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.