Whether it has been his original core line, or the new maduro extensions to the core line, I’ve always liked how Illusione cigars have had flavor nuances between the vitola sizes. I compare it to macaroni – the same ingredients go into the macaroni, but put that macaroni in a different size, it has a […]
As always, when I smoke a pre-release cigar, I feel it is premature to give it a firm assessment rating – therefore, I do a pre-review to provide some initial feedback. With some follow-on smokes completed, it’s time to assess some more cigars. Two of the cigars in this assessment update were originally smoked as […]
Prior to the 2011 IPCPR, Torano Family Cigars announced two new blends that would be released – the Torano Loyal and Torano Vault. At the IPCPR, while both cigars were on display, for the most part a decision had been made on holding off on providing samples of the Torano Vault to the retailers. One […]
Tatuaje Wolfman (2011 Monster Series) The Tatuaje Monster series is the cigar industry’s closest equivalent to when Apple Computers announces a new iPhone. It sets off a frenzy of cigar enthusiasts to pre-order or track down where to get a box. The Tatuaje Wolfman is the fourth installment of the Monster series (joining 2008’s Frank; […]
Lou Rodriguez Edicion Premier One of the indie/boutique cigars that impressed me from the 2011 IPCPR was a Connecticut Shade cigar called the Lou Rodriguez Edicion Reserva Connecticut. In a year that has seen the cigar market flooded with Connecticut Shade cigars, the Lou Rodriguez entry did a nice job standing out on its own. […]
Humo Jaguar – by Miami Cigars At the 2011 IPCPR trade show, all I kept hearing about was the large amount of Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper cigars – and yes this is true. What I did not hear much about was what I consider a renaissance in Honduran tobacco. Honduras has been growing and exporting tobacco […]
Since many of the IPCPR 2011 samples I received were pre-release samples, I’ve done some pre-reviews which allow me to document my experiences with a cigar and provide my thoughts. Once they have arrived on retailers’ shelves, I like to give them a try again and see how they smoke post-production. The following three cigars […]
Casa Miranda Chapter One Following the 2011 IPCPR, I made a decision to provide a technical debrief on many of the new cigar releases. However, it was impossible to cover every manufacturer and every cigar because my primary responsibilities were still on the retail end. One cigar that I overlooked was a new release from […]
Rocky Patel Vintage 2003 Cameroon While I didn’t sample any of the new Rocky Patel cigars at IPCPR, the word on the street has been that Rocky Patel Premium Cigars had a very strong year for their new releases. One of the four cigars that a part of this release was a new addition to […]
Viaje Late Harvest Estate Grown The Viaje Summer 2011 release cycle was one that many Viaje fans were looking forward to. This cycle included the release of the Viaje Satori 2011, the Skull and Bones Little Boy and Fat Man, and a new line called the Late Harvest Estate Grown. Like most Viaje releases, the […]
