After hearing nothing but great reviews about the Diesel Unholy Cocktail Maduro from everyone and his father on this cigar, I decided to pull the trigger and try them.  Cigar.com and their infamous Daily Deal had them at a good price.  Doubling it gave them to me minus the shipping charge, so I was a happy camper.

A brief overview of the Diesel Unholy Cocktail Maduro.  This is a cigar from A. J. Fernandez, a relative newbie in the cigar business.  Fernandez has been a protégé to some of the best cigar men who have come out of Cuba.  Currently Fernandez is producing great cigars from Nicaragua.  The Diesel is a full-bodied cigar with a lot of flavor.  A cigar that though is very solid and complex.

My first impressions of the Diesel Unholy Cocktail Maduro was that this was a solid, heavy cigar.  The Diesel was well made and the construction had a smell of dark, spicy leather.  Cutting the cigar was easy and after removing the label, toasting the foot was easily done.

The beginning flavors were a bit like chocolate only with pepper and a spicy after taste.  Very intriguing.  The Diesel gave out great billows of smoke and the ash that was white-gray held up well.  The burn throughout the cigar was even and never needed a touchup. 

I enjoyed this cigar very much.  The price point on it will scare a few people away, however good cigars are definitely worth the price.  The Diesel Unholy Cocktail Maduro is a very good cigar that needs to be enjoyed with time and patience.  It is a powerful cigar that needs to have someone who can give it the time to enjoy.  This cigar rates an 9 out of 10 on my scale.  This cigar isn’t for everyone as it can be a bit overpowering, however if you enjoy a solid, powerful cigar the Diesel is for you.

I broke down and bought the Brick House robusto at one of the  local B&M’s I like to frequent on occasion.  I was specifically looking for this cigar and ended up paying a bit more than I like (about $8.00) for a “bargin cigar, ” this according to the infamous cigar magazine.  

However, I was very pleasantly surprised by this stick from J.C. Newman.  The Brick House robusto was well made, nicely rolled and firm, with no cosmetic issues to witness.  The firmness of the cigar did not interfere with the relative easy draw.  The burn was straight throughout the life of the Brick House with the taste being a bit strong at first but mellowed as you got through the first half of the stick.  The taste of cedar, spice and a little wood would be a good comparison.  

I smoked it to the nub and enjoyed it very much.  I didn’t get the Gurkha taste that other reviewers have mentioned, but then again I haven’t had a Gurkha I’ve liked.  

Overall, the Brick House brand seems to be a very good stick and if I can find a good deal on it, I’ll be buying more.  I would give this a 8 out of 10 point rating.  There was just too much good coming from the Brick House label.  I am looking forward to revisiting this cigar soon.

I found these on Cigar-bid at a relative low price and thought being a Perdomo that I might give them a try.  After all, I really enjoy Perdomo’s Lot 23 vintage and sometimes you just need try other sticks the cigar maker is offering.  Slow-Aged Lot 826 maduro is advertised as a stick utilizing 3 different Nicaraguan filler leaves, one of which is the ligero leaf.  The Slow-Aged is supposed to me a medium bodied cigar.

On first inspection, the Perdomo Slow-Aged was well constructed, this was their 6 x 52 sized version.  Good prelight draw as well as a bit of spiciness to start with.  Though it started a bit spicey on the light up, it did not linger and the first third of the cigar was a mellow maduro taste on the tongue.  After that first third the Perdomo Slow-Aged settled to a earthy like chocolate. Still pretty powerful, and the spice didn’t go away at this point either.  It seemed to gain in seasoning I neared the band point of the stick.  It finished a little bit bitter, but not enough that it didn’t get nubbed. 

However, the Perdomo Slow-Aged overall was a very good smoke.  The ash held firm and the draw was decent throughout.   The burn was a bit crooked and required a little bit of touchup, but nothing serious. This cigar can be had for less than $2 a stick, and I personally feel like I got a great value for my money.  I really need to give this cigar a 8 out of 10 rating.  For the price and the taste, you can’t beat it.  The Perdomo Slow-Aged will be another stick that I will have in my  humidor constantly. 

Mike

I am truly a maduro fan and when a friend handed me the Indian Tabac Super Fuerte I fell in love.  This cigar, a robusto, had been sitting in his humidor for a couple of months and told me that this was his current inexpensive (cheap) find.  For those who may not know, Indian Tabac is a blend from Rocky Patel.  He makes this cigar in several flavors including the maduro and a natural.  I’ve not tried the natural (yet) but look forward to it soon.

The Super Fuerte is handmade in Honduras with long leaf fillers coming from Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Honduras as well.  As advertised the tobacco is aged a minimum of 4 years and will produce a full bodied chocolate like taste.  They also claim that the Super Fuerte will have a slight sweet aftertaste due to the prolonged natural fermentation process.

My experience with the Super Fuerte started out well.  The prelight aroma of this cigar was nice the prelight draw was very good, I did find the wrapper was a bit rough though.  Having said that, the construction overall was still very good.  The Super Fuerte had a great draw after the light and was easy to light as well.  The stick produced lots of smoke which is always a good indicator for me.  In the beginning I noticed hints of leather and a woody taste from the Super Fuerte.  Overall a very smooth and even flavor profile though a bit bland throughout the stick.  The Super Fuerte probably would be a great everyday relaxing smoke with your afternoon coffee.

I’m not giving up on this cigar.  From other reviews I’ve read and with past experience the Super Fuerte may just need a more extended rest time in the humidor.  After my recent tasting experience I think a sample pack sitting at the bottom on my humi is in order.  However, that said, I have to give the Super Fuerte a 6 out of 10 on this recent outing.  I do hope for better on this stick at a later time. 

Mike

I admit it, I use Facebook.  It started innocently as a way for me to reconnect with old school pals.  Unfortunately it is grown to me finding others who enjoy cigars as much as I do.  One of those was a company promoting a product I found interesting, The Cigar Stub.  For those of us who love gadets and cigars, this was a dream come true.  I’ve not personally tried the Cigar Stub but hope that one arrives in my stocking (hear that honey) this year. 

I asked the makers to send me some information on their product and their President Ramond Goirigolzarri was kind enough to do so.  Here is an excerpt from their press release and a few pictures of their product. 

1. Who created the cigar stub and their age?

·         Raymond Goirigolzarri (31) & Angel Giro (32)

2. Why did they create it?

·         We created the Cigar Stub so people can enjoy the “sweet spot” (last 2 inches) of their premium cigar.  The “sweet spot” is the finest part of a premium cigar where the taste is most flavorful.  It usually begins at the 3” to 4” length.  You can smoke your favorite cigar up to the last inch!  It enhances and extends your smoking pleasure up to an extra 45 minutes.  After using the Cigar Stub you will no longer experience burned fingers, feel uncomfortable, look bad smoking, have nowhere to put down the stub of your cigar, and have to throw away the sweet spot.  The best part about it is that it allows you to smoke the best part using the same comfortable classic smoking motion.  Our mission is “To improve the lifestyle of a cigar aficionado by enhancing and extending the enjoyment of smoking a premium cigar.”

3. When did the idea come and what sparked it?

·         The idea came to us on an early October night in 2008 smoking at a family member’s balcony.  We always like to smoke our cigar up to last inch, but always burned our fingers.  That night we were smoking a good cigar up to the last inch that we could not put down even though it was getting uncomfortable.  We both looked at each other and said that it would be a great idea if there was a product that could allow us to smoke the sweet spot of a cigar without being uncomfortable.  We bounced some ideas around jokingly, but as the night went on we couldn’t stop thinking about it.  So, we decided to meet the following day to give the idea some serious thought and the rest is history.

4. When was the cigar stub launched?

·         The Cigar Stub was launched on August 9, 2009 at the IPCPR trade show which is the largest tradeshow in the cigar industry.  It was held in New Orleans, LA.

5. Where is it sold?

·         The Cigar Stub will be available online on our website, www.thecigarstub.com.  It is also available at select retail shops around the country.

6. Where do owners reside in?

·         Angel Giro and Raymond Goirigolzarri reside in Miami, FL.

7. How much does the cigar stub retail?

·         The Cigar Stub retails at $49.99

8. Are there different looks, colors?

·         The Cigar Stub will come in 3 colors which are silver, black and light gold. 

9. What is the stub made out of?

·         The Cigar Stub is made out of anodized aluminum and stainless steel.

10. Where is it made?

·         It is made in USA.

11. What has been reaction from cigar smokers?

·         At the IPCPR trade show where the Cigar Stub was launched, the reaction from the market was amazing.  Everyone loved it and complimented on finally coming out with a well made product to solve this problem while looking classy and elegant and functioning well.  We got a wow reaction and every time we used the product we got so much attention that it was incredible.  People were shocked to see it because there is nothing else like it on the market.  Overall the reaction from cigar smokers was positively impressive.

12. What age group is the stub most popular with right now?

·         The Cigar Stub is most popular right now with the age group of 25-45, but every age group within the cigar smoking market seems to love it.

13. Any future plans?

·         We have a lot of future plans in the works.  The first one to be released in October 2009 is going to be the Cigar Stub Ashtray which has a very unique design that people are going to love.  Other plans we have for next year is going to be different Cigar Stub models and designs including a surprise being launched at next year’s IPCPR trade show in New Orleans, LA.  The ultimate plan is to expand in the cigar accessory business by creating innovative and quality products that enhance a cigar aficionado’s enjoyment of smoking a premium cigar.

14. Have creators/owners been in the cigar biz for awhile?

·         We are brand new into the cigar biz, but have been cigar aficionados for a while.

I am a pretty big fan El Mejor Espresso.  I was introduced to it from a friend who knew I liked the darker cigars.  El Mejor gives you two versions of their cigars, the Emerald which has a Corojo wrapper and then this one, the Espresso with the Mexican maduro wrapper. 

The Espresso is a box pressed stick with a very dark maduro wrapper.  Upon first look the El Mejor Espresso seems to be well constructed.  As advertised this stick has Honduran long leaf tobaccos with in it.  For this review I selected the robusto size.  I’ve had the torpedo in the past and enjoyed that size as well. 

This cigar cut easily and I was able to torch it and get it going without much effort.  The first couple of  draws and the corresponding aroma lent a little chocolate and black licorice.  The El Mejor Espresso offered a ton of smoke that is always a welcome part of any cigar for me.  The flavors were well-rounded, with notes of cocoa, dark roasted coffee, and a little leather. 

Though advertised as a medium smoke, I found the El Mejor Espresso to be a bit more towards the mild side.  With the various flavors it presented, the taste didn’t always continue throughout the time with the cigar.  The second half didn’t give me the thrill that the first half did but this was still a better than average cigar.  I give this stick a solid 7 out of 10 on my ratings.  If it had held up better in the second half it would have scored higher.  Still for the money, a good everyday cigar.

Mike

Cu-Avana Madurois a handmade cigar by master Manuel Quesada, the genius behind Fonseca and the original Dominican Romeo y Julieta.

Wrapped in a dark, naturally fermented Connecticut Broadleaf maduro leaf with juicy, oily goodness, the maduro version of Cu-Avana is a very well constructed cigar. Upon first light, you notice a hint of spice.  Then the  peppery opening fades, the smoke eases into a mellow, pleasantly toasty flavor after a few puffs it flourished in to coco and ceder with leather and creamy notes.  Many of you will find the Cu-Avana Maduro to be a mild cigar.  I found the burn to be as perfect as the construction on this stick.  One last thing: as with many oily maduros, the Cu-Avana Maduro will age well.  Give them time in your humi and you will be amazed by what you get out of these cigars.

Considering taste, construction and cost, only about $2.00 a stick at Cbid.  I have to give the Cu-Avana Maduro an 8 out of 10.  A surprisingly enjoyable smoke for a low cost stick. 

Mike

For those who don’t know, it’s pronounced “cinco vegas.”  The 5 Vegas line has been a favorite of mine for a couple of years.  I did a review on the “A” line which is the maduro of this brand a couple of months ago.  The Gold, however is considered the 5 Vegas mild version. 

The cigar whose premium leafs are from Honduras and have a Connecticut Shade wrapper is advertised as being aged for 5 full years.  The initial appearance of this cigar was solid.  No soft spots, wrapped well and seemed solid.  The initial light had a bit of pepper, but immediately settled into a toasty, creamy smoke.  I found it to be as mild as advertised. 

First, I need to tell you that I was enjoying this cigar with a cup of coffee on the patio.  The combination allow for my pallete to appreciate what I was smoking.  The burn stayed pretty even throughout the smoke.  The gray ash continued firm and started dropping at close to two inches.  The cigar produced great amounts of smoke, another reason I enjoyed it.  The draw was not perfect, but was very close.  All in all, this was a really good cigar.

I have to give this cigar a 7 out of 10 rating.  The flavor of the 5 Vegas Gold was there, and not overpowering, yet not consistent throughout.  This is and will continue to be my go to cigar in my humi when I’m looking for a stick that I don’t have to concentrate too much on the flavor.  A winner, never the less.

Mike

Another Sunday, another day to sit in front of the big screen at my local cigar lounge and watch NFL football.  With a beer in one hand I felt something was missing.  Oh yeah, a cigar.  I headed to the humidor and felt like I always do when I get in there, just like a kid in a candy store.  Too many selections, too many sticks I haven’t had a chance to try.  I guy in there with me saw that I couldn’t make a decision.  He suggested the Joya De Nicaragua Antano.  I’ve never tried it and I usually appreciate someone else’s opinion, so I went for it.

I found out later that this cigar was rated a 91 by Cigar Insider and I can see why.  First, this is a full bodied stick.  The history behind this brand is also very interesting.  With the political upheavals that the nation of Nicaragua has gone through in the last few decades, this brand has had to reinvent itself a few times.  I won’t waste your time here, look it up and you’ll see that this has been a labor of love to produce this cigar.

I really love the look of this cigar.  The leathery Criollo wrapper is dark and a bit thick and veiny, but the color is beautiful, with rusty shades of red and orange.  Construction was very good and I found no soft spots on it.  Lighting this stick took a little doing just because of the thick wrapper, but once lit it was consistent throughout.  Like many cigars this one had a nice flavor with some coffee and cocoa hints covered with some spiciness.  The smoke again was a nice thick and creamy long lasting surprise.  There was a nice firm medium gray ash.

Overall a very enjoyable cigar.  The Joya De Nicaragua Antano will definitely be a staple in my humidor, especially when I’m looking for a full bodied smoke.  This cigar gets a 9 out of 10 on my rating.  An excellent cigar for those who enjoy the full flavor of their smoke.

Mike

Once upon a time, Cigar Aficionado rated this cigar a 93 and I can see why.  The Camacho Corojo in the Toro size was my first chance at indulging myself with this brand.

These cigars are handmade Honduran with a 100% Jamastran Corojo leaf.  I found them to be a potent flavor, yet not overpowering.  I found the construction very good on this stick.  I got an even burn throughout and a solid ash to the end.  This cigar produced a very nice and rich creamy smoke.  The flavors of nuts and leather were apparent in the beginning.  As the cigar came to the midpoint a slight transistion to a more espresso and peppery spice.

Given that this cigar had some aging, I bought it at my local cigar lounge where I enjoyed it while watching the baseball playoffs, I wouldn’t want to try it with some time in the humidor.  The Camacho Corojo is a resonable priced cigar as well.  At auction you can pick up a 5 pack for around $20.  

Given the great taste, fantastic construction, firm ash and creamy smoke, I’ll be rating this one an 8 out 10.  This one will be a staple in my humidor.  Now I just have to find a way to tell my wife I’m buying a few more… 

Mike