Cigar Review: Graycliff G2

I bought 5 of these knowing how much I respect and love the Graycliff brand. I was a little disappointed, but still an above average cigar. It was a little unrefined for me, too strong at points and not smooth and complex like the other Graycliffs.

It had a great constructions, smell, burn, everything physical about it. What it lacked was that smooth sophisticated taste that other Graycliffs brandish. I love my Professional series and 1666 for their complex tastes and smooth smoking experience despite the stronger wrapper and fillers. This was a shade lighter but tasted heavy because of the spicier fillers. It had a nice toasty oak taste and a little spice, but not much else as far as tastes go. It was good none the less, just too bold. I like strong cigars but this one felt like it was trying to hard. Almost like the Glennfiddich 15 of whisky. It has all the makings for a complex and smooth taste, but blows it, for there is just too much of something.  My only defense would be that I was smoking it in a car and the smoke just sat there, this could have made for a stronger experience. Either way still a better cigar than most but not like the other Graycliffs. I give this a 7.5 of 10.

Cigar Review: Tabak Especial Corona

I think I already reviewed the Tabak Especial but this one is the lighter wrapper and the corona size. What a great little cigar! All BWC students had finals this week and I wanted a little treat after some studying, this sweet little cigar really hit the spot. I love coffee and I compare the Tabak to the cigar version of Panera Bread's caramel frozen coffee. It really tastes of caramel and coffee, not just chemical imitators! I still to this day believe this to be one of the most flavorful cigars on the planet! The traditionalists are probably writing angry emails as I speak! Don't get me wrong, I like a "traditional" cigars over a flavored infused one, but you cant argue with the amount and intensity of great flavor in a cigar like this one.

Also thank you readers, I got my first check from the advertisements on my site. So in conclusion, take some time to yourself and lit up a coffee infused cigar by Drew Estate, the man, the myth, and the legend!

Cigar Review: Don Diego

I have had this cigar aging in my humidor for quite some time and couldn't wait to give it a go. I can honestly say this was my first don diego and I can also say ...not bad! It had a great smell and just looked delicious!

The construction was good but the cap was really little and I had to be careful with cutting it. The draw was average but where don came through, as with most cigars, was the taste. This was another mild Dominican with that light/sweet nutty taste. Not earthy but I did notice a very little spice at the end. It was a really good smoke. The burn was literally perfect, the whole time perfect circle. The taste was a little more complex as I progressed, a little almond maybe!? All in all a real pleasure to smoke. Will this be the next cigar I buy? No, would I pick some up if I found a good price? Sure would. Overall, I give don and his little creation a solid 8 of 10.

Cigar Review: Playboy by Altadis

I can honestly say the only reason I got this one was for its "prestigious" company logo. I completely fell to their marketing scheme, O' well it is an interesting attempt none the less!

The cigar was basically average, nothing great but also not terrible. It smelled pretty normal, nothing special there. There was no interesting accents to the normal earthy tobacco smell. The construction was pretty good actually, and the burn was average with a few spots that needed care while smoking. The taste was spice-less and nutty. The intensity of the smoke changed a bit from the beginning to end with the best part in the middle of the smoke, the ending was too rough and didn't really go down well. It tasted chemically and all together unrefined. The finish throughout smoking was mild and pleasant with a dull earthy taste. There really wasn't much going on here. No particular tastes or smells, nothing extraordinary in the finish. It was just a regular cigar...with a Playboy Logo! I had a hard time smoking it because I was trying to find tastes that weren't there. I am so used to the complexity of some of the Graycliffs, CAO's, and Ghurkas that I was disappointed in the cigar's complexity. O well, in my quest to try all cigars I guess I will run into a few of these. But hey, now I can say I smoked a Playboy Cigar! Overall this cigar got a 6 of 10.

Cigar Review: Joya de Nicaragua Celebración

I actually received this cigar in a box set with Drew Estate cigars. The Joya was an extra addition to the set, plus it came with an ash tray. I received 10 cigars and an ash tray for 40 bucks from cigarbid.com , not too bad! Well back to the cigar, it was pretty good! It had a great construction and draw. The size I received was a little small but packed full of flavor. It was a little spicy and sweet at first. As it burned, it definitely developed a very earthy taste, but still smooth. It was in the full to medium body range. I say that because it starts off a medium and then really gets going as you smoke it. I liked it but some of my friends thought it was too bold. They didn't think it was too strong, just too bold of a taste. I don't know if I am going to actively seek more of these out, but I would defiantly smoke it again. It just seemed to have a little to unrefined of a taste. Anyway, read up on their website. They have a very interesting history and story. Overall I give this little guy a 7 of 10.

Cigar Review: Graycliff 1666

WOW thats all I have to say...this is probably one of the best cigars I have ever had. When I picked it up and smelled it, I knew right away this was no normal cigar. It was not that usual horse barn, earthy smell that most cigars have (yummy right?!). It is true, most cigars smell very earthy and well not that good, unless you love cigars! This one smelled sweeter, but not like Acids sweet, it was just sweeter. It was noticeably less pungent than the other cigars that I got it with, and that made it seem even better. It had a great draw an average burn but man......the taste was amazing! It was a medium to full taste with its nice oily Jaltepec maduro wrapper. It started off a little spicy like nutmeg or cinnamon! It had a small nuance of chocolate but a great sort of hazelnut taste. All in all it was amazing, it was like a spicy little brownie, but a cigar! I am definitely getting more and I am going to try some other Graycliffs so keep checking back. I give it a 9.5 out of 10!

**Update, I am going to have to knock this one back down to a 9 of 10. Love the cigar, but I have been noticing more pepper than I am used to. My first stick was too magical to be completely fair! I got a bunch more and have been noticing that full body and pepper. It is still GREAT but I personally prefer a little less pepper. Still a 9 though, cant beat that!

Cigar Review: Saint Luis Rey-Reserva Especial

This was actually my buddies "go to cigar" as he calls it. A "go to cigar" is just that cigar you keep stocked at all times because of its lower price and quality. Meaning it is that little bang for your buck that can be stocked easily and smoked anytime for great results! I was really impressed with it! It had a nice little price tag and a full flavor of sweet nuances, toasted oatmeal, and a very small amount of pepper. Great burn and average draw but man....that taste was amazing for such an affordable cigar! You can get a 5 pack for 15 bucks. Here is a little history on this little guy too:

Now rolled in Honduras, this old Cuban brand returns once again.

Re-released...again! This exquisite cigar has been around the block and back again and again. After being manufactured in Cuba, then the Dominican Republic, Honduras may have produced the best Saint Luis Rey yet. Using a hefty blend of Nicaraguan and Honduran filler, this ’re-mastered’ cigar maintains the rich, full-bodied Saint Luis Rey experience that so many have enjoyed in the past. Wrapped in a thick, oily Nicaraguan leaf, this smooth robust smoke is a delight. Be sure to make some room in your humidor for this cool, slow burning, tasty treat.

I give the St. Luis an 8 of 10 for being that all around good cigar with that great price tag!

Cigar Review: Ashton VSG

My colleague and fraternity alumni extraordinary got me this as a nice little gift and O' what a gift it was! I really liked my "normal" Ashtons so I was excited about this VSG. I really enjoy the Rocky Patel SunGrown and couldn't imagine the Ashton not performing as well.

I love Scotch and this is the Scotch of cigars. It had a lite peaty taste but it was a sweet sort of peat. It was neither too sweet nor bitter, bold nor mild, peppery nor bland, spicy nor boring, and well... it was just this great little blend of everything cigars should be! The smoke was a thick chewy smoke and it had excellent burn and draw. It was definitely one of my favorite cigars. I was very pleased to both have this given to me, and to enjoy such a fine cigar.

It was a complex taste too, started off a little mild and then burned a bit, and got a really sweet earthy taste going. I was really impressed, I give this little guy a solid 9 of 10!

Cigar Review: La Unica

This was actually a friend's cigar that I tried. I have never heard of La Unica so I was curious. I can never pass down the opportunity to try a new cigar, so hey why not!? It was everything I expected a lesser known, low priced cigar to taste like. It was very mild and a little sweet. That is about it! There was no complex tastes, hints of anything, or a great build. It was just it...I am sure the price tag was not very hefty so that makes up for it, but ya...just a normal mild cigar. It was not bad but it also wasn't anything else for that matter! I give it a nice boring 6 of 10.

Cigar Review: Ashton

My one friend raves about Ashtons, so I decided to pick one up from the local shop. It had a great construction very smooth wrapper, almost blemish free. Great draw, and literally a perfect burn. It was a perfect circle all the way down to the very very end. The Ashton was a great mild-medium smoke. It was smooth and toasty, with some sweet nutty flavours. It had a lite amount of spice but it was just the right blend of complex flavours. I was really impressed. Everything about this cigar was awesome! I can't even think about what was wrong with it. My only complaint and maybe it is not even a complaint, it didn't really have a long finish. it also didn't leave that smokey ash taste in my mouth so I cant complain there either!

I am really going to give this one a 10 of 10. Cant complain about perfect! As a side note though, others might not like it as much as me, but I usually go for mild smokes, so this is great for a guy like myself!

**Note: one of my readers informed me I had a Montecristo picture up on this post. My bad guys! I got my pics confused in uploading, thanks for informing me though!

A Cigar Cake!

Everybody loves cake, especially cigar guys! So when a true cigar lover needs a cake, this is what happens. I was at a surprise party for the owner of Gibbs Butcher Block in Columbia, Ohio and I was ecstatic at the sight of this culinary creation. The cake was made with modeling chocolate and had the candles at the foot of the cigars. So when you lit the candles it looked like you were lighting up the cigars! How cool is that!? It was a huge hit and everybody loved it. I now have an idea for my wedding! Ha like the fiancée will ever let that happen….

Cigar Review: CAO American

The CAO America…what a good idea! Cigars are great for celebrating and what could be better than celebrating with a good old American Cigar!? This was actually a pretty strong cigar. I was expecting a little less but this was a lot stronger than I anticipated. I would put it right in between medium and full on its taste. The two different wrappers really added a nice touch. It is like when a whisky distillery uses both a sherry and bourbon cask for their dram. It really brings out both flavors and blends them at the same time. You could taste the pepper of the maduro right off the bat, then the creamy nutty Connecticut wrapper to finish and mellow it out. Unfortunately the maduro won every time. I am a Connecticut guy and prefer it to a maduro, but it still made for an interesting smoke. The overall presentation and construction of the cigar was excellent. It had an average draw, great burn, and minimal blemishes. It had a nice cedar smell and tasted of pepper and a little sweet nut. I have always liked CAO and their “country” lines have yet to disappoint! Overall, I give this one an 8 of 10. It could have used a little more complexity with the other wrapper; it felt dominated by the maduro.

Cigar Review: Rocky Patel MM Fusion

I decided that the double maduro was due because I liked the normal RP Fusion so much. There are some very huge differences between these two cigars. The MM is very spicy, bold and had a harder draw. I really liked the normal Fusion and this was a nice change if you like spicy strong cigars. I do not particularly care for such a strong cigar, but it was a great smoke none the less. It took me and a buddy a good hour to smoke, this was from the slightly hard draw and its bold taste. We took our time and respected this cigar for being a little bit bold and it was more enjoyable when we slowed down a bit. Its taste actually intensified as it burned. It was very pungent and spicy. The interesting thing about this cigar was its amazing smell. Before lighting, it smelled of a very earthy damp wood. Almost like a dewy morning in the woods. It was great! I wish that smell could have stayed around when we lit it up and started smoking it, but still a hint of that smell in the smoke. This cigar was very different than its Fusion brother, sort of like its mean bully big brother! The cigar had a great construction, very bold taste, great smell, longer draw, average burn, and a spicy finish. Overall, I would give this one a 7 of 10, for I am not a spice guy.

Cigar Review: Acid Opulence 3

I love this cigar, it isn't some fling or summer romance. This is a deep, take a bullet for you, love. It is a tasting journey, not just an experience, and not just a good cigar. It starts off strong and sweet, with it's creamy smoke and slight spice. The finish is a blend of the sweet and earthy tastes, then the smoke starts to linger... The smoke wafts above your head, and you almost don't want it to go away! Great smoke, they took sweet Acids and made the actual filler stronger and it creates a great blend of strength and taste! Well here is the cigar.com bio...

"Opulence 3 sports a jet-black, oily maduro wrapper from San Andres, Mexico that provides a rich and creamy character with a pronounced sweet nuance noticeable in the finish. This wrapper is perfectly balanced with a hearty blend of Nicaraguan tobaccos grown in Esteli, where some of the strongest Nicaraguan tobacco is grown. These tobaccos were harvested in three separate crop years including 2005, 2006, and 2007, making Opulence a rare, incredibly limited treat. Not only is the cigar infused with oils and botanicals chosen by Jonathan Drew himself, but also each individual leaf is infused to provide a full-flavored, uniquely enjoyable experience each time this cigar is lit. We really enjoy Opulence 3 here at Cigar.com. In fact, this blend may be the best ACID created to date!"

Overall, I give this cigar a 9.5 of 10. It isn't the absolute best construction or burn, but it has a great draw, and it does have a great taste! Love it...

Cigar Review: CAO MX2

Ahhhh, this little gem was everything I hoped for. It was thick and spicy, but still retained a little sweet in the smoke. I wouldn't go for this cigar after a big meal or recommend it to a new cigar smoker. It is stronger, not quite full bodied smoke. The peppery finish is what would turn people away. It is not like dumping a shaker on your tongue, but it is definitely there. Smooth burn and GREAT presentation. CAO does a great job with their wrappers and construction not to mention their really cool and edgy labels. I still think the LX2 is a more complex cigar but this one still brings something to the table. I give it a 8 of 10.

Cigar Review: Acid One

I decided to give this one another try, for the first attempt I was not very pleased. It was ok, thats it just ok. Acid claims that this cigar is the cream of the crop as far as the Acid lines go. When I tired the One last weekend, it was great! It was a sweet, creamy smoke with a toasty fruit like finish. It was a sweetened cameroon wrapper and definitely not a traditional smoke by any means. I can't do an Acid all the time but when I want a sweeter smoke, man they hit the spot. The One tasted a little fruity, like a sherry and finished really well. The One is curred in many different wines and the taste really comes through. The burn quality was ok and the draw was good. I dont like the twisted rat tail head that it has, it makes cutting it easy but seriously takes away from its appearance. If this is a premium line of theirs, dont retract from its appearance with a nontraditional head. Overall I give this a 7 of ten. Great taste but only decent construction.

Whiskey Review: Knob Creek

I decided to do a Bourbon review seeing that I have not touched an American whiskey in a long time. Knob was a great choice for this seeing that it is everything a cheap American Bourbon wishes it could be! First off, the bottle is really nice with the black wax and rough paper label. Past the bottle the drink itself is a great color, dark golden sherry.

Upon swirling, one notices the thick liquid with many legs. Its great mahogany color and strong nose almost warn the drinker of underestimating this whiskey.


Nose: other than the very noticeable smokey corn, a sweet musky house, or wet wood. I noticed a little chemically waft after the almost pine like wood too


Palate: it starts very sweet and then tingles your tongue from the high alcohol percentage, it delivers on the smokey pine and a strong serving of sweet honey


Finish: this whiskey finishes strong! it stays in your throat and permeates those burnt sugar tastes for a long time after you are done with it


Overall, this is a great whiskey. If any other other big label company tried to make their whiskey 50% alcohol, it would taste like gasoline. Knob has taken a very very strong drink and made it pleasurable with a fine smooth Bourbon! I give it a 8 of 10 (for whiskey that is....)

Cigar Review: Rocky Patel Old World Reserve

I smoked a Rocky Patel Old World last night with a few good buddies and wow. This cigar is a throw back to the taste of cigars years ago and the one I had was a maduro, but they are available in Corojo as well. It was not the best cigar I have ever had but it was perfect for a cool summer night. It was not overly strong, right in the middle but full of flavor. It was not peppery but also not bland, not sweet but not to dry. It had earthy notes, mocha notes, and oaky notes. It was a orchestra of every aspect of a good cigar. Nothing particularly stood out but nothing overwhelmed you either. It was a perfect after dinner smoke amongst friend. It was a memorable night, especially since I have not seen these guys for quite a while. We ended up going back to campus and chilling with a few guys holding an event for freshman. Well the Greek Advisor decided we were banded from our own campus and kicked us out. We were not talking to freshman or even went in the building, I wanted to throw this in there for any BW students reading this! You know who I am talking about and I am amazed that someone that unprofessional actually has a job! Anyway great cigar, great night, 8 of 10!

Cigar Bleeding

I have three separate humidors for each “flavor” of my cigars. I have Acid Cigars, Java types, and then traditional. I had them all in one humidor at one point but the flavors were “bleeding”. My acids started tasting chocolaty and the traditional cigars had less kick. I read somewhere on a forum that most people don’t put Acids and regular cigars side by side but I was skeptical about flavor absorption. What I have found with luxury goods is that people usually make them too complicated then they need to be. So I figured this was true with cigar segregation! I was wrong, maybe there is some method to the madness. I have found that my cigars are fresher and taste more true now that I made some sit in their own box. So moral of this story is connoisseurs probably know what they are talking about and cigars actually do absorb other flavors!

Cigar Review: CAO MX2

I had this cigar while sitting on the tailgate of truck on a beautiful day. If no one has done this, I would really recommend it! There is nothing like a good cigar with a friend on a gorgeous day. Here is the Cigar.com bio:

“When most people think of a Double Maduro, they typically are reminded of a super dark almost jet-black wrapper. CAO has put a new spin on the term “double maduro” with a second wrapper all together. It is medium to full-bodied and slightly sweet on the lips. The aroma is rich and earthy with hints of black pepper and a long spicy finish. This cigar is ideal for the maduro lover. It is considered to be in the top five in terms of the best maduro cigars being rolled today. Like all CAO cigars, the MX2 has a flawless construction and burn that makes it a solid performer every time you fire one up.”

Anyway, upon lighting it had a hard draw, it was packed very tight and burned real slow because of that draw. It blistered a bit during the smoke and I had to relight but it was slightly windy so I do not take it out on the cigar. The taste was great, it was a spicy smoke with a medium amount of pepper on the palate. It was right in between one of the CAO Golds and a CAO LX2. I preferred the LX2, but this was a little lighter and a great smoke none the less. For some reason I still taste more sweet from the LX2, which is supposed to be stronger and more peppery. As I mentioned the actual construction came under question but I don’t think it was the cigars fault. My buddy’s cigar also went out from the breeze. Overall, I give this one a 7 of 10.

Scotch Review: Glenmorangie 10

This is one of my weekend Scotchs. It is lively and spicy with a great fruit note to it. I was recommended this by a boss of mine and have loved it since. I believe it is pronounced just how it looks, no silent "g" stuff!

Color: a slightly darker pale gold
Nose: caramel candy and citrus zest, orange peel
Palate: starts off right away with a sweet and spicy mouth filling experience, then fades to the noticeable citrus taste and finishes with the sweet caramel. This is the oranges and cream of Scotch!
Finish: a tad short, the drink itself is a little watery but it really packs in the flavour. The sweet fruit finish is great but I wish it had a stronger finish!

This drink is great! It is like a lively little kid when compared to some of my others and some that I have tasted. It is fast and full of flavour but it passes quickly and runs off! I cant help but picture a little hyper, shin kicking boy! If this Scotch were personified it would be a little menace! I give it an 8 of 10!

Cigar Bid

Ok I figured I would share this site with you all for it is truly great! Other than Cigar.com I really really like cigarbid.com. It is basically ebay for cigars, but the old ebay. The ebay where there were actually still auctions not all the buy it now junk. This is a great place because for the most part if you want to win an item and still want to pay under what it is actually worth, you can do it. I have got some amazing deals on their. I got some really nice Xikar products for half the retail price. I got an Xi2 cutter for only twenty bucks and a new humidor for 22. Plus for actual cigars, the deals are good and the shipping facility is in PA which is one state over so my shipping times are short! I just figured this was worth sharing seeing that I just won two Acid Opulence 3's for 5 bucks total! Check it and don't do what I did. I bid on everything thinking there is no way I can get them that cheap. Well I ended up winning a lot of those items, now I am broke!

Cigar Review: Perdomo Reserve Golf

This was a recommendation from a buddy of mine and well really good! He said he used to smoke them when he had to drive a long way to stay awake and I believe that! It is a great tasting and smelling cigar, not to crazy too smoke in a car either. This is the cigar bio cigar.com,

"Perdomo Reserve Limited Edition Golf features an Ecuadorian Connecticut-shade wrapper, aged for 5 years, which conceals a complex blend of Nicaraguan long-filler. The cigar is smooth, mellow, and aromatic – offering thick clouds of creamy smoke that produce nuances of coffee, cedar and a slight spice masked by underlying hints of sugar. The construction is impeccable, offering a slow and even burn that is consistent from box to box. Make no mistake, this cigar is a “hole-in-one.”

Well this this really was a hole in one. It was mild to medium and a great sweet oaky taste. It had a great coffee after taste with that ever so slight spice. I didn't really notice the spice but I did a little more toward the end of the smoke. All in all a great cigar with a little twist from traditional to sweet, I give it am 8 of 10!

A Great Video On Tasting Scotch: Highland 12

This is a great step by step to tasting. He does a really good job walking through the steps! Single Malt TV is great!

I actually tasted the HP 12 as well. I found it a delightful fruity AND smoky dram. Full of complex sweet tastes then that smoky finish he discusses. I did find it to be a little unpolished though, it was a very interesting transition and the flavours are bold and fast in disappearing. Great drink though! I would give it a 7 of 10.

Cigar Review: Rocky Patel I-Press

I got this little guy for my cousin after a gun show. I read that it had a slow burn and a creamy wood smoke with a little touch of earthy notes and spice. So we sat outside and let her rip! Here is the cigar.com bio

"I-Press is made from all aged Nicaraguan long fillers bound in a rich Honduran binder. The combination of these tobaccos brings forth a medium to full body that is complex and incredibly flavorful. The blend is completed with a dark, oily, maduro wrapper that adds a pleasant sweetness with some earthy undertones.Due to its box-press, I-Press has a conservative draw with a slow burn and the flavors produced are very rich. The cigar itself is complex with some spice noticeable in the rear of the palate. Like all Rocky Patel cigars, I-Press is well constructed and guaranteed to satisfy."

Well as advertised, sort of hard draw but it made it last quite a long time. It was really rich and full of flavour. I'm a huge spice guy but it had a great full body to it. Even on that windy day you could see the smoke lingering around you. I give this press an 8 of 10!

Cigar Review: Isle de Sol

This is a great cigar for under 5 bucks. It has a nice mellow flavour and semi-sweet wrapper with a hint or mocha or espresso. You can pick these up for real cheap and they are great if you are not looking to blow a lot of money on a cigars. I recommend these to my stingy friends for they have a great sweet taste and at half of the price of other cigars. I picked up a 5 pack of these on cigarbid.com for 8.50! That's a deal. It is not the most complex taste or finish but still enjoyable none the less. Overall, I give this little guy a 6 of 10 (price is not a factor in my scales).

Scotch Review: The Laphroig 10 Yr

WOW, that's how you describe Scotch's like this. They are so different and unique that they demand respect. I think you have to experience the peaty Scotchs to really appreciate them. It is an Islay Malt, so they can be traditionally very peaty. Now I never even tell people about the region they are from because just like the color of the whisky, it tells you nothing. Distilleries can make whatever taste they want, they don't have to have a particular taste just because of their region. They often do but like color it is variable. SO HERE WE GO!!!!!

Color: a deeper gold, almost brown, polished mahogany

Nose: campfires, burning wood, PEAT, iodine

Palate: It starts off with a full bodied, smokey mouth watering burnt taste. Your senses are overwhelmed with the peat and smoke. It engulfs your whole mouth and quite frankly tastes like you are drinking a swamp! It then settles for what tastes like a sea breeze. There is salt and seaweed in there, then to top that off a hint of something sweet. It is the smallest hint of something appetizing at the end of bitter mauling of over powering flavours. So you wanna try it now?!

Finish: My buddies call this one dragon breath, it has a very long over powering finish. The most interesting part of this little gem is that it is good. Yes I enjoy the bog like flavour. As you drink this dram you can just visualize an old cellar filled with barrels or a burning campfire, or even better a burning pile of peat! It is interesting how this drink is actually good. I love its unique flavors and overly burnt taste.

I give this interesting dram a 9 of 10!