Blackbird x Penelope Barrel Aged Minnesota Fats

This cigar certainly catches the eye with its distinctive appearance – the silk foot band and box-pressed shorty shape give it a unique flair. I had high hopes that it would leave a lasting impression. However, when it came to the draw, it was a surprising letdown. The draw was incredibly light, almost lacking in […]

Rojas bluebonnet

Sweet and salty cereal. I do like the zesty flavour, presumably produced from the closed foot of this cigar. Wood and sweet cedar quickly made their presence known from the start as well. I might have been enjoying this cigar a little too much and overheated it by smoking too fast. The burnt wood flavour […]

Montenegro White

Montenegro! You know the brand and the sort of clout they possess. I expect nothing less than greatness. This is a beast of a cigar coming in at 6 x 60, not my preferred size but just look at this cigars black as night wrapper, with a fine crest in classic gold on white. Great […]

Punch Diablo

This is one good-looking cigar with an amazing smell of dark chocolate and cherries. It’s hard not to admire this dark and toothy Ecuadoran Sumatra Oscuro wrapper. What’s under the hood is a blend of Nicaraguan and Honduran Habano ligero leaves, bound by a bold Connecticut Broadleaf binder. This cigar tastes just like it looks, […]

El Diablo Del Desierto

Had to improvise a little with this cigar; my lighter and cutter were unfortunately in the same room as my sleeping 11-month-old daughter. If I wanted to enjoy this cigar, she needs to stay asleep, so kitchen knife and BBQ lighter in hand, this experience begins… Successfully cutting the cap on this cigar brings me […]

Tabacalera Chalet Las Palomitas

I’ve found that I’m slowly starting to favour the lighter wrappers. I like the look of this Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper; it kind of looks like hay, bet it tastes like it too. Lighting up greets me with lots of white pepper, pretty spicy but not too overbearing as yet. Hay, cedar, and wood are the […]

AJF fig corto

I would be lucky to find a cigar here in Australia for under $20, so bring on the $5 test blends Privada! Okay, pretty much all the test blends are from Tabacalera A.J. Fernandez, and this one is no exception. The only exception is that this is a Figurado, and one good-looking one I assure […]

Plasencia 1865 Alma Fuerte Colorado Claro

This cigar has been sitting in my humidor for the last 5 months. I have been waiting for the right time to smoke this beauty, and today is the day — it’s for the celebration of my resignation. Unfortunately, not retirement but moving on from a position that made me unhappy to a world of […]

Big bird (SHHH)

Although I’ve developed a fondness for foot bands, this example was stuck on ‘good,’ resulting in the wrapper ripping. First impressions were of cedar and white pepper. There was also a zesty pepper hit on the finish, but cedar is the star here. Moving on, bought flavours of aged tobacco and, yes, you guessed it, […]

The witch

This is the last of my Halloween trio from Privada. The first flavours found are the usual suspects: cedar and pepper. What wasn’t usual is the cool, fresh taste of menthol – definitely a first for me. Continuing on, the pepper subsides, and a milk arrowroot kind of flavour comes to light. There isn’t much […]