Origin : Cuba
Factory Name : Petit Corona
Size : 129 x 16 mm (5 1/8 x 42)
Weight : 8.46 g
Box code : BLP DIC08
Hand-Made
Price : ~$3.00 each in Cuba, ~$9.00 each in Canada
More info about purchasing Partagas cigars...

I have to admit I did not begin this review in high spirits. Recently I had some friends who went on vacation in Cuba. I asked them if they would mind purchasing me some cigars and, being such nice people, they of course were happy to oblige. So I proceeded to write them a list of what I would like. I always make a large list for anyone going to Cuba as it is difficult to judge what each LCDH will be stocking at the time. First on my list was the Partagas Serie P No. 2 - one of, if not my favourite cigar currently on the market. When they arrived home they gave me a call and assured me that they had purchased my greatly desired Partagas P 2’s. When the box arrived at my house I found out that they actually bought Partagas Mille Fleurs. Now while I had not yet tried the Mille Fleurs, and I had always read good things about them, you cannot blame me too much for being disappointed that I wasn’t actually getting P2’s. Despite all this, I have now smoked a few of the Mille Fleurs and have tried to write as unbiased a review as I could. And I must admit after trying a few of the Mille Fleurs I am impressed.

Read the full review of Partagas Mille Fleurs...

Origin : Wherever they make Gurkhas
Format : Robusto
Size : 5 x 50
Wrapper : Connecticut Shade (Ecuador)
Filler : Nicaraguan & Dominican
Binder : Habano (Honduran)
Hand-Made
Price : ~$5.00 each
More info about purchasing Gurkha Royal Challenge cigars...

Gary Hyams, president of Gurkha Cigar Group, sent me a nice Christmas package of some cigars to review for our website. The two cigars that he sent for review was the new Royal Challenge and the Seduction (review coming soon). After a good nap in the humi and letting them reach their optimum reviewing condition, I decided to finally spark these bad boys up. I will be the first to admit that I am not the biggest Gurkha fan in existence,… or to even say, I am not a fan at all. I have smoked only a few of the other lines and have been, at most, underwhelmed with their delivery of quality product for the money. One thing is for sure though, no one outdoes them in marketing and box presentation. So at least they got that going for them. So with a break out of two new products, can they turn this Gurkha critic into a believer with their new product line? We shall see,…

Read the full review of Gurkha Royal Challenge...

Origin : Dominican Republic
Format : Lonsdale
Size : 170 x 16 mm (6 1/2 x 42)
Wrapper : Habana-2000 Nicaragua
Filler : Dominican Republic & Brazil
Binder : Nicaragua
Hand-Made
Price : ~$10.00 each in Canada, ~$4.00 each in the US

I’ve always had mixed feelings about this cigar. I bought a box of these last August and I’ve smoked quite a few of them; however I have never been able to form a clear opinion about them. I picked up this particular box in the US and I have not been able to find them since. I am not very familiar with this brand and from what I can tell from when I purchased them, the red band is indicative of the H-2000 line (different wrapper) and was meant for the European market.

Read the full review of Santa Damiana Director...

Origin : Dominican Republic
Format : Rothschild
Size : 115 x 20 mm (4 1/2 x 50)
Ring : 50
Wrapper : Cameroon
Binder : Dominican Republic
Filler : Dominican Republic
Hand-Made
Price : ~$15 each in Canada, ~$4 each in the US
More info about purchasing Arturo Fuente Rothschild cigars...

I was sitting at my computer when I realized that the date was February 29th, Leap Day, and I thought that I should have a cigar since my next chance to have one on a leap day would not be for another four years. I looked in my humidor and realized that I wasn’t in the mood for anything I currently have so I quickly ran down to my local tobacconist before closing time to choose out a leap day cigar. The cigar I chose was the Arturo Fuente Rothschild.

Read the full review of Arturo Fuente Rothschild...

Origin : Cuba
Format : Nacionales
Size : 134 x 16 mm (5 1/4 x 42)
Box code : STA NOV 09
Hand-Made
Price : ~$1 each in Cuba / ~$5 each in Canada
More info about purchasing Jose L. Piedra cigars...

The favourite cheap cigar – most cigar smokers have one. If you are one of the elite few who have the luxury of always smoking premium cigars then this review might not be for you. For me my favourite cheap smoke brings memories of summer days and nights spent on the beach drinking and enjoying cigars. For others it's poker night, the fishing trip, cottage, etc. I’m particularly excited about this review because as it happens Jose L. Piedra is my favourite brand of cheap smoke. So during my trip to Cuba I made sure to pick up a bundle to bring home.

Read the full review of Jose L. Piedra Nacionales...

Origin : Dominican Republic
Format : Brillantes (Robusto)
Size : 5 x 50
Wrapper : Connecticut Shade (Ecuador)
Filler : Nicaraguan & Dominican
Binder : Nicaraguan
Hand-Made
Price : $5 each
More info about purchasing EP Carrillo New Wave Connecticut...

I love cigars. Be it mild Connecticut Shade or spicy Corojo, my taste runs the gamut of cigar flavor profiles. But I am also a very picky cigar smoker. This can lead to exuberant exclamations of praise, or acts of vocal vilification. I’m passionate about cigars and I’m never at a loss of words when asked for my opinion. So, when we talked about reviewing cigars with Denis, I warned him upfront that anything could happen. He was cool with that. Now that the disclaimer of out of the way, I can proceed with my review of the E.P. Carrillo New Wave Connecticut, Brillantes.

Read the full review of EP Carrillo New Wave Connecticut Brillantes...

Origin : Nicaragua
Manufacturer : My Father Cigars, Nicaragua
Format : Robusto
Size : 5 x 50
Wrapper : Sumatra seed (Grown in Nicaragua)
Filler : Nicaraguan
Binder : Nicaraguan
Hand-Made
Price : $5 each
More info about purchasing La Reloba Sumatra cigars...

What do great racehorses and great cigars have in common? It’s true that many great cigars have a “barnyard” aroma, but that’s not what I’m thinking of. I’m talking about pedigree. And in the case of the La Reloba Sumatra Robusto, the pedigree is very fine indeed.

Made in Nicaragua at the My Father cigar factory, the LRSR is the brainchild of Don Jose “Pepin” Garcia and his son Jaime. Over the last decade, Sr. Garcia has built a reputation as one of the world’s greatest cigar makers. With success after success, the Garcia name has become synonymous with well-crafted, great tasting cigars. And with the creation of the LRSR, the lineage continues.

Read the full review of La Reloba Sumatra Robusto...

Origin : Cuba
Format : Petit Corona
Size : 4.8 (123 mm) x 40
Smoking time : 35 min
Hand-Made
Price : ~$3 each
More info about purchasing Fonseca cigars...

After my surprising experience with a Regional Edition Fonseca, I thought that I really should check what else the brand has to offer. Not much can stop me when I’m about to visit my local cigar shop, so quickly enough I purchased a fiver of Fonseca Delicias, which are 4.8 x 40 petit coronas. Given the price (~3 bucks each) and the fact that they are short-filler, I wasn’t expecting a lot from these. Let’s see how they fared.

Read the full review of Fonseca Delicias...