The Velvet Cigar

Posted By ironmeden on July 29, 2010

I’ve had this cigar for a couple years after attending a La Flor Dominicana event at Tobacco Grove. I’ve been waiting for a nice hot evening to smoke it up and it finally came on a humid 90 degree day.

La Flor Dominicana Reserva Especial

Wrapper: Ecuadoran Connecticut
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Piloto Cubano

The Reserva Especial comes in 7 sizes, but only one size comes in both the Natural and Maduro. The El Jocko which measures 3 1/2 x 32 – 54. This cigar looks like a meaty son of a gun. The wrapper is a dark brown, almost leaning towards the Black end of the spectrum.

I clip the head of the cigar and light it with my Colibri triple flame lighter. Its almost too much lighter for this firecracker.

Call the Fire Department because is some spice to this cigar. I’m not sure what that means, but lets go with it. There are many layers of depth to this cigar at the start. From the tingle of spice on the tip of the tongue to the rich leather overtones after each draw, this is a flavorful cigar from the very start.

At the 1/4 mark, which is where the burn just gets to the bulge in the cigar, the tingle of spice lightens up as well as the overall intensity of the flavor, but they are still strong.

Halfway through the burn takes a turn for the worse and gets a little uneven. I want to just keep puffing on the cigar its so good, but being a short stick, I have to take my time. The sweetness of the maduro comes shining through here, a dark and rich expresso flavor jumps out.

At the 3/4 mark I know I have to slow down, my head is spinning. The cigar needs a light touch up to even the burn. This cigar is so smooth.

The La Flor Dominicana Reserva Especial reminds of when I was younger. We’d have a group of guys get together and we would start the evening with a shot of Jagemeister. We would slam it down and the night would just begin. This is the type of cigar you would smoke first if you want to get the full effect of a delicious smoke. You do want to smoke this cigar on a full stomach, this is not for the novice cigar smoker. I give this cigar a 5 out of 5. Rating:

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Posted By ironmeden on July 24, 2010

When I thought about reviewing this cigar, it was hard not to bring up what the emblem of the Hammer & Sickle means to me.

Its such an iconic symbol during the Cold War and what it meant to see it as an American living through the 70′s and 80′s as a kid and teenager. When I watched films and filmstrips in school the views we had of the Russian people were of poverty and despair. The Communist government had a stranglehold on its people and when I watched these films, I couldn’t help but feel sorry for them. We were shown long lines for food at government facilities where they waited for bread, vegetables, fruit and meat for hours. These days, we as Americans get angry if we have to wait 3 deep in a grocery store and wonder why they don’t open up another lane.

Also the rights of the Russian people seemed to be non existent. Though I hate comparing the little rights those people had back then to what I’m seeing in today’s America, I can’t help but see a slow transition of lost rights of some Americans.

Hammer & Sickle

The Hammer & Sickle cigar is the product of the company that brings you the Hammer & Sickle Vodka. The cigar was introduced at the 2009 IPCPR event. The cigar is distributed by The Cigar Agency which also represents the Esensia line of cigars.

Wrapper: Connecticut (Aged 5 Years)
Binder: Dominican Republic
Filler: Dominican Republic (Aged 3 Years)

I’ll be smoking the Toro which measures 6 x 50. The wrapper is a medium shade, a little darker then I usually expect from a Connecticut wrapper. There is a slight oily sheen, the wrapper itself is smooth in appearance. The band is unique, it has the traditional Russian Hammer and Sickle icon in the middle with the Hammer & Sickle name below. There are 2 smaller hammer and sickles on each side colored in red and gold. The color palate on the band is warm with beige, gold and a red-maroon tones. The Hammer & Sickle comes in 4 different sizes, Churchill, Torpedo, Toro and Robusto.

I clipped the cigar with my Zippo guillotine cutter and light it with my Colibri triple flame lighter. I notice quickly the easy draw. I’m getting fruit flavors, more on the drier side such as plum and raisin. At the start of the draw the cigar is smooth, but at the end, the flavor is a little bitter.

At the 1/4 mark, the cigar is showing off its medium body. The burn is razor sharp.

Halfway through the cigar is losing the previous fruit notes, its moving more into a dry hay note. The burn is a little uneven at this point. I’m tasting a strong coffee flavor.

At the 3/4 mark the burn corrects itself. The coffee flavor still keeps going strong. There is a slight pepper note at the end of the draw. At the end of the cigar, it loses most flavor transitioning into a dry paper note.

The Hammer & Sickle I can say will not be on my list of repeat cigars. Its not a terrible cigar, but the flavors don’t make me want to pick up another stick. I’m giving this cigar a 2.5 out of 5. Rating:

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Posted By ironmeden on July 22, 2010

In a recent post I briefly talked about a new cigar shop in the Twin Cities area. Little Havana Tobacco is located in Anoka, MN which is about 20 minutes north of Minneapolis. What I enjoy about Little Havana is how large the sitting areas are for smoking. I wanted to share pictures of this lounge and show you what your missing if you live in the Twin Cities area.

Alec Bradley Family Blend

Wrapper: Honduras

Binder: Indonesia

Filler: Honduras and Nicaragua

The Family Blend comes in one size which is the No. 1 which measures 5 1/2 x 50.

The Family Blend has a solid feel to the cigar, there is little give as I roll it through my fingers. The wrapper is medium to dark brown in shade. There is a pigtail at the top of the cigar, but it looks more like a fantail. I pull the fantail off and it gives me a decent hold to take my draws through. Rolling the cigar in my mouth, the head of the cigar has little give. Its feels like a rock. The band is pretty simple with the Alec Bradley name and Family Blend in the middle. The band reminds me a small town family restaurant sign.

I light the cigar with my Colibri triple flame lighter. Right from the start the cigar blows you away with flavor and spice. There is a sweetness from the maduro with a slight fruit overtones. There is a slight tight draw, but its not really taking away from the smoke, in fact its probably intensifying the flavors.

At the 1/4 mark the cigar deep and rich in flavor. The cigar is full bodied this early in the cigar. The burn is a little uneven. Notes of strong coffee with the maduro sweetness stand out with hint of nuts.

Halfway through I give the wrapper a touch up to even out the burn. The spice I got early on returns with a slight tingle at the back of the throat. A bitter coffee flavor comes along.

At the 3/4 mark i’m still fighting an uneven burn. I attempt another touch up. The sweetness of the maduro has disappeared with the coffee now taking over as the primary flavor. The spice does get stronger, taking on the tip of the tongue.

At the end the burn finally evened out. The spice note still going strong with coffee right behind it. The center of my tongue is on fire. The start of this cigar is fantastic, it gets a little drier towards the end, but overall this cigar gives the full bodied smoker a great experience. I give this cigar a 4 out of 5 Rating:

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Posted By ironmeden on July 18, 2010

Nestor Miranda 1989

As I was preparing this review I thought I had smoked a previous Nestor Miranda blend and reviewed it, but I guess I haven’t.  I have smoked the Special Selection line before.

The 1989 blend is the 3rd blend in the Nestor Miranda line of cigars. The 1989 is blended at the My Father factory in Esteli, Nicaragua. The 1989 is comes in 2 different wrappers, a Rosado and Oscuro. My review will be of the Rosado wrapper.

Blend:

Wrapper: Rosado or Oscuro

Filler: Nicaraguan and Honduran

Binder: Nicaraguan

I will be smoking the Belicoso which is 6 1/8 x 52. The construction of the cigar is pretty solid. There are a few veins. the wrapper is medium in color. The torpedo head of the cigar is perfect, it looks like even if I were to cut it off, it would fight back the blades. The band is colorful with they year 1989 right in the center.

I did end up clipping the head of the cigar and lit it with my Colibri triple flame light. Below are my lighting utensils.

At first impressions the cigar gives off a dry hay flavor, followed by bitter coffee.

At the 1/4 mark the cigar has a sharp burn. The cigar smoothed out with both flavor notes tasted earlier easing up.

Halfway through the burn is quite impressive, the draw is slightly loose which is causing the cigar to burn fast. I slow down a bit. The cigar gets even smoother, almost going moving into a creaminess.

At the 3/4 mark the coffee flavors jump out into a richer and robust note.

The Nestor Miranda 1989 started off a little shaky, but it developed into a rich smoke. The cigar is medium bodied throughout. Though I liked the cigar, I probably won’t smoke one again because it just doesn’t fit my smoking palate, but I can pick out half a dozen guys I hang out with who I can point to and they will love this cigar. I give this cigar a 3 out of 5 Rating:

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Posted By ironmeden on July 16, 2010

When I first started using WordPress as my blog platform, I hacked my way through it. I never really got it the way I wanted it and in some ways I still don’t. The one thing that I couldn’t get right was having people leave comments. The default WordPress comment section was quite clunky and not very easy for people to leave their thoughts on a review. You always had to sign up. I recently updated the comments section to a more simple option. All you have to do is enter in your name, email address and maybe a website and enter comment and add your response. There is no longer a sign up option. Just click on the comments link at the bottom of each review. I hope readers of The Velvet Cigar will find this option a way for more interaction with our reviews.

Artesanos de Tabaqueros

The wrapper both the Connecticut Shade and Ecuadoran Sumatra  are quite veiny. The standard La Gloria Cubana label with accents of gold wrap around the cigar.  The size i’m smoking is the 652 Belicoso which you guessed measures 6 x 52. Below is a video on how they make this unique cigar.

I cut the head of the cigar and light the foot with my Colibri Triple flame lighter. From the start the cigar has a chalky taste from the Connecticut Shade wrapper. The draw is slightly resistant. I get a slight spice in the back of my throat, but nothing too strong.

At the 1/4 mark the cigar moves on to the Ecuadoran Sumatra wrapper. The flavor certainly changes, there is a more woody flavor. The cigar has a smoother quality once it moves on to this wrapper.

Halfway through cigar gets a little stronger. The spice note is at the end of each draw. There is also some sweetness.

The 3/4 mark doesn’t change much, the spice  note eases a little, right at the end the spice intensifies.

The Artesanos de Tabaueros is a unique cigar. It starts of as a mild to medium cigar and ramps up to a full bodied cigar. You’ll want to start off the cigar by enjoying coffee, but by the end you’ll want to be finishing a full bodied beer. I wasn’t impressed with the start of the cigar but enjoyed the Sumatra wrapper the best.  I’m giving this cigar a 4 out of 5. Rating:

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