Origin : Nicaragua
Format : Toro
Size : 6 x 50
Wrapper : Ecuadorian Connecticut
Filler : Nicaraguan
Binder : Nicaraguan
Hand-Made
Price : ~$4.50 each

Here is another cigar review from Richard Bui, enjoy the read!

When I usually reach for a cigar from my humidor, it is almost always a Cuban. It’s not that I’m snob or anything, but I find, more often than not, I like the Cuban taste over Dominicans, Nicaraguans, and so on. But that doesn’t mean that I haven’t found some wonderful non-Cuban cigars that I equally like, one being the Oliva Connecticut Reserve that I’ll be reviewing today.

Oliva is generally better known for their full-bodied cigars such as the Serie G, Serie O, and Serie V. The Connecticut Reserve is a special line of Oliva that is meant to appeal to mild-bodied cigar smokers who aren’t looking for an over-powering cigar. The Connecticut Reserve comes in five sizes: Churchill, Lonsdale, Robusto, Torpedo, and Toro. This review will cover the Toro vitola.

Also an interesting tidbit is that you will not find anything about the Connecticut Reserve on Oliva’s website except on their ratings page, not sure why that is.

Read the full review of Oliva Connecticut Reserve…

Origin : United States
Format : Perla
Size : 4.25 x 40
Wrapper : Nicaraguan Corojo
Filler : Nicaragua
Binder : Nicaragua
Hand-Made
Price : ~$95 for a box of 20

After last week’s debacle with the Series JJ White Label I usually would have put Don Pepin’s products out of my lineup for at least a short while to get the sour taste out of my mouth and intended to do just that. Shortly after writing the review, however, I received gifts from two separate individuals and each contained a Don Pepin Garcia Cuban Blend. Neither had read the Series JJ review and although this blend is not uncommon, I found it an interesting coincidence that they would both send a stick from the line. Always on the lookout for shorter smokes, I put the Perla 1952 size in my desktop humidor to rest and stowed the larger in my coolidor.

Read the full review of Don Pepin Garcia Cuban Classic 1952…

Origin : Nicaragua
Format : Robusto
Size : 5 x 60
Wrapper : Nicaraguan Corojo
Filler : Nicaraguan
Binder : Nicaraguan
Hand-Made
Price : ~$5 each

Now that 2010 is in swing and things have settled down at home, I finally have time to enjoy one of my all-time favorite pastimes – enjoying great, flavorful smokes and sharing that happiness with all my fellow cigar lovers out there. Today we will review the Padilla Series 68 Robusto.

Read the full review of Padilla Series ’68…

Origin : Honduras
Format : Robusto Grande
Size : 7 x 50
Wrapper : Costa Rica
Filler : Dominican Republic, Honduras, Nicaragua
Binder : Nicaragua
Hand-Made
Price : ~$5 each

We’ve got a video review of the 5 Vegas Serie A Apostle today, courtesy of Ernie. Enjoy!

Note: if you are viewing this via e-mail you might need to visit the website in order to launch the video.

Origin : Honduras (Altadis USA)
Format : Corona Gorda
Size : 44 x 140 (5.5 in)
Wrapper : Mexico San Andreas Maduro
Filler : Dominican, Honduran
Binder : Mexican
Hand-Made
Price : ~$2-3 per stick

At the recent celebration of my mother-in-law’s marriage I had the opportunity to share a beer and cigar with my sister-in-law’s husband (my brother-in-law-in-law?). He is a smoker, but not of tobacco products, so I wanted to give him something with a good flavor, but that wouldn’t have him running to the bathroom. Enter the Por Larranaga Cuban Grade. A while ago I discovered this cigar as a cheap, favorable, mild cigar that is perfect with coffee, or to pass out to non-smokers.

Read the full review of Por Larranaga Cuban Grade…

Origin : Nicaragua
Format : Lonsdale
Size : 6.5 x 44
Wrapper : Ecuadorian Cubano
Filler : Nicaraguan/Dominican
Binder : Honduran/Nicaraguan
Hand-Made
Price : $115.99 / Box of 25

The Siglo Limited Reserve III Lonsdale is a Nicaraguan cigar created by master blender Frank Llaneza. Overall, this is a very nice and spicy cigar which offers great complexity and balance throughout the entire smoke. It comes in a variety of sizes: Torpedo, Churchill, Corona, Grand Corona, Toro, Robusto, and today’s featured vitola, the Lonsdale. These cigars were a new release for Altadis, USA in 2009.

Read the full review of Siglo Limited Reserve III Lonsdale…

Origin : Cuba
Format : Petit Corona (Perla)
Size : 102 x 15.86 mm
Ring : 42
Weight : 5.91 g
Box codes : 01/07, 04/07 & 04/08
Hand-Made
Price : Locally $12.00AUD Per Stick, Online $ 5.00AUD By The Box

This review has been done to determine the merit of resting a cigar. It entails taking three Montecristo No 5s that have rested in a well controlled humidor for 3 & 8 months and comparing them to a new, just arrived 04/08 box.

At 8 Months : This is a well rounded little cigar. Has a nice floral start but builds by the end of the first third to become a very intruiging little stick. Starts to exhibit wood (ie Oak & Cedar), Honey and floral undertones. By 2/3 the way in it has built into an upper medium bodied smoke that wants to let you know it’s a Cuban. Not overpowering but definitely forceful. Burn & construction are very good. Slight linger of coffee on the palate.

At 3 Months : A nice Perla. Has a lot of ability but seems to lack some finesse. Flavour bends between leather and wood. Aftertaste is very slightly vanilla & floral.

The construction has a bit to be desired as I had to adjust numerous times. Never relit though. Short Finish.

New Box : These smell fresh and young. The one that I smoked from this box before laying them down was a nice little cigar but it lacked the great Montecristo aroma & intrigue. It became bitter towards the end and needed a lot of attention to the burn. Still, this is a great tasting cigar for one so small and young.

Overall Assesment : These are great cigars if you let them rest. I believe that you should let any cigar rest at least a month if you buy it online. From a reputable shop you should be ready to go in a week. There are exceptions though and of course ageing any good Cuban is well worth the time if you are patient enough. I struggle, like you all, to give them time! (Grinning)

Origin : Honduras
Format : Toro Grande
Size : 6 x 58
Wrapper : Costa Rican Maduro
Binder : Mexican
Filler : Honduran / Nicaraguan
Hand-Made
Price : ~$91.95 for a box of 20

Rocky Patel delivers a private reserve cigar great to honor one of the world’s best pipemakers (Erik Nording). I had three in my humidor which were given to me by a close friend of mine, and I had enjoyed all three tremendously. I smoked the last one in order to write this review. The cigar (when available) can be found in four vitolas: a Robusto (5.5 x 52); a Torpedo (5 X 54); a Toro (6.5 X 52); and the subject of today’s review, the Toro Grande, a 6 x 58 masterpiece.

I looked in several websites to track down who carries it and how much are they running, but it was difficult to find a retailer that had them in stock. Most of them were listed as “Backorder.”

Read the full review of Rocky Patel Nording…