Padron 1964 Anniversary Diplomatico Review
Lately I’ve been hearing a lot of accusations flying around the Mayor’s office. The chief of these accusations is that I like every cigar that I review. To be completely honest, I didn’t enjoy every single cigar I’ve reviewed and though I am open to trying any and every cigar out there, there are cigars and brands out there that I don’t particularly enjoy. That said, just because I enjoy a cigar does not mean everyone will share my opinion, just like some cigar enthusiasts might enjoy a cigar I don’t particularly care for. That is the beauty of smoking cigars, that every smokers tastes are subjective and I try to write from the stand point of informative, though I am not afraid to throw my own opinion out there from time to time.
That said I will be reviewing a cigar from one of the greatest cigar makers in the world, the Padron 1964 Anniversary Diplomatico. I will say up front that the Diplomatico is a cigar I’ve smoked before and is one of my favorite special occasion smokes. At $15.50 a pop, this 7×50 Nicaraguan boxed pressed monster is one that you want to save for those special moments like birthdays, anniversaries or other special celebrations.
The first third of this cigar begins with an effortless draw and a noticeable spicy flavor, yet it is not overpowering while there were also woody flavors as well. The one feature I love about Padrons is that they are consistent, and as usual, the Diplomatico kept the hint of wood flavor but the main feature of the cigar switched to a light sweet flavor that is very enjoyable. By the final third of this smoke, the light sweet flavor gave way to the smoky flavor that was consistent throughout the cigar. Overall this medium to full-bodied smoke had a good burn and excellent draw. As usual, I could find nothing to complain about and will be holding a few of these box pressed beauties in my humidor to smoke on Christmas and New Year’s.
The Mayor
Reposted with permission from thegarshop.com
Drew Estate Undercrown Review
Every once in a while, a cigar comes along that really surprises me in a good way that I wasn’t expecting. The latest being the Undercrown by Drew Estate. I had heard a little bit about this cigar and from what I heard is that it was essentially a smoke in the Liga Privada line, which isn’t entirely incorrect, but the real story behind the cigar was that Drew Estate asked their torcedores to not smoke the regular quantities of cigars they were making, so they had some of the best torcedores in the factory make cigars especially for them. In turn, the cigars turned out so well that Drew Estate felt it was necessary to release to the public in large quantities.
Now the cigar I was generously given by “Honest” Abe Dababneh was a 5×54 robusto that is wrapped in Otapan Negro Ultimo Corte, with T52 Connecticut River Valley Stalk Cut and cured habano binders and filled with Brazilian Mata Fina and Nicaraguan Cuban Seed. The Undercrown will come in boxes of 25 and the robusto is priced at $7.45 a stick.
Now let’s get to the good part, the actual cigars tastes. In the first 2 or 3 puffs, the Undercrown is kind of spicy but after that it transitions to a light, earthy flavor with some spice in there for good measure. At this point it was a medium bodied smoke with good construction and the flavors were very good.
In the second third of the Undercrown the earthy flavors with spicy notes continues to be the predominate taste I get, which is surprisingly good since I’m not big on the earthier cigars. Still a solid medium bodied cigar but the flavor lightens up towards the end, the draw gets a little firm, but not so much that it hurts the quality of the cigar. The burn is a bit jagged at this point, but again not bad enough to complain.
The last third of the cigar finds that the flavors switch entirely to predominantly spice with some earthy undertones that is an excellent change of pace. The flavor of the Undercrown remains this way until the end of the smoke. The draw on the cigar was again firm, but not firm enough to make me complain, just worth mentioning. The only negative I could find was that it did burned jagged and I had to touch up a small portion of it before it began canoeing too bad.
Overall, I found the Undercrown to be a very good cigar that I would probably try again at some future point and would be a lot better if it was allowed to age for a while. So, until next time, Happy Smoking!
The Mayor
Reposted with permission from thegarshop.com
Ashton VSG Robusto Especial Review
I don’t know about you, but for me, smoking a cigar is usually a pleasurable experience, a moment to kick back, relax and enjoy the company of like-minded people, whether a first time meeting or a long-time friend. But every once in a while, smoking a cigar can provide a complete spiritual awakening and cast a new light on all things around you. Don’t believe me? Then go smoke the Ashton VSG Robusto Especial, because this cigar is one of the best cigars I have smoked, EVER!
Before I get into the juicy goodness of this bad boy, let me give you a little background on the Ashton VSG (virgin sun grown). This 5.5×50 robusto is filled and binded with four to five-year old Dominican tobacco grown on the Fuente family’s plantation while the wrapper is grown on the Oliva family’s private estate in Ecuador exclusively for the Fuente family so they can make the VSG. What makes this cigar special is that it was blended for Ashton by cigar genius and master blender Carlos Fuente, Jr.
Now to the good stuff, the cigar. The goodness of the VSG begins immediately with strong sweet and sour flavors that are backed up with a hint of spice. The complexity of this cigar is truly amazing in that it is a strong cigar, but very smooth and the strength of the flavor changes with each puff. The draw and burn are perfect through the first third.
The second third of the cigar has the same complexity, with the hints of spice in the distant background while the sweet and sour flavor takes the wheel and becomes more pronounced. Thus far a medium – full bodied smoke with a flawless burn and effortless draw.
The sweet and sour flavor mellows out in the final third of the VSG, but never completely fades away. The VSG never got hot or harsh, even towards the end of the smoke and the burn and draw remained perfect. Overall a solid medium – full bodied smoke that I would recommend to anyone, even at the $11 price tag, a five flame cigar all the way.
Speaking of flames, the staff here at The Gar Shop have been working on some new projects with the guys from Gar Starz (see garstarz.com) and have come up with a rating system all our own – The Flame Rating. In essence it works like the everyday star rating system but incorporated our own little touch, with one flame being the worst and five flames being the best. So from now on, when I give a cigar a flame rating, everyone will know what I’m talking about.
Until next time, happy smoking!
The Mayor
Reposted with permission from thegarshop.com
Tatuaje Capa Especial Review
Today I’m reviewing the Tatuaje Capa Especial. The more Tatuajes I smoke, the more I’m becoming a fan, and this 5 5/8 x 46 Corona Gorda only solidifies that fact.
The flavor of this cigar is difficult to pinpoint initially, but it is an excellent medium to full-bodied cigar. In the first third, the Capa Especial began with a very complex flavor, like I said, it’s very difficult to pinpoint the exact flavor, but I’d call it leathery. Nonetheless, the cigar is very enjoyable.
In the Second third of the Capa Especial, the complex leathery flavor remains, but a hint of sweetness, akin to milk chocolate, finds its way into the fold. The burn and the draw on the cigar are excellent and still a very enjoyable smoke.
In the last third of the cigar the same leather and sweetness that presented itself in the second third remains through the end of the smoke. I find that this Sumatra wrapped cigar is an excellent product by Pete Johnson and Tatuaje. The burn is perfect and the draw was effortless. At around $9 a stick, I would be sure to buy the Tatuaje Capa Especial.
The Mayor
Reposted with permission from thegarshop.com
Drew Estate Natural Big Jucy Review
“The Rebirth of Cigars” is the mantra of Drew Estate, purveyors of such cigars as Acid, Liga Privada and Undercrown. Well, one of their newest creations has me baffled and intrigued. If the Natural by Drew Estate is the rebirth of cigars, then the rebirth is in for an interesting ride. The Natural comes in 7 sizes ranging from a tiny 3×38 to a healthy 6.5×54, but the interesting thing about this smoke is the blend, in that it has a traditional Nicaraguan binder but the filler and wrappers vary from different countries as Africa, Indonesia, Mexico, U.S., Spain, Italy, and others.
The cigar I smoked from the Natural’s selection was Big Jucy, a 5×46 corona with a mouth full of taste. Though it doesn’t explicitly say on Drew Estate’s website that it’s infused or flavored with anything, the Big Jucy’s taste in the first third can best be described as smoking a fruit roll up. It’s not a bad flavor, just very powerful and you can even get a little bit of the flavor on the pre-light draw. The construction of the cigar is great in the first third, as there were no problems with the draw or the burn.
In the second third, the tobacco flavors are still overpowered by the fruity notes of the cigar; it is much more manageable now and not so overpowering. Being that it’s a smaller smoke, it does smoke quickly as it didn’t take me long to get through the first two-thirds. Burn and draw are still perfect on the Big Jucy.
Now the last third of the Big Jucy was the best part in that the fruit flavors mellowed out and became more of a tobacco sweet taste that was rather enjoyable. The burn and the draw were great and despite not being a fan of really sweet cigars, most of the Natural was enjoyable. Overall all I’d give 3 out of 5 flames and would definitely recommend to anyone that is into flavored or infused cigars.
Until next time, Happy Smoking!
The Mayor
Reposted with permission from thegarshop.com
