Thursday, September 23, 2010

La Aroma De Cuba Robusto Cigar Review

La Aroma De Cuba Mi Robusto Review

The smell of Cuba , something i’ve been familiar with for the last 8 years of my life , well maybe not the scent of the country itself but deffinatly the scent of the country’s pride and joy TOBACCO/ CIGARS. Familliar with UK’s Prime Minister Winston Churchill , and how much he loved cigars ? Aside from Romeo Y Julieta, La Aroma De Cuba was one of his favourite brands , the year was 1895 and this was the year Winston Churchill would discover RYJ and LADC, to this day I have yet to see a Cuban LADC it seems the brand just disappeared . Until 2002 when the brand was revived by ASHTON and has two of their blends rated 92, and 93 points. If the name nestor plasencia doesn’t ring a bell to you , He was one of the two masterminds behind the 2008 cigar of the year CASA MAGNA COLORADO ROBUSTO . The first “2nd generation” La Aroma De Cuba was manufactured in Santa Rosa de Copan which is located in Honduras , the cigar consisted of a Cuban Seed Honduran Wrapper that was grown by Nestor . The new brand Maintained the Cuban Tridition that dates back to the 1800’s same band and box . Most of the LADC blends are Medium to full body and offer beautiful balance and flavours. Most of the time Good things are worth waiting for right ? A total of 18 months of hard work on behalf of Ashton and Don Pepin Garcia is what it took to create the new masterpiece LADC blend Mi Amore , released at this year’s IPCPR in New Orleans, lets see if it was worth the wait.


The Cigar
Manufacture: ASHTON

Size: 5 X 50

Wrapper: Mexican Grown Cuban Seed

Binder: Nicaragua

Filler: Nicaragua

Strength: Medium

Ash: Firm Greyish Colour



A beautiful Slightly box pressed Dark Mexican Grown Cuban seed wrapper offering a few veins, minimal oils , but toothy, all topped off with a triple cap , this cigar has a great feel to it and is very well constructed, the cigar has a cedary peppery pre light aroma, the pre light draw is great. The first third of this cigar was very prominent in the cocoa department, but the typical (DPP) don pepin pepper was evident on the tip of my tongue, which then creeped to the back of my tonsils the burn at this point is great producing a firm greyish ash , and so is the draw. The second third of this cigar, the pepin pepper was still present but mellowed out and more prominent flavours of coffee became the dominant side and some faint cocoa notes still remained draw and burn still amazing, can this cigar get any better ? Final third , the finish line Don Peppin pepper returned heavily on the toungue as a reminder of his amazing blending skills , cedar, and coffee became more of an undertone and leather woody notes were more dominant, the burn and draw remained flawless .



Summary



All in all this is truly a great cigar that i think everyone could enjoy , i’ve smoked all 5 sizes of this blend and all of them are full of rich flavours of coffee , cocoa, pepper, leather, and wood, a perfect burn , perfect draw and a beautiful strong firm ash, the cigar produces alot of smoke while its burning giving off a beautiful aroma that just topped off the whole experience maybe thats why they have the word aroma in the name ? these are a new release so get your hands on them ASAP

JOIN ,ME. THE BIG EASY, AND ALL OF THE TROY STAFF AT THE LA AROMA DE CUBA EVENT THIS FRIDAY AT CIGAR FACTORY OUTLET IN TROY BACK WHERE IT ALL BEGAN . AMAZING DEALS ON LA AROMA DE CUBA PRODUCTS , SEE YOU THERE


Sincerely


"Fidel"
Eric D. Kukucka
 (Member of the Montecristo Lounge Sterling Heights Michigan)

Thursday, September 9, 2010

Cain F Double Toro Cigar Review

Cain F review Double Toro




Ligero ,a word that is used very often in the cigar industry of both Cuban and non Cuban cigars, but what is Ligero ? Ligero is what truly gives a cigar its strength , Ligero leaves are the last to ripen and are located at the top of the tobacco plant they are the part of the plant that has had the most exposure to the sun during growth, FULL OF FLAVOUR ,DARKKKK AND THICKKKK but also increased nicotine content , a Maturing or aging process of a minimum of 3 years before it can be used in blending cigars( this is sometimes argued by “just over two years” but to my knowledge 3 years was always the proper period, typically Ligero tobacoo is always place in the middle of the cigar as long filler , this is due to the fact that Ligero burns SLOWLY , if the ligero is placed to close to the wrapper it will totaly affect the over all burn, THIS IS THE HEART AND SOUL OF THE FILLER , and the POWERHOUSE portion of the cigar . just to give you a quick briefing on types of tobaccos and their strengths , SECO is the mildest type, VISO is the medium strength or “stronger”LIGERO is the STRONGEST . Before the CAIN it was always said you cannot manufacture a cigar with pure LIGERO it just wont work, it wont smoke well , it wont taste good , AND IT WONT BURNNN PROPERLY , before cain thier were double ligero cigars , but never triple it was just unheard of. Then again Before NUB there was never a cigar that was 4” by 66 ring guage, there were never any cigars like the NUB it was just unheard of , for months people said NUB IS A DYING FAD , well sorry to tell ya but NUB is still around and doing very well , what better than a cigar that will last you about 45 minutes with a FAT RING GUAGE, full of flavour . Sam Leccia creator of NUB , and recently released last summer the CAIN a cigar made of STRAIGHT LIGERO and supporting either a HABANO or MADURO wrapper , TALK ABOUT A FULL BODY EXPERIENCE. It comes in four sizes, Toro – 6”x50, Robusto - 5.7"x50, Torpedo – 6”x54, and a Double Toro – 6”x60. Once again Sam is challenging the cigar industry to try something totally different and out of the ordinary, Oliva’s serie V which is a double ligero is an amazing cigar , so whats stoping Sam’s cigar from being anything other than great. Habano seed ligero is said to be the fullest flavoured Ligero produced , The cain contains 3 different kinds of ligero from 3 different areas in Nicaragua . ESTELI LIGERO , this is the strongest ligero contained in this cigar therefore only 25 % is placed into this blend. CONDEGA LIGERO This ligero is grown further north to ESTELI , this leaf too is full bodied but due to its tame strength it offers complex richness, 27% is placed into this blend , JALAPA LIGERO coming from the northernest region in Nicaragua , grown in a valley but less exposed to the sun , this results in still a full body leaf with a more noticeable range of flavours THIS IS THE SMOOTHEST OF THE 3 LIGEROS and 30% is placed into this blend. Lets talk about where the other 18 % of the cigar comes from the WRAPPER of course , Cain cigars offer two types of beautiful wrappers , one the Habano which is a NICARAGUAN HABANO WRAPPER “strength uncovered” , and the other the Maduro which is a SAN ANDRES MADURO “prestige meets power” , if you’ve read my other reviews you know that San Andres valley houses some of the most beautiful soil comparable to that in cuba , and this valley produces amazing wrapper tobacco, im sure your all still sitting there saying how can this cigar be so full of LIGERO and actually burn properly and taste good ? Well when I met Sam Lecia last summer we were talking about the cain and let me tell you he really thought this process through by triple fermentation of the Ligero and proper aging and maturing of the Ligero, he told me that Ligero is very interesting leaf but its also hard to get the perfect blend, THESE PERCENTAGES PERTAIN TO THE CAIN HABANO AND MADURO. Sam Is a very interesting and creative individual hence the nub and cain lines , Sam used to sit in his garage and temper with tobacco at a very young age , taking wrappers binders and fillers from all different types of cigars and mixing them together creating ” wild smokes “, then he created the nub which was a huge hit , he wanted to create a cigar that was full of flavour right from the get go and not having to wait until the cigar really reaches its full potential, Cain was created inspite of having a cigar that was straight up STRONGER THAN EVER .



CAIN F , the newest line to the cain series “FORCE REFINED” is what Sam is saying about this cigar, the F stand for (FUERTE) which in Spanish means STRONG , the percentages have changed slightly to 32% ESTELI, 25% CONDEGA, 25% JALAPA Remember what I just told you ESTELI is the most powerfull , so you can expect more strength from the CAIN F than the original CAIN cigar but once again the Ligero is TRIPPLE FERMENTED to tame this powerhouse skyscraping leaf . Lets get to the cigar



CAIN F 660

Wrapper : Nicaraguan Habano

FILLER : 32% ESTELI LIGERO, 25% CONDEGA LIGERO , 25% JALAPA LIGERO

Strength : FULL BODIED

Size: 6 X 60 (double toro )



This cigar contains a beautiful Nicaraguan Wrapper that is very smooth and oily with minimal veins , , the is cigar had pre light aromas of spice (obviously ) and cedar , the pre light draw seemed very easy but offered an immense amount of full bodided characteristics maybe even too much , but like i always say the proof is in the pudding , upon lighting the foot with my torch mounds upon mounds of black peper flavours rushed to excite my palate , but what was really nice was that beautiful smooth undertone of a sweet cream flavour passing through, followed by some cedary notes , this was calming the spice down which was very interesting , , im nearing the second third of this cigar and it has changed, the black pepper has turned into more complex woodsy , earthy , and even nutty notes coming through the spices are not as persistant as the first third which is really surprising but they are still present , the draw at this point is effortless , and the burn is remaining very good , the final third really kicks it back up a notch , this was the strongest portion of the cigar very spicy woodsy but a slight undertone of coffee which gives you a reality check , because by this point the blast of nicotine is sure to have kicked you in the face a few times.





Summary

If you like full bodied smokes full of peppery spice the cain F is right up your ally, A perfect burn , beautiful draw and great construction make this cigar truly a keeper, undertones of coffee, woodsy, and nutty notes do their best to keep you relaxed , while the Ligero is kicking your ass, be sure to have a very HEAVY MEAL before smoking this cigar or else you might just pass out , well whoever said a Straight Ligero cigar would never work was just proved wrong .



Sincerely



Eric D. Kukucka (member of the Montecristo Lounge Sterling Heights Michigan)


Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Room 101 Cigars

Room 101




Born in the city of Angels , hand made in Honduras , Matt Booth creator of Room 101 cigars , Matt both originally a musician founded room 101  in 2003, matt was a deployed to the far east as a US marine , he was very intrigued by the culture, his experience there would lead to the creation of Room 101 later on in life “ west coast meets far east “ (Matt Booth) . Room 101 is not only a cigar company its also manufacturer of custom smokers accessories, Made to Measure Suits , Custom made knives , and yes the original Jewlery line . Room101 has been featured in top lifestyle, fashion, and specialty magazines worldwide, and has made appearances on major network television so you know that this brand really has alot of CLASS. Lets talk about how Matt actually got into the cigar business , one night at a Las vegas after party , at the time matt was working on a smokers accessory (cutters, lighters and even special humidors) . Cristian Eiora presented the idea of creating a cigar to accompany these accessories or vice versa. Sooner than later Matt was touring the Camacho facility in Danli Honduras , Matt was given the “cigar 101” by Cristian explaning the process from start to finish , Matt was blow away by what actually goes into making a hand made cigar and from then on changed his views on cigars forever. Matt’s Jewellery and other room 101 products are all unique in their own way. For instance the way he named the sizes of the cigars . He named each cigar after an AREA CODE , , 305 is Miami, , 404 is Atlanta, codes 213 is Los Angeles, 702 is Las Vegas, 808 is Hawaii and 323 is Hollywood the city of angels . Now these cigars are a new comer to the Cigar business being released at the 2009 IPCPR in New Orleans, but let me tell you I know they’ll be around for a while , not only because there backed up by Camacho but simply because they taste GOOD. Nothing better than a cigar that you enjoy right, like I’ve said before every cigar has a story and this is Matt’s story . I Met matt in December of 2009 this was when his cigar was still “fresh of the press” we talked for a good twenty minutes about fashion and jewelry then we got to cigars he explained to me how cigars is a lifestyle and so is Room 101 , Matt puts his heart and soul into his business and I truly respect that , someone that works hard at something to make sure its a unique experience deserves credit , and credit goes out to Matt Booth BIG TIME . more credit i must give to matt is for being a proud supporter of the wounded warrior project



The cigar



the Band on this cigar is very interesting has that edgy Los Angeles look to it , the wrapper is oily and slightly veiny wich also gives it that edgy look, what makes this cigar interesting as well is the 3 seam cap, what makes this cigar so special is the wrapper which is a SEMIA 101 and the only cigar to contain this wrapper is the room 101 cigars hybrid Nicaraguan/ Honduran wrapper, this to me is a very unique feature. This cigar let out beautiful pre light aroma of coco chocolate with a beautiful tobacco scent , the first third had some very evident earthy notes with peppery undertones ,followed by a few hints of some black cherry type flavours , the second third turned into a Cocco chocolate , espresso type flavours , just beautiful, the final third became more bodied but still stayed in the medium range some earthy , pepery coco notes were present,





Summary

all in all I really enjoyed this cigar alot , the ash was flaky but it remained strong , the draw was perfect , aside from the first third the burn was also flawless , lots of great coco , peper, espresso and earthy flavours in a beautiful medium bodied cigar with great presentation , and a cool story to follow why not try something different for change thats the 101 on ROOM 101 CIGARS .

Sincerely Eric D. Kukucka ( Member of the Montecristo Lounge Sterling Heights)




Monday, August 30, 2010

Eric D. Kukucka

Eric D. Kukucka


So it’s been about 3 weeks now that I’ve been posting reviews here on www.cigarfox.com and I would just like to give you all a BIO on myself let you know a little bit more about who I am. I’ve been smoking cigars for just over 8 years now and have enjoyed each and every minute of it. I just Completed my Education program on becoming a Denturist , what is a denturist I’m sure you’re all asking yourselves, it’s a Specialist in Implant, full and partial dentures I live in Windsor Ontario Canada and I am a member of the Montecristo Lounge in Sterling Heights Michigan . Let me tell you how I got into cigar smoking . 8 years ago when i was still in high school and this was the age when smoking cigarettes made you “ COOL” never having smoked a cigarette I wanted to smoke something that had more class more meaning that a cigarette, for years i remember watching my dad and my neighbour smoke cohiba esplendidos out in the garage, cigars always intrigued me movies like Scarface and goodfellas that portray cigars as a luxury. The Night of my semi formal dance had arrived and i figured i would celebrate at the after party smoking one of my dad’s Cubans , so before the dance i went to see him and when he took off to the washroom i opened that beautiful desktop cherry wood 50 ct Humidor and snatched a Vegas Robaina Torpedo , something about that beautiful Gold band that stood out more than the cohiba, romeo y Julieta , montecristo and Hoyo De monterrys that were in there , Went to the party lit the stoogie up and received a large variance of comments some saying man that’s awesome and the jealous type of course always having their input saying oh you think your cool with your cigar or “okay big shot”. I didn’t let this bother me one bit i just continued on reading and studying cigar , being my first cigar or first time smoking anything i really don’t know what i was looking for in particular i had read a little bit in CA about how to taste cigars so i did my best to do that i could just taste some spices and cream , but trust me 8 years later this fuller bodied Cuban beauty is much more complex than that . I got home and immediately researched this cigar, I found out that this cigar was produced by Alejandro Robaina , who is to do the oldest Tobacco farmer in Vuelta Alejab (recognize that place from my reviews?) they actually call him the “DON” he grows some of the world’s best wrapper tobacco, and in 1997 The people in the industry wanted to honour him with his own cigar in 5 sizes using his Wrapper Binder and Filler so you can just imagine what this cigar would taste like. As time went on i would sporadically take cigars from my father and smoke them i started to read more and more and truly started to understand tobacco and cigars the life of cigar smoking was great until I finally got caught, a friend of his saw me smoking outside of the movie theatre one night, my father confronted me and i had to admit to him that i had been steeling and smoking his cigars. He simply replied I’m very disappointed and your so damn young son. 3 days later Christmas Eve he brought home some A sized cigars with a whopping 56 ring gauge and told me to smoke the whole thing and he was certain I would vomit. After 3 hours he was disappointed when i told him i didn’t feel sick at all and that it was an amazing cigar he just gave me, and in turn he had made a big mistake. He replied to me “well what can I do, i really can’t stop yo , but don’t steel from me if you want one just ask . Time went on i began smoking once a week every Saturday with my friend Adam whose father is also a big Cuban cigar smoker, we would take turns taking from our fathers and trying new cigars, In my earlier days of cigar smoking i would always read reviews before i smoked the cigar to try and get a feel of what to look for when i was smoking . As time went on i didn’t really need reviews anymore i was able to tell strength/body , I remember my first encounter with non Cuban cigars , I was on Vacation in Orlando and my father took me to Sosa family cigars , beautiful store but i couldn’t believe how cheap cigars were , Romeo Y Julietas, montecristos , all around $9 to me this was an absolute steal compared to the retail value of Cuban cigars starting at $15 for a petite Corona ( in Canada due to high tobacco taxes in Cuba the cigars are actually more reasonably priced ranging from $ 8- 30 per cigar . As time went on i started reading more about non Cubans and became very interested. A friend of my fathers had told me about the Cigar Factory outlet in Troy Michigan about 4 years ago, that Friday they were hosting a CAO event, none of my friends wanted to go so i figured hey these people like what i like CIGARS and that’s the only thing you need to have in common with someone and you can strike up conversation for days upon days upon days . I went to the event and was very impressed with not only the customer service I received from Dan Jenuwine , Tommy Paull , and John C , and the amazing deals they had that day , BUT more so the selection of non Cuban cigars i could not believe how many non Cuban cigars there were in existence, it was actually mind blowing. Time went on and i made my travels across the border weekly to continue to try new cigars each time , it was great especially when they had events . I have smoked every brand of Cuban cigar brand in every size and yes that includes cohiba and all the Singlo series’ too , I have also smoked alot of Cuban Limited editions from 2004, 2006 and 2008 as well as some of the Regional Editions which are cigars that are exclusive for certain countries like for instance in Canada Vegas Robaina released a special sized robusto only for release in Canada , Bolivar did a Cigar for asia which was a short Edmundo this was one great cigar I must say. I’ ve smoked quite a few 20 year aged Cubans including cohiba lancero , esplendido , romeo Y julieta Churchill , hoyo De Moterry Double Corona , Monte cristo No. 2 and No.4’s, and most of this took place later in my smoking years when my palate was actually experienced . Are non Cubans just as good as Cubans is the question I am always asked day in and day1 out, i always hear people say oh my friend brought me back some Cubans and they were SH*T or i went to this store and they were garbage , or i was on vacation and bought some Cubans and they were garbage to . Here’s the thing that you must understand and need to accept about Cuban Cigars , about 95% of Cuban cigars consumed in the united states are counterfit , and a large percentage of those consumed around the world it’s the same situation , also one of my favourites i hear My friend got me these in cuba on the beach , or when the guy tells you the cohibas with the glass case are limited edition THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS COHIBAS IN A GLASS TOP CASE THERE FAKEEEEEEEEEEEE, or i was in Mexico and the guy told me that his friend works at the factory and stole this box, take a second and think about this DO YOU REALLY THINK ITS THAT EASY TO JUST WALK OUT OF THE FACTORY WITH A FULLY SEALED BOX OF CIGARS WITHOUT BEING CAUGHT ? They inspect each and every person before they leave the factory every day , security is not taken lightly , and even if there was an inside connection it wouldn’t be an amount that would make it as readily available as all of these con artist salesmen say it is why do u think they sell the box for a measly $50 even in cuba boxes of cohibas start at over $150 . In Countries outside of Cuba theres really only 1 place you should buy Cuban cigars , La Casa Del Habanos or the company Habanos SA which is the authorized retailer for Cuban cigars in 150 Countries when u buy a cigar from one of these dealers you know you are guaranteed the real thing. Its the same to compare clothing you can get fake Hugo Boss everywhere but if u go to the official store or an auithorized retailer you know your getting the real thing with the 100% quality that you are paying for , if you are in Cuba either direct purchase from the Factory La Casa Del Habanos or the airport is also a fair choice but once again if you want to be 100 % satisfied with proper humidification, quality and authenticity HABANOS is the way to go. Another thing you have to remember when smoking cigars even if your “friend” did purchase these cigars at Habanos and tells you there the real thing and you have a poor burn or they come apart don’t let that be the end of your smoking of that cigar or brand , YOU NEVER KNOW WHAT OTHER PEOPLES HUMIDOR CONDITIONS ARE , i know that when I give people a Cuban cigar they never complain or have any problems , 1) because i get them from a Reputable source and 2) i know how to maintain my humidors. So my whole point to this is the fact of don’t knock it until you’ve really TRIED IT THE RIGHT WAY . Getting back to this point again about humidity this is really one of the most important aspects of a cigar , it can affect the burn the draw and the flavours of the cigar , have u ever received a cigar go to cut it and the wrapper just crumbles or peels apart how much do you hate that ? its defiantly at the top of my peevs list. I know that every time i purchase a cigar from the Cigar Factory outlet, Jenuwines Cigar outlet or cigarfox.com i know that i will be receiving a quality humidified product NO EXCEPTIONS, this is why i purchase my non Cubans from here QUALITY, when it comes to cigars i need quality and i won’t settle for second best . So are Cubans better than Non Cubans to me YES they are if you smoke the real thing , but are there some non Cubans that are better than Cubans YES what makes Cuban cigars truly a gem is the way that they are cultivated and the soil and the climate that has been around for years and years, and the quote my friend Glenn Haege always says “a hundred hands” which is true 100 hands on average it takes to make a Cuban cigar. But the thing about non Cubans is that most of the owners or manufactures are from cuba , every cigar has a story and a taste , i appreciate hand made cigars from all over the world weather it be Cuba, Nicaragua , Mexico, Honduras, Eucador, Africa, Indonesia, ect..... Someone took time to make the product your smoking by hand , and thats another thing , if once and a while you get an uneven burn or maybe the draw wasn’t as seamless as the last 22 cigars you smoked from the box , remember its a hand made product. I will continue to post reviews weekly about all the great products that are available at cigarfox.com Cigar factory outlet Troy and Jenuwines Cigar Outlet Sterling Heights with and inventory of over 200, 000 cigars you could just imagine how many more reviews are to come , Hope you all enjoy my reviews l, now its time for me to PUFF MORE GARS , take care

Sincerely

Eric D. Kukucka ( Member of the Montecristo Lounge Sterling Heights )






Sunday, August 29, 2010

Camacho Corojo Monarch and the Tenth Aniversary Cigar Review

Camacho Corojo Tobacco


Corojo , often prounced improperly as CO-RO-JO , the true pronounciation is actually CO-RO-HO . Corojo wrappers offer beautiful amounts of flavour. Lets talk about some history for a moment, (EL COROJO) this is one of Cuba’s most nonchalant non presentable , tobacco plantations , but ” NOT ALL THAT GLITERS IS GOLD “ This is where the worlds greatest wrapper tobacco is grown, to prove my point the wrapper on the hoyo De Monterry Double corona comes from El Corojo, Cigar Afficionado has rated this cigar has earned a score of 99 points , and 4 ratings above 94 ,I myself have smoked both the cabinet Double corona and the original Hoyo from 1999, 2001, 2003, and 2009 and believe you me it is truly a cigar that you savour down to the millimetre. Now another gem from El Corojo is the Cohiba Robusto which received a mind blowing 96 points in 1992/1993. Needless to say the name Corojo carries a huge reputation. The country of Honduras is known for its production of bananas grown along the Caribbean sea, but another gem from this country is the Jamastran Valley and its COROJO wrapper. Time and time again unfortunately you hear people tell the tales of how Corojo wrappers are flame retardant or how blue mold is a constant reoccurring misfortune of the wrapper , well I can tell you that the Eiroa Family (Camacho Cigars), like many Cubans , really know what there doing when it comes to Corojo tobacco. I believe the saying was “ THE PROOF IS IN THE PUDDING. The Jamastran Valley where there Corojo is grown has a priceless possetions that lie deep beneath the soils of this Corojo infested Villa. What might that be you ask ? Well the very seeds that allowed the Eiroa families dreams to come true. If the name Vuelta Abajo doesn’t ring a bell to you i’ll remind you that its where some of cubas best tobacco comes from. Santa Ines del Corojo which was a Vega in Vuelta Abajo is the very place where the Eiroa’s obtained these seeds . But how? The grandson of the Farmer of this particular plantation. So keeping that in mind there is allot of history in Camacho cigars that should not only be recognized but also appreciated from the moment you cut the cigar , to the time the cigar is left standing in the ashtray burning itself out after an enjoyable experience. The Camacho brand dates back to the 1960’s and actually originated in Miami, Run by a Gentlemen named Simon Camacho. The Brand’s newly found home is now in Honduras, the Eiroa Family took over the company in 1995 at this time only Indonisian and Conneticut shade wrappers produced, let me tell you a little bit about the families past. Generoso Eiroa was growing tobacco in cuba in the 1900’s due to the revolution n his widow and three sons forced to leave the country. Julio joined the Bay of Pigs invasion attempt with the US army. Julio Eiroa brought the cigar business into his life in the 1960’s when he worked at Perfecto Garcia in Tampa Florida, after a few years Julio Decided to go to Honduras due to the Embargo issues at that time on behalf of Angel Oliva to help assist with a government-sponsored cultivation project In 1977 Julio had an unfortunate plane crash suffered a spinal cord injury and became semi retired. Following the crash business opportunities arose back in Tampa with the purchase of the Perfecto factory which he was once employed talk about the dream of being a boss, a few more years pass and another move back to Honduras in 1989 he took over a company called Fumas and then entrepenured Caribe Imported Cigars . Cristian Eiroa is the “young gun” of the Camacho brand being the President of Caribe cigars and all , in 1995 Cristian received his Masters degree in international buisness, later that year he entered the family business , Christian spent lots of time searching the world for tobacco, and getting into the swing of sales as time moved on , I met Christian about 6 months ago and we had a good 45 minute chat about cigars and about his relationship with his father and how they both have very dissimilar palates and are complete opposites when it comes to blends, he has admitted that he likes a few of his father’s blends but wont boast about it too much. He also told me himself that he makes blends that HE ENJOYS for HIMSELF. There came a time when the Camacho Corojo cigar was being distributed in huge numbers , which led to a lot of imperfections and Quality issues , Christian decided to halt production until an adequate limit of GOOD PRODUCT was available on a limited release, Corojo tobacco can be blended as a PURO and be mind blowing in its taste profiles IF QUALITY IS THERE , and I think Christian realized this at the right time and took advantage of this opportunity. Enough about the “blah blah blah” lets get to the sticks .



CAMACHO COROJO MONARCH



SIZE : Robusto 5 x 50

WRAPPER: “Authentic Corojo “

BINDER: “Authentic Corojo “

FILLER: “Authentic Corojo “



This cigar has a very enticing pre light aroma and appearance , what I really like about this cigar is not only does it resemble Cuban by havng Corojo wrapper, binder and filler, BUT the label is very Cuban like , that being because its simple like most Cubans , it reminds me of the Cuban Fonseca or Vegas Robaina. This wrapper is a nice brown with a slightly oily texture and a few small veins , the pre light draw was nearly effortless. After lighting the foot my palate was endulged with some spice and and cedar woody type notes producing a great smooth amount of flavours i really enjoyed this cigar already the second third of this cigar became leathery with an increase in spice , but still maintaining a slight creamy finish, and the draw persisted to be great, the final third increased into a fuller body smoking experience increasing it its spices but still once again maintaining its “coolness” which i really enjoyed , don’t take this cigar to be as light as i might make it seem it is still defiantly a full bodied smoking experience not for the beginner smoker.

Summary

Overall this cigar is a good full bodied experience that provides a “ relief” with the creamy coolness that it offers , and being a Authentic Corojo Puro makes it that much more interesting . Is it a Cuban Corojo ? No is it the next best thing ? its pretty damn close.







Camacho tenth anniversary Torpedo



SIZE : Box Pressed Torpedo 6.12 X 54

WRAPPER: “Authentic Corojo “

BINDER: “Authentic Corojo “

FILLER: “Authentic Corojo “



The year was 2008 and it came time to celebrate something special , this was the year that commemorated the Eiora family for its ten years of growing the world’s only Authentic Corojo , what better way to celebrate and always remember something special than releasing a cigar specific to that date. This blend was created by CHRISTIAN and it offers some amazing flavours along with a beautiful presentation , 2008 was also the tenth anniversary of when Christian became president of Caribe Cigar imports. There are 21 cigars in the beautiful looking box . The pre light aromna was very nice and looking at the cigar it has a few veins but what was interesting was that the wrapper was thinner than normal, the true test was yet to come , this is giving me a little bit of a possible concern for burn issues , but never the less NOT ALL THAT GLITTER IS GOLD there was also an evendent patch of ligero directly in the center of the cigar yummm . The pre light draw was effortless. Upon lighting the foot , My palate said many thank you’s to me for being so generous and providing nutty almond flavours with undertones of spice and leather. As I neared the second third the burn was great and the ash was slightly flaky , the flavour profiles for the most part maintained very similar to the initial flavours which is fine with me the extra coffee notes were defiantly a bonus. Personally yes it’s great when a cigar changes flavours and that is more complex throughout the cigar but at the same time you can never really have too much of a good thing when it comes to cigars can you ? , the body is on the heavier side of Medium the draw and burn are continuing to remain flawless, the final third of the cigar was just as good as the first two thirds with a slight peppery tingle in the back of my throat which was a good kick giving a little bit of that full bodied experience,



Summary :



This cigar is very nice to look at but its even better to smoke , yes it costs around 12 dollars but its damn worth it , your smoking something that should be recognized, think of new years eve when you splurge and spend some extra cash at get a bottle of expensive champagne even Dom Perignon if you really had a great year well it’s the same thing you will always remember a great cigar like u will always remember great champagne. Corojo tobacco is a beautiful thing and the Eioras do a great job farming the product , the nutty almond, coffee, cream and spice notes that add to this cigar make it that much more worthy , what else could make this cigar worth your while ????? well the fact that it has a great burn and an effortless draw.



CAMACHO WILL BE HOSTING AN EVENT ON SEPTEMBER 1st AT THE STERLING HEIGHTS LOCATION FROM 5-8PM COMPLIMENTARY FOOD WILL BE PROVIDED ALONG WITH A BUY 3 GET 1 FREE DEAL ON CAMACHO PRODUCTS AND 10% OFF BOX PURCHASES , STOP BUY ENJOY SOME GREAT FOOD CIGARS AND FRIENDLY COMPANIONSHIP , I WILL BE THERE THAT EVENING SMOKING SOME GREAT CAMACHO PRODUCT AND HOPE YOU ALL CAN JOIN ME



Sincerely

Eric D. Kukucka (member of the Montecristo Lounge Sterling Heights)


Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Mi Dominicana Cigar Review (Lancero)

POWER HOUSE OF FLAVOUR OR B*TCH STICK ?


Mi Dominicana Lancero Review


Size: 7 ½ X 40

Wrapper : Dominican Republic

Binder : Dominican Republic

Filler : Dominican Republic

Strength: Medium-Full


Time and time and time again I constantly hear people on a regular basis shut down or bash the Lancero sized cigar calling it either a B*tich Stick or a wimpy cigar. Well Folks let me tell you why I shake my head and laugh inside when this happens. The Lancero or AKA (Long Panatella) is a very misunderstood/ misinterpreted cigar. The lancer is one of the most flavourfull cigars manufactured. Why is this you might ask ? The plain and simple fact that a Lancero contains 73% WRAPPER TOBACCO , hmmmmmm isn’t the wrapper tobacco what really gives the cigar its true taste profiles and character and flavours ? The answer to that question is YES. When u smoke a lancero you will have an experience like no other, If you truly want to test a Manufactures Wrapper Quality the Lancero is the way to go , Yes Coronas are also famous for tasting alot of the true quality BUT to me the Lancero has the edge having a larger percentage wrapper. NOW thats not to say that Double Coronas, Presidentes, Churchills and Toros don’t offer great flavour profiles and characteristics, the lancero is just more focused in that Department. Some may argue that Lanceros don’t offer enough draw because of its miniscule sized ring gauge of 37-40. This is largely dependent on the manufacturer and the roller of course. Indeed some lanceros do not offer as seamless of a draw as a toro or Churchill. I can attest to this fact , I’ve smoked Cohiba Lanceros from 1990, 1995, 1998, 2001, 2002, and 2009 the cohiba lancero is the gold standard of lanceros I like to call it the Godfather of lanceros. The draw from each of these years did not differ much at all , the draw being not as effortless in this size actually allows the flavours to become even MORE ROBUSTLY CONCENTRATED to your palate in my opinion , this is another bonus characteristic of Lancero’s . Trinidad Fudadores (Cuban) is another very well recognized lancero that offers a smoking experience like no other. So I think I’ve stated my case of why the Lancero should not be OVER LOOKED lets get to the Mi Dominicana now . This is the First time I’m smoking this Blend and what a coincidence IM SMOKING THE LANCERO .. Now we all know the Famous Fuente Fuente Opus X was the First Dominican Puro to hit the market and all the fame and fortune of that Cigar has earned is very well deserved. The Mi Dominicana is also a Dominican Puro that offers alot of great characteristics at a reasonable price. “EVERYTHING THAT IS BEAUTIFUL ABOUT THE DOMINICAN REBULIC HAS GONE INTO THIS CIGAR” (Jose Seijas General Manager of Tabacelera de Garcia LTD) Thanks to Jose we are able to sample all the beautiful blends of Montecristo H.Uppman, and Romeo Y Julieta . This cigar was released in 2008 at the Vegas IPCPR and is the first Dominican Puro Released by Altadis U.S.A . Jose created this blend to show that he is truly proud of his heratige. ““Mi Dominicana is my personal tribute to our nation and our people… It truly captures the pride of my country.” (Jose Seijas)







The Cigar

This cigar was also rated No. 20 On Cigar Afficionados Top 25 of 2009 scoring 92 points. The Wrapper is a nice oily brown Dominican Wrapper , This is a nice looking wrapper with a few evident nice veins . The cap is a Cuban traditional “pig Tail”. The Pre light aroma was an evident Semi sweet Cedar aroma, the foot of the cigar is not as tightly rolled as i would like to see but the true test lies in the smoke of course, let’s get to that. After the first inch the cigar is burning absolutely flawless, and the cigar is giving off vast amounts of leather, coffee, nutty, cedar and in and outs of peppery spice. The middle third of this cigar the burn has maintained its integrity and had more of a fuller body to it increasing in spice but had a nice toasty flavour to it. The final third maintained its spice and some of the coffee flavours returned along with the nutty notes with a charcoal type undertone note on the finish and the burn was still excellent . I really Enjoyed this cigar was it a Cohiba or Trinidad No was it worth the 7-9 dollar price range Yes indeed , would I smoke it again ? YES I would



Summary



A Great looking cigar with Coffee, spice, cedary flavours , good draw and great burn, all at a fair price , to try something different than usual and from the beautiful Dominican Republic this is a must try, it made the top 25 for a reason. Thanks Jose for all of your amazing efforts that you put forth to the Cigar industry.



Sincerely Eric D. Kukucka (Member of the Montecristo Lounge Sterling Heights)



Friday, August 13, 2010

Trinidad Habana Reserve Belicoso Cigar Review

Trinidad Habana Reserve Belicoso


                                                            


Size: Belicoso 6 1/8 X 52

Wrapper : Eucadorian Cabano

Binder: Nicaraguan

Filler: Honduran/ Nicaraguan


Trinidad is named after the 16th Century city of La Santísima Trinidad (The Holy Trinity). Here’s a little history about the Trinidad Cigar that might be a shock to many. Even though fidel castro is always seen with a COHIBA in hand this is not his true cigar of choice nor his brand as many would claim. The Trinidad Brand dates back to 1969 in cuba at the El Laguito factory The Trinidad Fundadores was the cigar produced EXCLUSIVELY  for Fidel since 1980 aside from Fidel castro the only individuals to consume Trinidad cigars were Foreign Diplomats. Now thats not to say that Cohibas were not a gem cigar that were given to diplomats but Trinidad were the Cream of the Crop The year was 1998 and the conosuers and consumers of Cuban cigars were in for a surprise , the Trinidad label became avaiible as an export to Mexico and Canada, soon after in April 98 it was released for world wide distribution aside from the US of course. In 2003 Trinidad Cuban brand released 3 new sizes Coloniale, the Reyes, and the Robusto Extra. Now The cigar i am reviewing is not a cuban but this Nicaraguan honduran based twin has alot of potential to be a patriach of non cubans in my opinion . The label as u can see from the pictures does resemble the cuban trinidad lable. Altadis’s famous quote for this cigar was “what Embargo” ? and to some extent i find this true , it does offer alot of the same characteristics of a Cuban, and that always makes me feel like my money was well spent. I have had the luxury of smoking all of these trinidads and even a 1997 Fundadores which i smoked in 2007 and it was exceptional. Although the best trinidad i have ever smoked in which i owned a box of and have none left was the 2006 TRINIDAD BOOK TORRE LZNAGA VOLUME No 6 there was only 500 cases ever produced i guess i wasnt thinking when i smoked the last one . The Name Lznaga was named after one of the towers erected in the city of Trinidad back in 1816, So the Trinidad name has alot of history




The Cigar

This cigar has a very beautiful Eucadorian Cabano Wrapper that  has a  very appealing overall look to it , slightly toothy and does have a few nice veins running through it the wrapper does have some nice oily texture to it as well which helps compliment its appearce immensly and it does have a nice weight which compliments the construction. The look of the wrapper is a very important characteristic to me it just makes the cigar look that much more appealing. This cigar has a beautiful pre-light aroma that makes u want to stop wasting your time and just smoke it. The first third of this cigar was had some cedary notes followed by a beautiful creamy taste with a slight peppery undertone finish. When i reached the second third the cigar increased in its creamy flavours but the cedar stayed constant. What i really loved about this cigar was the final third/ finish , cigars tend to have a stronger finish or tend to get bitter/hot , the trinidad actually became CREAMIER which was the highlight of this cigar.



Summary



For a cigar that will reward you with great creamy flavours and nice cedary notes, a beautiful finish , and an appearance that you can give to anyone and not be affraid of dissapointment especially the other sizes aside from the belicoso which all contain a beautiful pigtail cap which is cuban tradition. “WHAT EMBARGOOOOOO”

Sincerely

Eric D. Kukucka (member of the montecristo Lounge Sterling Heights)