THE MACANUDO CAFE PRINCE PHILIP CONNECTICUT IS NOT EXACTLY GOOD

This was a gift that I smoked on Christmas Day. I only wish that I could have enjoyed it more. It has a Conecticut wrapper, Dominican filler, and San Andres binder, which I thought would make an interesting blend. Maybe it does, but I will have to wait for another cigar to be able to tell you. Why? Well, the drag was very tight, which is a real downer in my book, even though it burned evenly. The precious little smoke that actually made it to my lips was mild and flavorful, which made it a real shame that it wasn't rolled better. From what I could tell, the cigar attempts to deliver a classic Dominican smoke with some added flavor from the San Andres wrapper. I can't imagine why these guys don't invest in a quality drag testing machine with all of the cigars they sell.

Alas, this may be just another case of a cigar label living off of the good name it earned from its previous owners. This is not your grandfather's Macanudo--only a distant cousin trading on Big Mac's good name. If this is your taste profile, you and your wallet will be better served with a PDR Exclusivo, MOW Virtue, San Lotano Connecticut, or a Padilla Hybrid.--Mamey

CS Rating-2.5

Camacho Connecticut Review

The Camacho Connecticut Toro is a splendid cigar. Not as full-bodied and flavorful as the Camacho Corojo Churchill, it is smooth and creamy and has excellent burn and drag. The wonderful combination of a Honduran cigar with a Connecticut wrapper was immediately evident. The finish of this cigar was a bit disappointing as it lost taste and turned a little harsh. A curiosity of the Camacho cigars is that as the stick begins to burn and ashes appear, the ashes slant up at the tip. Reminds me of a snobbish nose turn-up.

CS Rating: 4

El Alcalde

Puros Indios Especial #4 Maduro Review

Gents, this cigar did not live up to the built-up expectation. I will not go out on the limb and state that it is over-rated because I want to smoke another one before a total and crippling slam. The drag was satisfactory but the burn was somewhat uneven (it was well-lit with a splendid v-cut). The puff itself was not too shabby. The problem is, simply, it was tasteless. Well, not totally tasteless as there was a hint of dirt. Rolando Reyes is well advised to monitor Quality Control at the Honduras plant as it appears that the dust-pan plays a key but undesired role. The Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper was a yawner and who knows what country the filler came from: Brazil? DR? Nicaragua? Thank goodness for the fine pairing: Ron Matusalem Gran Reserva. But, to be fair, I will give Puros Indios another chance given the hype.

CS Rating (for now): a weak 2

The night was still young - to quote a trite cliche - so I reached into my humidor to extinguish the taste of the Puros Indios dirt stick. In my hand was an old reliable, Santiago Cabana Robusto Maduro. It was the perfect antidote: sweet, flavorful, plenty of smoke, long ashes.

CS Rating: 3.5

El Alcalde

El Santiago

This is one bodacious tabacco.

Santiago Cabana Churchill (14th Anniversary Release)

-Whammer

The Gurkha Assassin: A Killer Review

I have smoked several cigars from the Gurkha suite and all have been fine sticks that I would proudly recommend. The Gurkha Assassin is no different. The GA is full-bodied just as I like and is quite flavorful and smooth, but not as smooth as the Perdomo Lot 23.

Okay, I will use some of the less masculine descriptions: the GA is a bit nutty but not chocolatey and there is a hint of coffee in the taste, particularly toward the middle of the cigar. The drag is excellent -- a very important feature.

In this case, the GA was paired by a hearty glass of Ron Matusalem Clasico, a kick-ass gift I received from Joe Chicago; a/k/a Chicago Joe; a/k/a Mojoe; a/k/a Pepe.

CS Rating 3.5

El Alcalde

Edicion Limitada Review

Top Cigar is located on Calle Ocho in Little Havana. I decided to drop in and poke around to see what they had. Upon entering I was welcomed by the sweet, comforting sound of dominos being stirred in preparation for a new game (hechandole agua). A thin man, who was a domino player, kindly greeted me.

The store was small, as they as they tend to be in Little Havana. Catching my eye were several boxes that each hold 256 cigars. The boxes had a refreshingly crude etching of "Hecho por manos cubanas", which means that they were rolled by Cuban hands, presumably Miami Cubans who work for Top Cigar. Glancing around it appeared that the cigars tended to be a bit pricey if purchased individually, but then I saw many bundles of 25 neatly organized on shelves. The cordial man told me that the bundles cost $100 each but that he would sell them to me at $80 if I told him that I worked for the City. I told him that I worked for the City (didn't he recognize me, the Mayor?). The bundled cigars were Churchill length with a simple label stating "Edicion Limitada" (Limited Edition). I decided to purchase 2 singles just to check them out. The man told me that they were $10 each but he would sell them to me for $6 because I worked for the City. (20% discount, 40% discount.....who's counting?) I took a liking to the large cigar boxes and asked if they were for sale. The guy called the owner and handed me the phone. The owner said they were not for sale because the name of the cigar company is inscribed. Huh??????

Two days later, I decided to take a Edicion Limitada with me for a quick weekend trip to Tampa. Thank goodness I packed three other cigars because the Edicion Limitada is a horrific cigar. First, it was rather dry; second, the construction was so lousy that you would think they were rolled by Cuban feet; and, third, the taste was unpleasant. This is really a crappy cigar and one can only hope that the cigar lives true to its label and is a VERY LIMITED EDITION.

To complete the ripping of Top Cigar, I'm convinced that the domino players were also a bunch of botagordas who know less about dominos than they know about cigars. Good grief.

CS Rating 0.5

El Alcalde

Perdomo Lot 23 ... A Lot to Like

Nick Perdomo hit a home run with this cigar that was named after a plot of land in Esteli, Nicaragua ... the plot was simply referred to us as Lot 23. Not a genuine puro due the wonderful Connecticut wrapper, the Belicoso (retails for about five bucks) is consistently smooth and creamy. It paired extremely well with Ron Zacapa on a breezy cool evening enveloped with jasmine in bloom. Lot 23 never turned harsh, it burned evenly, and it furnished plenty of good smoke.

CS Rating: a solid 4

El Alcalde