Origin : Costa Rica
Format : Churchill
Size : 7 x 49
Wrapper : Ecuador (Connecticut Shade)
Filler : Costa Rica
Binder : Costa Rica
Hand-Made
Price : ~$200 for a box of 25

While most cigars have their origins in Nicaragua, Honduras, and the Dominican Republic, there are other fine tobacco growing regions in Latin America. One such treasure is the beautiful country of Costa Rica. Known for its fine coffee, Costa Rica offers a wonderful climate to cultivate great tobacco. Michael Rosales (@smokeadrians on Twitter) is the creator of Adrian’s cigars (named after his son). The milder of the bunch is a Connecticut shade wrapped cigar which offers a very delightful smoking experience. Other wrappers include a Havana 2000 Criollo and a Maduro wrapper. Today’s smoke is the Adrian’ s Connecticut Shade Churchill.

Appearance : 4 out of 5 stars
The wrapper is a light brown color with a few bumps. Some veins are visible and it seems like the cigar is double-capped. It feels very soft to the touch.

Construction : 4 out of 5 stars
Two soft spots were felt: one at about one inch from the foot of the cigar and another one around the band. The draw had some resistance both during pre-light and during the smoke.
The ash, very tight, was a very nice white color. The cigar produced about a 1.5 in. ash before it needed to be tapped off on the ashtray.

Flavor : 4.5 out of 5 stars
The wrapper had a very sweet smell which resembled blueberries while the foot had a nice aroma of hay.
During the pre-light draw, it felt like I was eating a piece of blueberry pie; it had that baked goods taste right out of the oven. A very light spice was felt on the tongue.
The initial notes after lighting the cigar were leathery. The flavors were very mild. About halfway into the smoke, a taste of nuts and hints of coffee were spotted. At this point, it really went from a mild smoke to a medium one. There was a short finish which was more focused on the roof of the mouth.

Value : 4.5 out of 5 stars
At about $8.00/stick, this is not a bad investment if you are looking for an easy cigar to smoke. By easy, I mean a cigar that is light on the palate and not harsh on the retrohale.

Overall Rating : 4.5 out of 5 stars
I have smoked the Adrian’s Havano 2000 Criollo and I prefer that one over the Connecticut shade featured today. The Connecticut shade would be a good morning cigar; one to kick off the cigar smoking day. I had a cup of coffee with it and it was a great pairing.
The cigar seemed to go from mild to medium quickly, just as if a switch was flipped. I favor cigars that do a transition (mild to medium or medium to full) gradually. Definitely, check the Adrian’s cigars out. They are sold at few retailers, so check their website for a retailer. I will give the Maduro a try next.

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One week ago I posted about a very special whisky tasting event called The Single Malt & Scotch Whisky Extravaganza, during which one can taste over 100 different whiskies and enjoy a cigar (or a couple) afterwards. We had 2 tickets to the event to be given away to one lucky commenter, and the winner is Lloyd L. Congrats! An e-mail has been sent to you regarding your prize. Big thanks to The Scotch Malt Whisky Society of America and Gabby Shayne for making it possible. Remember, CigarInspector.com readers get a $15 discount on their ticket. More details here.

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The latest product to fill national distributor Arango Cigar Co.’s portfolio of tobacco products are their new “Partido” all-tobacco cigarillos. The name means “party” or “game” in Spanish, a theme that is reflected in the box art ... an illustration of a martini, ashtray and balloons. It is also the name of a Cuban tobacco-farming province, whose wrapper tobaccos are favored by European cigar makers.

Michael Gold, Arango’s president, states “These new cigarillos are made exclusively for us by Ireland’s leading cigar maker, Exclusive Cigar Manufacturing Ireland, Ltd. (ECMI). The company was formerly part of the 122-year-old Swiss-German firm of Villiger Sohne, one of the ten largest cigar producers, known for superb quality and packaging. ECMI bought the factory from Villiger in 2006, where it produces cigars today. We are pleased to have our name on these fine cigarillos, which offer big-cigar flavor and aroma in a short smoke.”

Partidos come in Natural and Maduro wrappers, from the Dominican Republic and Brazil, respectively. At 3" x 26 ring-gauge, they provide a smooth and flavorful fifteen-minute smoke. Their open foot and head make for smoker friendly convenience. They come 40 to the cedar box, which retails for just $24. Partido cigarillos are currently appearing on retailers’ shelves nationwide.

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This August saw the introduction of the first value-priced premium cigar in the popular Nat Cicco line from Zander-Greg, Inc. Nat Cicco Cuban Legends are all-tobacco, all handmade cigars, in four large ring-gauge shapes.

“We’re excited about the initial response to Cuban Legends, by retailers and smokers, at this Summer’s annual tobacco trade show” states Zander-Greg’s president. “The Nat Cicco name first appeared in 1965, with the Churchill and Robusto Rejects value-priced medium-filler cigars. They were the industry’s original cigars on the ‘rejects’ or ‘factory seconds’ theme, often copied by other cigar manufacturers. Over the years, Rejects have proven popular, even more so in today’s difficult economy. We see Cuban Legends proving themselves to be a lot of cigar for the money, as well as a smooth, refined smoking experience.”

Nat Cicco Cuban Legends are made in Nicaragua, exclusively for Zander-Greg. The filler blend is Nicaraguan tobacco, and the cigars are available in natural and maduro wrappers. The available shapes are Churchill (7.5" x 52), Torpedo (6" x 54), Toro (6" x 56), and Robusto (5" x 54). Presented 40 cigars to a box, their suggested retail pricing ranges from $2.15 to $2.60 each. The cigars will begin appearing on retailers’ shelves nationwide, in mid-September.

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Origin : Cuba
Format : Short Torpedo
Size : 127 x 20 mm (5 x 50)
Ring : 50
Release : 2008
Hand-Made
Price : ~$385 for a box of 25
More info about purchasing Juan Lopez cigars...

Many thanks to Damien from DutyFreeCubanCigars.com for sending me these rare cigars. Check out his shop for a nice selection of Cuban and non-Cuban cigars.

Another addition to our collection of Cuban cigars that you can't really find reviewed online (unless you're a better Googler than me, of course), Juan Lopez Short Torpedo was released in 2008 for the Caribbean market and, so far, this is the only regional edition for that zone. A 5 x 50 short torpedo, this is definitely not the first cigar of this size that was recently released; it's a whole trend (ErdM Petit Compania, Bolivar Petit Belicoso among others) and, to be honest, I am not against it since I rather like this size. We will let the purists smoke churchills and lanceros and see what this baby has to offer.

Appearance : 3.5 out of 5 stars
The Juan Lopez Short Torpedo is wrapped in a quality, brown leaf with no visible imperfections. The cigar is not tightly rolled (there are tiny gaps) and I was worried about eventual construction issues. After a couple of months in my humidor, there wasn't any particular pre-light smell and it showed a moderate amount of oil.

Construction : 3.5 out of 5 stars
After an easy cut, I found the pre-draw to be on the tighter side, with more resistance than I prefer. The cigar featured a very slow burn and little smoke (probably due to the tight draw) that quickly dissipated.

Flavor : 3.5 out of 5 stars
The pre-draw brought bursts of spice and I was getting ready for a spice kick which never came. In fact, the first pulls were surprisingly complex and I was getting toasted, round notes of almonds, bread and perhaps cocoa. There was almost no spice at all. As I approached the end of the first third, powerful leathery flavors appeared, which worried me a little... and I was right to expect a change. The second third featured stringent, rough flavors, mostly leathery, which made me want to grab a bottle of water as fast as I could. It lacked depth and was frankly boring. However, I kept on puffing and was rewarded by a full-bodied, old-school Cuban final third with a complex bouquet of pepper, wood and leather.

Value : 3 out of 5 stars
As for the value, as usual, this regional edition is clearly overpriced and I'd prefer to see it in the $8-10 range.

Overall Rating : 3.5 out of 5 stars
In this case, a disappointing second third and a high price tag do not make me want to hunt it down. However, it clearly has some ageing potential and 2 years seem to be not enough to smooth out the flavors.

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In the beginning of the year, we did a giveaway for the spring session of "Single Malt & Scotch Whisky Extravaganza", an event during which one can taste over 100 different whiskies and enjoy a cigar afterwards (attendees will be given a Montecristo White Toro and a Romeo y Julieta Habana Reserve Toro). It's now time to get ready for the fall session, which will be held in Chicago, Boston, Washington DC, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Fort Lauderdale. Tickets cost $135 and the price is reduced to $120 if you use code "CI2010" when placing the order (here is the form). Again, we've got 2 tickets to one of the Fall 2010 events, ready to be given away to one lucky reader. Check out the schedule and if it sounds like something you're interested in and you can make it, just leave a comment below to be entered in the draw. The winner will be announced in one week.

A gala evening featuring over 100 rare and unique single malt & Scotch whiskies, along with a gourmet dinner buffet, a selection of premium imported cigars, tour journal with tasting notes, souvenir snifter glass, unlimited tasting expressions and much, much more! Brought to you exclusively by The Scotch Malt Whisky Society of America, Ltd. and Robb Report.

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Miami, FL – Drew Estate officially announced its intent to release into the market the much-heralded “Dirty Rat” during the IPCPR 2010 tradeshow as the first cigar within its new Liga Privada Ünico Serie. Ünico, which translates to “unique”, will be a new line of special cigars that fit in neither the existing No. 9 nor T52 lines.

According to Steve Saka, Drew Estate’s President, “At this point, we have made 200 or more Liga Privada blends. There are probably 9 or 10 of them so far that are exceptional, however their blends differ from both the No. 9 and the T52 branded cigars. They’re cigars that work as a particular size, such as a lancero or corona, with the blend being unique to that particular vitola. The ‘Dirty Rat’ is a great example of this, so we have decided to introduce this as the first cigar in the Ünico line.”

The “Dirty Rat” is a stout 5 inch by 44 ring gauge corona with a fan-twist finished head utilizing their Stalk Cut and Cured, Connecticut Sungrown Habana capa, which is the same wrapper featured on the Liga Privada T52.

That is where the similarity ends, as this is a spicier, even more peppery blend of primarily Nicaraguan tobaccos from almost exclusively the Esteli Valley. Packed in a 12-ct presentation box with a suggested retail price of $12 per cigar. “We realize this is expensive for a small format cigar, however due to the difficult nature and time consuming task of proportioning five different filler tobaccos and hand bunching such a complex recipe into a corona size the cigar’s price is a direct reflection of what they actually cost to handcraft,” adds Saka. “I personally love this cigar, to me it is a direct reflection, taste and body wise, of the greatest Cuban-made coronas I have ever enjoyed, however it is likely too strong for most consumers and it is definitely not for those who are concerned with stretching their buying dollar. This ‘Dirty Rat’ is intended for the connoisseur smoker whose first and foremost concern is enjoying an unparalleled smoking experience.”

The “Dirty Rat” will not be a limited release, as some have speculated. Drew Estate intends to produce them in small batches as long as there is a demand for them in the market. The first boxes are currently being packed and shipped from their Nicaraguan factory.

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Origin : Dominican Republic
Format : Magnifico
Size : 5.13 x 52
Wrapper : Dominican Republic
Filler : Dominican Republic
Binder : Dominican Republic
Hand-Made
Price : ~$65 for a pack of 4
More info about purchasing Davidoff Puro d'Oro cigars...

Davidoff has released the Puro d’Oro of cigars in four sizes; these are Dominican puros featuring Davidoff’s exclusive Yamasa™ wrapper. I do not smoke too many Davidoff cigars, but I do enjoy their Millennium line; I decided to buy a four pack of the Puro d’Oro and give them a try. Today’s featured cigar is the Davidoff Puro d’Oro Magnifico (5.13 X 52).

Appearance : 5 out of 5 stars
The wrapper has a milk chocolate color and it is a little veiny. The cigar has a very large cap with a pigtail at the head of the cigar. It does have some sheen, and it does feel soft to the touch. The Yamasa™ wrapper has a nice oily appearance.

Construction : 4.5 out of 5 stars
The cigar did not have any soft spots and, as it was mentioned before, it has a very large single cap (about 0.25 in). It features only a gold foot band with embossed lettering with its size (Magnifico) written on it. The characteristic “Davidoff” wasn’t written anywhere on the cigar. It had a very good draw during both the pre-light and the smoke. The ash seemed a bit flakey.

Flavor : 4 out of 5 stars
The wrapper had a nice barnyard aroma to it and the foot had hints of prunes and a very sweet smell. The pre-light draw was slightly spicy with hints of raisins.
After lighting the stick, I immediately got a burst of expresso beans and a sweet candy note (maybe butterscotch). Halfway through the cigar, cedar and leather notes became more dominant, and towards the end, the flavors were more cedary with a light spiciness on the lips.

Value : 3 out of 5 stars
This is not an inexpensive cigar (~16.00/stick). It would have to be a very special occasion for me to spend this much money on a cigar.

Overall Rating : 3.5 out of 5 stars
To me, this was a medium strength cigar and, maybe, I was expecting a lot more out of it than I got. It had good flavors but, for the price, I was expecting a burst of flavors which I did not get. The high price (and the dent in my cigar budget) was the item that hurt the cigar the most. I think I will stick (pardon the pun) with the Millennium line from Davidoff when I want to smoke a Davidoff and blow my budget again.

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Origin : Dominican Republic
Format : Lancero
Size : 7.5 x 41
Wrapper : Dominican Republic
Binder : Dominican Republic
Filler : Dominican Republic
Hand-Made
Price : ~$30 each
More info about purchasing: Opus X Lost City cigars

Cigar Pass hosted a memorial raffle last year whose proceeds went towards the running of the online community. Members were given the opportunity to buy tickets for the chance to win one of several boxes of premium cigars that had been donated by various shops and members. After deciding that the entry was worth just the knowledge I had already received from there, I entered and began hoping on hopes that despite the odds, I would walk away with a lucky golden ticket. After the numbers were drawn, I was overjoyed to find that the box of ten Opus X Lost City Lanceros was making its way to my door. Coming with an offer for a free DVD of the cigars’ namesake, I obtained my copy of the movie with the intent to watch it while smoking the first of ten. Setting up the laptop outside, with film and cigar in tow, I seated myself in the fading sunshine to enjoy my first Opus X.

On inspection, the first thing that catches my eye is the band itself. Ornate but not overwhelming, the combination of black, gold and red embossing is very beautifully done. The bold signature “X” on the face is a strong focal point. Moving onto the cigar itself, the burnt grass hued barrel has various veins but none of them are raised from the wrapper. Against typical Fuente standards, the wrapper is slightly wrinkly in some areas and just above the band glue residue is evident. The majority of the cigar is firm with a slight spring to it although there is one soft spot present. A well made cap begins a deep ½ inch from the head and ends in a fancier styled pigtail. Taking a prelight whiff of the foot exudes a strong barnyard scent with a prominent white pepper presence, so much so that it actually causes me to sneeze. Prelight flavors contrast the smell with creamy earth and grass.

Lighting the cigar produces a sizable volume of creamy smoke with a slight peppery taste that tingles on the tongue. While creamy, the smoke is also very drying. Initial perception is that this is a very smooth smoke and the profile resembles something akin to soft warm bread. Through the first couple of inches the draw is impeccable and creates a very sharp burn. The flavor begins to grow a bit stale around the two inch mark but ashing helps to rejuvenate it and the cigar remains pleasant through the first half.

Moving into the second half of the cigar, it takes on a strong spice and the nicotine definitely begins to have more of an impact. The main flavor accompanying the spice is of sweet grass and still provides a nice background. I am unashamed to say that at this point I need to get something sweet into my system to combat the increased nicotine kick. Pouring myself a Fernet Branca and Coke, which is widely accepted as the unofficial drink of Argentina, I take a couple of sips and proceed on. The drink has a sweet menthol feel, which works as a pallet cleanser as well keeping queasiness at bay helping to get the smoke back to being pleasant. While remaining spicy, it develops a smoky campfire undertone. Other than this, there is not a whole lot of development after the initial half.

While I never dreamed my first Opus X would be able to live up to the hype, I did expect a bit more from this stick. With a thirty dollar price tag the disappointment is even more amplified. Several enjoyable flavors occur throughout but the overwhelming spice and nicotine at the halfway point of this lancero really detracts from the experience. As I feel that there is still potential here, I plan to put down the remainder of the box down for an extended rest with the hope that the spice and nicotine will mellow and create a more even blend. Needless to say, my expectations have been significantly lowered for future Opus X experiences yet I still hold out hope that there are other promising blends and/or vitolas available.

Appearance : 3.5 out of 5 stars
Construction : 3.5 out of 5 stars
Flavor : 3 out of 5 stars
Value : 2 out of 5 stars
Overall Rating : 3 out of 5 stars

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Reviews:

• Nicky187 (robusto): This was easily one of the best cigars I have ever smoked. Satisfying, mild progressing to medium full at the end. Beautiful cosmetically, and constructed as well as it looked.
• Jason (churchill): I found this cigar to be surprisingly complex for a mild stick.

Medina 1959 Miami Torpedo - $59.99 for a 10-pack

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