Don Pepin Garcia Original - A Good Start

The Original is a good start for the Don Pepin Garcia, since I have heard that some of his other cigars are well liked.  This cigar stays lit, draws well, burns evenly and has a constant non-smooth bold earthy taste throughout the cigar.  Because of its boldness, a beginner may be put off by this cigar.

CS Rating = 3.0

Diamond E  

The Lancero: Prince of Swank

Have you been asked the "what do you want for Christmas" question? If so, a sure-fire good answer is Pinar del Rio Blue Label Oscuro Lanceros. That's correct -  this astonishingly under noticed Lancero (7.5 x 38).  A first reaction upon seeing this stick is Elegance. The Brazilian wrapper is a tad oily. The binder is Dominican and the filler is a Dominican Republic and Nicaraguan blend. This lancero's aesthetics grab you at first look and feel.  I cannot recall marveling at a cigar's presentation so much. 

While I do enjoy the thick ring gauge and smoke them regularly, the feeling upon lighting this swanky lancero is akin to listening to a throwback Frank Sinatra classic like, say, "What Now My Love?" after hearing non-stop rock. Very mellowing, understandable, absorbing, and comforting.

The Pinar del Rio blue label oscuro lancero is wonderful from the get go. As soon as you light it and take the first puff you just know that you're in for a treat. The stick is medium to full body, a bit creamy and chocolatey. It is smooth at the beginning and stays silky. It is complex enough that you will not have a single "ho-hum" moment throughout the smoke. 

Most pleasant is the bountiful puffing. The cigar burned even and never had to be relit. It's construction was practically flawless. But, again and assuredly, what is best about this cigar is the sweet earthy flavor and the glory of knowing that, at that moment, you are smoking one helluva stick. A lancero!

This $12 cigar is much better than the inconsistent $30 Padron stick being peddled (see "Padron 64 - Premium No More" October 1, 2012 post) and has a much better construction and deeper taste than the formidable Lancero made by Santiago Cabana.

A good lancero is hard to find and this one is hard to finally put out. But, hey, I did buy a box at the Rodriguez brothers store on Canal Street in New Orleans -- Don Leoncio's Cigar Bar. So, finish one off and light up another one. The song just plays on and on and on. 

CS Rating: 5 

El Alcalde

MARK TWAIN’S FAVORITE CIGAR—FUENTE OR FINCK?

I really don’t know for sure that Mark Twain ever smoked a Finck cigar, but it’s a good bet that he did. Here’s the evidence.

The Finck Cigar Company has been making cigars in San Antonio, Texas since 1893, so that would’ve given Twain about 17 years to smoke ‘em. Twain loved his cheap cigars--the cheaper the better. He also disdained snobs who only smoked Havanas to show how prominent they were, famously fooling them by giving them  their expensive cigars to smoke (without the label) and observing how they trashed them in disgust, believing that they had been smoking his detested cheapos. In fact, they were their beloved Havanas that they had thrown out in is yard after a couple of puffs!

 I’m not fortunate enough to have Twain’s snobby friends, but I have been known to give Finck 1893s, without labels, to my buddies.  To no surprise, they’ve all liked them just fine. When I tell them that they’ve just smoked a cigar that cost less than $4 bucks they’re not only pleased but also gone out and ordered boxes for themselves.

Finck claims to be the oldest cigar company in the USA, but so does Tampa’s JC Newman, which was founded in 1895. Both are still owned by the same family that started them. I don’t know which one really is the oldest, but would love to get them together on a panel and watch the fireworks. Fuente is the new kid on the block, having been founded in 1912 by Arturo Fuente and currently run by his son Carlos and grandson Carlito. This father and son team is responsible for much of the innovations in the cigar industry as well as some of the greatest cigars known to man.

I recently traveled to San Antonio and made my usual rounds to one of the Finck outlet shops. I purchased one of their new cigars, a Fincks Commerce Reserva Privada Hermoso( 54 x 5.25), which is made by the Quesada factory in the Dominican Republic. This cigar is close to the Padron regular line, but at a savings of at 30%-50%, depending on the vitola.

The FinckComm has a Brazilian Maduro Wrapper, Dominican Criollo 98 binder, and Dominican and Nicaraguan filler. It’s very toasty and earthy, burns and draws perfectly, and gives you no indication that you are smoking anything but a premium hand-made cigar, which it is, except for the great price. I’ve smoked ‘em to the nub and enjoyed every centimeter.

While at the Finck Outlet Shop I also purchased some Fuente Curly Head Deluxe Maduro Lonsdales for the incredible price of $2.25/stogie! This one has a rugged Connecticut maduro wrapper and looks like something Clint Eastwood might have smoked in one of his classic spaghetti westerns. If you’re hung up on a beautiful smooth wrapper, this is not the cigar for you. But if you’re focus is on great taste at a great price, this is your stick. The Fuente Curly contains a blend of Dominican long and short filler and is handmade, so there were no uninvited pieces of tobacco in my mouth. The taste was smooth, sweet, creamy, and toasty. It was better than many $30 dollar Cuban cigars being pawned off on the public today.

Let me be clear. Both of these cigars, which sell under $3.50,  also taste better than any of the expensive “premium” cigars that I have ever smoked from Rocky Patel(except the $10 Decade made by AJ Fernandez), Graycliff, Avo, Kristoff, HdM, Partagas, Macanudo, and Partagas. No doubt about it--Twain would’ve loved Fuentes –and maybe actually smoked Fincks. -- Mamey

CS Rating (both)-3.5

The Continued Legend of El Tiante ( Cigars )

This past weekend the manly men of the saloon spent our time demonstrating how real men smoke cigars at the 1st annual Tampa Cigar Festival.

It was here that we were graced with the Heavenly presence of the man himself... Luis Tiante. He regaled us with war stories of his glory days in MLB. And while our time spent with him could be the topic of multiple novels, I will speak of the more related news. He and his son Daniel Tiant, are now in the stogie business.

And their stogies are a force to be reckoned with. Usually when a celebrity releases a cigar it's a gimmick, but in the case of the Tiant family, the cigar brand 'El Tiante Cigars' is here to take over the industry.

Currently there are two blends offered by El Tiante cigars in multiple vitolas, the red banded Rosado, and blue banded Oscuro. Both cigars were designed with the help of, and are made by, Don Pepin Garcia. That's the first indication you know their cigars mean business.

The rosado is exactly what one would expect from a Pepin smoke. That signature pepper burst in the beginning, with a milder spice base throughout the smoke. In fact the cigar smokes VERY similar to the My Father cigars. Just at a fraction of the price. It is a good cigar.

The second was the cigar that truly WOWed me, the oscuro. Also blended and made by Pepin it uses the darker oscuro wrapper, which lends the flavor to be sweeter over all. The cigar is medium-full bodied cigar whose base is that of expertly grown and cured nicaraguan tobacco but nuanced with a variety of different tastes. This complexity in the cigar makes it a delicious smoke that resulted in me taking puffs too frequently because I couldn't be patient with it. Despite my poor technique the cigar burned even with a good draw, and didn't dissapoint in producing thick plumes of smoke with every puff. This oscuro is now a go-to cigar for me.

The cigar doesn't have much publicity, which is good for me because I can buy these phenomenal smokes for less than 6 bucks.

Overall I would have given the Rosado a 3.5, but in deference to AK47 who has a different taste in cigar I will be giving both the Rosado and Oscuro a CS 4.0 even though I much prefer the Oscuro.

Oscuro CS Rating: Strong 4.0
Rosado CS Rating: 4.0

The Oil Baron

Cuban Cohiba Siglo 5 - Sound the Trumpets!

This cigar has almost ruined me.  It is 99% perfect!  It has a perfect earthy taste, perfect burn, stays lit and has a great but not a perfect draw (the Gurkha Evil draw is better).   The cigar lasts about an hour and a half.  There is no after taste, so much so that it seems you can smoke one all day.  The cigar almost ruined me because any time I go to smoke a different cigar I know it won't measure up.  Consequently, my small humidor has become almost empty. I have to thank my friend who has  graciously shared several of these masterpieces with me. I will note that the first one I had was improperly rolled and had no drag, so that communist work ethic can rear its ugly head.

CS Rating 5.0

Diamond E 

The Spittoon

Introducing "The Spittoon", a free-form and episodic addition to the increasingly popular and expert Cigar Saloon reviews. The Spittoon, true to its name, is a device to just "spit it out". 

To get it going, here's a ranking of seven cigars I recently smoked. All were good and delicious to the very end. Although an official Cigar Saloon rating requires a distinct review, I can suggest that all of the following are  CS 3.0 or better:

1.  Padilla Series '68
2.  A. Fuente Gran Reserva
3.  La Aurora Rothchild
4.  Morro Castle
5.  Oliveros 1927
6.  EP Carrillo Predilectos Maduros
7.  Gurkha Legend

El Alcalde

My Echo, My Shadow, and My Maduro

My Cigar Saloon review of the PDR 1878 Cubano Especial - Capa Natural (October 22, 2012) created a bit of a ruckus.  My CS rating was a 4.5 with a lean toward 5.0. At the time, the hesitancy away from the exalted 5.0 was caused by my comment that perhaps a maduro wrapper would be even better (and then what?, a 5.5?). To recap:

The Oil Baron, a featured contributor to this august Blog, fired a manly, square-shouldered fussilage and blasted what he thought was my overblown rating ("maybe a 3.5") and even personalized it by revealing that he was "personally offended" by the rating. (kinda like presidential debate #2 when O was personally offended by any comment that challenged his administration's up-front, transparent handling of the Libya murders). 

Then there is stealthy, sneaky, and snakey Hasuki. Oh yeah, Hasuki hinted, purred, coaxed about whether the oscuro may or may not be better than the natural. Then Hasnooki got cute by exposing my ignorance of the PDR line -- they do have a Capa Madura AND a Capa Oscura.  Well, as it turns out, Hasuki was dead-on with his (or her) comments, notwithstanding the sniping from the flanks. So, true to Cigar Saloon ethos, I decided to compare the three and provide objective results.

Night 1, Capa Natural (white ring): As stated in the October 22nd post, this is a truly wonderful cigar. However, my rating if it will be adjusted downward primarily because, unlike last time, the cigar did not have that sweet creamy flavor to it. Perhaps smoking it in the evening rather than earlier in the day makes a difference. Or perhaps it was that the October 22nd rating was based on having smoked the Capa Natural as a follow-up to a harsher cigar. 

Night 2, Capa Oscura (red ring): The Capa Oscura has an oily wrapper and immediately you grasp that this will be a spicier and more complex cigar than the Natural. The first third gives off a hint of cocoa. The second-third is even better with the retention of the chocolate and the introduction of a nutty flavor. The last third becomes a tad blander but still good. The cigar burns slow and drags relatively well. Once thing for sure, the Capa Oscura aroma is much more predominant than the Natural's. 

Night 3, Capa Madura (black ring): This cigar is outstanding. To the qualities of the Capa Oscura, add the extra punch from the ligero right cross and a, how can I phrase it?, a deepness to the cigar. I was concerned at first because I messed up the v-cut and had to do some mending to fix things up. I was afraid that my clumsiness would ruin this, the last of the triumphant trio of PDR 1878's. But, alas, it ruined nothing. The Capa Madura has a very dark, oily and a handsome Brazilian wrapper. The burn was even and unending, the ashes could have lingered forever. The drag was almost perfect and the puffing was full clouds of smoke. The flavor was even better than the Oscura because of the additional chocolate hint and an oaky feel to it. It was sad to see this cigar come to its conclusion.

All cigars retailed for about $7

CS Ratings:

Capa Natural:   3.5 (The Oil Baron's forceful counterpoint is upheld)
Capa Oscura:   4.0 
Capa Madura:  4.5 

Thanks, Hasuki, you are a slinky character that would probably get your ass kicked in the Saloon if you persist with your underhanded tactics, but you did open my eyes to a wonderful cigar comparison.

El Alcalde

FISCAL CLIFF OR GRAYCLIFF? THE STRANGE CASE OF THE FRANKENSTOGIE

The name of this stogie is, appropriately enough, the Graycliff 1666 Pirate Maduro. This is a torpedo that is named after the Graycliff Hotel in the Bahamas whose walls were allegedly erected in 1666. It does have a Mexican Jaltepec Maduro wrapper. And it is a pirate. Not in the romantic or literary sense, mind you, but in the very real sense that buying it deprives you of your hard-earnd money with nothing to show in return.

While it  allegedly contains tobacco from 5 other countries(which I won't name for the sake of their tobacco reputations), this is not a good thing in this case, so I've christened it the FRANKENSTOGIE . Think about what a batch of Turkish coffee might taste like if you also had to drink it, along with the grinds, after a week in the Death Valley sun.  But, hey, if you're into the taste of aged palm fronds wrapped in a maduro wrapper with a grainy texture, whatever gets you through the night is all right!

It does have a couple of good points--good drag and an acceptable, self-correcting burn, but that's the short list.  It starts to burn hot about halfway through.  I can't tell you about the finish, because I couldn't finish it. I almost threw it in my mulch pile, but I already had one of the reblended RP Edges in there and thought the combination of these two stiffs could be hazardous to my flowers. Instead, I put it to good use in the eradication of fire ants. Stay tuned on that.

The price is all over the board--from $6 on the internet all the way to $15-$20 retail. And goodness knows what these guys charge novice cigar smokers at their resort hotel! I like to offer alternatives, so if you're a maduro whore, try the San Lotano Maduro, PDR Maduros, Fuente Maduros, or the Padron regular line instead--any of the maduros will do. You'll not only save yourself some money, but also be able to experience what a terrific classic maduro tastes like. Mamey

CS Rating-2.0

Acid Kuba Kuba : The Black Hole of Cigars

In effort to promote cigar diversity in my humidor, I decided to go out on a limb and buy brands I have never tried before. I know now why no one has ever recommended an Acid before.

At first glance the cigar looks like a normal cigar, except for the lame shiny metallic blue band it wore. Can't judge a book by it's cover, unless it says Acid.

Normally after I cut a cigar I take one drag through it unlit, to see what flavors I can pick up right off the bat. The second the cigar hit my lips I immediately had this disgusting syrupy sensation that seemed to jump off the cigar and spread in my mouth. The Acid line are all "flavored" cigars, and thus are treated with some sort of food tasting chemical. Though I heard from some sources this same formula was first developed as a chemical weapon for trench warfare in WWI.

Though I immediately had the urge to vomit I decided to stick it through. After the light, I made it maybe 4 puffs more before I couldn't take it anymore. This syrupy flavoring was stuck all over my mouth, teeth, tounge, lips, and gums. I'm confident the next time I see my dentist, he will comment on it. The cigar is that awful.

After the cigar, I needed some way to boost my spirits. After washing my mouth out thoroughly I grabbed a My Father Reloba "Mexican" to try. And while I was excited to try what I knew would be a good cigar, my excitement was immediately demolished by the fact that the syrup was still in my mouth even after having washed my mouth out. NOT ONLY did this cigar suck, but it RUINED my ability to enjoy other good cigars.

CS Score: NEGATIVE F***ING INFINITY

The Oil Baron

The Definitive Top 25 Dylan Songs (1962-2012)

Dr. Mamey threw down the gauntlet and somebody had to pick it up and provide an informed reply to the formidable task of ranking the top Dylan songs of all time. Consider that many of the songs that are left out of both my list and Mamey's list would be top ranked songs for any other artists and you will see how tough a job this is. 

So, here it is:

TOP 25

1.  Like a Rolling Stone

2.  Tangled Up in Blue

3.  Mr. Tambourine Man

4.  Visions of Johanna

5.  Blowin' in the Wind

6.  All Along the Watchtower

7.  A Hard Rains a' Gonna Fall

8.  Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again

9.  The Times They are a' Changin'

10. My Back Pages

11. Desolation Row

12. Knockin' on Heaven's Door

13. Idiot Wind

14. Just Like a Woman

15. Chimes of Freedom

16. Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands

17. Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues

18. Mississippi

19. Simple Twist of Fate

20. Shelter from the Storm

21. Positively 4th Street

22. It's All Over Now, Baby Blue

23. Lay Lady Lay

24. Red River Shore

25. Blind Willie McTell

CLOSE BUT NO STOGIE

26. Changing of the Guards

27. Every Grain of Sand

28. Subterranean Homesick Blues

29. Not Dark Yet

30. Hurricane

31. Leopard-Skin Pill Box Hat

32. Ballad of a Thin Man

33. Workingman Blues #2

34. Tryin' to Get to Heaven (before they shut the door)

35. Isis

HONORABLE MENTION and still ALL-WORLD

36. I Shall be Released

37. Gates of Eden

38. Don't Think Twice, it's Alright

39. This Wheel's on Fire

40. Pay in Blood

41. Forever Young

42. Things Have Changed

43. Lonesome Day Blues

44. Thunder on the Mountain*

45. Most of the Time

* How can you leave out the song that is audacious enough to rhyme "orphanages" with "sons of bitches"?

ALBUM RANK:

Blond on Blonde:                 5

Bringing it all Back Home: 4

Blood on the Tracks:           4

Highway 61:                          4

Singles/Unreleased:            4

Freewheelin':                        3

Another Side:                        2

Love and Theft:                    2

Time Out of Mind:                2

Modern Times:                     2

Basement Tapes:                2

Desire:                                   2

John Wesley Harding:        1

Times are A'Changin          1

Pat Garrett and BTK:           1

Nashville Skyline:                1

Shot of Love:                        1

Street Legal:                         1

Tempest:                               1

Oh Mercy!:                            1

Planet Waves:                      1

BY DECADE

1960s:  24

1970s:  8

1980s:  4

1990s:  3

2000s:  5

2010s:  1

ps:  Mamey's evocation of Jobs to support his "no good song after Desire" argument is a limp crutch. Does Mamey research Jobs to question whether boxers are preferable to briefs or if eggs are better scrambled or sunny-side up? (I hope not).  I mean, WTF, stand on your own. I did not refer to the Rolling Stone 2011 Top 70 List. 

El Alcalde

                                        

Padron Churchill Maduro

This earthy tasting cigar was smooth, burned evenly , drew well, and never had to be re-lit.  I have recently smoked this cigar several times with the same pleasant experience and along with the Punch Rare Corojo has become a standard to which I measure cigars.

Diamond E CS Rating = 4.0

Continue (Bonus Review)

This rating is for the MADURO.  I do not enjoy the naturals!  The naturals have a bit of spice to them and the wrapper masks the good tobacco inside.  I smoked the P2000s (natural & maduro) back to back and what a difference!  They both burn well, draw well and stay lit, but the taste is totally different.  The maduros are earthy with a flavor that promotes relaxation, not spicy that promotes the desire to spit.

Jokerman

Mamey's stalwart effort, although strikingly uninformed and distinctively time-trapped, merits a riposte. And a devastating riposte it will be.  But first I will be on an official Cigar Saloon assignment, so the knockout counter-punch will have to wait a few days.

As a teaser - I do agree with the exact positioning of at least two of his top 10. Thereafter, Mamey rode upon his magic swirlin' ship to somewhere between the Gates of Eden and the Land of Nod where he musta downed several uninterrupted shots with Crazy Joe Gallo and hallucinated himself into his own personal world of fog, amphetimines, and pearls.

El Alcalde

ps: Ahhhh...but we may all agree that Bob is probably partial to a good maduro wrapper, just like his loyal bobcats prefer Like a Rolling Stone to I want to Hold Your Hand.

Maggie's Pa, he puts his cigar out in your face just for kicks;
and his bedroom window, it is made out of bricks.

BOB DYLAN’S TOP 25 SONGS OF ALL TIME (NO POST-DESIRE TUNES NEED APPLY)

This is my personal list of Dylan’s top songs. I’m sure that every fan has his or her  own list. Our favorites may depend on when we discovered little Bobby’s music and the turmoil in our lives at the time, but this is mine.

 The list does not include any post-Desire songs because a) some of these suck(yes, I do mean the mush in the Jesus albums, as well as others too many to be named) and b) even the good ones  don’t come close to cracking the top 25, 35, or even 45. If you disagree with the top 25(and I know you won’tJ) then your mission, should you wish to accept it, is to tell us which 21 songs you would displace to make room for your stated post-Desire favorite, in addition to your pre-Desire personal favorites that I excluded. Good luck with that!

I was amused to learn, while reading the Steve Jobs biography, that Jobs also did not think that any songs from Desire to the present were as good as his great work before Blood on the Tracks.

---Mamey 

THE BEST OF THE BEST 

1. Like a Rolling Stone
2. Blowin’ in the Wind
3. Mr. Tambourine Man
4. Chimes of Freedom
5. Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues
6. Stuck Inside of Mobile
7. Just Like a Woman
8. My Back Pages
9. I Shall Be Released
10. All Along the Watchtower
11. Lay, Lady, Lay
12. Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door
13. Idiot Wind
14. Tangled Up in Blue
15. The Times They Are A-Changin’
16. Desolation Row
17. It Ain’t Me Babe
18. Quinn the Eskimo
19. Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right
20. Girl of the North Country
21. One Too Many Mornings
22. Gates of Eden
23. It’s Alright Ma(I’m Only Bleeding)
24. Mama, You Been on My Mind
25. It’s All Over Now Baby Blue

CLOSE, BUT NO CIGAR. These songs would be in any other artist’s top 10 list, but this is Dylan. 

1. Visions of Johana

2. A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall

3. Tomorrow Is a Long Time

4. Subterranean Homesick Blues

5. Queen Jane Approximately

6.  Most Likely You Go Your Way

7.   Forever Young

8.  Simple Twist of Fate

9.  Positively 4^th Street

10. I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine 

HONORABLE MENTION

These songs are all-world and under-appreciated. 

1.When I Paint My Masterpiece

2. If Not For You

3. Drifter’s Escape

4. You Ain’t Goin’ Nowhere

5. When The Ship Comes In

6. This Wheel’s on Fire

7. Father of Night

8. One of Us Must Know

9. She Belongs to Me

10. Ballad of a Thin Man

PDR 1878 Cubano Especial - Capa Natural

Start spreading the news. Go smoke one today. You don't want to part with it. PDR 1878..1878.

WARNING: If you have antipathy toward cigars that are immaculately constructed, have a smooth and excellent drag, blow great puffs, and have an exquisite blend between cedar and  cream -- then STAY FAR AWAY from the PDR 1878 Cubano Especial.

The PDR 1878 Capa Natural short-toro (5.5 x 54) is not spicy at all. As the cigar  evenly burned down, it was the cream that took over.  I smoked this wonder at 11:30am, precisely the right time of day as the cigar is not overly complex. It leans mild and is not overbearing in any way. The PDR 1878 produced no mystery. Kinda like watching a good western where you don't have to think too much about who the bad guy is and you just know that the good guy will gun him down in the end. It was all-world when lit and hall of fame when sadly put out. This stick can carry it's own weight against any other $7 stogie. Definitely does not need Candy Crowley to come to its polemic rescue. 

Note - this is the second cigar I smoked during the same sitting, and there is something to be said about "follow-up cigars" that will be touched upon in a future Cigar Saloon post. 

I picked this gem up at Cuban Crafters on NW 7th Street in Miami. A wonderful, somewhat spacious cigar store with ample well-stocked humidors carrying cigars from all price points. They also had inexpensive bundles from local cigar makers. Add to the experience free cuban coffee, comfortable rockers, a barber shop, and shoe shine set-up. Oh yeah, they even have extra barber shop chairs that you can use to smoke, shoot the bull and heckle hapless, emotional bota-gorda domino players.

CS Rating: 4.5

El Alcalde

COHIBA BEHIKE: THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE STUPID

The Good. The BHK 54 (the 54 refers to the ring gauge) is an attractive, tightly wrapped, 5.5” pig-tailed stogie that is sweet, toasty, creamy, and with a trace of spice. It is a medium powered smoke with a dead-even burn from beginning to end. The last two-thirds of the cigar had a perfect draw and produced good smoke.

The Bad. This is supposed to be Cuba’s all-world cigar. However, the first third of the cigar, while not 100% plugged, suffered from a very tight draw. I was afraid that this was going to persist throughout and I would end up with more Cuban mulch for my garden, but it finally opened up after awhile. I was fortunate. Most Cuban cigars are plugged or have too tight of a draw. You know that this is true when the vast majority of the reviews by the Cuba apologists at Cigar Aficionado refer to the draw of Cuban cigars with descriptions such as  “very firm.”  At the Saloon, we call ‘em as we see ‘em and the fact is that the Cubans have NOT corrected the draw problems, as evidenced by this Behike, which has a box date of May, 2012. To be clear, I’m not into cigar chimneys—there is such a thing as too much smoke, of course. I don’t like that either.  But I cannot enjoy a plugged cigar, regardless of the quality of the tobacco.

            While the last third of the cigar burned evenly and drew well, it also burned HOT. It did not burn my fingers, but was hot enough to make it uncomfortable to enjoy, so I chunked it into the flower bed after all. This is a shame because the middle third of the cigar was actually very good. Had the entire cigar been that way, this would have been a terrific smoke. As it was, it turned out to be just another example of the crappy quality control in the Cuban cigar industry. I experienced the same construction issue with a Cohiba #3 I smoked last Thursday which started burning hot about halfway). I can only imagine what folks like Abdel Fernandez, Juan Rodriguez,  Carlos Fuente, and Nick Perdomo could do with tobacco like this!!

The Stupid. Unlike other reviewers, we take the time to compare cigars with those of other labels to help you choose cigars. If the Behike is your taste profile(in terms of cigar strength, toast, and spice levels)*, I would recommend the following cigars which retail for a fraction of the price and give you a consistently good smoke. They are, in no particular order, but some of them have been reviewed in the Saloon: San Lotano Connecticut, Padilla Hybrid, Pinar Del Rio Clasico, Man O’ War Virtue, Alec Bradley American Blend, Santiago Cabana, Por Larranaga Cabinet Selection and the classic Cuba Aliados. All of these retail for under $10, some for as low as $5, and are in my wheelhouse.

Of course, if you want to pay $30-$35 for a Cohiba BHK, which is not as good as these others, just so you can say that you smoked a Cuban cigar,  please be my guest. Of course, beware that there may be only about 3 smokeable cigars in a box. As for the rest, well, maybe you enjoy expensive mulch. Me, not so much.—Mamey

CS Score 3.5(barely)

* Added as per The Oil Baron's comments below.

Cuba Aliados : The Road Warrior

Cruising down I-10 toward New Orleans. BMW sunroof popped for smokers the way it was designed to. Smoke rings blowing toward the dash board.

Men of the cigar are all romantics in their own way. I behoove ye cigar smoking manly men, to allow yourself a road smoke before your last cigar. It's a unique and wonderful experience best enjoyed not while driving, but while cruising.

I smoked a Cuba Aliados. At first glance the cigar comes off as a little cheap looking. It doesn't have the characteristic look of big factory name brand cigars. But then again, I never wanted it to.

The CA has that typical honduran tobacco flavor I've become well acquainted with over the years. The honduran flavor sits at the core of this cigar, and tastes what I can best describe as unrefined. It lacks the purity of taste one would get from another Honduran Cigar like my favorite the Gran Habano Cabinet Select. In this case, the cigar flavor matches the appearance of the cigar. Raw unprocessed tobacco.

The cigar did have nuance and complexity to it. Memorably towards the final third when I felt I had the cigar figured out, it hit me with some unexpected spice.  This amount of complexity kept the Cuba Aliados interesting enough to boost its CS score to a 3.5.

CS Score: 3.5

The Oil Baron

Padrón 1964 Natural - Premium No More

This light earthy tasting cigar was very smooth, had a good draw, burned evenly but needed to be re-lit twice. I know that happens from time to time, but for a premium cigar that was disappointing. The first third of the cigar had a small amount of spice. I prefer not to have spicy cigars, but this had just a touch and was pleasant. The rest of the cigar had a light earthy flavor.

Diamond E  CS Rating = 3.5

Flor de Copan Monarcas

The Sybil-like Gurkha Evil almost made it. The exquisite Pinar del Rio Clasico will just have to wait. Today's review is dedicated to the Flor de Copan  Monarcas. More precisely, the review is about an indispensable ingredient that assuredly impacts the cigar smoking experience. No, not the flavor, the burn, the drag, the construction, aesthetic pleasure. Those are all factors that weigh heavily. However, the cigar's sublimation is directly linked with what you are doing, or thinking, or who you are with. At the right time and space, the environment can elevate a cigar's CS rating a full point. Just like an outward blowing wind can turn  a routine outfield fly ball into a home run. Or it can have the opposite effect. The mind plays tricks on us. 

Santa Rosa is the seat of the Copan region in western Honduras. It is poor, beautiful, charming and clearly has a "friendly-only" residents rule. I travelled there two years ago this month to witness the tobacco fields that welcomed exiled Cubans who brought barely anything other than tobacco seeds. The seeds carried history, cultivation experience, and dreams and hope for a better life. The Altadis Flor de Copan Monarca is made there. The not-quite churchill length cigar is encased in a handsome white tube. My humidor only had two left and I decided to go ahead and smoke one to commemorate the two year anniversary of the trip. Both then and now, the well-crafted construction is evident. The cigar burns evenly, with beautiful white ashes that just do not fall off. The flavor is earthy but not soily. It  is aromatic and carries a  hint of sun-drenched coffee in its taste. It is a tad sweet, cedary and medium-bodied.  This is not an overpowering cigar. Note - it falls a bit short of being a Puro because the filler is partly Nicaraguan. It's taste and quality is consistent from first (and only) light to the last half-inch stub.

So, two years later: Hola to Cecilia at the cigar store that sold us the cigar boxes and re-opened the store after closing time. Saludos to Manuel, the only Cuban in town who is a doctor by trade and converted his house into a restaurant (the pork was a bit dry). A big wave to the handful of kids that were hitchhiking up the steep Dulce Nombre hill. When we stopped for them they ran and jumped on the truck bed and were as happy as a kid receiving dozens of Christmas presents. Good riddance to the potholes. Memories of pretty and smiling women that tend to look downward and the kind men with their hats. I want to go back just for a hat. Take me disappearin' through the smoke rings of my mind.

I don't know when I will smoke the last Monarca I brought back with me. 

CS Rating: 3.5 (without wind factor); 4.5 wind aided

El Alcalde

WIKILEAKS UNCOVERS CACHE OF ERNEST HEMINGWAY'S PAPERS-Includes Review of Arturo Fuente Cigar

Cigar Saloon Exclusive. The Saloon has acquired the following review of the Fuente Hemingway cigar, recently uncovered by Wikileaks, and written by the great writer himself. Of course, for legal reasons we cannot say how this long-lost literary treasure fell on our laps. Let's just say that, if you look closely, a copy of Hemingway's papers can be seen in the photos of Kate Middleton in her birthday suit. We felt it was our responsibility to share this with you ASAP, so here it is, unedited and in its entirety. 


ARTURO FUENTE HEMINGWAY REVIEW 

 I had just ordered a mojito when I heard the bell from the Havana Cathedral toll for me, so I left my post at the fifth column of Sloppy Joe's Bar in Key West, boarded the Pilar and began the moveable feast accross the Florida Straits to my island in the stream. I shook my glass well to seal the union of the lime and the bitters, smelled the rum to make sure that it was strong, brought the drink to my lips, and sipped it slowly. It was cold and crisp and good. A mojito is a man's drink and should be savored with an Arturo Fuente Hemingway cigar, which I took from the pocket of my guayabera and lit with the Dupont lighter I had won arm wrestling against a manly fascist waitress in Chicote's Bar in Madrid during the Spanish Civil War. It was true at first light. 

 As I crossed the stream on the Pilar toward Cuba and the sun also rose, I realized that I was in a slump and needed to either reclaim my title or retire. All or nothing. To have or have not. The Fuente Hemingway lifted the fog from my mind and helped me see this with clarity. I made out the outline of the Hemingway Marina accross the River and through the trees from my Havana. Havana in the old days brought out the truth in a man's soul, much like the Fuente Hemingway. This is a wonderful cigar, wrapped with toothy tobacco grown in the valleys of Cameroon far below the snows of Kilimanjaro but above the Garden of Eden. The lovely perfecto is sweet, flavorful, balanced, burns evenly, and drags well. 

I truly would have been pleased to spend my life smoking Fuente cigars and loitering in the Floridita and I had decided to do just that when I saw a man board a small skiff in Cojimar. I realized then that there would be no farewell to arms today. Here was a new story to write, one that would reclaim my title, something about this old man and the sea...Mamey CS Rating-4.0

Opus eXstacy Part 3: Divine Redemption

The price tag makes it a cigar I would be scared to buy, but I am glad that in my short life on this planet I have had the honor to smoke it.

 

The typical OpusX cigar I have never been a fan of. I found them to be a spicy strong smoke that was ok, but certainly not worth the $20+ dollar price tag. The ForbiddenX line is an exception. Every one I have smoked has been a magnificent and memorable experience. The first being bought in the Fuente Lounge in Caesars palace after a successful day of gambling.

The OpusX Legendary is Fuentes top Rolls Royce cigar. Their best all maduro tobacco, aged, and rolled in a gorgeous fashion makes it the coolest looking cigar both sides of the Mississippi.

After the first puff I was floored by its distinct and unique taste. It’s incredibly smooth, easy draw, with a sweet base, and the flavor of the best tobacco the Dominican Republic can grow. And the flavor was so pure and rich. The flavor isn’t in your face and overwhelming, but instead pure and dense.

Imagine a Padilla Miami perfecto, but replace the Nicaraguan tobacco taste with that of Dominican and one can get a glimpse at the deliciousness this delivers to your palette.

This sweet Dominican base stayed constant through the smoke and would be enough to make this a wonderful smoke, but the Fuentes also grace your senses with minor subtleties.

Taking a puff, exhaling, and then smelling the smoke sends one to a state of smoking euphoria. An experience I will never forget.

CS Rating 4.5

The Oil Baron