Nestor Miranda Art Deco – A Coffee Break with a Punch
Recently I have found that I am smoking a more full bodied cigar in the afternoon and something a little bit lighter at night. So, this evening I chose the Nestor Miranda Collection Art Deco. It was perhaps reminiscent of a more full bodied cigar with a nice kick but lots of flavor. When I first looked at the stick it presented well. I was smoking the ‘Coffee Break’ a short...
A Dark Knight Shines on Second Blush
To be honest, this is the second stick of this vitola that I smoked. Both came as a gift from General Cigar as part of their ambassador program aorund Thanksgiving. And, the first was not anything to write home about. Others who got this package also felt the smae way. But, tonight, I decided to give it another shot. And, I was pleasantly surprised. Perhaps a few months in the humidor...
Estilo Cubano – A Nice Smoke
One of the nice perks of writing cigar reviews is that you never know what you are going to smoke next. Just yesterday I had a long drive in front of me and chose a rich dark cigar that I knew nothing about for the afternoon part of the journey. This stick turned out to be a nice one from Ventura Cigar Company called Estilo Cubana. Upon first inspection you notice a few nice things. The...
Las Ramblas, Maduro
This is the third and last toro size offering in Ventura’s Las Ramblas line. This 6 1/2 X 50 cigar was quite firm (as in tightly wrapped) and slightly veiny in its construction, suggesting that the draw could be tough, but that was not the case. However, the firmness called for a closer look at the construction. As can be seen in the photo, some “twigs” appear in the center...
Gurkha Cellar Reserve — A Vintage Cigar
The Gurkha Cellar Reserve is a new release from the recently renamed Gurkha Cigar Group. As soon as I received this stick I was curious both because of the interesting shape of the cigar as well as the complex label. The label is large with lots of information. It tells you that the cigar is a Dominican puro, and the tobacco has aged 15 years. I was also looking forward to a nice long...
Macanudo 1968 – A Very Good Year
This is an interesting cigar. First there are many different tobaccos that make the blend, including some from Ometepe, the remote Nicaraguan island with rich volcanic soil. Secondly, the tobacco is aged in tercios, the burlap bags used to transport the tobacco bales and then placed in charcoaled wooden barrels. This also add flavor that enhances the cigar. Perhaps all of these steps...
