The Griffins Maduro
Having previously tried the natural version of this cigar I was interested in giving the maduro a shot to see if there were any differences. There definitely was. Upon first glance you notice a rich deep brown seemingly flawless cigar. The Connecticut broadleaf wrapper has a silky feel and is almost without veins. It clips and lights easily. It took a few minutes for the draw to open....
Gurkha Royal Challenge – Definitely Royal
For many years friends have suggested that I try Gurkha cigars. And, I did, once. It wasn’t a pleasant experience. Yet, at an event some moths ago, I met Ollie Hyams, the director of PR for Gurkha. He has been very responsive to questions and has provided a few cigars for me to review. This has proven to be an excellent investment on his part since they are nothing like what I...
CAO — Last Stick Standing, A
As I wrote about some weeks ago int he Sunday News and Notes section, CAO is running a contest to let the smokers pick their next blend. They have come out with 3 different blends and made a number of cigars in a 5 1/2 x 54 shape for tasting. Everyone who attends an event at a local tobacco shop can vote. They will give you one of each of the three blends labeled C, A, O and you vote for...
Nub Rarity – The San Andreas Maduro
I wasn’t looking for anything special when I picked out this cigar. It just seemed to call out. But, it turns out that this is a non-production stick made jsut for inclusion in the Nub Studio Tobac Sampler. These are available only at Studio events. A monster ring gauge characterizes this smoke. It has a nice rich brown maduro wrapper and is choclatey to the taste. I punched and...
San Lotano Habano
AJ Fernandez had made many of the cigars that are in my humidor. He just makes them for others. So, it’s nice to have one that he has seen fit to put his own lable on. When you first look at the San Lotano, it shows a nice medium brown with a nice tight hand. it lights easily after a quick clip. At first it produces limited smoke probably because of a tight draw. Though I found...
Dona Flor – The Brazilian Bombshell
When I took this stick for the humidor, I knew less than nothing about it. As a matter of fact, before doing any research this article had an entirely different headline, since I thought the cigar was a cheap product, without any importance. Instead, I find out there is a great story and a wonderful cigar. Dona Flor , from the movie in the 1970s, is the story of a Brazilian woman who...
