Quick Smoke = Medina 1959 Miami Edition

Cuban Crafters Medina 1959 Miami Edition

Filler: Sun-grown Long-Filler Habano
Wrapper: Cuban Seed Corona
Body: Medium
USA Origin

Medina 1959 Miami Edition was created to be reminiscent of pre-Castro Cuban cigars. Handmade by Cuban born rollers in the Cuban Crafters factory in Miami, they have a special, elegant taste. The Cuban-seed Habano long-filler and binder and aged for 6 years and the super-premium Cuban-seed wrapper is aged for 5 years. It starts with toatsed nuts, mild spices, and cream. Moves to waves of butterscotch and sweet malt cream, and finishes with a earthy, woody, taste. Totally made in Miami, Florida.

Construction: 9/10
Body: 8/10
Wrapper: 8/10

Overall Experience: 8/10

Verdict: This is an elegant smoke for special occasions. Smoke it!

Quick Smoke = Don Kiki Limited Reserve Green Label

Don Kiki Limited Reserve Green Label

Filler: Sun-grown Long-filler Habano

Wrapper: Shade-Grown Brazilian Mata Fina

Nicaraguan Origin






Don Kiki Green Label cigars are handmade with extremely aged sun grown long-filler Habano Tobacco.
The superior quality wrapper is a rare shade-grown Brazilian Mata Fina. This combination of tobacco produces a delightfully mild/medium smoke, yet with complex flavors described as well-balanced with hints of creamy nougats, toasted nuts, and subtle orange peels.

Construction: 9/10
Body: 8/10
Wrapper: 7/10
Overall Experience: 8/10

Verdict:
Smoke This!

My First Humidor!

Fully Stocked and Ready to Go

Buffalo Tobacco Traders is ordering a new shipment of digital hygrometers. I'll be replacing my analog one with one of their new digital ones.

TIP: Distilled water is useless in your humidifier. Use 50/50 (aka Propylene Glycol Solution), You can buy an 8oz. bottle for about $5 at your local tobacconist.

CE Beck y CA Cigars

A Premium Label Boutique Cigar from Miami, Need I Say more?

Before I go into detail about this amazing cigar, I will elaborate a while on the origin and features of CE Beck y CA cigars. Because this cigar is only available from CubanCrafters.com or instore, many people have not heard of it.
"For years BECK was the preferred cigar of the Cuban Aristocracy. Only after extensive aging are BECK cigars available once again. The opulent, creamy butter taste has hints of nutmeg, mild spices and oak. BECK Grand Cameroon Primera Edicion cigars are handmade in small batches. Each combines the finest Cameroon wrapper with exceptional Cuban-seed sun-grown Habano tobacco from Tabacalera Esteli. The Tobacco is cure five times before being hand rolled to guarantee a unique and extraordinary smoking experience." - www.CubanCrafters.com

All fancy words aside, let's get down to business. For $29.99 you can get a 6 cigar BECK sampler with various sizes. They make Toros, Churchills, Chairmans, Torpedos, Robustos, and Campanas. BECK Cigars have medium to full flavor with a Cameroon wrapper; this is a Nicaraguan cigar.
The filler is Sun-Grown Long-Filler Habano.

- Construction -
These cigars are 10/10 in construction! Flawlessly "Hecho a Mano" (Handmade) most times by Cubans, the draw is smooth, the ash is firm and white, and I never had to worry about uneven burning. This cigar lit so fast I blackened a few inches of the cigar!

- Body -
Just as the description indicated, this cigar is an elegant and smooth cigar full of luxurious and creamy flavors. Upon the first draw I experienced warm roasted nuts, creamy butter, and nutmeg. As the cigar progressed I began to taste the oak and mild spices, with some leathery undertones. Not till halfway through did I even taste the slightest hint of nicotine. This is, and I cannot emphasize this enough, AN AMAZING CIGAR! For about $5 a piece, you would be ignorant not to have a few of this delightful boutique cigars in your humidor. The sweet, nutty, creamy smoke is great for a morning smoke, during a meal, or after a meal.

- The Final Score -
I was so impressed with the wonderful construction, body, and consistency of this cigar. I found myself obsessing over the flavors and aromas hours afterward. I kept imagining roasted nuts and creamy melted butter, causing me to salivate. Thank goodness I have two more in my humidor because I give this cigar a 9/10!

ACID Nasty by Drew Estate

ACID Nasty by Drew Estate
4x42  about $4.98 (I knowingly overpaid)
Wrapper = Maduro
Filler = Nicaraguan
Binder =  Nicaraguan
Body = Mild

This cigar (Dare I say it) was cute. That is why I bought it.

As you can see, this pyramid shaped robusto is tapered, with a pig tail.
The aroma was pleasant, the maduro wrapper on a ACID cigar would give a pleasant taste as well.

Construction was weak. The cigar was not just squishy all around, there was obvious pockets of air where the tobacco was not filling the wrapper. This cigar was not fully packed.

Upon first drawing the smoke, I got smooth, rich, creamy, spciy and sweet smoke that plumed from my mouth like any good cigar should. The ACID taste was prevalent, and I was enjoying it. My only concern, after the delicious flavor from the oils were gone, the cigar took a sharp turn with a bitter finish. I do not know if this was the combination of Nicaraguan tobacco with a maduro wrapper, or just a poorly made cigar, but for some reason both my Kuba ACID and this ACID Nasty both had unpleasant aftertastes.

I got about Halfway down the cigar and the nicotine started to hit me. This was truly too "Nasty" for me. For a cool, breezy summer night, with outdoor ventilation, I could not explain the extreme nicotine buzz or the shiver shakes that followed. I just didn't enjoy this cigar or the events following.

The ACID will draw you in, a good flavored cigar is nice now and then, but ACID Nasty by Drew Estate will not deliver.



Construction =6/10
Body = 6/10
Overall Experience = 5/10

Verdict : Keep this out of your Humidor

(Arturo Fuente) Chateau Fuente Maduro Robusto

($5.70 USD) 4 1/2 x 50 (Robusto)
Wrapper = USA/Conn. Sun Grown Blackened
Filler = Dominicana
Binder = Dominicana
Body = This cigar is toasty and tangy, with some metallic notes.

I enjoyed a lovely Double Chateau Fuente the day before, and I was ready to be impressed by the maduro version of the chateau fuente. I went with the robusto, and lit up around 10pm. The dark, gritty, and hard wrapper was blackened conn. shade similar to the R y J reserva maduro robusto cigar I reviewed last week. This was a much different cigar.

The construction was fantastic! This cigar spent a day in the humidor, and when I pulled it out, it was hard, firm, and had no soft spots! Other than one divot, it was perfect! It burned slow, smooth, and even. I was impressed!

Strong tastes of cedar and some woody, earthy nuances. The cedar sleeve ensured this. The maduro wrapper gave the cigar a toasty and sweet flavor as well. I have heard some people experience coffee in this cigar, but I was searching for it and unable to find it.

As the cigar progressed, it became a bit spciy, similar to the original chateau fuente. But towards the final third, it became bland and uninteresting. Possibly from having to tend to it with a lighter towards the finish. (A fan was blowing my way and messed with the even burn)
  

The overall construction was what one would expect from the Fuente name, and the burn was even and slow. I enjoyed this cigar, and for $5.70, this is a much better choice for a blackened conn. shade wrapper if you want to try a maduro that is light on flavor. I give this beauty a 6 out of 10. I enjoyed the   construction and wrapper more than the tobacco and the smoke itself.

 Construction = 9/10

Body = 6/10

Overall Experience = 7/10