deal of attention, as even when it is set down will keep the burn for a while till one is ready to pick it up for another draw. A relaxing and easy-going smoke, but keep in mind, the strength does pick up at the end. The flavors that dominate this profile are deep wood with an earthy undertone, bread, leather, a strong tobacco core, a touch of black pepper early on and bitter espresso bean in the final third rounded out with a dry bitter chocolate that shows up here and there with a lingering metallic note. The cigar is characterized with its full body, medium to full flavor and full strength profile and makes for a good after dinner smoke.

Smoking time was 2 hours and 30 minutes.

Grade: A

Cigar Review: Iconic Leaf Recluse Cigars Draconian

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Recluse Draconian_1

The Iconic Leaf Recluse Cigars Draconian is the second iteration of the Recluse line of cigars. Rolled at the Tabacalera Leyendas Cubanas in the Dominican Republic and headed by J.R. Dominguez, the company takes pride in its 8-fermentation process for each of its leaves that go into each of the Recluse’s product lines. Scott Weeks of Recluse Cigars sent in samples for this review of the Draconian.

Cigar: Iconic Leaf Recluse Cigars Draconian

Blend Specifics:

Vitola: Box-pressed Robusto 5”x52

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Maduro

Binder: MBC (proprietary)

Filler: Brazilian and Dominican

Recluse Draconian_2

Appearance and Construction

The Draconian has a slight dark to milk chocolate complexion wrapper, with minimal veins and a smooth texture with a slight oily sheen. Dense packing and an even spongy give throughout. Features a double cap, ribbon foot-band and a second label band. Nice construction and presentation.

Smoke and Flavor Characteristics:

Cold Aromas: The wrapper gives off a rich chocolate and not much else. The foot shows more chocolate with a hint of coffee, sweet tobacco, and a touch of white pepper. The cold draw presents a bit of earth with a gravel-y mineral taste.

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First Third: The Draconian is very easy to draw and provides plumes of creamy smoke almost immediately. The retohale is also quite easy and satisfying early on. Chocolate and espresso bean abound, the blend is very smooth and balanced. There’s a touch of earth and leather here and there but they aren’t major players at this point. Burn line is a little less than razor sharp due to a small tear in the wrapper but quickly fixes itself and other than that the burn is phenomenal and the performance is good. A bit more leather and earth start to push on to the palate, with also a slight dry mouth feel. The aroma is a mix of leather, earth, salt, and a little cedar. The finish is long lasting and takes on a characteristic of chocolate and sweet tobacco. The body is medium to full, the flavor is medium to full and the strength is medium. The ash fell off as one chunk at 1.25”.

Recluse Draconian_4

Second Third: The second third doesn’t see much change from the first in terms of profile, but there is a new element that enters. There’s a sort of twang-y note, not fruity or citrusy but somewhere along the lines of that affect. The blend stays smooth and balanced and still producing plumes of creamy smoke, with a long finish and an exceptionally smooth retrohale. Chocolate and espresso bean still dominate but are almost equally matched with the leather and earth combo, which provides a nice interplay and subtle complexities. So far, there hasn’t been any pepper or spice detected and allows for a very easy smoke. The body is still holding at medium to full, flavor at medium to full and the strength at medium. Removing both bands goes fairly easy and applied using self-adhesive glue.

Recluse Draconian_5

Final Third: More of a dry mineral grit has come into the fold but not overwhelming the other notes. The burn line is still razor sharp and the ash formation has been consistent throughout. The notes are still holding up the same and quite pleasantly. The Draconian is a very consistent smoke with a lot of attention to detail. The smoke is very cool and dry burning and the aroma is still nice as well. As the cigar winds down to the nub, the mineral grit becomes the focus of the profile, with the leather and earth still holding the middle and the chocolate fading into the backdrop. The blend finishes at a solid medium to full in body, flavor and strength.

Recluse Draconian_6

Final Thoughts

The Recluse Draconian proves to be a very consistent blend and touts to recluse as a company for their attention to detail all their brand lines. While not overly complex, the blend has a great deal subtle interplay between its notes, and they work very well together. The palate jumps around a lot between chocolate and espresso bean to leather and earth, to a touch of gravel here and there. The cigar is fairly dry through the session and lacks any presence of spice and pepper, which also makes this a great novice cigar or to anyone looking for a smoke that lacks the spice characteristic. The profile is a solid medium to full, which makes this a good afternoon and before dinner cigar.

The smoking time was 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Grade: A

Cigar Review: Iconic Leaf Recluse Cigars OTG

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OTG_1 The Iconic Leaf Recluse Cigars OTG (Off-The-Grid) was released in 2012 and marks the first release of the Recluse Cigars brand. Rolled at the Tabacalera Leyendas Cubanas in the Dominican Republic and headed by J.R. Dominguez, the company takes pride in its 8-fermentation process for each of its leaves that go into each of the Recluse’s product lines. Scott Weeks of Recluse Cigars sent in samples for this review of the OTG. Cigar: Iconic Leaf Recluse Cigars OTG

Blend Specifics:

Vitola: Box-pressed Robusto 5”x52
Wrapper: Brazilian Maduro
Binder: Select / Proprietary
Filler: Dominican Republic OTG_2

Appearance and Construction

The Recluse OTG has a very dark chocolate, mottled and rustic looking wrapper, minimal veins, slightly oily and grainy texture. Featuring a double cap and two bands. There seems to be a bit of press pinching on the edges of the cigar but overall the construction looks good. Even bunching shown at the foot. A little spongy give but mainly has a dense feeling, even though the cigar feels very light in the hand. Smoke and Flavor Characteristics: Cold Aromas: The wrapper gives off a sweet chocolate with a hint of cherry and wood. The foot opens to a good deal of spice and black pepper. There’s also a good amount of dry earthy oak, a little cherry sweetness and dry cocoa powder. The cold draw is slightly loose and just fine. There’s a dry sweet wood to be found here, with a touch of black pepper and sweet tobacco. OTG_3

Flavor & Smoke Characteristics

First Third: Right off the bat there’s a heavy coffee bean with a dry bitter oak. A touch of pepper but not heavy at all. The draw is very open and pulls effortlessly. Starting off, the burn line is razor sharp and crisp. There’s also a dry grass and hay note to be found and compliments the very bitter wood notes. A hint of cocoa pops up here and there and the finish is long and lasting with lingering wood notes and the rising of a pepper kick in the back of the mouth. The aroma is dank and pungent with cedar and heavier and darker earthy wood notes. The sitting aroma also has notes of chocolate and salt that waft around. The ash formation and rings are nice and tight. The profile of the first third has the body at medium to full, the flavor at medium to full moving up to full, and the strength at medium to full. The black pepper moves up to full on. There are also cooking spices like cumin that can be found intermixed. The ash falls off as one solid chunk at 1.25”. OTG_4 Second Third: The second third picks up from where the first was, the flavors haven’t changed much, but that’s not an unwelcomed encounter. The black pepper rises a bit more and the chocolate has also become slightly more pronounced. The wood and coffee bean still hold the main stage, though. The aroma is a wonderful bouquet and the draw gives off plumes of creamy smoke so easily. Removing the first band goes without a hitch. Well into the second and the razor sharp burn line holds steady. Also, a bit of a nutty creaminess enters the ensemble, reminiscent of an almond or cashew, and is very smooth and buttery. The profile here stands at medium to full in body, full but starting to drop to medium to full in flavor, and medium to full in strength. The second band comes off just as easily as the first. OTG_5 Final Third: The Start of the third, the flavor and the strength has come way down. The black pepper is still present but mainly hangs around through the tingle on the tongue. The coffee bean had dropped and been replaced with a semi-sweet tobacco while the dark wood still holds strong. The aroma is till quite pleasant as well. The profile ends with the body at medium to full, the flavor at medium to full and the strength dropping to medium to medium to full.

Final Thoughts

The Recluse OTG is quite pungent and earthy with a full of flavor character early on and that plays through for most of the smoke. Though, somewhere in the final third, most of that drops. The myriad of flavors coalesces into a more straightforward heavy wood, by way of oak and semi-sweet tobacco flavor. The smoke production and burn characteristics hold true all the way through and provide for a constant and cool burning session. Early on, well really the first two thirds, the blend is surprisingly complex and robust. Notes of coffee bean, cocoa powder, dark oak, hefty amounts of black pepper, and the occasional cooking spices and buttery nuttiness dance around the palate and make for an interesting smoke. The aroma and smoke that pours off the foot has such an intoxicating bouquet as well, leading to this cigar becoming a wonderful experience. The smoking time was 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Grade: A

Cigar Review: Giacomo’s Cigars 102 M

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102 M_1

About a month back we hosted our Straight Up & Toasted event, which featured Giacomo’s Cigars and this review will focus on the brand’s 102 M line. Giacomo’s, established in 2010 is based out of Tampa Bay, Florida and their cigars have found their way into many of the shops in the Tampa, Bradenton, and Sarasota, Florida areas. Giacomo’s uses a five-country blend in all their lines and is supplied and by the Oliva Tobacco company and rolled at the Llaneza factory in Estelí, Nicaragua.

Blend Specifics

Vitola: 6.5’ x 60 Box-pressed Perfecto

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Maduro

Binder: Connecticut Broadleaf

Filler: Nicaragua, Dominican Republic and Honduras

102 M_2

Appearance and Construction: The Giacomo’s 102 M has a semi-dark chocolate wrapper with a slight reddish tint. A very even and satin feel, with a slight tooth but is generally oilier to the touch, with an oily sheen. Very minimal veins, an even give and sponginess, this cigar has an exceptional construction and features a double cap and two presentation bands. The foot also shows an even and dense pack.

Smoke and Flavor Characteristics:

Cold Aromas: On the wrapper is a faint chocolate with a drier mineral undertone, and a faint cedar. Off the foot, much more chocolate and a hint of creamy coffee, and a slight white pepper. Refreshing and sweet! The cold draw opens to a fresh tobacco, a light and dry mineral, and the faintest hint of chocolate. 102 M_3

First Third: The first pulls open to a slightly salty chocolate, a heavy mineral grit base and can also be felt in the back of the mouth and a decent amount of tobacco notes. The draw is open and effortless, with just the right amount of tension. A dark wood is also found in the aroma with a hint of leather to complement. Burn line isn’t razor sharp but is close and fairly even. Also to note, from the start there isn’t any presence of spice or pepper in the mouth or the nose. The body is medium to medium to full, flavor is building to medium to full and strength is medium with a decent amount of smoke output. Ash is a gray to dark gray with nice looking rings. The finish started off short and crisp but has since developed into a much longer and tongue coating kind of finish. The oils are definitely present on the tongue and lips. The dark wood is also developing into a deeper note with bitter pungent leather adding to the gritty mineral base. The ash fell off as one chunk at 1 inch. The finish is still quite clean even though it does last longer.

102 M_4

Second Third: As the second third draws on, the wood, leather, and mineral mix still hold the base and profile, with the flavors intensifying to a deeper presence. There is also the introduction of a hint of licorice. Burn line is still close to even, the ash is looking good, and the aroma is still pleasant wood and leather. The body is now at medium to full, flavor at medium to full and strength at medium to medium to full. The first band is quite easy to remove even though it is applied with the glob of glue. As the second third develops, the flavors stay pretty consistent but are fairly complex on the palate so consistency at this point is welcomed. Even with a tapered head this cigar smoke fairly cool, which is nice.

102 M_5

Final Third: As the final third begins, it picks up from second third, flavor wise, with another introduction. This time it’s a hint of clove and a bit of white pepper coming in on the retrohale. Removing the second band was done with little effort, just like the first. The finish also starts to leave a little tingle on the tongue, not really a pepper tingle but could also be attributed to the clove or white pepper. The profile tops out with the body at medium to full, the flavor at medium to full and the strength at medium to medium to full. The flavors hold true throughout with a base of dark wood, leather and mineral along the lines of rocky grit, and also a fairly dry smoke. The aroma holds up with a nice leather and wood mix. 102 M_6

Final Thoughts

My first impressions with the Giacomo’s 102 M through the cold aromas and cold draws were that this would be a fairly sweet, almost dessert like smoke but working my way through, it proved to be quite the opposite, much more pungent, drier, and bitter woodiness. Which was a nice surprise and totally caught me off guard. This cigar has an exceptional feel to it, both in the mouth and in the hand. I would classify this as a semi-complex cigar, totally not one-dimensional but the complexity that is there tends to stick to a certain range of being on the drier and bitter side. Though these notes add up to a very pleasant experience and range from a deep rocky mineral as the overall base with the addition of a dark heavy wood and a musky leather. Throughout there are hints that also come into play but don’t really ever stay long and they are licorice, clove, and white pepper. There is also a bitter dark chocolate that can be found in hints throughout the session. A good anytime of day smoke but best savored as a before dinner cigar.

Smoking time was 1 hour and 45 minutes

Grade: A

Cigar Review: Montecristo Relentless

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Montecristo Relentless_1

The Montecristo Relentless, joining a long line of Montecristo brand extensions, is manufactured at the Tabacalera de Garcia in La Romana, Dominican Republic by Altadis S.A., a subsidiary of Imperial Tobacco Group. The Relentless is specially made for Famous Smoke in Pennsylvania. The cigar for this review came from Famous Smoke.

Blend Specifics

Cigar: Montecristo Relentless

Vitola: Toro 6” x 54

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut

Binder: Mexican San Andres

Filler: Nicaraguan and Brazilian Mata Fina

Montecristo Relentless_2

Appearance and Construction: The Montecristo Relentless has a very light coffee with milk complexion, very minimal veins, tight, almost invisible seams, a slight oil sheen, and a very smooth silky feel. Evenly dense feel throughout with a nice spongy give. A good-looking triple cap and overall presentation looks great.

Flavor and Smoke Characteristics

Cold Aromas: Off the wrapper is a hefty cedar and dry wood. The foot shows cedar, caramel and hay, with a hint of hazelnut to cashew note. Dry yet, sweet. The cold draw presents hay, a slight buttery nuttiness, cedar, and a salty taste left behind on the lips. The draw is very open and airy with just a touch of tension.

Montecristo Relentless_3

First Third: The first notes are dry and bitter hay with a touch of bitter coffee bean, with a transition into cedar and a dry woody finish. The draw is very open and airy, providing plumes of creamy smoke right off the bat, though the smoke has a bit of grit to it. Burn line looks phenomenal from the start, and the aroma is a salt and cedar mix. Ash is a salt and pepper grey and has a nice formation. There’s also a slight touch of cinnamon on the draw but doesn’t last long at all. Settling in, the smoke does start to develop a creamy buttery feel and that feeling also last through on the tongue and in the nose until the next draw, which starts to develop a cashew and almond note. From the looks, this may be a fast burner, but we’ll see how things progress. The butter and hay hold the main stage while the cedar has dropped a bit.

Montecristo Relentless_4

The profile is medium in body, medium in flavor, and medium in strength. While the flavor is weighed at medium, I find this cigar to be quite flavorful and semi-complex. There is also a slight grass and vegetable note that lingers for a bit but doesn’t come that far into the fold. The ash holds very nicely, and pretty well, even at 1.5 inches. Starting the transition from the first third to the second, the caramel that was found on the foot is starting to become more present in the smoke. It is not heavy but noticeable, and provides a nice smooth creamy texture, slightly syrupy, to the already smooth and creamy smoke. There is also a touch of white pepper that also comes up on the finish, and leaves a little tingle on the tongue. The finish is clean but not short-lived.

Montecristo Relentless_5

Second Third: The ash is still holding strong, and usually I would have tapped it off by this point but I’ll do the cigar justice let it see how far it wants to go before falling off on its own. Flavors are holding steady with the hay, caramel, butter, cedar, and touch of white pepper mix. Aroma is hay, cedar, and a touch of saltiness; that saltiness can also be found in a minimal amount on the finish in the nose as well. Burn line still looks really good and performance is phenomenal. Smoke production is still airy, clean, thick and plumy. The ash fell off on its own at 2 inches as one solid chunk. The smoke is extremely cool. The profile is still holding at medium in body, medium in flavor, and medium in strength. Removing the bands is fairly ok, the smaller top band comes off easily and the larger black band comes off fairly easy as well, but it did pull a little bit of the wrapper. Though, this was minor and shouldn’t affect the performance. The caramel has dropped a bit, leaving more of a dry hay and slight cedar profile. The white pepper has also been completely dropped.

Montecristo Relentless_6

Final Third: The butter is transitioning into a fuller nuttiness and taking on the characteristics of almond. The hay is still the main note but dropping a bit as the almond becomes a greater competing factor. The cedar is still sticking around as well. The smoke is still creamy, thick and plumy. The aroma is still wonderfully cedar and salt. This cigar ends at medium in body, medium in flavor, and medium in strength for a very consistent smoke.

Montecristo Relentless_7

Final Thoughts

While not a very complex or heavy cigar, there’s a decent amount of flavor and roundedness to be found in the Montecristo Relentless. The profile stays consistent throughout the session as a medium, through and through. This cigar is filled with great billows of smoke, aided with its open and loose draw with just the right amount of tension, providing greater control to the smoker. As stated earlier, this cigar is surprisingly flavorful and something I’ve always enjoyed about cigars that utilize an Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper. They tend to provide much more flavor and durability than U.S. Connecticut Shade wrappers. The blend here delivers a concoction of hay, caramel, cedar, touches of grass, salt and white pepper notes and a roundedness of buttery almond. An enjoyable any time of day smoke, though preferable for the morning and early afternoon before breakfast or brunch.

The burn stays consistent and doesn’t stray at any point, and can also be put down for a minute or so without fear of going out. While it does come off as a fast burner, this is mostly an illusion as the cigar definitely last a good smoking time, which satisfies the appetite but also doesn’t last too long.

Similar cigars are the Gurkha Park Avenue.

Smoking time was 1 hour and 50 minutes.

Grade: A

Update: you can read a list of our top three favorite cigars from Montecristo cigars here.

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