Manufacturer/Blender: My Father Tabacaleras/Don Pepin’ Garcia
Size: Box Press Toro 6.5” X 52
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Grown Sumatra
Binder/Filler: Nicaraguan/Nicaraguan
Box Age: 2 Months Approx.
Backstory:
One of the many great and generous brothers on the Cigar.com forum is a member by the name of Sporus. Shaun had heard that I was looking for the new Cojonu 2012 releases and obliged by finding me the Broadleaf and Ecuadorian Sumatra versions. Another brother named John, knows as Jgibv, also answered the call and set me up with the Broadleaf and Sumatra versions as well. Thanks to these two fantastic brothers, I’m able to bring this review to my brothers today!
The Cojonu releases are done every three years, and with the 2012 release we see a offering of three different wrappers, two of which have already been released, and the third being a Habano wrapper to be released later this year. This is taken directly from Halfwheel.com regarding the release of the Tatuaje Cojonu 2012. The original article can be found at: http://www.halfwheel.com/?p=22912
“For those of you that don’t know… In 2003, Tatuaje released it’s first cigar under the Cojonu (pronounced Co-ho-nu) banner, which is short for Cojonudo, Cuban slang for ballsy, obviously referring to the strength of the blend. The Cojonu releases are usually double banded(more on that below) with a regular brown label Tatuaje band on top and a secondary band that is black on gold withCojonu and the year of release (i.e. 2003, 2006 etc). At the start, it was announced that there would be a new Cojonu release every three years, and that was the case until 2006, when the official 2006 version was released, as well as the Gran Cojonu, which did not fit in any of the same parameters as the other releases in the series. For example, it was quite a bit larger at 60 RG, it came bandless, and it came in boxes of 12 instead of boxes of 25. There was also a Gran Cojonu Reserva, which is the exact same as the Gran Cojonu, with aConnecticut Broadleaf wrapper released in 2011, but it was made in very limited quantities (about 120 boxes of 12 so far) and is only sold by a store in Germany. It has also been announced that the 2012 release of the Cojonu line will feature not one, not two, but three different wrappers, all 6 1/2 x 52 box-pressed: a Connecticut Broadleaf version, a Sumatra (Capa Especial) version, and a Habano version that is essentially the same as the round 2003 cigar, but box-pressed instead of round. These three cigars have been passed around at various times (in a three pack sampler), most notably at a Holt’s event in October of 2011, which is where the ones I smoked for this review came from. They will also be released first in March/April in a book like box of 24 (12 each of the Connecticut Broadleaf and Sumatra wrappers) with 25 count boxes of all three wrappers to be released at the IPCPR show in August.”
Draw: This was one of the few areas that initially was a bit of a let down. Draw started somewhat tight, but as it burned it opened up a lot, the rating reflects this. 8/10pts Burn: With so much ligero tobacco I was not surprised to have some waviness to the burn, only a mild touch up here and there was necessary. 8/10 pts Construction: Superb… from the perfectly tight seams, lack of any major veins, and the beautiful box press, this one nailed it. 10/10 pts Body: It’ll set you down if you don’t mind your P’s and Q’s, full body by any standard. 10/10 pts
Smoke Time: 2 hrs
Smoking Experience:
Cojonu; it is actually a Spanish slang word roughly translated to “Ballsy” and good googly-moogly it lives up to its namesake. Not in an offensive way mind you, but be prepared for a bit of a ride.
A pepper and spice blast hits you right in the teeth straight off. A highly oily leather hits your tongue first to later meld into a dark chocolate espresso with a chipotle smoky finish. A rum like sweetness and subtle almond balance the strong flavors and create a harmony that only Don Pepin seems to pull off so perfectly. The smoke is cool and dense with a bluish hue to it. After the first inch in, it settles in seamlessly to a chewy and harmonious balance of hickory, leather, velvety (read no bitter bitey finish) dark chocolate, with undertones of almond and a sugary rum sweetness. For such a Ligero heavy cigar it has a harmony and balance that is tremendously difficult to pull off at best, and impossible for many. The smoothness is a stark contrast from the ballsy spice that assaults your senses upon first light. The core is a woodsy and sweet leather with the aforementioned notes being the undertones and highlights that are quite complex and difficult to separate and pick out. No two draws are ever the same with one being heavily laden with hickory and almond and the next with espresso and a frothy crema that melts into the rich chocolate aftertaste. The woodsy taste is dominated by hickory with the dark mineral rich earth and smoke. Bold and smooth, very much analogous to a brilliant single malt Islay scotch. As it burns down it is ever changing, just switching between the flavors previously mentioned taking turns at which one is strongest depending on the draw. The balance and harmony never miss a beat and stay in harmony right to the end. That’s a word and tone of this cigar that is The core has picked up a sweet and oily leather with the rum like notes as well.
With the Capa Especial winding down, the ending sees a return of the chipotle smoky spice and a tart finish with notes of black pepper mixed into the chocolate and almond. The body has grown and with it the profile, it's kept the balance firmly in place and is a marvelous finish. This really was a two hour vacation, and a much needed one at that!
Rating Scale:
Balance: 25 out of 25 pts. A DPG blend and Tat offering at its finest!
Construction: 20 out of 20 pts. I could not find a flaw at all throughout the entire stick regarding construction.
Draw: 17 out of 20 pts. The tight draw up front hurt this score, but it recovered by opening up as it smoked.
Flavor: 18.5 out of 20 pts. The flavor was fantastic for nearly the entire burn; only at the very end did it turn slightly hot and a bit bitter on the finish.
Wow Factor: 14 out of 15 pts. The look and presentation, feel, backstory, and flavor explosion really sat me down and blew me away. I’d like to give it top marks, but since it isn’t quite on the same level as my all time sticks it would not be accurate.
I'm not sure if I'm on board with the multiple-wrapper-in-one-release-year, because it almost seems to (for lack of a better word) dilute the brand. But then, I'm no marketing guru either.
As for the smoke, you hit on a few flavors that I didn't notice, but then everyone's palates are different.
Great review Brett - it makes me want to fire one up too. I look forward to your review of the 2012 broadleaf and am interested to see how they compare.
In addition to your review of the broadleaf, have you thought about doing a compare/contrast post about the 2 sticks?
Great review Brett - it makes me want to fire one up too. I look forward to your review of the 2012 broadleaf and am interested to see how they compare.
In addition to your review of the broadleaf, have you thought about doing a compare/contrast post about the 2 sticks?
Thanks a lot John! No I hadn't thought of that but I really like the idea and will do that for sure! On the same note if you or any other brother comes across the Habano wrapper release Cojonu 2012 when they are released later this year let me know, I'd love to do a compare/contrast with all three! Thanks John!!
Great review Brett - it makes me want to fire one up too. I look forward to your review of the 2012 broadleaf and am interested to see how they compare.
In addition to your review of the broadleaf, have you thought about doing a compare/contrast post about the 2 sticks?
Thanks a lot John! No I hadn't thought of that but I really like the idea and will do that for sure! On the same note if you or any other brother comes across the Habano wrapper release Cojonu 2012 when they are released later this year let me know, I'd love to do a compare/contrast with all three! Thanks John!!
Great review Brett - it makes me want to fire one up too. I look forward to your review of the 2012 broadleaf and am interested to see how they compare.
In addition to your review of the broadleaf, have you thought about doing a compare/contrast post about the 2 sticks?
Thanks a lot John! No I hadn't thought of that but I really like the idea and will do that for sure! On the same note if you or any other brother comes across the Habano wrapper release Cojonu 2012 when they are released later this year let me know, I'd love to do a compare/contrast with all three! Thanks John!!
Thanks Brett, I look forward to reading that and will keep an eye out for the Habano 2012. I'll let you know if I find one
Hey Brett - That's a great review on those Exile Wired Coronas. I'm glad you are enjoying them. Too bad about the plug, but I don't think many of them will have that flaw. Anyway, I really enjoyed your thoughts on this cigar. It's too bad you didn't see the box they came in. It was a cube with rounded corners and it had wire wraped around the damn thing (because they were "wired"). It was hell getting it open! I finally had to use wire cutters.
Keep the reviews comming. I learn something every time I read one.
Hey Brett - That's a great review on those Exile Wired Coronas. I'm glad you are enjoying them. Too bad about the plug, but I don't think many of them will have that flaw. Anyway, I really enjoyed your thoughts on this cigar. It's too bad you didn't see the box they came in. It was a cube with rounded corners and it had wire wraped around the damn thing (because they were "wired"). It was hell getting it open! I finally had to use wire cutters.
Keep the reviews comming. I learn something every time I read one.
Thanks a ton bro, really appreciate the support and encouragement! Thank you for the kind words as well and I'm really glad you enjoyed the read, the ones I've smoked previously have actually had a great draw and as with this one the flavor and burn were really great as well, thanks again! Would have loved to see the box but sounds like a pain in the azz too!
Manufacturer: Perseo Cigars
Size: Robusto 5” X 54
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Sun Grown
Binder/Filler: Nicaraguan
Draw: Dry draw is a touch tight using the V-Cutter, but after lighting it opened up to a perfect draw. 9/10 pts
Burn: The burn was fairly straight requiring only two minor touch-ups. 8/10 pts
Construction: This was one of the highlights of the Roxor, it was a beautifully wrapped cigar that was a touch heavy and certainly seamless. 9.5/10 pts
Body: At the Mile-High elevation all cigars loose a significant amount of body since there is less oxygen; still this one came in at a solid medium and was delightful. 10/10 pts
Total Smoke Time: 1 hr 30 min
Smoking Experience:
Upon first light you are greeted with a moderate red pepper spice and a creamy nutmeg, vanilla, and a smooth white pepper for highlights. Bountiful and cool white smoke immediately comes from the first few draws, and a delicate oily leather that is certainly correct to consider the core of the smoke. A dry but fragrant cedar weaves its way in and out, with the finish and undertones is very light and smooth with a buttery fresh baked bread that gently carries and smoothes out the blend. After the initial heat from lighting it dies out, a bittersweet almond shows up on the retrohale heavily and is a very nice contrast to the leather and cedar balancing the finish well. There is a very subtle bitterness on the finish, a VERY mild but still detectable ammonia component telling me that these could still benefit from some rest. 6+ months should easily do the trick, but I am impressed with the potential of this guy. So far one of the stronger points of this stick is it’s transitions; it does not simply hop from flavor to flavor but rather gently rolls into the next flavor shift quite seamlessly… a quality I enjoy and typically find in only a handful of cigar manufacturers. Over an inch and a half in and the body has started to grow slightly, and a nice surprise that the profile has grown in strength to keep it in harmony. A heavy caramel syrup, and much more robust and toothy leather have come to play while the nuttiness has grown more than any. A buttery core gives the ass end of the body a boost to make it very rich and chewy flavor that lingers. A sweet caramelized sugar coats your mouth and then very cleanly gives way to the meaty core of red oak, toothy oily leather, and caramel. The burn is fairly straight, requiring only a minimal touch up with the ash holding strong so far at 1.5” and dense. The spice has taken a back seat, but it now acts as a highlight that presents itself strongest on the initial part of the retrohale, and then very quickly but fluidly shifts to toffee and butter with the oak and leather finish. The first ash falls cleanly just short of 2”, and the smoke production is still very high while being nice and cool. The initial harshness I noted from the ammonia vanished just prior to the ash falling and has now become quite smooth and creamy. For a sun grown I will say that it is much sweeter than I originally anticipated and is much closer to a flavor I’d expect to get with a San Andreas wrapper instead; bold and sweet but very smooth and fluid in its transitions. The last third of the cigar sees a significant boost in the body, and the balance is still very much maintained as well. The spice and oak have grown on the retrohale and a caramel and toffee is the main core now, with coffee and cream as the undertones that carry the body. The finish is a bit harsh, but 3-6 months of rest will take care of that with zero issues. A much stronger wood and leather with an almond and cream finish is how the Roxor Sun Grown finishes, and as before the balance is what makes this cigar as solid and enjoyable as it is.
Rating Scale: Balance: 25 out of 25 pts. As I said earlier, especially when price point is taken into consideration, the balance is tremendous! Construction: 18 out of 20 pts. The wrapper was a bit too toothy for a Connie and looked too rugged. Draw: 18 out of 20 pts. The tight draw initially hurt it, but an inch in it became great. Flavor: 17 out of 20 pts. The sweet and bold mix was nice, but wanted a touch more body along with the flavor it had. Wow Factor: 9 out of 15 pts. Nothing really stood out for this cigar, but that is NOT to say that it wasn’t still VERY good…. It was merely mellow and smooth.
Construction: Flawless, something I’ve come to rely on from the DE crew. As with stalk cut wrappers, this one has significant tooth with a seamless wrapper and nearly no veins. A rugged leather looking wrapper glistens with oil.
10/10 pts.
Draw: Pre-light is marginally tight, but this is classic with most small ring gauge vitolas. Still it lets plenty of air through and this works plenty well.
9/10 pts.
Flavor: 10/10 pts.
Body: Medium-full with perfect harmony and balance with the profile.
10/10 pts.
Total Smoke Time: 2 hrs
Smoking Experience:
The L40 lights quickly and immediately starts billowing smoke that is blue tinted and sweetly aromatic. The flavors quite literally assault your senses right off the bat saying “hold on to your boot straps, I’m taking you for a ride!”. A spicy habanera type spice initially hits your tongue with only a hint of a bite to it, immediately rolling into a smoked hickory to finish with a heady brew of intense espresso and highly oily leather…absolutely perfect right off the bat! Highlights consist of a Mexican vanilla and a bright white oak. White the highlights are exceptional and keep me intently focused from the first puff, the undertones that carry this is what gives the L40 supreme balance, smoothness, and complexity. There is so much going on in this that the undertones round it out perfectly with notes of honey roasted peanut, and finishes on the retrohale of caramel and nutmeg.
The ash is semi-fluffy but is still holding at 1”. The draw opened up nicely and is spot on now, with cool and heavy smoke that coats every inch of your mouth. A little over an inch in and the spice calms significantly, leaving only a mild zest that weaves in and out of the profile coming and going without cue. A new tone that picks up the bottom of the smoke is a bittersweet almond and hay. The profile is constantly evolving subtly, stronger tones of the espresso, honey roasted peanut, oily leather, and almond swap places every puff on what is the core, the undertones and highlights. With all this complexity I’m blown away with how perfectly its balanced. The body is hungry right around medium-full and is truly in perfect harmony with the uber complex profile. Absolutely PACKED with flavor and ZERO harshness to it; even though the flavors are bold and robust the flow and blend together quite fluidly and have a delicate feel to it since none of the tones and notes are in your face, but rather refined and subtle. The middle third takes a much sweeter turn with the espresso being offset by hazelnut and milk chocolate and perfectly balanced with the leather and hickory. Smoky and sweet is in perfect harmony in the L40. I’m smoking very slowly due to the small ring gauge and let it go out twice, but that is 100% user error but the burn is still perfect regardless. Just past the halfway point and a zesty citrus weaves into the finish, really intriguing me and just adding to the complexity…sublime. As it burns through the length of the L40, stronger notes of hickory and toasted tobacco continually build maintaining that balance that has been so tight throughout the length as it picks up in body as it burns turning into a solid full by the end. The zesty citrus tartness becomes more prominent on the retro at the end and is a really enjoyable contrast to the sweet and woody notes. The finish of this one really picks up in body sitting at full-full with the leather, chocolate, peanut and bitter yet creamy espresso especially on the retro. A perfect finish to a perfectly executed LP. Even through the nub, the L40 never got hot or bitter…flawless.
Rating Scale:
Balance: 25 out of 25 pts .... couldn't ask for better balance from this one quite hoenstly. Construction: 19 out of 20 pts Only a small crack formed on the cap but that didn't affect the experience at all. Draw: 18 out of 20 pts Took about half inch for the draw to open up to the point that I enjoyed but after that it remained solid throughout. Flavor: 19 out of 20 pts Fabulous flavor but not quite as perfect as a few other cigars I've had therefore one point short of a perfect score. Wow Factor: 10 out of 15 pts .... truly loved this cigar, fantastic!
Bump... Feedback helps me make these better, I enjoy doing reviews for the fun and experience but at the end of the day I do them for others so they can get a better sense of wanting to smoke them or find them. The more enjoyable and helpful the reviews are the better they will be for everyone so shoot me some feedback and pointers y'all
Bump... Feedback helps me make these better, I enjoy doing reviews for the fun and experience but at the end of the day I do them for others so they can get a better sense of wanting to smoke them or find them. The more enjoyable and helpful the reviews are the better they will be for everyone so shoot me some feedback and pointers y'all
You're doing good, bro. Smoke some stuff I might get my hands on someday and I'll have more to say, lol
Bump... Feedback helps me make these better, I enjoy doing reviews for the fun and experience but at the end of the day I do them for others so they can get a better sense of wanting to smoke them or find them. The more enjoyable and helpful the reviews are the better they will be for everyone so shoot me some feedback and pointers y'all
Brett - I agree with Ken, you're doing great.
I like the way you break down the review in "easy-to-read" sections ... cigar info/ smoking experience/ rating (with explanations) - very good breakdown and it flows well.
I got an L40 from Justin a while back and was eying it yesterday ... after reading this review I wish I would have grabbed it.
Maybe next weekend.
Bump... Feedback helps me make these better, I enjoy doing reviews for the fun and experience but at the end of the day I do them for others so they can get a better sense of wanting to smoke them or find them. The more enjoyable and helpful the reviews are the better they will be for everyone so shoot me some feedback and pointers y'all
You're doing good, bro. Smoke some stuff I might get my hands on someday and I'll have more to say, lol
hahaha, Brett, unfortunately I agree with Ken on both accounts.
First up your doing good. I like the shorter version of the reviews much better and I really like the inclusion of the wow factor because its 100% subjective and I read reviews to get that persons point of view on the cigar.
And Second up, HTF sticks are exactly that man, they are really hard to find, and hte majority of regular old cigar guys don't have too many of those, and won't look for them regardless of how good they sound, unless we stumble across em at an event or something. So when you review HTF sticks, your writing to a smaller audience who has had them, which would naturally lead to less feedback. The rest of us read em, but its more educational, like a "Oh ok, if I stumble across that one I might pick one up" or "nope, not my flavor profile, glad brett paid for it and not me" or "Man, I didn't realize Liga put out a lancero, thats cool." Anyway don't take any of this the wrong way, but I'm just letting you know that when you focus on HTF sticks your gonna get less feeback but maybe its not a bad thing. Just mix it up a bit more so the rest of us can chime in on smoke's we've had.
Bump... Feedback helps me make these better, I enjoy doing reviews for the fun and experience but at the end of the day I do them for others so they can get a better sense of wanting to smoke them or find them. The more enjoyable and helpful the reviews are the better they will be for everyone so shoot me some feedback and pointers y'all
You're doing good, bro. Smoke some stuff I might get my hands on someday and I'll have more to say, lol
hahaha, Brett, unfortunately I agree with Ken on both accounts.
First up your doing good. I like the shorter version of the reviews much better and I really like the inclusion of the wow factor because its 100% subjective and I read reviews to get that persons point of view on the cigar.
And Second up, HTF sticks are exactly that man, they are really hard to find, and hte majority of regular old cigar guys don't have too many of those, and won't look for them regardless of how good they sound, unless we stumble across em at an event or something. So when you review HTF sticks, your writing to a smaller audience who has had them, which would naturally lead to less feedback. The rest of us read em, but its more educational, like a "Oh ok, if I stumble across that one I might pick one up" or "nope, not my flavor profile, glad brett paid for it and not me" or "Man, I didn't realize Liga put out a lancero, thats cool." Anyway don't take any of this the wrong way, but I'm just letting you know that when you focus on HTF sticks your gonna get less feeback but maybe its not a bad thing. Just mix it up a bit more so the rest of us can chime in on smoke's we've had.
Comments
Manufacturer/Blender: My Father Tabacaleras/Don Pepin’ Garcia
Size: Box Press Toro 6.5” X 52
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Grown Sumatra
Binder/Filler: Nicaraguan/Nicaraguan
Box Age: 2 Months Approx.
Backstory:
One of the many great and generous brothers on the Cigar.com forum is a member by the name of Sporus. Shaun had heard that I was looking for the new Cojonu 2012 releases and obliged by finding me the Broadleaf and Ecuadorian Sumatra versions. Another brother named John, knows as Jgibv, also answered the call and set me up with the Broadleaf and Sumatra versions as well. Thanks to these two fantastic brothers, I’m able to bring this review to my brothers today! The Cojonu releases are done every three years, and with the 2012 release we see a offering of three different wrappers, two of which have already been released, and the third being a Habano wrapper to be released later this year. This is taken directly from Halfwheel.com regarding the release of the Tatuaje Cojonu 2012. The original article can be found at: http://www.halfwheel.com/?p=22912 “For those of you that don’t know… In 2003, Tatuaje released it’s first cigar under the Cojonu (pronounced Co-ho-nu) banner, which is short for Cojonudo, Cuban slang for ballsy, obviously referring to the strength of the blend. The Cojonu releases are usually double banded(more on that below) with a regular brown label Tatuaje band on top and a secondary band that is black on gold withCojonu and the year of release (i.e. 2003, 2006 etc). At the start, it was announced that there would be a new Cojonu release every three years, and that was the case until 2006, when the official 2006 version was released, as well as the Gran Cojonu, which did not fit in any of the same parameters as the other releases in the series. For example, it was quite a bit larger at 60 RG, it came bandless, and it came in boxes of 12 instead of boxes of 25. There was also a Gran Cojonu Reserva, which is the exact same as the Gran Cojonu, with aConnecticut Broadleaf wrapper released in 2011, but it was made in very limited quantities (about 120 boxes of 12 so far) and is only sold by a store in Germany. It has also been announced that the 2012 release of the Cojonu line will feature not one, not two, but three different wrappers, all 6 1/2 x 52 box-pressed: a Connecticut Broadleaf version, a Sumatra (Capa Especial) version, and a Habano version that is essentially the same as the round 2003 cigar, but box-pressed instead of round. These three cigars have been passed around at various times (in a three pack sampler), most notably at a Holt’s event in October of 2011, which is where the ones I smoked for this review came from. They will also be released first in March/April in a book like box of 24 (12 each of the Connecticut Broadleaf and Sumatra wrappers) with 25 count boxes of all three wrappers to be released at the IPCPR show in August.”
Draw: This was one of the few areas that initially was a bit of a let down. Draw started somewhat tight, but as it burned it opened up a lot, the rating reflects this. 8/10pts
Burn: With so much ligero tobacco I was not surprised to have some waviness to the burn, only a mild touch up here and there was necessary. 8/10 pts
Construction: Superb… from the perfectly tight seams, lack of any major veins, and the beautiful box press, this one nailed it. 10/10 pts
Body: It’ll set you down if you don’t mind your P’s and Q’s, full body by any standard. 10/10 pts
Smoke Time: 2 hrs
Smoking Experience:
Cojonu; it is actually a Spanish slang word roughly translated to “Ballsy” and good googly-moogly it lives up to its namesake. Not in an offensive way mind you, but be prepared for a bit of a ride.
A pepper and spice blast hits you right in the teeth straight off. A highly oily leather hits your tongue first to later meld into a dark chocolate espresso with a chipotle smoky finish. A rum like sweetness and subtle almond balance the strong flavors and create a harmony that only Don Pepin seems to pull off so perfectly. The smoke is cool and dense with a bluish hue to it. After the first inch in, it settles in seamlessly to a chewy and harmonious balance of hickory, leather, velvety (read no bitter bitey finish) dark chocolate, with undertones of almond and a sugary rum sweetness. For such a Ligero heavy cigar it has a harmony and balance that is tremendously difficult to pull off at best, and impossible for many. The smoothness is a stark contrast from the ballsy spice that assaults your senses upon first light. The core is a woodsy and sweet leather with the aforementioned notes being the undertones and highlights that are quite complex and difficult to separate and pick out. No two draws are ever the same with one being heavily laden with hickory and almond and the next with espresso and a frothy crema that melts into the rich chocolate aftertaste. The woodsy taste is dominated by hickory with the dark mineral rich earth and smoke. Bold and smooth, very much analogous to a brilliant single malt Islay scotch. As it burns down it is ever changing, just switching between the flavors previously mentioned taking turns at which one is strongest depending on the draw. The balance and harmony never miss a beat and stay in harmony right to the end. That’s a word and tone of this cigar that is The core has picked up a sweet and oily leather with the rum like notes as well.
With the Capa Especial winding down, the ending sees a return of the chipotle smoky spice and a tart finish with notes of black pepper mixed into the chocolate and almond. The body has grown and with it the profile, it's kept the balance firmly in place and is a marvelous finish. This really was a two hour vacation, and a much needed one at that!
Rating Scale:
Balance: 25 out of 25 pts. A DPG blend and Tat offering at its finest!
Construction: 20 out of 20 pts. I could not find a flaw at all throughout the entire stick regarding construction.
Draw: 17 out of 20 pts. The tight draw up front hurt this score, but it recovered by opening up as it smoked.
Flavor: 18.5 out of 20 pts. The flavor was fantastic for nearly the entire burn; only at the very end did it turn slightly hot and a bit bitter on the finish.
Wow Factor: 14 out of 15 pts. The look and presentation, feel, backstory, and flavor explosion really sat me down and blew me away. I’d like to give it top marks, but since it isn’t quite on the same level as my all time sticks it would not be accurate.
Total Score: 94.5 pts
I'm not sure if I'm on board with the multiple-wrapper-in-one-release-year, because it almost seems to (for lack of a better word) dilute the brand. But then, I'm no marketing guru either.
As for the smoke, you hit on a few flavors that I didn't notice, but then everyone's palates are different.
Awesome cigar.
In addition to your review of the broadleaf, have you thought about doing a compare/contrast post about the 2 sticks?
I'll see what I can dig up, Brett.
Keep the reviews comming. I learn something every time I read one.
Manufacturer: Perseo Cigars
Size: Robusto 5” X 54
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Sun Grown
Binder/Filler: Nicaraguan
Draw: Dry draw is a touch tight using the V-Cutter, but after lighting it opened up to a perfect draw. 9/10 pts
Burn: The burn was fairly straight requiring only two minor touch-ups. 8/10 pts
Construction: This was one of the highlights of the Roxor, it was a beautifully wrapped cigar that was a touch heavy and certainly seamless. 9.5/10 pts
Body: At the Mile-High elevation all cigars loose a significant amount of body since there is less oxygen; still this one came in at a solid medium and was delightful. 10/10 pts
Total Smoke Time: 1 hr 30 min
Smoking Experience:
Upon first light you are greeted with a moderate red pepper spice and a creamy nutmeg, vanilla, and a smooth white pepper for highlights. Bountiful and cool white smoke immediately comes from the first few draws, and a delicate oily leather that is certainly correct to consider the core of the smoke. A dry but fragrant cedar weaves its way in and out, with the finish and undertones is very light and smooth with a buttery fresh baked bread that gently carries and smoothes out the blend. After the initial heat from lighting it dies out, a bittersweet almond shows up on the retrohale heavily and is a very nice contrast to the leather and cedar balancing the finish well. There is a very subtle bitterness on the finish, a VERY mild but still detectable ammonia component telling me that these could still benefit from some rest. 6+ months should easily do the trick, but I am impressed with the potential of this guy. So far one of the stronger points of this stick is it’s transitions; it does not simply hop from flavor to flavor but rather gently rolls into the next flavor shift quite seamlessly… a quality I enjoy and typically find in only a handful of cigar manufacturers. Over an inch and a half in and the body has started to grow slightly, and a nice surprise that the profile has grown in strength to keep it in harmony. A heavy caramel syrup, and much more robust and toothy leather have come to play while the nuttiness has grown more than any. A buttery core gives the ass end of the body a boost to make it very rich and chewy flavor that lingers. A sweet caramelized sugar coats your mouth and then very cleanly gives way to the meaty core of red oak, toothy oily leather, and caramel. The burn is fairly straight, requiring only a minimal touch up with the ash holding strong so far at 1.5” and dense. The spice has taken a back seat, but it now acts as a highlight that presents itself strongest on the initial part of the retrohale, and then very quickly but fluidly shifts to toffee and butter with the oak and leather finish. The first ash falls cleanly just short of 2”, and the smoke production is still very high while being nice and cool. The initial harshness I noted from the ammonia vanished just prior to the ash falling and has now become quite smooth and creamy. For a sun grown I will say that it is much sweeter than I originally anticipated and is much closer to a flavor I’d expect to get with a San Andreas wrapper instead; bold and sweet but very smooth and fluid in its transitions. The last third of the cigar sees a significant boost in the body, and the balance is still very much maintained as well. The spice and oak have grown on the retrohale and a caramel and toffee is the main core now, with coffee and cream as the undertones that carry the body. The finish is a bit harsh, but 3-6 months of rest will take care of that with zero issues. A much stronger wood and leather with an almond and cream finish is how the Roxor Sun Grown finishes, and as before the balance is what makes this cigar as solid and enjoyable as it is.
Rating Scale:
Balance: 25 out of 25 pts. As I said earlier, especially when price point is taken into consideration, the balance is tremendous!
Construction: 18 out of 20 pts. The wrapper was a bit too toothy for a Connie and looked too rugged.
Draw: 18 out of 20 pts. The tight draw initially hurt it, but an inch in it became great.
Flavor: 17 out of 20 pts. The sweet and bold mix was nice, but wanted a touch more body along with the flavor it had.
Wow Factor: 9 out of 15 pts. Nothing really stood out for this cigar, but that is NOT to say that it wasn’t still VERY good…. It was merely mellow and smooth.
Total Score: 87 Points
Manufacture: Drew Estates
Size: 7”x40
Wrapper: Conneticut Habano-Stalle Cut Harvest Method
Binder: Brazilian Mata Fina
Filler: Nicaraguan
Construction: Flawless, something I’ve come to rely on from the DE crew. As with stalk cut wrappers, this one has significant tooth with a seamless wrapper and nearly no veins. A rugged leather looking wrapper glistens with oil.
10/10 pts.
Draw: Pre-light is marginally tight, but this is classic with most small ring gauge vitolas. Still it lets plenty of air through and this works plenty well.
9/10 pts.
Flavor: 10/10 pts. Body: Medium-full with perfect harmony and balance with the profile.
10/10 pts.
Total Smoke Time: 2 hrs
Smoking Experience:
The L40 lights quickly and immediately starts billowing smoke that is blue tinted and sweetly aromatic. The flavors quite literally assault your senses right off the bat saying “hold on to your boot straps, I’m taking you for a ride!”. A spicy habanera type spice initially hits your tongue with only a hint of a bite to it, immediately rolling into a smoked hickory to finish with a heady brew of intense espresso and highly oily leather…absolutely perfect right off the bat! Highlights consist of a Mexican vanilla and a bright white oak. White the highlights are exceptional and keep me intently focused from the first puff, the undertones that carry this is what gives the L40 supreme balance, smoothness, and complexity. There is so much going on in this that the undertones round it out perfectly with notes of honey roasted peanut, and finishes on the retrohale of caramel and nutmeg.
The ash is semi-fluffy but is still holding at 1”. The draw opened up nicely and is spot on now, with cool and heavy smoke that coats every inch of your mouth. A little over an inch in and the spice calms significantly, leaving only a mild zest that weaves in and out of the profile coming and going without cue. A new tone that picks up the bottom of the smoke is a bittersweet almond and hay. The profile is constantly evolving subtly, stronger tones of the espresso, honey roasted peanut, oily leather, and almond swap places every puff on what is the core, the undertones and highlights. With all this complexity I’m blown away with how perfectly its balanced. The body is hungry right around medium-full and is truly in perfect harmony with the uber complex profile. Absolutely PACKED with flavor and ZERO harshness to it; even though the flavors are bold and robust the flow and blend together quite fluidly and have a delicate feel to it since none of the tones and notes are in your face, but rather refined and subtle. The middle third takes a much sweeter turn with the espresso being offset by hazelnut and milk chocolate and perfectly balanced with the leather and hickory. Smoky and sweet is in perfect harmony in the L40. I’m smoking very slowly due to the small ring gauge and let it go out twice, but that is 100% user error but the burn is still perfect regardless. Just past the halfway point and a zesty citrus weaves into the finish, really intriguing me and just adding to the complexity…sublime. As it burns through the length of the L40, stronger notes of hickory and toasted tobacco continually build maintaining that balance that has been so tight throughout the length as it picks up in body as it burns turning into a solid full by the end. The zesty citrus tartness becomes more prominent on the retro at the end and is a really enjoyable contrast to the sweet and woody notes. The finish of this one really picks up in body sitting at full-full with the leather, chocolate, peanut and bitter yet creamy espresso especially on the retro. A perfect finish to a perfectly executed LP. Even through the nub, the L40 never got hot or bitter…flawless.
Rating Scale:
Balance: 25 out of 25 pts .... couldn't ask for better balance from this one quite hoenstly.
Construction: 19 out of 20 pts Only a small crack formed on the cap but that didn't affect the experience at all.
Draw: 18 out of 20 pts Took about half inch for the draw to open up to the point that I enjoyed but after that it remained solid throughout.
Flavor: 19 out of 20 pts Fabulous flavor but not quite as perfect as a few other cigars I've had therefore one point short of a perfect score.
Wow Factor: 10 out of 15 pts .... truly loved this cigar, fantastic!
Overall Rating for the L40: 91 pts
I like the way you break down the review in "easy-to-read" sections ... cigar info/ smoking experience/ rating (with explanations) - very good breakdown and it flows well.
I got an L40 from Justin a while back and was eying it yesterday ... after reading this review I wish I would have grabbed it.
Maybe next weekend.
First up your doing good. I like the shorter version of the reviews much better and I really like the inclusion of the wow factor because its 100% subjective and I read reviews to get that persons point of view on the cigar.
And Second up, HTF sticks are exactly that man, they are really hard to find, and hte majority of regular old cigar guys don't have too many of those, and won't look for them regardless of how good they sound, unless we stumble across em at an event or something. So when you review HTF sticks, your writing to a smaller audience who has had them, which would naturally lead to less feedback. The rest of us read em, but its more educational, like a "Oh ok, if I stumble across that one I might pick one up" or "nope, not my flavor profile, glad brett paid for it and not me" or "Man, I didn't realize Liga put out a lancero, thats cool." Anyway don't take any of this the wrong way, but I'm just letting you know that when you focus on HTF sticks your gonna get less feeback but maybe its not a bad thing. Just mix it up a bit more so the rest of us can chime in on smoke's we've had.