Curivari Epitome 550

I’ve had this cigar resting in my humidor for almost exactly three years, so it felt like the right time to finally break it out. Advertised as a “Cuban seed” cigar, anything with “Cuban” in the marketing doesn’t really sway me one way or the other these days. Winter has properly arrived again and it’s […]

Birthday cake

Very light draw from the start, paired with a larger ring gauge than I would normally gravitate toward. The wrapper began to peel slightly at the cap, though I suspect that was more a result of my cutter than the cigar itself. At $21 USD, it’s on the expensive side for the U.S. market, but […]

El Buble

Nicaraguan puro, say less! The first impression was a good one, with a solid draw and plenty of smoke production. Unfortunately, about 20 minutes in, the draw tightened considerably and the smoke output dropped off a cliff. A recut and several purges helped, but it took the better part of 20 minutes to get the […]

Don Toirac

First of all, the size — this has to be close to the perfect cigar format. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy cigars big and small, but visually this vitola just looks spot on. (6 x 52) And speaking of visually perfect, have a look at this band. Absolutely stunning. Very regal, with a classic […]

Montenegro President Series Cordial

Heat right from the start — chilli spice immediately coating the tongue. This cigar comes in swinging and never bothers asking permission. Don’t know what happened to the photo, so here is one I borrowed. Zesty as hell. At first it’s hard to pin down exactly what’s happening because it just assaults the senses in […]

Plasencia Alma Fuerte Generacion V Salomon

I don’t know why I sat on this review for the last two years, but here we go. Tonight I pulled out this beautiful cigar to celebrate my 45th birthday. Honestly, there’s no better occasion for an amazing smoke. The timing could have been better though — the rain started rolling in and my balcony […]

The 200

This example has been aged for 6+ years — and it definitely smells like it. Most cigars mellow with age, but the scent on this one is still intense: dark, rich, and very reminiscent of pipe tobacco. The draw started a little tighter than expected, though smoke output was still solid. Early on I picked […]

AJ Fernandez Scrooge

And here it is — the Scrooge Cigar.In true Scrooge fashion, I paired it with the cheapest whiskey Dan Murphy’s has on the shelf… fitting, right? I’ve always found that certain vitolas carry their own signature character. Sure, each cigar is different, but sometimes the size and draw give a vitola a familiar “through-line” of […]

Ñandysy

This cigar started off with a strong tartness, featuring tart fruit and a noticeable white pepper flavour. While the initial tartness wasn’t particularly appealing, the flavour gradually smoothed out as the smoke progressed. The tartness subsided, and subtle fruit overtones and consistent white pepper notes took over. As I continued, floral notes began to emerge, […]

Montenegro Tamagoyaki

My first impression of this cigar was of a slight vegetal taste with a peppery note, starting with white then transitioning to black. The cigar itself is nicely box-pressed, measuring 5 x 54, and features a distinctive black foot band that reminded me of nori, much like the Tamago depicted on the top band. I […]