Very rarely am I impressed by a house cigar from a regular retail store because it’s merely the result of a proprietor’s desire to emulate their favourite major labels, but once in awhile I learn to eat my words and this once in awhile is now.  Thanks to Joel Sorrentino I received a sampler pack in the mail of the new Luca del Toro cigars from the Olde Punta Gorda Cigar Shop in the Florida town of the same name.

The Luca del Toro is the latest release from Ron Andrews (owner, Olde Punta Gorda Cigars), a man who for barely a decade has been in the cigar business and seems to have found a passion.  Under the parent name of Los Nietos Cigars, as the Spanish implies, Andrews is celebrating grandchildren.  Made by George Rico of Gran Habano Cigars, this stick is named for Andrews’ first grandson, Luke, and comes in two sizes: Toro Pequeño (52 x 5 1/2″) and the Toro Grande (54 x 6″) and they retail for $6.00 and $6.50 respectively.

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Size: Toro Pequeño (52 x 5 1/2″)

Wrapper: Nicaraguan Habano  *(Nicaraguan-Honduran hybrid used for the first time in a blend made by George Rico)*

Photo courtesy of Los Nietos Cigars

Binder: Honduras

Filler: Honduras

Appearance and Construction: At first glance I was a little alarmed because the wrapper appeared more veiny than I prefer, but to the touch the Nicaraguan Habano hybrid was exceedingly smooth and pleasantly oily.  Staring down the foot of the cigar it looked like a good roll and while the Cuban-style triple cap looked a little sloppy, it didn’t lead me to believe it would cause any problems while smoking.  My only real issue with the cigar’s appearance was the band itself: for my taste it was a bit too kitschy and has this Wild West vibe to it, but I’m not going to hold grudges for artwork when it has no bearing on my smoking experience.  (28/30 for the category)

Delivery (Notes, etc): I spent probably two-to-three minutes just smelling the foot prior to lighting the cigar because it had the most pleasant aroma of rich chocolate coupled with the smell of mineral-esque manure.  (Now I know what you’re thinking when I said “manure,” but in terms of the quality of the soil the tobacco came from, this smell is a good sign.  If you don’t believe me, then ask José Blanco of La Aurora.)

I’m not going to lie when I say I was skeptical because I’m not a big fan of Honduran tobacco — it is either cured and fermented beyond oblivion or as a natural wrapper too sweet for my palate– and despite its hybrid wrapper, Los Nietos labels this as a “Honduran Selection”.  On the flip side from the second I lit this cigar is when I had to discard many of my prejudices towards the tobacco used in this blend.  Prime example: you know when you first light a stick and it’s just this massive abundance of unmarried flavours before the oils in the leaves fully heat up? For some reason beyond my knowledge the Luca del Toro does NOT do this and is smooth and flavourful from the first puff with zero bite.

The best way for me to describe the Luca del Toro is that it is an adventure in chocolate. The first two inches or so there is this beautiful bounty of rich semi-dark chocolate marked with smokey undertones of chipotle pepper.  (If you have experience with true chocolate — not the crap Hershey’s puts out — then you’ll know how well darker chocolate works with hot peppers. )  The pepper here is just prominent enough that I got a slight tingle on my lips.  The longer I smoked the pepper slowly disappeared, but in return the cigar kept developing and throwing off hints of increasingly darker cacao.  At its apex it was like smoking 80% pure African chocolate where the overall bittersweet taste real cacao is known for also gave off the slightest hint of sweet cedar in the back of the draw.

I smoked the Toro Pequeño down to the nub and as the cigar itself began to wind down, so did the chocolate nature that had been so prominent throughout.  Another positive sign for me in terms of good blending was that the paramount notes here did not just die, but rather they gradually calmed down and bled into this milder, more peaty and earthy finish that sat well on my palate even after I had finished smoking. (33/35 for the category)

Burn/Ash/Draw: The burn was really the only time I had an issue with the cigar and it was a small one.  The Luca del Toro burned rather evenly throughout, but the last 1.5″ it started to canoe.  Although it did not do so badly, it still became a bit unsightly.

The ash itself was a rich silver-grey encompassed in a thin, darker-coloured ring.  While the colour of the ash — as pretty as it is to some — has nothing extreme to do with the overall quality of a cigar, the colour here let me know the tobacco came from calcium-rich soil.

The draw on the Toro Pequeño was perfect and that too impressed me, because as I prefaced earlier, Honduran tobacco is not my usual smoke of choice.  The more oscuro wrappers from Honduras tend to be too toothy and therefore you pull more when you smoke; whereas the more natural Honduran tobacco tends to be light and sweet, resulting in a draw so easy it’s almost as if you are not smoking.  Thankfully with the Luca del Toro George Rico got it right.  (30/35 for the category)

Overall Assessment: The Luca del Toro from Los Nietos Cigars is a must-try and a must-buy: inexpensive, tasty, well-made, and quite honestly that makes for a great everyday smoke to have in your humidor.  This cigar proves exactly what is preached in the food world and that is something does not have to be overtly complex to be good and enjoyable; in fact, it takes a lot more skill and understanding of your ingredients to make something well that is for all intensive purposes “simple,” rather than throwing a whole bunch of things in a pot hoping they work well with one another.  The cigar industry today seems to have turned into this competition for complexity and that does not always result in a solid product. Very rarely do I give this much praise, but kudos to George Rico for his work and to Ron Andrews for choosing a blend that is truly a breath of fresh air.

*Final Score: 91

Two weeks ago during an all-too-fun dinner at Club Macanudo with friends they all spoke of this authentic German biergarten-esque place they went to in Brooklyn.  While the Germans were never ones for haute culinary atmosphere, all I wanted to know was if the food was good and the beer menu large and they said “yes” to both questions.  I know that sounds overly simplified for me and you’re right, so let me clue you in on what two words sold me: venison sausage.  Yep, those two words are indeed a turn on.

I don’t know about you, but I hate surprises — to me there is nothing fun in them and I’m usually left disappointed in some way or another.  As I do with every new place I try I go to the website (assuming there is one) and check out the menus and Radegast seemed perfect for the hot and sticky summer we’ve been having in New York  Cold beer, tubular meats, homemade pretzels and hopefully not sharing the dining hall with morons all signal cooling off for me at this point.  The beer menu is rather impressive, but what really thrilled me was seeing a friend’s beer there on the menu straight from Belgium.  I hadn’t enjoyed Malheur since I was with the Brewmaster at a cigar dinner in Antwerp last June.  At that point I was so fixated on drinking Malheur that I was clinically obsessed with reliving my happy Flemish memories.

Before I go any further, let me warn you that Radegast is in Williamsburg.  Yes, Williamsburg: where men don fedoras, wear skinny jeans, and canvas boating shoes as regular attire; where women rarely wear clothing that has sleeves, have bright tattoos of animal life on their arms, and look like they haven’t washed their hair in a week.  The four of us looked like an odd lot walking the streets to get to this place and I have to admit I felt a douchebag in that neighbourhood, but since I don’t listen to the same indie bands as the residents do nor drink cans of PBR & chase them with shots of whiskey, I suppose some of my dignity remains intact.

Now down to business.

I started off with a half-liter of Radeberger which is an old favourite and the guys went for  Palm Ale and Kolsch, and with that we immediately order two pretzels and thank God we did because these are the greatest pretzels ever baked.  They are large, intensely buttery in taste, and were served with sour pickles and their house mustard which I’m now hooked on with it’s creamy texture infused with bits of relish and spices.   Radegast has a small food menu of German and Eastern European specialties, but this place is really all about the grill which is separate from the sit-down foods.   Two of the guys made the walk down the hall to the grill and placed orders for what was to be a wonderfully simple, but incredibly tasty meal.

My first bite was of the kielbasa and Holy Mother of God was is tasty: beautifully red in colour, thick natural casing that truly snapped when you bit into it, and had just the right amount of smoke infused from the grille.  I don’t know if the guys ordered everything this way, but each sausage we got came on a bed homemade sauerkraut that I think I dreamt of last night. We also got an order of what they call “Easter sausage” which was a white sausage that was nice, but unimpressed us all because the flavours were so minute in comparison to everything else.   Of course the champion of the night’s cuisine was indeed the venison sausage which was intense, rich, and so balanced it was scary.  I don’t care what anyone says because I know that Bambi is tasty no matter how you prepare her, but last night she was at the top of her little doe game.

You may think at this point we’re all fat and happy and you’re right, except we were happy and borderline entering a food coma.  I know it didn’t sound like a bunch of food to share between four adults, but don’t forget the beer which in itself has more carbs than the food we consumed.   We finished our first steins and when it came time for another round I had to order the Malheur 10, aka the champagne of beers, and I had two disappointments in a row: first was that our adorable waitress has no knowledge of beers or the French language, and secondly she told me they were out of Malheur. (Manu, if you read this, PLEASE ship more beer to Brooklyn!) After browsing the insane list one more time for something to drink I noticed Radegast won my heart over once more because they had the beer from my namesake brewery, so I had to have it.  From Brauerei Heller in Bamberg, Germany hails the Schlenkerla Rauchbier (Smokebeer) which is FABULOUS.  Smokebeers are dark, heavy, and ridiculously rich but you know what makes this Heller beer the best: it smells and tastes like smoked bacon.  Yes, you read that correctly — bacon — like large chunks of crispy pork fat in liquid form fresh out of a smoker.

We had been eating and drinking at a friendly pace for a little over three hours at this point and I can’t speak for the guys, but I honestly felt like I was busting at the seems. They ordered more beer and I transitioned to ice water when the man who I affectionately call the “Ring Leader” rounds up the waitress and orders pork tenderloin, so what do I say when I’m too full for anything else?  The words “Do you have spaetzle?” fly out of my mouth.  Before this food even comes the four of us are about to fall off the benches we’re so uncomfortably full, so as fun-loving degenerates we start placing bets as to where the waitress was from since she uttered a “ya’ll” and muster up the courage to eat on.

All-in-all I like this place: it’s large, easy to get to, has a highly respectable beer menu, and the food is authentic as well as fresh and frankly delicious.   To cap off this experience when returning from the bathroom to the biergarten I saw a Zach Galifonakis look-a-like whip out his dick in front of me because I’m guessing he had to pee really badly, so if you like variety, all sorts of tubular meat do exist in Williamsburg.

Check out my monthly wine review for my friends over at Life in Abruzzo, published 2 August 2010.  If you enjoy summer BBQs Italian style, then this wine is for you!

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I think whether or not you consider yourself a wine aficionado there will always be bottles that you remember, and for me one of these is the Capestrano Montepulciano d’Abruzzo.  Whilst I have not enjoyed this label for a long time, when I did the other day it immediately conjured up memories. This wine is one I have shared with many friends & family, and being able to enjoy it again (on my birthday!) not only brought a smile to my face but it solidified its place in my “got-to-have” wine list as a must.

If there is one thing that I think sets Abruzzese wines apart from other regions in Italy it’s drinkability. Take it from someone who has been drinking wine longer than I would like to admit, Abruzzo is often overlooked in comparison to Tuscany (for example); but this charming and rugged province rarely produces a bad bottle. The Montepulciano grape is a sturdy one, and Montepulciano d’Abruzzo is dry, slightly fruity, and while usually consumed young has softer tannins (in my personal experience many people are turned off by super-tannic wines, and most winemakers will tell you if something is too tannic then it needs to remain in the cellar for sometimes up to ten more years).

The Capestrano Montepulciano d’Abruzzo from its inception was a great idea: bring great quality to wine lovers without costing them a fortune (a bottle retails between US$9 to US$12 depending on the vintage). Located at the foothills of the Gran Sasso mountains, this wine was named after the small town of Capestrano which is home to a unique microclimate of warm days and cool nights. Between the favourable growing conditions and the care used to produce this wine, it is an excellent representation of the Abruzzo-Molise tradition.

A beautiful plum colour in the glass, this 2007 wine is rather forward in its aromas of spice, dark plum, black raspberry, and other earthy notes. It does not require much aeration, but like most red wines, will benefit from it. On the palate it could almost be described as resembling fresh jam due to strong notes of dark berry balanced by natural acidity and fairly medium tannins. Black raspberry dominates the finish, but some of the spice and robust earth that first hit the nose round everything out quite nicely with each and every sip.

If you are looking for a wine that will hold up against strong foods (i.e. wild game) and grilled meats (particularly good for the summer barbecue season), then the Capestrano is an excellent choice. In very typical Abruzzo fashion I shared a feast of lamb, grilled sausage, and veal with my family, and the wine most certainly held its own. Whenever I think of this wine I can’t help but compare it to an old friend; it’s dependable, fair, and even after an absence, treats you so well you can’t ever imagine spending time apart again.

As always, this is my monthly wine review for my good friends over at Life in Abruzzo.  Go check them out to learn all about “L’regione verde di Europa!”

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I will be the first to admit I had not heard of Villadoro Montepulciano d’Abruzzo wine until I was shopping around for something worthy of a review, but as you will soon see, I think I stumbled on the surprise of the month.

Like many wines from the rustic Abruzzo landscape, Villadoro’s deep ruby hues are a tell-tale sign of rich soil, but that’s where the commonality to other wines of the region ends.   Immediately to the nose I knew this was going to be unlike others I’ve sampled because it did not have that typical fruit-driven scent.  In fact, there was a strong smell of smoke and slight spice and that was all prevalent within seconds of pouring my first glass.

The Villadoro was nothing like what the label had described since it said the wine should be fruity when it was anything but that. To the contrary, it was on fuller-bodied side for an Abruzzo wine and gave off great notes of smoke and spice.   there was fruit present on the palate, it was prevalent in the finish and was predominately that of black cherry and deep berry which was a great transition from a somewhat bold beginning. I thought this bottle was playing tricks on me because it was such a departure from the average regional wine and how the Montepulciano grape tends behave. Even after a few glasses and much breathing, the Villadoro still did not act as “fruity” as the label wanted me to believe and it was almost like drinking a baby Negroamaro from Puglia.

In an extreme case of happenstance, pairing this wine with food was nothing short of serendipitous.  My latest food obsession has focused on Croatia thanks to a friend from a small town that during his youth was actually part of Italy.  I specifically went to a market in search of Balkan goods and the wine was a perfect match for some ajvar spread on a rustic bread and ćevapčići (pronounced “chee wap chi chi”), which is basically Croatia’s answer to the hamburger. Combine small, grilled pieces of spicy beef on bread plus ajvar – a tapenade of tomato, eggplant, garlic, vinegar, and paprika – and it’s as if this dish was made for this unique wine.   Assuming you cannot find Croatian delicacies near you, do not hesitate to have this wine with meat dishes or pastas. In my opinion the Villadoro would be an amazing compliment to one of Abruzzo’s signature dishes of strozzapretti with a wild boar ragú.

Taking into account all the wonderful surprises this wine provided me in the course of an evening one might think I could not have been any happier, but I saved the best for last: I managed to find a magnum of the Villadoro 2007 for US$11.99! With all these good things stemming from just one bottle of wine, there is no excuse why you should not have this in your home.

While most smokers are fans of major labels such as H. Upmann and Montecriso, many are not as familiar with the man who runs the show at Tabacaleria de García in La Romana (Dom Rep), Mr. José Seijas. Mr. Seijas is a legend in his own right despite not being as famous as his contemporaries, and if you have never met him you probably won’t be able to pick him out of a crowd, but he is a Cigar Master and a gem.

Quiet and skinny, Seijas  is adamant about creating cigars for the market and not for himself. He recently spent the past week here in New York City spending time at various cigar shoppes and I was able to share  some time with him discussing his philosophies on tobacco and his history in the industry.  Also in the course of this week I smoked many a Mi Dominicana in various vitolas, a cigar that Seijas touts as “a perfect smoke” and consists of entirely Dominican tobacco. Since he was so confident about it I thought it might deserve a review.

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Size: Lancero (40 x 7 1/2″)

Composition: Dominican Puro

Appearance and Construction: While the wrapper appeared lighter in colour than it tends to in photographs, it is a pleasant-looking cigar.  Outside of loving lanceros since they are a great size, the lancero in this line appears to be a lot less veiny than its counterparts like the belicoso which for me is a plus. Staring at the foot it appeared to be a slightly loose roll, but I was by no means worried.  Running it under my nose before lighting up the cigar gave off hints of sweet cedar.  (27/30 for the category)

Delivery (Notes, etc): While Seijas labels this smoke as medium-to-full in body, I would have to politely disagree. (Since I generally smoke various grades of maduro, I intentionally smoked this cigar first thing in the morning two days in a row and on one day I only smoked the Mi Dominicana in all vitolas to make sure my palate wasn’t fooling me.) To me this cigar is medium-bodied at best.

This cigar was unlike anything I had really tasted before because at times it seemed like it couldn’t make up its mind. After the initial light there was this very faint hint of white pepper that dissipated as quickly as it appeared. Overall it reminded me very much of a classic EMS (English Market Selection) in that it was dry in taste.  I did not really get a chance to taste that sweet cedar that was prevalent on my nose, but despite sounding generic, this lancero was just woodsy throughout.

Although the cigar was consist in its light earthiness from the beginning, the final third seemed to present the most essences for my palate: hints of chestnut, honey, and a woodsy sweetness like maple syrup weaved in-and-out. (28/35 for the category)

Burn/Ash/Draw: The burn was where I had the most issues and sadly with the seven of these I smoked over three days, the problems were consistent with the same part of the cigar. After smoking just over half of it, out of nowhere the cigar would just extinguish itself despite constant puffing.  At the risk of sounding harsh, if I wanted to constantly re-light while smoking I would’ve chosen a pipe.

The ash was a light-to-medium gray colour and seemed to hold its own for awhile, but when I lightly flicked it off to avoid possibly ruining my outfit, it sadly broke off in a pointed shape. (To help with the visual, the lancero suddenly looked like a sharpened pencil with ash where the lead point should be.) After that I realized that the slightly loose roll I was not so concerned with initially was going to bug me aesthetically.

As far as the draw was concerned I had no issues. From the second I gave the pig tail cap my traditionally shallow cut, it was easy.  Now that I write about it, I am wondering if the easiness of the draw + the slightly loose roll = the issues with the burn.  It’s a logical explanation, although something I don’t generally experience with the cigars I smoke on a regular basis. (25/35 for the category)

Overall Assessment: I hate to say it, but I was a bit disappointed. The Mi Dominicana Lancero is by the far the best size in the entire line, but it was not what I had hoped for based on everything I had heard and especially what I discussed while smoking with Seijas. On the plus side it is at a great price point–especially for Manhattan–so if you are at all curious definitely pick up a few and smoke them to gather your own assessment.

*Final Score: 80

Below you’ll find my latest wine review for my friends over at Life in Abruzzo about the region’s wines.  This specific bottle I picked up can be found aplenty and after you read my thoughts about it, I think you’ll be grabbing a bottle or two yourself!

Also, don’t forget to visit Life in Abruzzo regularly to learn about the goings on in one of Italy’s most magical regions: I guarantee you it will make you want to go plan a trip right away!

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Cantina Zaccagnini’s Montepulciano d’Abruzzo is as popular in New York as it is back home in Abruzzo.  Walk into any wine shop and ask for something from this region of Italy and I guarantee you that eight out of ten shops will have the Zaccagnini Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, and more than likely it will be the 2006 vintage.

A beautiful wine any time, this medium-bodied red was bright in colour with slight interpositions of garnet: a rather attractive wine just to stare at!  The first sip I must admit took me by surprise because while I expected it to be fruit forward, the initial taste was a large bouquet of strawberry, raspberry, and sweet plum. While I have to admit I was taken aback by this berry burst of sorts, I decided to let it sit for a few minutes and see what happened.

This Montepulciano d’Abruzzo opens up nicely and once it is truly ready to drink it is supremely balanced. While the fruit will always remain on the front of the palate—a tell tale characteristic of this kind of wine—there are some wonderful earthy notes to its finish. There are some nice wood and solid tanins here, and with the right pairings some of the otherwise slight smokiness and light spice do come through.  Another impressive trait here is the wine’s consistency: it will not fight you and it is wonderfully pleasant whether you are eating something
or just sipping.

As far as pairings are concerned I love it with more delicate meats and foods that will help accentuate the wine’s more earthy finish. It worked rather well with a small antipasto of semolina bread, a young pecorino and  bresaola, since the beef being slightly thicker than your average carpaccio provided just enough flavour on the tongue. To follow, the Zaccagnini worked beautifully with some sautéed veal cutlets and broccoli di rape with golden raisins and crushed hot pepper. (A rather Abruzzese meal if I do say so myself!)   The spicy and sweet from the rapini and the earthiness of the veal made for a perfect interplay.

Just as it would be for any wine varietal, one can spend a lot of money or choose to spend a little.  The Zaccagnini Montepulciano d’Abruzzo is a great value locally at $14.99USD/£10.90/€9.00 and it can definitely stand up to the more expensive Montepulciano d’Abruzzos out there for $60.00USD or more. This is definitely one of those situations where if you can, stock up on this wine; even if you do not want to buy a case, you can feel better about saving some money with a few bottles and taking your leftover change and splurging on more cheese and meat!

I first received this cigar in a great goody bag I got from IPCPR since I was not able to attend (someone’s got to watch the store, right?), and I have to admit that as much as I love Eddie Ortega’s work, I was a bit alarmed by the name and label on this cigar. If you’re Puerto Rican or Cuban and/or a rum aficionado you’ll realize this specific bat looks a lot like a very old graphic the Bacardi family used to use on their bottles, and I almost never smoked this cigar because I had no idea where Eddie or Erik were planning on going with this.  You’ll see below why I’m glad after a few months of some samples sitting in one of my humidors I’m glad I finally smoking this thing….

So you don’t think I’m joking, this is the original Bacardi bat the

family used on the bottles back in Cuba in the 19th century

Size: 52 x 5 1/2″

Composition: Nicaraguan filler, Mexican binder, and a San Andreas Maduro wrapper

Appearance & Construction: This cigar is nothing short of beautiful in terms of appearance. With its San Andreas Maduro wrapper, this stick is dark and rich-looking and is silky smooth.  (I don’t know about you, but I hate wrappers that present a lot of veins.) The box-pressing at first concerned me since I’ve had issues with box-pressed maduros in the past, but the press seemed just enough to shape the cigar without hopefully ruining the draw. Looking at the foot it appeared to be a good roll with no visible holes and as much as I initially thought the logo was a bit on the goofy side, it does provide a nice contrast since both the red in the label and darkness of the wrapper are bold in their own right. (29/30 for the category)

Delivery (Notes, etc): While this cigar occasionally provided the essences of nuts, earth, cedar, and hints of spice, there is one overwhelming characteristic here that I completely fell in love with: chalky cocoa powder.  Now if you don’t already think I’m crazy, please let me explain my judgment and why I chose the describe the cocoa as “chalky.”

Have you ever quickly emptied a packet of Swiss Miss Hot Chocolate mix into a mug and the powder emits a small cocoa cloud into the air and you breathe it in? Imagine that happening each time you puff on this cigar and you will understand the creamy, chalky, chocolatey experience you get with nearly every draw. I’ve tried a lot of Mexican tobacco before and let me tell you none of what I’ve tried in the past does what this cigar can do.  The last third of this beauty even introduces a bit of espresso to the palate which married beautifully with the velvety chocolate texture. (34/35 for the category)

Burn/Ash/Draw: The burn on this cigar was great. Thanks to the box press it held the ash quite nicely for long periods of time and it was a pleasantly bright white, signifying that unlike its Nicaraguan counterpart, soil from Mexico’s San Andreas Valley is calcium-rich.

As far as the draw was concerned I’ve smoked quite a number of these sticks and I’ve only had an issue with the draw once over the course of a few months. (The one belicoso in question did get a bit tight as I started to nub it, but if that’s the only problem I encounter in one of the nearly dozen of these I’ve smoked, I’m not complaining.)   I believe I stated above I’ve had some bad luck with box-pressed maduros and while that’s true, I can’t really say I’ve had any major issues with the Murcielago. *Although this review is for the belicoso, the size I’ve had the most issues with is the robusto.*  (33/35 for the category)

Overall Assessment: This is hands-down a great creation from the men of EO brands. Eddie and Erik have once again come up with a winner that’s not only an attractive cigar, but a cigar that treats its smokers very fairly.  While it retails here in New York for around $12.00 per stick for this size and that can be pricey for some, this cigar is worth it.  After smoking as many as I have in the past few months I can testify that this is one of those cigars you can actually depend on and it is definitely one of my favourite new smokes from IPCPR 2009.

*Final Score: 96

I think many seasoned cigar smokers will agree with me lately when I say the following: the prettier the packaging the crappier the smoke; and when a company makes something in limited quantities, it’s often overpriced and disappointing.  I’m happy to say that neither of these scenarios are true here with the newest Zino line, the Embassy Selection.

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Size: 53 x 6″ perfecto

Composition: Ecuadorian Sun Grown wrapper with Honduran filler and binder

Appearance & Construction: There is always something to be said for small-batch cigars, and being that this specific one is honouring Zino’s legacy and only 800 boxes of 10 were made, its appearance is flawless. The perfecto is a great shape and can sometimes be disappointing, but here the wrapper was silky smooth, had a great (but light) earthy aroma to the nose, and the black and gold double band was a classy touch. There were no apparent blemishes of any kind. (30/30 for the category)

Delivery (Notes, etc.): Let me start off by saying if you love your Rocky Patels and think blatant spice is the way to go, then do me a favour and don’t by one of these cigars and leave more for me!  Every essence experienced on the palate is balanced and refined and the Zino Embassy Selection is a pleasure from start to finish.

Just as was stated about the pre-light earthy aromas, the tastes that come across while smoking are the same: it’s never too much of one thing.  There was a rather consistent “cedarness” to this smoke that was more savory than spicy, although there was the occasional light, toasted pepper note that would peak through.  Around the middle of the cigar it got somewhat creamy and reminded me of a medium-roast coffee.  Call me crazy but I felt like there was a hazelnut-esque flavour that was trying to announce itself, but it was very, very subtle in that respect. Towards the final third of the cigar the coffee/nut combination took on a hint of mild sweetness that really balanced out the bit of spice one can taste overlapping the cedar notes throughout. (34/35 for the category)

Burn/Ash/Draw: The burn on this cigar was fairly even and I didn’t have any real issues with it.  It started to burn a bit unevenly around the beginning of the second-third of the smoke, but it wasn’t anything that couldn’t be rectified. (The ash actually got a bit shaggy-looking towards the end, but it wasn’t bothersome.)  The ash was a crisp white with little wisps of charcoal gray interspersed and to be honest, seemed a bit loose for the vitola, but that didn’t seem to compromise the draw, which was nice and easy. (33/35 for the category)

Overall Assessment: I love this cigar and can’t emphasize what a pleasureable experience it was to smoke it with my morning coffee. There is a simplicity in how it comes across, yet in its multiple nuances it remains completely balanced and glides across your palate.  It’s a beautiful-looking cigar and since it’s in limited order–it was released in Nov. ’09)–I need to snag one of these boxes of 10 pronto. (They retail at Davidoff here in New York for $98.00 per box.)

*Final Score: 97

Before I get into the nitty-gritty, many thanks need to given to my Twitter buddy,  “@ChiefHava ,” for graciously sending both Barry Stein and I some of these cigars after we mentioned we couldn’t find them anywhere in New York.  These dark and oily beauties arrived in Manhattan from Texas and I’m quite grateful for the generosity.

It just so happened that Barry and I met up with some friends last night when we planned to smoke these cigars and Drew Estate’s East Coast Sales Manager, Dave Lafferty, was in town and joined us at Cigar Inn where we each had this newest edition to the Joya De Nicaragua line.  While the exact appropriations of the cigar’s composition seem to be unknown by the public (outside of being a Nicaraguan puro), Dave did say that it is 75% ligero, which upon learning that provided an answer nearly every criticism I have about how it smokes.

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Size: 54 x 5.5″ (“El Martillo” or “The Gavel” in English)

Composition: 75% ligero; Corojo wrapper is from the Jalapa region, but there is Esteli tobacco as well

Appearance & Construction: At first sight this cigar is dark, rich and the Corojo wrapper is insanely oily.  There was a strong smell of figs and cacao before it even reached my nose and that was exciting because those are two scents I love.   Overall it’s a very attractive cigar and I think the footband was a nice touch.  My only point of contention with its appearance was that it didn’t seem to be capped very well, otherwise everything looked great and I couldnt wait to light this thing up and see what it was going to do.  (29/30 for the category)

Delivery (Notes, etc): I’m sad to say the cigar itself tasted nothing like the strong scents it gave off pre-light, but I will tell you immediately upon lighting it it tasted like a piece of fresh toast straight out of the toaster. (Barry agreed with me on this, so I’m not the only insane one here!)  At seemingly random points there were hints of what the cigar hopefully will do upon greater aging, such as spice, a lot of earth, and what came across as essense of old hickory.

Barry and I both asked Dave how long these cigars have aged thus far and while he definitely said less than a year, Dave figured on about six months.  (Hate to call you a liar, Dave, but I am telling you there is no way this stick is more than three months old.)  This cigar is temperamental but not in a bad way: it’s more along the lines of being just old enough to smoke and have a solid idea of what it should turn into given the time is needs, but right now it’s lost on what to do.  This cigar is supremely oily and the more oils present, the longer it will take for all of them to marry and turn into a winner. (30/35 for the category)

Burn/Ash/Draw: While my cigar wasn’t too soft pre-light, Barry’s was, and herein lies the danger in oily wrappers because they absorb humidity rather easily. Although I thought my stick would smoke well, after a few minutes the foot got incredibly soft and then I started to have a few issues with the draw. Naturally oily cigars tend to give smokers draw issues for the first few minutes  just because it takes awhile for all of those oils to heat up and work in harmony, and I tell my customers this all the time: just relax, don’t pull on it too much, and soon enough the cigar just opens up. The Dark Antaño gave me a lot of draw issues overall and I think this is where the 75% ligero comes into play because there are facets of this leaf’s character that don’t bode well for a smoker if it’s the tobacco majority in the mix. The cigar unfortunately went out on me a few times and it seemed like if you didn’t puff constantly that it would just die.

The burn and ash were somewhat even despite this cigar’s young age, but after about 1.5″ I intentionally let the ash go to see what was going on with the filler and found two holes that began to emerge. (One hole was a bit larger than the other and that’s where it began to canoe ever so slightly as I got further down into the it.)  I sadly was only able to smoke this cigar down to the band because it suddenly got very soft and the cap began to come off, which basically killed the draw forcing me to put it down. (28/35 for the category)

Overall Assessment: I almost don’t want what I’ve written to negatively colour anyone’s future experience, but this cigar right now is just too young. If you happen to come across them buy a couple, dry box them for a short while to get some of the excess humidity to dissipate and let them sit for at least three months. This cigar shows promise but it’s just not as the stage where it’s really going to deliver, so be patient.  I think overall it will be a nice smoke, but as an Antaño Churchill lover from way back, I’ll stick with what I know I already love.

*Final Score: 87

Now I’m sure prefacing this review with what I’m about to say will create some backlash, but let’s just say those who won’t agree with me on this have fallen prey to a great Fuente plot: I don’t normally smoke anything from the Opus X collections because they are often overrated.  Anytime someone immediately makes something in limited supply and creates hype around it, it’s generally just a really good PR campaign and that lets me know not to waste my time.  I would’ve never smoked this cigar had my friend Barry not bought two sticks and like a typical man, told me we would have to have a “love affair”  together. <insert corny laughter here> I’m sorry to have to say it was better for Barry than it was for me and I finished first…. ;o)

Familia Fuente Opus X “Love Affair” (a cigar tribute to  Andy Garcia’s film, “The Lost City”): 50 x 4 9/16″

Appearance and Construction: The above pic was actually of Barry’s cigar and I have to say overall they are attractive perfectos.  Nice Dominican tobacco, slightly oily wrapper and it had very little veins, so it looked promising.  Unfortunately I did have two major appearance issues with the stick, and the paramount of the two was there were shiny, light-coloured spots on my cigar not too far underneath the label on the body.  I mentioned to Barry it looked like the watery glue that’s used to seal the label on cigars and he disagreed, but guess who was right? ; ) Also on the aesthetic side of things, if Fuente is going to make such a short cigar, I really feel they need to amend their labels because from the very beginning the giant Opus label was basically getting in the way.

I don’t have much to say in regards to construction, but for me the roll was a bit on the sloppy side.  (25/30 overall for category)

Delivery (Notes, etc): To the cigar’s credit the draw was incredibly easy throughout and upon lighting there were immediate — albeit slight — hints of coffee and wood.  Once off the “bulb” of the perfecto and into the main body of the smoke there were some lovely hints of sugar that for me didn’t last long enough, since I honestly hoped upon their initial tasting they would return later in the cigar but did not.  I know that in the Opus line there tends to be more spice than in your average Fuente, but here the spice notes were rather mellow and only made their entrance once I was halfway through the stick.

I really don’t like being negative, but one thing occured for both Barry and myself and that was almost three-quarters of the way through the “Love Affair.” Have you ever put a cigar down long enough to have it go out and then truly re-light it?  If so, then you are familar with that old ash/old smoke, semi-bitter Earthy taste that you get when that situation arises and this actually happened naturally for the both of us at the same point in our respective cigars.  (29/35 overall for the category)

Burn/Ash/Draw: Like I said before, the draw was just easy and that’s personally a good thing.  The ash was solid and although a bit flaky, wasn’t flying away from me, but I think that can be attributed to it’s size.  The burn itself was alright, but remember how I mentioned those supposed glue spots?  Well, let’s just say they came back to haunt me.

It didn’t take long for me to remove the imposing Opus X band and upon doing so, my glue theory was proven fact: after slowly beginning to remove the band, low and behold there was so much glue holding it together it took off a nice chunk of the wrapper.  Once this happened I have to say it started to crack and burn unevenly; honestly had this not been such a short cigar, I probably wouldn’t have been able to finish it based on this issue alone.  In the picture below you can see where the wrapper was ripped off by an overzealous, glue-loving employee of Tabacaleria Fuente:

Out of a possible 35 points, this rather unfortunate issue for me left the cigar’s score at a 25.

Overall Assessment: I hate to say “I told you so,” but I have to in this situation. I really want to give the Fuente family the benefit of the doubt, but here we have an example of a cigar manufacturer overextending itself with a specialty line that at the beginning was a good thing. Carlito Fuente Jr. seems a bit too bent on making a profit from the allure of the Opus X Collection because he knows consumers will not just pay the price, but they will often go on hunts for these limited edition cigars.  Just like the patching issue many of you have had with Rocky Patel cigars lately, I think my glue predicament is just as bad because I want to smoke tobacco, not tobacco with dried glue fingerprints on it.

*Final Score: 79

If you would like another opinion, go check out Barry’s site (www.acigarsmoker.com) because his experience was a bit different than mine; but then again, isn’t is always better for the man than the woman?