Padron Family Reserve No.45 Maduro Toro (6X52)

It has been awhile since I have posted a review and I figured that while I was sitting at the incredible new Maduro's lounge I would get back on the horse for another no holds barred smoke critique.

This cigar has been biding it's time in my humi for a bit as I looked for just the right time to sit back and consider it. I am always struck by the ruddy, cheroot like appearance of any Padron super premium. This is no exception, it appears to be the working man's cigar, perfect for roping calves or plowing the field. However, it is priced at $25 per smoke and that is no everyday yard banger. Visuals aside, I am impressed with rest of the smoke, slightly box pressed and dark and rich. The wrapper is oily and has some tooth. I can detect no issues in the construction of the smoke and after a quick inspection decide that it will be just fine. The pre light aroma is all earth and clove. The pre light draw is showing some light pepper and some interesting coffee and fruit notes.

The cigar opens with a profile that is less that what I expect from this smoke, it is nice, but lacks complexity and depth in the early moments. There is a nice peppery opening, but the usual Padron earthiness is lacking here. At the back of the palate there are some nice notes of dark wood and some light tobacco essences, but I am not blown away at this point. The burn is razor sharp and a ponderous white ash forms quickly. The draw is exceptional, imparting just the right amount of smoke with very little effort on my part.

The first half of the cigar starts to warm the insides, like a fine scotch this cigar showed some straightforward plainness early but really kicks into high gear as it opens up. The profile has transitioned into a very pleasant array of pepper, earth and coffee and it is ramping up as the cigar continues. At the back of the palate there continues to be a nice woody foundation, but there is a note of raisin here as well. The draw and burn continue to be very impressive.

The final half of the cigar loses some steam, and I have transitioned from a cigar that I thought might be legendary, to one that is just above average. The profile thins considerably and shows just some notes of pepper with some occasional coffee blasts. At the back of the palate there are still some hints of dark wood, but the earthy notes that I have been looking for start to sneak in here, unfortunately they are too late. I also note a significant increase in the strength in the last third. The burn and draw are splendid throughout the smoke.

The finish is long and shows some lingering earth and pepper tones.

For my money the 1926 is still a much better smoke, but this one was very good.

Appearance- 88 a bit rough, but still nice to look at
Taste- 91 some late profile issues detract from the experience
Construction- 94 a very excellent presentation in this area
Strength- 92 some surprising power late
Overall- 91.75 a very nice experience

The Big Face Off

The Big Face Off

Recently a few brothers of the leaf got together for a little Face Off. We all purchased Tatuaje’s new 2010 Halloween release “ The Face “ from one of our favorite local B&M’s. You don’t often see 8 guys all smoking the same cigar at the same time so it was interesting. Last years Halloween Release “ The Boris “ was one of the best cigars of the year and came in at my # 3 with very high honors. While I did enjoy “ The Face “ it did not send me scrambling to find more as the Boris did. It’s a bit large, rough and ruddy like its namesake I suppose. It smoked just fine with no issues and was enjoyable without being memorable. It did not have the flavor and complexity to make it a winner or justify its price but it was worth enjoying with good friends. I’ll be waiting for another cigar like the “ Boris “ to come along.

Tatuaje Halloween 2010 Monster Series
Cigars Reviewed: Tatuaje "The Face" "Leatherface" from the Texas Chainsaw Massacre
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Wrapper: San Andreas Mexican Wrapper (Seco priming)
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Size: 6 3/8 inches
Ring Gauge: 56
Price: $13

LA GLORIA CUBANA SERIE N

LA GLORIA CUBANA SERIE N

The much anticipated new sister to the legendary Serie R has now started to ship and the new Serie N should soon be available for your smoking pleasure at a tobacconist near you. If its not,tell them to get with the stick.

I have always enjoyed the La Gloria Serie R cigars myself and I was quite pleased to hear of the new Serie N being launched. Being no stranger to dark and strong cigars for the seasoned smoker, I was not concerned with the tails of this cigars jet black wrapper and being the strongest La Gloria ever. Bring it it on I said.

The idea behind the new N was to provide a new powerhouse blend strictly for the guys who like them strong that would be worthy of the Serie R‘s pedigree. I would say they have accomplished this quite handily.

I had the pleasure to meet La Gloria’s Michael Giannini and Rick Rodriquez this week and they quickly offered one up to see what I thought. These are great cigar guy’s and it was really fun to talk with them about cigars.

Honestly I liked this cigar and told them so. I will be anxious to smoke more of them.

Appearance and Construction: When I read this was an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper I had to do a triple take. This wrapper is dark, Oscuro dark. In fact it borders on being Obsidian Black. The roll is virtually seamless though with a nice looking cap. There are minimal veins and a nice oily sheen. The band on the cigar is the classic La Gloria logo with an interwoven N. I find this cigar to be a menacing looking beast and I like that.


Smoking Characteristics: The cigar had a very fluid draw with an ample amount of smoke being produced with an outstanding aroma. The ash was strong and held for half the cigar before it fell off and was a medium gray in color. The burn was perfect even and remained lit until I put it down.

Conclusion: One of the better cigars I have smoked from General Cigars and I will reach for this again on a semi regular basis. It was good, well made, had a solid burn, and was enjoyable. The first batch of these cigars will have the letter N on the wrapper using a lighter shade of tobacco which should make for a nice visual.


This new Serie N collection debuts in 4 sizes. The JSB at (5 ½” x 54) , The Rojo at (6 ½” x 46), The Generoso at (5 ¾” x 49) and the Glorioso at (6 ½” x 58) Average retail pricing will be in the $6 to $7 range which is a great price point.

And for all you fans of the excellent La Gloria Artesanos series cigars, I’ll let you in on a secret. The third Artesano cigar the Artesanos de Obelisco 5 X 57 X 44 is coming very soon.



Cigar: La Gloria Cubana Serie N
Size: 5 ½” x 54
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sumatra
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Recommend : Yes if you like the R and like them strong, try it
Rating : A very solid 91
Official Site: http://www.teamlagloria.com/

Last night my best friend and I had a clelebration smoke (he is mving back to town) on his last night visiting here. Be brought us two Cuban Partigas Lusitanias. What a wonderful stick. Very complexed flavors thoughout.

The wrapper appearance is a little rough but did not reflect on what this cigar holds inside. At first light I tasted nutty and coffee notes with a slight woodsy flavor towards the middle.

The ash was a nice white and the burn even. I would concider this a medium bodied cigar and would also place this in my top 3 all time smokes.

Artesanos de Tabaqueros 750

I have become a fan as of late of these transitional cigars(that's what I call them)which are made with two different wrappers.
Last month at a cigar tasting event I had the pleasure of seeing Rik Rodriguez again and trying Gloria Cubana's new Artesanos de Tabaqueros 750. A Connecticut Shade and hearty Ecuadoran Sumatra wrapper. Rik is part of the team to come up with this wonderful cigar and I recommend every one to try it.
At the light up it has an earthy taste with nutty flavors. Very smooth cigar begins and begins to change as the Sumatra wrapper is breached. The cigar takes on notes of coffee and
chocolate.
The draw is easy and has a flakey but nice white ashe. Construction on the connecticut wrap is smooth with little weins and the Sumatra is oily with more prominent veins. I had to retouch lighting the connecticut a couple times but burned well though out the Sumatra side. This will be in my top 5 for 2010.

Torano 2008 Tribute Maduro

Carlos Torano 2008 Tribute

Maduro Toro 6 X 50

A recent gift of this cigar that I expected to either maybe smoke some day or not be impressed by has just launched itself straight to the list of my best cigars of the year. That is a short and distinguished list but It really was that good. I have not had any bad Torano's just not any that floated my boat worth mention. That has now changed.

I had never heard of or come across one of these cigars before. This is one stick I never would have tried that I am sure glad I did not miss. I will be hunting down more of them.

A number of cigar makers have blended special edition cigars in honor of their fathers and grandfathers, but the Carlos Torano Tribute has to be one of the very best.

Torano Tribute is a limited edition cigar, made with a blend of very special filler tobaccos and binder from Nicaragua, and a dark Brazilian wrapper. The cigar is available in four sizes. The size that I smoked for this review was a 6 X 50 Toro.

The Torano 2008 Tribute is a medium-to-full bodied cigar with a full and rich flavor. Although the cigar is not overly strong, it is recommended for more seasoned cigar smokers, as opposed to beginners. The cigar tasted great with no bad aftertaste. It was perfectly balanced, and I just loved it. In fact I could barely wait for my next draw and I never wanted it to end.

This Toro size was perfectly constructed and had a great draw. The cigar had an even burn and did not need any touch-up lights. I simply lit it and then smoked away.

In the $8 to $10 range when purchased by the box, these are not value-priced cigars, but special limited edition cigars for special occasions. As such, they are well worth the price, and could be considered under-priced when compared to other super premium cigars on the market. The only disappointment was learning these were a limited release of only 1200 boxes. Fortunately they can still be had.
Smoke one if you possibly can.


Company: Carlos Toraño
Made In: Honduras
Made by: Carlos Toraño
Vitola: 6 X 50 Toro
Wrapper: Brazilian Mata Fina Triple Fermented
Filler: Nicaragua
Binder: Nicaragua
MSRP: $9/ $180 for a box of 20

Recommend : Big Time

La Flor Domincana Air Bender

La Flor Dominicana

Air Bender

Guerro 6.25 x 54

La Flor Dominicana cigars are the product of Litto Gomez. I was really looking forward to trying this cigar when it came out.

It just so happened that Tony Gomez put one of his own in my hand. That certainly added to the smoking experience but if the Air Bender had not been for me, I would have said so. I loved it and will gladly smoke more of them.
I have always enjoyed the entire line of great La Flor Dominicana cigars and I certainly add the Air Bender to that list. I love the name of this cigar and its a real beauty of a fine premium stick.

It features a nice triple cap and has the quality construction La Flors are known for.
This cigar just looks and feels like a great cigar should. The Ecuadorian-grown Habano wrapper has a dark, reddish-brown color with little veining and has a slight oily sheen to it.

The Air Bender is full flavored and rich but not one of Litto’s many Ligero laden power bombs. A Maduro and a new stronger Chisel only blend will be forthcoming. I can’t wait to try them both.
The Chisel in my opinion is one of the easiest to smoke and nicest overall vitolas being made today.


Tony said they were looking for something different here that would appeal to many smokers and they have succeeded big time. I personally enjoy the heavy hitting power smokes but that is usually for a smaller group of seasoned smokers. This smoke definitely has what it takes to make itself home in my humidor.
Please, do yourself a favor and pick up an LFD Air Bender.


Format : Guerrero
Size : 6.25 x 54
Wrapper : Ecuador (Habano)
Filler : Dominican Republic
Binder : Dominican Republic
Recommend: Bend some air today
Price : $8 approx