General Cigars Archives - Fine Tobacco Club

General Cigars

November 20, 2015

Cigar Review: Macanudo Cru Royale

Randolph Beers Cigar Reviews Cru Royale, General Cigars, Macanudo, Poco Gordo, Randolph Beers, Tiny and Fat 0

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

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.

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.

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.

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

November 3, 2015

Cigar Review: Cohiba Red Dot

Randolph Beers Cigar Reviews Cohiba (Dominican), General Cigars, Randolph Beers, Red Dot 0

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

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.

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.

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.

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.