The Casa Magna Colorado brand is a joint blend by Manuel Quesada and Nestor Plascencia. It’s a Nicaraguan puro created to deliver lots of flavor and a full bodied smoking experience. Both cigar makers are true craftsman and adhere high quality standards in their individual blends and the Casa Magna Colorado is no exception. I was looking forward to revisiting this smoke as it has been a while.
Blend Specifics
Cigar Reviewed: Casa Magna Colorado
Wrapper: Nicaraguan
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Size: 5 ½. x 53 Robusto
Appearance & Construction
The Casa Magna has a dark wrapper with few veins although it’s smooth to the touch. The Casa is an expertly crafted boxed press cigar with a soft spot in the middle. The label is stunning with gold adorning the top and bottom with “Casa” emblazed in gold behind a white backdrop and “Magna” underneath in gold inside a black banner. The words “Colorado” are at the bottom in a smaller font with gold and red. A well-made cigar band that grabs your attention.
Flavor & Smoke Characteristics
Using a straight cut, I light up the Casa Magna and am instantly met with a blast of black pepper. During the first few puffs, lots of leather coat the mouth. I detect some earth, and notes of cashews and other nuts on the retrohale.
At the halfway point, the Casa Magna changes profiles to reveal cocoa and cedar. A bit of Swiss chocolate and cream resonate on the finish as the light gray ash and razor sharp burn develop at the foot of the cigar. A few puffs later, some dark cherry comes to the forefront, but quickly dissipates into sage and cedar. This is quite a complex cigar.
Towards the final third of the Casa Magna Colorado, the leather returns, along with a heavy dose of cedar and spice on the retrohale. The intensity of the cigar at this point is full bodied and the flavors really are “in your face.” Coffee on the mid palate builds up to espresso bean and some oak. Leather rounds out the profile with a rich, creamy finish.
Conclusion
It’s been a while since I’ve smoked a Casa Magna Colorado and it was a pleasure to have the opportunity to try it again. Manuel Quesada and Nestor Plascencia have a reputation for quality and their Casa Magna continues to demonstrate what master blenders can do. The Casa Magna Colorado gives you a full bodied smoking experiences encased in leather, pepper, cedar and espresso. It was a wonderfully balanced cigar and if you haven’t tried one you need to pick up a few or a box.
Christian Eiroa and his C.L.E. Cigar Company have revived their defunct Wynwood Hills project into a three-blend robusto line. Their seemingly manic sounding brand has names of “Mayhem” “Unhinged” and “Deranged.” The differences are not just the blends, but the wrapper leaves as well. The Mayhem is dressed in a Corojo wrapper grown in Honduras, the Unhinged wears an Ecuadorian Sumatra and Deranged a Connecticut Broadleaf. I was able to sample the Mayhem for review and see just how “Crazy” the line is. Read on!
Blend Specifics
Cigar Reviewed: Wynwood Hills Mayhem
Wrapper: Honduran Corojo
Binder: Honduran
Filler: Honduran
Size: 4.5″x50” Robusto
Appearance & Construction
The Wynwood Hills Mayhem robusto has a smooth Claro wrapper with no veins. The roll feels good and to the touch the cigar is firm and full of tobacco. The band is circular red and gold with a red background and four points. “Wynwood Hills” is atop and “Established 1976” is on the lower part. The band accents the claro wrapper in a keen fashion.
Flavor & Smoke Characteristics
The straight cut of my Xikar is clean and the dry draw delivers hay and graphite. As the Mayhem takes to the flame, there is drying on the palate followed by some leathery notes. The smoke to start is minimal, and as the cigar toasts I picked up a syrupy sweetness. Along with sugar some grittiness develops, and hay gives way on the retrohale. At this point, the burn line is razor sharp with a nice gray ash. As the ember burns, sweetness and earth interplay and the smoke intensifies.
As the Mayhem robusto progresses into the second third, I pick up rich tobacco notes along with cedar on the retrohale. The interplay of wood, tobacco and some mustiness develops even more which made for a curious profile. The sweetness returns along with nougat that intensified throughout the smoke as it burns. The finish though is savory, with the nuttiness lingering on. Construction wise, the ash remains solid which was a testament to the cigar’s construction.
With the last third of the Wynwood Hills Mayhem underway, there’s a toastiness and distinct notes of cashews. The cigar continues to produce billowing smoke and a clean burn line. The mouthfeel transitions to become more creamy at this point, with cedar dominating the finish. Then, near the end of the smoke, earth and spice hit me and the Mayhem seems to live up to its moniker. While the spice enlivenes the senses, the wood character returns, rounding out the end of the cigar.
Conclusion
I was certainly interested in the rebirth of the Wynwood brand after its short lived artisanal run. While the names of the line don’t appear too shocking or original these days I will say the Mayhem with its Corojo wrapper did offer transitions. From pencil lead, leather, sugar and nuts, the cigar kept me interested for the duration of the smoke. I didn’t feel the Mayhem stood out with particular flavors that “Wowed,” but it was enjoyable cigar from beginning to end and I’d be interested in trying the other wrappers in the line.
If you smoke cigars and live in New York City (or travel there), you know about Cigar Inn. Founded by Billy, Gus, and Bass Fakih, the shop was home to the official “Cigar Aficionado Lounge” and one of the most well-stocked humidors in New York City. The lounge was considered by many (including me) to be the cultural capital of cigars on the East Coast. But earlier this decade, the brothers sold the lounge and moved on.
Fast forward a few years, and Billy and Gus Fakih have reinvented themselves as the masterminds behind Artesano Del Tobacco, their new cigar brand. Their first blend: Viva La Vida, a Nicaraguan puro blended by AJ Fernandez. I had the privilege of helping to launch this cigar in New York City at The Carnegie Club, and was impressed by the early pre-release blends I smoked.
So today we review the fully released Viva La Vida from Artesano Del Tobacco. I’m going to do my best to be unbiased!
Blend Specifics
Cigar Reviewed: Viva La Vida Robusto
Wrapper: Habano Oscuro 2000
Binder: Corojo 99
Filler: Criollo 98
Size: 5 x 50 robusto
Appearance and Construction
From a branding standpoint, Viva La Vida doesn’t have a hard time standing out in the crowd (which is a very good thing for retail sales). The dark Habano Oscuro 2000 wrapper is just about flawless, but what’s most surprising is just how much weight the cigar has in my hand. I can tell that it’s been packed with a lot of tobacco, definitely more than average.
Almost as surprising is that on the four samples I smoked for this review, all of them had a perfect or near-perfect draw. The cold draw brings forth notes of light spices, cocoa, and a wood that reminds me of the forest back in Oregon.
Flavor and Smoke Characteristics
As I light the cigar, Viva La Vida kicks off with rich medium-bodied smoke showcasing chocolate, assorted nuts, wood, hints of cinnamon, finely ground black pepper, and floral perfume. The buttery nuttiness really makes itself known mostly in the aroma which is just marvelous. The smoke is tremendously sweet as it hits the palate (rare for even sweet cigars). The draw as well is perfect and produces torrents of flavorful smoke. The retrohale is rich but smooth, summoning charred wood and more chocolate. It’s a pretty great lift off for Viva La Vida, and that’s only the first ten minutes!
At an inch in, the burn has developed a bit of waviness which corrects itself roughly five minutes later, and the ash drops. The spice on the palate begins to hit the nose a bit before dropping off, and the flavor palette settles on mostly sweet, with a slight savory character.
As the cigar nears halfway, the wood note steals the spotlight, with the spice and sweet chocolate playing supporting roles. The cigar is still performing excellently in terms of construction and smoke production–and the smoke is remarkably cool.
As the Viva La Vida enters the final third, the milk chocolate note shifts toward semi sweet dark chocolate and espresso, adding an enjoyable bitterness to the experience. Meanwhile, a maple syrup note has emerged, layering nicely on top of light baking spices and black pepper. It’s only in the final inch that the black pepper really takes the reigns and becomes prominent, with a bit of harshness entering in. Both body and strength increase substantially, pushing the last part of the cigar close to full in terms of body and strength.
Conclusion
Well what can I say? The Viva La Vida proves itself to be an inaugural blend from Arteseno del Tobacco that’s damn near impossible not to enjoy. I also think that the Robusto is simply the perfect size for this blend — I just can’t imagine it being improved.
Besides a great sweet profile of chocolate, wood, and nuts, I love how the spice and pepper play thoroughly supporting roles throughout, instead of dominating the profile as they do on so many other blends.
I highly recommend seeking this cigar out at a tobacconist near you.
Up for review today is the Fonseca Classic Lonsdale. Manuel Quesada’s Dominican version of the Cuban counterpart is illustrated in its more classic profile. This vitola in the original Fonesca lineup is blended to deliver a lush creamy smoke for those who enjoy a light bodied cigar. Draped in a Connecticut wrapper, the cigar gives the appearance of a more subtle smoke and would seem quite inviting to the novice cigar enthusiast. However the proof is in the smoking so let’s light it up!
Blend Specifics
Cigar Reviewed: Fonseca Classic Lonsdale
Wrapper: Connecticut
Binder Dominican
Filler: Dominican
Size: 6.0″x 43 Lonsdale
Appearance & Construction
The Fonseca Lonsdale has a very pale almost anemic looking wrapper. It is smooth to the touch with slight veins and a few soft spots when pressed. The cigar is well constructed and the roll is effortless. The band is the traditional Fonseca “F” which is synonymous with the brand. As with all of the Fonseca lines I have smoked, the appearance and care in the rolling makes this a premium cigar.
Flavor & Smoke Characteristics
After using a straight cut, the dry draw is loose and flavors of hay and tea are prevalent. As soon as I light the cigar, lots of tea came through with a good amount of smoke. The first few puffs transitioned from tea to leather with a short finish. Overall, the Fonseca Connecticut starts out as predicted in the light bodied range. A few puffs later, clotted cream envelopes the palate, though the quickness with which it dissipated is disappointing. Hay and leather blend together with a billowing of smoke as the cigar continues to develop, with the retrohale displaying hay and grass notes.
At about halfway through the Fonseca Connecticut, nuttiness with an emphasis on cashews comes on strong with a creamy finish. I find this flavor profile quite enjoyable, but it doesn’t last. The buildup of the cigar becomes a tad green and bitter which is never welcome to the taste buds. The cigars burn is straight with a whitish gray ash. While the cigar rounds out forest floor and tanned leather are front and center revitalizing my palate.
The final third of the Fonseca Connecticut sports a nice firm ash and ample amounts of smoke. I pick up lots of bing cherry upfront with pencil lead on the finish. Another retrohale which ramps up in intensity enhances the cherry notes. As the cigar comes to an end, the finish is of café au lait lingering on the palate. A mild, predictable smoke.
Conclusion
While I do enjoy a mild bodied cigar from time to time, I usually expect a little more flavor and complexity out of a great cigar. The Fonseca Connecticut Lonsdale delivers a consistent light bodied experience, but the flavors are less than harmonious and the green notes were unsettling. I’m always wary of such a pale wrapper as it makes me suspect on the amount of aging and proper fermentation techniques applied. Having said that the tea and leather notes where pleasant, and when the finish was creamy, it was quite enjoyable. I’d probably recommend this cigar out on the golf course as it’s not overwhelming or perhaps on the porch with some coffee or espresso.
As a man known for his blending skills and distinct lines, Manuel Quesada has put his mark of quality on the Fonesca brand. The incarnation of the Fonseca Cubano Limitado seeks to deliver a medium to full bodied smoke with balance and complexity. Manuel has a talent for producing many cigar lines yet at the same time giving each one a distinct flavor profile. In keeping yields and production low, the end result usually delivers a satisfying experience. Let’s find out if Cubano Limitado achieves a similar result.
Blend Specifics
Cigar Reviewed: Fonseca Cubano Limitado
Wrapper: Habano
Binder: Dominican
Filler: Dominican
Size: 5 x 50 robusto
Appearance & Construction
The Fonseca Cubano Limitado robusto comes wrapped in a gorgeous dark chocolate wrapper. It’s silky to the touch with minimal veins. Squeezing the cigar, I get a firm feeling that lets me know this smoke is packed full of tobacco. It’s expertly rolled and the quality visually is excellent. The cigar’s band has the traditional gold and red with the Fonesca “F,” along with a secondary band that is black and gold with the words “Cubano Limitado” and then “Fonseca” right underneath.
Flavor & Smoke Characteristics
Using a straight cut, I take a dry draw on the Fonesca Limatado and the taste of cedar is present along with a bit of salinity from the wrapper. As I light the cigar and take the first few puffs, black pepper hits me straight away along with spice on the tongue. The saltiness from the wrapper returns with an leathery finish as the cigar becomes fully lit. A quick retrohale brings spices to the nostrils and a creamy finish on the palate.
A fair bit into the cigar, the Fonseca Cubano Limitado develops a nice grey ash with a straight burn line that shows off its quality in the roll as well as the fine tobacco utilized. The saltiness is ever present on the palate, while earth and cashew cascades around the mouth. At midway, I’m greeted by a dusting of cocoa powder and a slight nuttiness on the mid palate. Overall thus far, the blend has stayed on the medium to full range without overwhelming the senses.
In the final third, the salt and earth combination transitions to cedar and hay. Body-wise, the cigar is now at solid medium, with toasted oak and cocoa resonating on the palate. The finish is bitter despite my smoking the cigar slowly. In the last few puffs, the salinity hangs on with bitterness lingering on the palate, providing a good opportunity to put the cigar down.
Conclusion
The Fonseca Limitado Robusto did indeed stay within the medium to full bodied range as what was intended by its creator. The salinity—which I usually enjoy in a cigar—overwhelmed the other flavors at times. The development of flavors from pepper, leather and spice to earthiness, nuts and cocoa was pleasant towards the midway point, but the last third hurt the cigar with the constant bitterness on the finish. While the balance from medium to full body was there, the final puffs of the Fonesca were not as pleasing.
Overall a pleasant smoke to start, but I would caution to smoke it as slow as possible in the hopes of not having the Fonesca burn hot, thus hurting the flavors.
Unlike other articles outlining the best places to buy cigars online, this article also goes into detail on online cigar stores to avoid. That’s important, because there are some truly terrible websites to purchase cigars from, including companies that have terrible service or are straight up scams.
So how do I determine the best websites to buy cigars online? After 10 years of personally ordering from a number of retailers, the most important components of a cigar store are customer service, price, selection, quality, and the usability of the website.
Famous Smoke Shop was the winner on my original list back in 2016, and it remains there to this day. First, although not perfect, the website is easy to navigate, has a modern and mobile friendly web design, and makes it easy to sort product by price, brand, country of origin, ring gauge, strength, and more.
Second, after a number of years of making large and small purchases with Famous, I’ve never had a bad order—never late, never any dried out product, no bait-and-switch orders, etc. And when I have needed customer service (to change shipping addresses, etc), their customer service department has been friendly and completely on point.
Third, Famous Smoke Shop still maintains Cigar Monster, which is a newer take on the old deal-an-hour fad of the early 2000’s. The benefit there is they have five packs of major brands that are discounted 20%-30%.
Gotham Cigars comes ranked as the number two online cigar retailer for a couple of reasons. First, the websites does a good job of appealing to a broader arrow of cigar smokers, including those looking for cheaper, machine made cigars (which are all of their top sellers). Second, the website is very clean and easy to navigate, which might not sound like a big deal but if you’ve ever tried to shop on some of the more archaic cigar websites (*cough* Cigar Auctioneer *cough*), you’ll know that having an easily navigable experience is a big plus.
When I wrote my last ranking in 2016, Smoke Inn was a runner up, with the caveat that its web design needed some work. Well, somewhere in the last two years this site upgraded. It still isn’t 100% intuitive to navigate, but the product pages are slimmed down and much easier to understand than most other online cigar retailers.
Two other reasons Smoke Inn makes the list. First, they have the standard cigar selection, and second, they also have a huge selection of boutique smokes (good gifts for the enthusiast in the family).
Cigar Page’s slogan is “A smorgasbord of cigar deals,” and boy does it deliver. The website specializes in five and ten packs from major brands, and really does have excellent deals. I haven’t purchased from this website personally, so I can’t vouch for the quality of the product, and hence why I strongly recommend Famous Smoke. But some of the deals are impressive, so if you’re a current cigar smoker it’s a website to look at.
And now, with the best websites out of the way, it’s time for…
The Worst Websites to Buy Cigars Online
If you’re going to buy cigars online, you need to know that there absolutely are retailers to avoid. Here are the cigar retailers you should pass over in favor of our recommendations above.
Thompson Cigars
I hate to say it, but even after writing my first article on online cigar stores more than five years ago, Thompson Cigars still hasn’t improved their reputation much. True, they have a A+ rating on Better Business Bureau, but if you look at the reviews page, you’ll find negative review after negative review. They seem to have a reputation for signing unsuspecting shoppers up for expensive monthly subscriptions without their consent, which is, you know.. Bad.
I don’t have first hand experience, but here are some of the comments on my previous post about Thompson:
“Please avoid Thompson Cigar…they did exactly what you said they would do…Back in the summer my boyfriend spoke to them about starting a monthly subscription starting September 11 2017…and told them he would call them first before he wanted his card charged…Well on September 1 2017 they went ahead and charged his card….he immediately called them and told them to cancel it….after all kinds of back and forth they refused to cancel the order and we would have to wait until after he received the cigars then call them back to have a return slip sent to him…2 months later he was still waiting, he finally got it after several months but at that point decided to keep them, which I’m sure was done deliberately so he did keep them…well they got $120.00 but he won’t ever purchase from them again…Thank you”
“I placed an order online with Thompson Cigar and within half an hour cancelled it. I received an email acknowledging the order was cancelled. Much to my surprise, I received an email telling me it had shipped. When I called their CSC line, I was told there is nothing that can be done (is the CSC out of the country?) I usually order from another large online vendor but they did not have what I wanted to send and had heard good things about Thompson. My mistake and will not order again. Consumer beware.”
“Thompson’s cigar club is a nuisance, as are their pushy sales people!”
Cigars International
Cigars International on my worst list boils down to the fact that they still have an F rating with Better Business Bureau. The rating is largely due to an IT issue that surfaced in February 2017 that resulted in thousands of customers being charged for orders that then had extreme delays in delivery. You can read the ground floor from the consumer point here. The problem has mostly been fixed, but I’ve still seen reviews surfacing around the internet from customers who are still reporting problems.
CigarBid
Cigar Bid was actually on my “best” list in previous years, but due to my own personal experience they are now on my worst list. Cigar Bid is certainly a website to get good deals, but I’ve found a number of my orders were delivered with dry cigars inside. Cigars that aren’t humidified are mostly ruined, so this is equivalent to getting a box of wine bottles that have oxidized and turned into vinegar. Second, I had one order placed where I was then told they didn’t actually have the product in stock and would be sending me something else.
If you want a full breakdown between CigarBid and Cigar Auctioneer, read my detailed breakdown here.
Solo Cigars
I’ve never purchased through Solo Cigars, but I’ve read on countless internet forums now that, not only do they sell fake Cuban cigars, but they’ve also been involved in creating fake accounts on popular cigar forums to try to get people to change their mind about the retailer. Just google their name and look at result 2 – 10. You’ll get the idea. Key point here is: always check the reputation of any cigar retailer you purchase from. Just google their name and add “reviews”.
Do you have a favorite cigar retailer that should be on this list? Or, if you have a question about a cigar retailer, or a comment (good or bad), drop it in the comments section below.
Affiliate disclosure: when you purchase something using the retail links on this or other Fine Tobacco NYC pages, we may earn a small commission. Our opinions remain our own!
If you haven’t had at least one Rocky Patel cigar, you haven’t smoked much. Rocky makes an enormous amount of lines, from premium levels to catalog only sales. Many are fine cigars which have yielded solid ratings while others are budget conscience mid-level quality smokes that are easily cast off into the realm of catalog marketed cigar deals. I’ve smoked Rocky’s cigars since the boom days when he was Indian Tabac and enjoyed a lot of his smokes. With so many lines, though, they can get lost in a market with so much quality product from so many countries.
With his Prohibition line, Rocky puts it to the Food and Drug Administration’s attempt to create a stranglehold on premium cigars with heavy restrictions and an archaic mindset. Rocky reminds us how Prohibition did not work in this country and cigars would be the same story. His Prohibition line comes in a single Toro size with three different wrapper choices of Connecticut, Connecticut Broadleaf and a Mexican San Andres. I was able to check out the Connecticut Broadleaf for this review. Read on!
Blend Specifics
Cigar Reviewed: Rocky Patel Prohibition Broadleaf
Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
Binder Connecticut Broadleaf
Filler: Nicaraguan, Honduran
Size: 6.5″x52 Toro
Appearance & Construction
The Prohibition Broadleaf has a nice sheen to its silky wrapper. The cigar is firm to the touch, filled with tobacco and there are noticeable veins running around the circumference. The band is simple, but stands out in its simplicity sporting a brown band almost matching the broadleaf wrapper. The word “Prohibition” is in white and a secondary band in the same format with the word “Broadleaf” denoting the wrapper on the cigar.
Flavor & Smoke Characteristics
I clipped the Prohibition using a straight cut with my Xikar Wooley Mammoth cuter. The dry draw delivers raisinated flavors and dry wood. With a long match I gently toast the cigar, with the first puffs delivering lots of smoke and notes of paper and char. As the Prohibition warms up, milk chocolate comes to the forefront followed by a light earthiness. The chocolate continues with a bit of forest floor on the tongue. Thee retrohale yields much of the same. At this point, there’s not much to this cigar, but there’s nothing off-putting about it.
Midway through the Rocky Patel Prohibition Broadleaf, there’s notes of earth and a dustiness that become a bit drying on the mouthfeel. The smoke continues to deliver chalky notes with a bitter finish, with the ash at this point gray and flaky with a wavering burn line. Some fleeting black pepper comes through on the retrohale, and the chalkiness subsides, replaced with sandalwood and char and a short finish. At this point, the cigar is billowing with smoke, and yields notes of almond paste and cashew.
The Prohibition burns quicker than typical for a Toro size, and the last third brings forth notes of nutmeg and toasted oak. As the cigar finishes up, leather starts to dominate with some minerality. On the retrohale are hay and walnuts. Smoke production remains copious, with a light gray ash.
With the last few puffs, there’s more char with a short bitter finish. A lackluster end which forced me to put the cigar down.
Conclusion
I respect Rocky’s concept and message with a cigar called “Prohibition” as he has been a staunch fighter for cigar smoker’s rights. I feel with the broadleaf version of the Prohibition” at least the execution was not up to par. There was too much bitterness along with short notes in flavors which indicated to me an issue in tobacco processing and the blend itself. Where the flavors of chocolate, wood and nuts were pleasant they were overshadowed by chalkiness and too many charry notes. The cigar never developed in character despite smoking slowly and trying hard to coax out flavors. Perhaps trying the Connecticut and San Andre’s wrappers will deliver something more interesting in the Prohibition line.
Well folks I’m back. I had quite the January, with a long lingering cough that’s now thankfully subsided. I knew I wanted to make my first review of 2019 count, so I pulled out this smoke I picked up at Nat Sherman in December that is now, sadly, sold out. This cigar is the Nat Sherman Bench 2018 No. 1.
The Bench Series is available only at Nat Sherman stores, in extremely limited quantities, and with very limited information on the blends or even manufacturer. I buy it whenever a new release comes out, because they’re all so interesting. All I know about this cigar in particular is that it is 100% Dominican, rolled in 2008. That means this cigar has been aging for at least ten years, which is an insane amount of time to be sitting around.
Product Specifics
Cigar Reviewed: Nat Sherman Bench 2018 No. 1
Wrapper: Dominican
Binder: Dominican
Filler: Dominican
Size: unclear, but I’d guess 6″ x 48
Appearance & Construction
The Nat Sherman Bench 2018 No. 1 sports a brown sugar colored wrapper with minimal veins. The cigar is slightly springy when squeezed and is packed consistently the length of the cigar. As you can see from the photo above, the wrapper is just beautiful.
The aroma off of the foot is tantalizing, with a mixture of sweet hay, light woodsiness, sweet coffee, and light spices. The cold draw summons brighter flavors of citrus, coffee beans (like the large open coffee bags you find sometimes at the market), and some light, woody spice. The draw itself is about an 8/10 in terms of restrictiveness, just a touch more than I typically like.
Flavor & Smoke Characteristics
The Nat Sherman Bench 2018 kicks off with remarkably sweet, creamy, medium bodied smoke. Overall, it’s quite complex and balanced, hitting sweet, savory, salty, and bitter portions of the flavor wheel all at once, with some spice on the palate. Smoke production is just above average.
About 10 minutes later, less than a half an inch in, the flavors shift toward tangy Apricot jam, toast, creamy chocolate and light baking spices. If that sounds good, it’s because it REALLY is. Just delicious.
By an inch in, the thick salt and pepper ash is still holding on. The balance of the smoke, though, has fallen a bit out of whack, with a cedar note coming in just a little too heavy. Still, the complexity and harmony of flavors like apricot, chocolate, spice and cream make for an intense and enjoyable flavor experience.
As the Nat Sherman Bench 2018 burns past the second third, body remains at medium, though the retrohale is strong and spicy. Flavors remain mostly the same, though the cream on the finish gives way to a drier, woodier core. No constructing issues as of yet, though there is some waviness to the burn.
Near the halfway mark, both body and strength creep up to medium full, with bitter wood, cream, coffee, and salty smoked meats making up the core of the profile. It adds a nice chapter to the story of the Bench 2018, keeping things interesting. The final third of the Nat Sherman Bench 2018 lands this cigar near full body, with spices and toasted bread on the retrohale, and a woody, coffee-forward palate. Even in the final few minutes of the cigar, the smoke refuses to heat up, a testament perhaps to the extreme aging on this cigar.
Conclusion
What can I say? The Nat Sherman Bench 2018 No. 1 offers a true gourmet experience, much like so many other new Nat Sherman blends. This one though is just stellar, with excellent complexity and complementary of flavors. In particular, I really enjoyed the first two thirds, which delivered creamy but very textured smoke, and a great bouquet of complementary flavors like apricot jam, toast, coffee, cream and cocoa.
The first Bench Series I reviewed was way back in 2012, and I can say I’m even more excited about the future of the Bench Series than I’ve ever been.
From the family that catapulted the cigar boom days into another stratosphere with the release of the Opus X in the 90’s, the Fuente family has spent decades creating outstanding well blended cigars with craftsmanship on an artisanal level. Hearkening back to the cigar days of old when cigars where more mild to medium bodied, the family patriarch—the late Carlos Fuente Sr.—blended the Casa Cuba as an homage to that period in time. Draped in an Ecuadorian wrapper with Dominican binders and fillers the Casa Cuba seeks to deliver a mild bodied smoke with lots of flavor. Based on its #23 placement in the Cigar Aficionado Top 25 of 2016, there’s evidence it achieves this goal. But it’s always good to get a second opinion, right?
Blend Specifics
Cigar Reviewed: Casa Cuba Doble Cinco
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Havana
Binder: Dominican
Filler: Dominican
Size: 5 x 50 robusto
Appearance & Construction
This particular Casa Cuba Doble Cinco has a dark wrapper that’s slightly veiny to the touch. It’s somewhat firm with a sufficient amount of tobacco inside. The wrapper is elegant with a red and gold crest in the middle with the words “Casa Cuba” atop and “Flor Fina” on the bottom with gold leaf surrounding it. Simple and sophisticated.
Flavor & Smoke Characteristics
Using my Xikar Mammoth Ivory Cutter, I effortlessly clipped the Casa Cuba. The dry draw pulls some wood and a bit of spice out of the cigar. Lighting up, the Casa saltiness is present along with coconut. As the cigar gets going, there’s earth and cedar on the mid palate and a nice amount of smoke. The finish at this point has flavors of vanilla and spice.
By midway, the ash is light and white, with a proper burn line and effortless draw. The Casa Cuba becomes creamy at this point along with peanut and toffee notes. Thus far, the cigar stands in the mild range, occasionally leaning into a medium body. Some sour cherry on the short finish is brought about along with cedar. The retrohale gives some white pepper to the cigar, though that doesn’t last long.
In the final third, the Casa Cuba delivers some serious woodiness with a touch of spice intermingling. Notes of peanuts and earth on the mid palate give way to a creamy finish. The cedar picks up in spades at this point, with a sizeable increase in smoke production. The profile of the Casa continues to be in the mild to medium range at the most.
The final few puffs give much of the same in terms of wood and earth, albeit with a short finish. A mild, flavorful smoke.
Conclusion
I’ve met Carlito Fuente—the son of the late Sr.—many times. There isn’t a man as passionate about life and cigars as he is. The man tears up when he speaks of the love of the leaf and honoring his family’s name with the quality he puts forth. The late Carlos Senior left a legacy in the cigar world and with his Casa Cuba blend he has brought us all back to the days when cigars were smoked without persecution and gave us an idea of the profile during those times. In these days of in your face, full bodied “bombs,” it’s nice to appreciate a mild cigar with lots of flavor.
If you enjoy wood, spice, cream, and some reflection on times long past, this is a cigar you should pick up.
The latest event thrown by Fine Tobacco NYC utilized the secret sauce that Matthias Clock and team have perfected: a great pairing of a top rated cigar with whisky and fantastic music that surrounds the listener but does not stop conversation. On January 15th the pairing was La Hoja Cigar Co. 1962 and The Balvenie Single Malt Whisky (12 Year Doublewood and 14 year Caribbean Cask) along with jazz standards from the 1920’s-1940’s sung by Christi Gehrisch.
When Matthias Clock’s group throws an event, different personalities emerge. From celebration to sioree, all are enjoyable and I look for what I call the bottom line of the personality of the evening. In the case of the cigar maker La Hoja, it’s the satisfaction of smoking a great product that is truly boutique in that the company is not being dead set on the traditional national market that brands are typically after. This from my perspective seems difficult. Unlike a FinetobaccoNYC event, the cigar industry does not have a secret sauce to success. That’s why there are typically three types of makers/blenders.
The Legacy This is where family lineage goes back to Cuba, and the passion is in the blood and instilled in the family. They make because they must. Examples (not a complete list): Fuente, Nodal, Carrillo, Perdomo, Plascencia, Pepin Garcia, Eiroa, and Fernandez. These folks have farm to seed processes that are the foundation of their ability to meet the market. The best of these offer their workers a family and loyal atmosphere.
The Entrepreneur:An entrepreneur in the cigar business is someone who looks at the boutique business segment and sees paths to success in many forms. Typically they are also big personality who loves a crowd and a schmooze. A cigar entrepreneur creates brand strength and dominance through the balance of business knowledge and art. They find partners and don’t typically have a farm to seed operation but there are big exceptions. Examples: Jonathan Drew, Robert Caldwell, Sam Leccia, Fred Rewey (in the past), Matt Booth, Pete Hassell Johnson, Skip Martin, Espinosa,and Alan Rubin.
The Passion Player: This is the life-long lover of cigars who has found his or her way into the position to launch a line of cigars at a smaller scale and work hard to get the word out and to have retailers carry the cigars. The big question for these player is who to team with, who to manufacture with, and how far to spread the word. Examples: Juan Cancel and Bill Ives of Cubariqueno (Protocol), Dion Giolito (Illusione), Felix Assouline, Tim Wong, Mel Shah, Nate McIntyre, and Robert Holt (Southern Draw).
La Hoja’s approach to remaining small, nimble, and excellent combines all three personalities. Hoja has the lineage and history, they use partnered farming operations in Dominican Republic, and they keenly know what it means to be profitable. Additionally, Willie and Carlos Gomez, his partner, are big personalities and they can work a room. Lastly, they are not interested in extending their business outside of the Tri-State and have actually centered mostly on central and northern New Jersey. This approach takes discipline. Unlike a mouse in the maze, Willie and Carlos hold true to the idea that their defined region is good enough. He says proudly that a great year is selling 300 – 400 thousand cigars. They are not looking to participate in every national show or consumer event outside of their sweet spot. No CI Cigar Fest, no Big Smokes, but this approach allows them to clearly identify where they want to shine.
Willie Flores of La Hoja Cigars
La Hoja is pronounced La “Oh”ja. Willie Flores, the owner, in our multiple conversations helped me understand that in the Spanish language the “H” is always silent. This was a big help because understanding how language is pronounced is not my strong suit. 1962 is significant in the full company name because 1962 was the year that the embargo for trade with Cuba was extended to cigars.
As described, like many of the great blenders there is a heritage for Willie Florez to his father, Carlos Flores who was a grower, blender, and manufacturer in Cuba before the embargo. When the climate for export of tobacco became constrained and unappealing, many of these tobacco legends made arrangements to leave the island in 1965 and settle in Miami. Carlos and his family, including Willie and Carlos (Willie’s brother) and their Mom spent time there and then moved to New Jersey.
In the late 80’s Willie and his brother Carlos partnered on two successful endeavors: a retail store named Hoboken Smoke Shop, and a cigar line called Flor de Florez which did well in the cigar boom of the early 1990s. While Carlos left the industry, Willie has stuck with his passion the whole way. The La Hoja Cigar Company 1962 is currently based out of Fort Lee, NJ. Willie and partner Carlos Gomez runs the brand’s cigar store in Fort Lee called The Cigar Room where they have a branded La Hoja humidor. I look forward to continuing to follow La Hoja’s quest for success in the niche they have chosen. Their product is excellent and the variety is there to suit all palates.
Christi Gehrisch
This also holds true for Christi Gehrisch of the evening. Her voice is elegant and worth a listen. Her music as she certainly has a loyal local following, and plays with popular local acts. She centralizes her efforts in NYC and specifically for some of the largest charities. Also you can see her knowledge of the industry in action at Luca’s Jazz Corner on the Upper East Side where she curates the excellent evenings of jazz and standards.
The cigars paired very nicely with The Balvenie Whisky which is a Speyside whisky. It’s such good stuff that, if I wasn’t trying to be as civilized as my fellow attendees, I might have swiped the Caribbean Cask bottle (mmm whisky) and hid in a corner sipping and smoking until 2am when they kicked me out. The 12 year Doublewood is aged first in Oak and then in Sherry Casks to make an extra smooth albeit not smoky drink that is quite excellent. The second whisky to be sampled is the Carribean Cask which is aged 14 years, with excellent rum cask influences. As always Carnegie employees work hard to keep drinks, food, and cigars lit.
What a great night.
To learn more about La Hoja Cigars, visit their facebook page here.
To book Christi Gehrisch for an event, contact her here.
