Can The Tatuaje Ambos Mundos Habano Stand Up to the Test?
Here we are a week before Christmas and I am fortunate enough to work in a firm where there is a fellow BOTL. This gentleman, and I say that with the utmost respect, gifted me three sticks for the holiday season. The perfect gift. One Ashton VSG that is resting nicely in one of my humidors awaiting a special time to enjoy, as well a couple of Tatuaje Ambos Mundos Habanos. The Ashton I am very familiar with and have enjoyed them the few times I’ve had them in my possession. However, I have never ventured into Tatuaje territory before and therefore I was looking forward to taste testing these highly reviewed (at least in Cigar Aficionado) cigars. My understanding is that this particular stick comes in the Habano and Sumatra wrappers. This review will be the Habano, the Sumatra review will have to wait. 
Size: 5 x 50
Origin: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Habano
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Prelight /Construction: If the Tatuaje Ambos Mundos Habano is a value cigar, I didn’t see any sign of that in the construction and look to this cigar. The wrapper on this cigar looked very good with few if any flaws and a little bit of sheen from the oils in the cigar. The Tatuaje Ambos Mundos Habano was not pack soft or hard, with just enough give when squeezed. The band on the cigar is classic looking and I am told looks very much like many Cuban cigars. The prelight aroma gave off a spicy and earthy smell with the prelight draw as I anticipated, easy but not too easy.
Flavor / Smoke: I punched the foot and lit the Tatuaje Ambos Mundos Habano. Immediately I was hit with the spicy aroma with some earthy overtones. There is ample smoke with this cigar and the aromas stay pretty consistent throughout the entire time I smoked it. The burn stayed even which is better than some sticks I’ve tried lately. The spice tends to fade a bit near the end, but at that point I’m not disappointed. All in all, the taste notes stayed well within reason and didn’t overpower you.
My Overall Impression: I have to tell you, I was not disappointed by this value stick. The Tatuaje Ambos Mundos Habano needs to be paired with something to keep the spiciness in check, maybe a good stout beer. I am glad I was gifted these sticks to try out and now that I’ve tried the Habano, the Sumatra is next on my list. My overall score for the Tatuaje Ambos Mundos Habano is a good 7.5 stars out of 10 for this value priced stick. If the Sumatra holds up to the Habano, I’m going to need to watch the sales for this very good stick.
How Did George Rodriguez and His New ‘Boutique Blend’ Fare on Review?
A site I frequent often is Cigar Geeks. Occasionally the site asks members to do a critique on a particular brand, especially when it is sponsored by the cigar manufacturer. In this case I was asked to critique the Rodrigo Boutique Blend G6, in fact I was given two of these monster sticks to try out and enjoy. I must admit, I hadn’t heard of George Rodriguez and his cigars, however I was pleased by what I received in the mail for me to review.
Size: 6.0 x 60 (G6)
Wrapper: Ecuador Habano/Sumatra Hybrid
Binder: Dominican Republic Habano
Filler: Dominican Republic
Prelight / Construction
The Rodrigo Boutique Blend G6 is a well made cigar. Upon inspection, this cigar was solid, yet just enough give to let you know that there is going to be a good draw. The wrapper has a medium brown slightly oily sheen look to it with very few flaws to speak of. The prelight draw was as expected, very good. Just enough resistance to know it is a good cigar. Notes of spice and a little leather were aparent on the prelight draw.
Flavors / Smoke
As with most sticks that are bigger than a 56 ring, this 60 ring Rodrigo Boutique Blend G6 got the v-cut. It was a clean cut and after toasting the head, the cigar started up very nicely. I will say that the first 1/2 inch the cigar burned a little uneven, but I find larger ringed cigars will do that sometimes. The Rodrigo Boutique Blend G6 burned evenly to the nub when I finally put it out. The first 3rd of this cigar heated up with quite a bit of spice. However, it did calm down and evened out in taste. There were notes of the spice and some leather tones as well. The draw stayed easy and never became difficult.
Overall Impressions
This cigar reminded me of another favorite of mine, the J.C. Newman offering, Brickhouse. This cigar, the Rodrigo Boutique Blend G6 was a bit spicier than the Brickhouse, but still had a lot of the same characteristics. The Rodrigo Boutique Blend G6 has a price point of about $9.00 and that takes it out of my everyday cigar range. However, this being a “boutique blend” it is understandable that you would probably want this as a special occasion cigar. On my cigar ratings I need to give this a solid 9 out of 10. Not perfect, but damn close for me.
Sometimes It’s Not About Where, But About Who and Why.
It’s Monday Night and a bunch of us have gotten together to watch Monday Night Football. Too be honest, nobody was really watching Tampa Bay and Indianapolis going at each other. We all were more interested in the Yankees and Detroit playing in the baseball playoffs. We all gathered at our local cigar lounge with sandwiches, beer and grabbing our favorite cigars from the lounge’s humidor.
The OC Cigar Lounge is where I like to go when it is time to enjoy a cigar and watch a great game. I stated in the beginning that a cigar lounge is not always about where but also about who and why. The where is an easy question to answer; the OC Cigar lounge is close to home and has a great selection of cigars in their humidor. With big leather chairs and big screen televisions, what more could you ask for. This place to me is a true setup for those looking for a man cave away from home.
But this wasn’t meant as a commercial for my favorite cigar lounge. This was to talk about the reasons we find ourselves as cigar smokers, drawn to one place or another. This is to answer the who and the why we find ourselves in a particular cigar lounge. Take Monday evening and the Yankees Detroit game. The OC Cigar Lounge is split into two sections, a front area for viewing and a back area with even more space for viewing as well. Monday night found the Detroit fans up front and the Yankee fans in the back. All through the game yelling was heard in the front and in the back. “Damn, Jeter struck out again.” “Verlander is throwing some smoke tonight.” It seemed we all had some sort of colorful and descriptive comments coming from both sides throughout the evening.
I was in my element, with like minded men who enjoyed the pleasures of sports and cigars. I know that having a place like this lounge gives me the opportunity to relax and enjoy the company of those who are like minded. Enjoying a cigar in the privacy of your own backyard is important as well. That tranquil time you have with just a cigar a libation and only your thoughts. However, I think it is important that every person who enjoys cigars to find that lounge that will be your answer to not only where, but who and why as well.
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The Oliva “O” Robusto Maduro Continues to Impress
The cigar fraternity or “Brothers of the Leaf” (BOTL) are a great bunch of people. Most of us who enjoy the pleasures of smoking cigars are usually very generous. A great example happened to me recently in which this Oliva “O” Robusto Maduro I’m reviewing today happened to fall into my hands. Working in a law firm, I happened upon an attorney who I recently discovered was a BOTL. With a humidor at this desk, he and I have had several conversations about cigars. One day after he received a shipment from Cigars International at the office, he popped into mine and threw me an Oliva sample pack. He explained he wasn’t a big fan and he knew I loved them. You have to respect a guy who is generous with his friends. After letting this stick sit in my humidor for a few weeks and realizing that I hadn’t written a review for many Oliva’s it was time.
Size: 5 x 50
Wrapper: Nicaragua
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Origin: Nicaragua
Prelight / Construction: The Oliva O Robusto Maduro is a very well constructed cigar. With a very smooth looking wrapper and an almost chocolate brown coloring, the Oliva O Robusto Maduro was a cigar I was looking forward to smoking. The end clipped easily and the prelight aromas of leather, tobacco and cedar came easily.
Flavors / Smoke: The Oliva O Robusto Maduro lit easily and the leather, tobacco and cedar aromas were soon added by a slight coffee and nut taste. All of these aromas continued throughout the smoke and gained strength as I passed the half-way mark of the cigar. The Oliva O Robusto Maduro was never harsh and always seemed to be creamy with a smooth finish. I never had a burn issue and the ash was a nice white color. This was a medium bodied cigar with some great full flavored strength.
My Overall Impression: The Oliva O Robusto Maduro is another cigar that will be a staple in my humidors a home. With great taste, fantastic construction and a price point that isn’t too bad, the Oliva O Robusto Maduro is a great value. On my ratings scale I’m giving the Oliva O Robusto Maduro a strong 8 out of 10 stars. The Oliva cigar company just seems to keep producing some great cigars and the Oliva O, G and V series never seem to disappoint.
How the Alec Bradley MAXX Makes the Grade
Alec Bradley and I have an understanding. He continues to make great cigars and I continue to buy them. For the most part he and I have been keeping that promise alive. So, understanding that I have a love for Alec Bradley and his cigars, when the recent purchase of a sampler pack I picked up from Cigars.com included MAXX, the Fix I was excited. The MAXX the Fix was part of a maduro sampler pack that also had a Rocky Patel Decade, a Perdomo Habano, and the Oliva Series O. Here are the stats on the Alec Bradley MAXX the Fixx:
Size: 5 x 58
Wrapper: Nicaragua
Binder: Costa Rica
Filler: Columbia, Nicaragua, Mexico, Honduras
Origin: Honduras
Prelight / Construction: The Alec Bradley MAXX the Fix is an impressive cigar to look at. It larger size makes it impressive and the dark maduro wrapper showed very few veins. This cigar seemed a bit tight on the roll and the prelight draw seems to indicate that I would need to V clip it. This cigar as well as the others from the sampler pack have been sitting in the humidor for several weeks and should have settled by now. The overall construction on the Alec Bradley Maxx the Fix was very good. The prelight aroma gave off a nice subtle tobacco and coffee combination, one I thoroughly enjoyed.
Flavors / Smoke: The Alec Bradley MAXX the Fix started with the tobacco and coffee combination of flavors with a little bit of spice thrown in. The draw on this stick was a bit tight and even with that generous V cut I had to work on keeping it lit for the first third of the cigar. The Alec Bradley MAXX the Fix is touted as a full strength cigar. Nope, this cigar though impressive is really a medium with a slight nod to the mild. The burn on this stick seemed a bit erratic and needed a touchup or two during my more than an hour enjoyment of it. Not unrealistic for such a large ring gauge and not so much as a problem as an annoyance. Solid dark ash that held up well, with a good maduro taste made the Alec Bradley MAXX the Fix a pretty good hour to spend.
My Overall Impression: The Alec Bradley MAXX the Fix in my humble opinion is a pretty good cigar to add to my humidor. The flavors were good but not impressive so it doesn’t rate up there with some of the other offerings from Alec Bradley. However, that said and my knowing my fondness for the large ring gauge cigar, the Alec Bradley MAXX the Fix rates a good 7 out of ten points on my scale. I have a few more in my humidor and I am looking forward to enjoying these as well.
Box Press Alec Bradley Prensado Robusto
Anyone who knows me or has had the opportunity to read this cigar review site understands that I am an Alec Bradley cigar fan. Most everything coming from them I have liked and having the opportunity to enjoy an Alec Bradley Prensado Robusto was something I was looking forward to. Yeah, I’m not a fan of the box press shaped cigar, as I’ve discussed before; however, this was an Alec Bradley offering and he rarely disappoints me. Here are some facts on the Alec Bradley Prensado Robusto:
Size: 5 x 50
Wrapper: Honduras
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Honduras
Origin: Honduras
Prelight / Construction: The Alec Bradley Prensado Robusto was a part of a sampler pack I bought several months ago from Cigars International, so there has been adequate humidor time for this cigar. The construction on the Alec Bradley Prensado Robusto was very good. The box press look of the maduro looking wrapper was without flaws. Very little veins to speak of and it had no soft spots to speak of. Prelight on the Alec Bradley Prensado Robusto was like a bitter chocolate with tobacco flavor, very pleasant.
Flavors / Smoke: The Alec Bradley Prensado Robusto started out as a mild cigar that developed into a more medium strength stick. The initial bitter chocolate turned into a spice on the tongue and continued on through the rest of the smoke. The dark ash stayed firm and the burn stayed straight throughout the smoke. The only downside to the Alec Bradley Prensado Robusto was that near the last third of the cigar it turned a bit harsh. Now, I will admit that there are times that I have smoked cigars a bit too fast and have gotten the harsh taste before. I may be guilty of that this time as well, so I will probably revisit this cigar again just to make sure it wasn’t my fault.
My Overall Impression: My opinion on the Alec Bradley Prensado Robusto is a little clouded by two things. I am not a fan of the box press and the harshness of the cigar at the end threw me. However, the Alec Bradley Prensado Robusto is a very well made cigar that hasn’t turned me off and as I have said, I will need to revisit it and make sure I am not the culprit. That being said I need to give the Alec Bradley Prensado Robusto a 6 out of 10 rating. Well made, pleasurable to smoke up until that last third.
Will This Alec Bradley Cigar Be As Good As His Others?
Looking over some of my previous reviews, I’ve noticed that the Alec Bradley brand is one of my favorites. The company just seems to put out a great cigar and I’m hoping that this Alec Bradley Family Blend lives up to the reputation. I decided to enjoy the Alec Bradley Family Blend robusto that came to me in a sampler pack I purchased a few months ago.
This cigar has had time to rest in the humidor and should be ready to taste test. It’s one of those lazy afternoons in Southern California where you can sit outside, grab a beer, turn the radio on to your favorite ballgame and just enjoy the day. Fortunately those days have been quite numerous for me and I intended to take advantage of it.
Size: 5.5 x 50
Wrapper: Honduras
Binder: Indonesia
Filler: Honduras, Nicaraguan
Origin: Honduras
Prelight / Construction: As I said this cigar was part of a sampler pack I picked up at Cigars International. What is interesting in the Alec Bradley Family Blend is the construction of the cigar. This one is well made and has few veins in it. There is a pigtail cap that give the stick a distinctive look. The prelight draw is just about the right pull, not too tight and not too loose. There is hints of earthy, leather, spice coming from the prelight draw.
Flavors / Smoke: The Alec Bradley Family Blend robusto is definitely a cigar that leans towards the leather and nuts kind of aroma. There is a bit of the earthy aroma coming from the stick but definite leather and nuts. Not overpowering just a good even presence. No burn issues with the Alec Bradley Family Blend robusto which makes the stick even more enjoyable.
My Overall Impression: This was a very good cigar; however, that said it was not my favorite Alec Bradley. This is a great everyday cigar that will not be overly complex and yet it will still be very good. You wouldn’t be embarrassed to hand these out to your friends at all. Overall, I give the Alec Bradley Family Blend robusto a solid 7 out of 10 in my cigar ratings. I probably won’t go out and buy a box but will certainly enjoy them in the sampler packs that I love to pick up on sale.
I had the opportunity to pick up two bundles of the Pinar Del Rio brand. The first that I talk about is the Pinar Del Rio Habano Sun Grown and the other I’ll jot some notes later on was the Pinar Del Rio Habano Oscuro. I bought both in the robusto size and got them inexpensively (cheap) from Cigars.com a few weeks ago. Just as a side note, I found that of all the online vendors I use, Cigars.com gets my sticks to me in just a few days, not a week like many others. No endorsement, just a side note for those shopping around.
Size: 5 x 50
Wrapper: Dominican
Binder: Dominican
Filler: Dominican Republic, Nicaraguan
Origin: Dominican Republic
Prelight / Construction: The Pinar Del Rio Habano Sun Grown and it’s brother the Habano Oscuro are two cigars first introduced back in 2008. The Sun Grown is a deep red and brown wrapper, the Oscuro is made with a maduro wrapper. The Sun Grown Pinar Del Rio Habano I was enjoying today is well constructed. The cap clipped easily and the prelight draw was pretty good. Not too tight and not too loose, just good. I am always very happy when I find an inexpensive (cheap) cigar and the construction is very good.
Flavors / Smoke: Upon the first draw and throughout most of the smoke I got pepper and spice flavors. It rather reminded me of some of the Pepin Garcia sticks I have had in the past. The flavor transition wasn’t really an issue, because it really did not change much throughout the smoke. Steady and consistent was the motto of the Pinar Del Rio Habano Sun Grown. In the robusto size, I really don’t expect too much change in the cigar, not enough time for it.
My Overall Impression: I have read where others have had burn issues with the Pinar Del Rio Habano Sun Grown, I did not have one. I also have had both bundles resting in my humidor for several weeks. Overall, this was a surprisingly good cigar. Taking into consideration the price, the construction and the overall taste, this cigar rates a solid 8 out of 10 on my cigar ratings. I am looking forward to tasting the Pinar Del Rio Habano Oscuro soon as I am a maduro fan.
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Can a La Aurora Second Be as Good and the La Aurora Original?
With the economy as it is and most of us looking for the bigger bang for our buck, I’ve started to venture into the world of seconds. A lot of the cigar makers are releasing seconds and touting them as good as their firsts. Well, I decided to try out La Aurora’s offering of their seconds to see if they hold up as well as their firsts.
Size: 5 x 50
Wrapper: Cameroon
Binder: Dominican Republice
Filler: Dominican Republic, Nicaraguan
Origin: Dominican Republic
Prelight / Construction: This cigar when it arrived at my house was bought through Cheap Humidors.com as they were advertising free shipping at the time. Since that time I bought a bundle of Flor de Oliva from them as well. Good vendors with pretty good prices. These La Aurora 2nd’s arrived and looked well constructed for a “bundle” cigar. The prelight gave off a spice and Cameroon is a favorite wrapper of mine so my anticipation was hopeful. The clip and the light went without a hitch and the spice of the pre-draw was definitely evident. The draw was just right and a grey/white ash that held up was a plus.
Flavors / Smoke: Advertised as a medium cigar, I felt the La Aurora was a more medium-mild version. The Cameroon wrapper did not disappoint and throughout the smoke I enjoyed the spice, cider and a slight coffee aroma. Lots of good smoke that came with the fairly easy draw.
My Overall Impression: My wife has always said that I am the deal maker. If a deal is to be found, I was going to discover it. The La Aurora 2nd’s were definitely a deal for me. Bundles coming in little more than $1 a stick make these a great buy. Heck, these may even have me looking for deals in other La Aurora cigar lines. I give the La Aurora 2nd’s a solid 7 out of 10 in my cigar ratings.
Major Online Retailer Being Phased Out on CAO and Rocky Patel Cigars
This was an email response to many of us who buy our cigars from Cigarbid.com a popular online cigar retailer.
“The purpose of this email is to inform you of a situation with one of the lots you were winning. Due to a change in pricing structure, General Cigar / CAO directed us to immediately remove their products from our website.”
“This is being worked out as we speak. CAO and General products were pulled while we work it out. With regards to RP product, RP has made a movement to increase in sales in the brick and mortar market, thus hurting the catalog / web business. We can no longer promote the products in the same ways that made them successful in the first place.”
A very interesting approach to marketing cigars to the public. General Cigar who represents CAO brands and Rocky Patel who has more labels than any one manufacturer have decided it is prudent to alienate a huge part of their business. Though I enjoy many of the cigars both these labels have to offer, I will not cry over their departure. The sea of cigar labels is huge and there are more to enjoy than I have time.
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