Seth's Humidor

El Triunfador No. 2

Wow, I once thought the Epernay line by Illusione could be one of the only lines to make a mild bodied/full flavored cigar, I was wrong. El Triunfador by Tatuaje's Pete Johnson is a flavor bomb. Pete Johnson crafted a cigar that was made in the traditional Cuban fashion and made to be similar to that of medium bodied Cuban cigars, he was successful on all levels. The cigars is made with a Habano Ecuadorian wrapper and Nicaraguan fillers and binder. I picked out the Belicoso Fino vitola, No. 2, in the line and the cigar measure 5 1/2" with a 52 ring gauge. The wrapper is beautiful brown in color and had some minor veins present but none enough to hurt the burn. It is slightly oily to touch and has a wonderful aromas of dark cherries, spices and wood. Of course the cigar is made by Don Pepin Garcia and is made in his My Father Factory in Nicaragua.

Tabacos El Triunfador

   

Reposado en Cedros

The newest line to the Hoyo de Monterrey brand, Reposado en Cedros is a medium bodied smoke that has undergone an immersion process post rolling. Reposado in Spanish means "to rest," so the term Reposado en Cedros means "rested in Cedar." The cigar is draped in an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper with a Connecticut Broadleaf binder. Underneath all that is a tri-country filler of Nicaraguan, Honduran, and Dominican (Piloto Cubano) tobacco. Post rolling the cigar is aged for six months in cedar before being packaged. The cigar is covered in a cedar sleeve and has a  significant presentation as well. I smoked the churchill in the line, called Liso, and measure 7" with a 49 ring gauge.

Hoyo de Monterrey Reposado en Cedros

     

Don Pepin Garcia makes tons of cigars, some bare his name and some don't, but I believe one of his best is the Cuban Classic and the great thing about the Cuban Classic line is that it is also one of Don Pepin's most affordable cigars. The cigar is made in Esteli, Nicargua and a Nicaraguan puro and is covered with a Habano Rosado wrapper and like all of his cigars the cigar is triple capped.  The cigar is beautiful to look at with a silky wrapper that is flawless and has wonderful aromas of leather, cedar, cherries and white pepper.

Cuban Classic 1979

This cigar starts out with tons of pepper and is accompanied by notes of roast coffee, cedar and leather. The first third is a bomb on this cigar and keeps getting stronger but if you can make it through it you are in the clear. Don Pepin is incredible at blending and keeping your palate guessing and this cigar truly puts it to the test. I have had tons of full bodied smokes in my time but they tend to lack the finesse that this cigar possess. When the second third begins notes of wood remain but I begin to pick up lots of spiced peaches in the flavor. Stone fruit is a sign of great flavors in a cigar and with it can add so much to the smoke. The white pepper begins to emerge towards the end of the second third and when I reached the final third the flavors grow even more. Dark cherries begin to become very present towards the end and is accompanied by lots of cedar and allspice. The cigar burned even all the way towards the end with no need to relight and was only hot when burning my fingers on the nub.   

Cuban Classic

I love this cigar and it truly is a Classic. It is in some ways similar to some Cuban cigars but I like to think it is unique in its own ways. I give this cigar a 92 and think this is a cigar you can enjoy now or even age it and enjoy later. I have had this stick for several years now and it is always consistent in flavor and body. I don't really believe that there are tons of cigars that can truly be aged for sometime and still be great but this is one of them. This is a cigar that has everything you could want in a cigar and at the same time not kill your wallet. If you haven't tried this smoke then it is about time you do because once you do you will think nothing but the world of it.

Don Pepin Garcia Cuban Classic - Cigar.com 

Cain Nub Maduro

Maduro

Some time back I reviewed the Cain line in its orginal vitolas and wanted to compare those with the nub formats. The nub line was designed to be equivalent in smoking time and experience to a standard vitola and have the flavors hit your palate right off the bat instead of having them build up in most cigars. The size has become ever so popular since its initial release and many makers have begun making cigars in that size. The Cain line was designed to be a very full bodied experience packed with tons of flavor. It is available in a San Andres Maduro or Nicaraguan Habano version. Both sizes were similar in body to their standard vitola counterparts but I felt the flavors were lessened in the maduro format and intensified in the habano format.

Cain Nub Habano

Habano

The Cain Nub Maduro is a heck of a smoke, measuring 4" with a 60 ring gauge it is thick in hand, and has aromas of earth, chocolate and spice. The smoke has a lot of the same flavors as the robusto format but lacks in balance as the standard vitola. I was able to pick up lots of coffee, earth, chocolate, wood and spice, but the body of it diminished the flavors to a degree. I would say the maduro version is much stronger in the nub format but less flavorful. Overall the nub format is made for those cigar fans that love thick cigars and the format itself. A 4" cigar a 60 ring gauge to me doesn't work. I don't feel that you can really treasure the smoke to the same degree as a robusto, double corona, corona gorda, etc. I give this cigar an 88 and if I were going to smoke a Can Maduro I would grab the robusto format.


Cain Nub by Oliva - Cigar.com 

Every year the 5 Vegas brand releases its limited edition smoke. The smoke usually consists of tobacco that has been aged for several years, minimum of 5, and is crafted by some of the finest makers on the market. Every year the blend changes and is in no way similar to last years. The cigar have become quite a collectible to many and are usually packaged in extravagant boxes. The Limitada 2022 is the first puro they have ever made and is made up of entirely Nicaraguan tobacco that is Cuban-seed. Every year the cigar is released in one size only and it is a 6.2" by 52 ring gauge belicoso.

5 Vegas Limitada 2022

The cigar is incredibly oily and is a dark brown habano wrapper that has minor veins present. There are no soft spots present on the cigar and has wonderful aromas of barnyard and pepper. Upon lighting the cigar you are greeted with lots of spices, predominantly cinnamon, nutmeg and red pepper. When I reached the first third flavors of wood and coffee emerge and add a dryness to the spices that were present when first lighting the cigar. The second third of this cigar really changed for me and I began to pick up lots of herb notes along with toast. I picked up some rosemary and a little pine which was very aromatic and pleasant. There is a slight sweetness with the finish in this part of the cigar as well. The cigar closes similar to how it began with lots of spices and wood notes and is accompanied by a salty sweetness experience.

Limitada 2022

I have had the 5 Vegas Limitada Series for the past four years and I would have to say that this year is the best of them all. I believe that every year the Limitada blend gets better and I look forward to the release of the 2021 line. I would have to give this cigar a 90 because I have had probably ten of these and the wrapper always cracks. The cigar smokes perfectly even and has great flavors but the wrapper on the cigar just always cracks and I know it is not my fault. If you want limited smokes and sit on them for sometime than this is your smoke. 
     
5 Vegas Limitada 2022 - Cigar.com

Fay Cabernet Sauvignon

Dark, profound, robust, three words that can describe this wine. Stag's Leap Wine Cellars is a very well known winery in Napa and the world and they make some wonderful wines. The winery was established in 1970 and after only six years was voted best red at the Judgment of Paris. Fay Hillside was purchased by Stag's Leap in 1986 and with it they were able to add 66 acres to their vineyard. This Cabernet from 2016 is made up from grapes entirely from the Fay Hillside. The wine is aged in 100% French Oak for 24 months before being bottled and was released in 2019.

Glass of Fay

The wine is beautiful when being poured and when in the glass and has a beautiful dark garnet red color to it. Holding the wine up to your nose you are greeted with wonderful aromas of oak, dark berries and licorice. With the first sip the flavors are dark and profound and you are greeted with blackberries, currants, vanilla, oak and black cherries. The wine is incredibly powerful throughout and the tannins are in your face constantly.

This is not your everyday Cabernet and is definitely not for the faint of heart. This is one of the darkest Cabernet's I have ever had and it really showed how different Cabernet's can be from the main stream ones. I gave this wine a 91 and thought it to be very flavorful but not as balanced as I would hope. Stag's Leap makes amazing wines and I have never thought poorly of any of them, if you ever thought a Cabernet could be similar to a Malbec this would be one of them.   

Blue Label

Gran Habano makes amazing smokes and with Blue Label they certainly outdid themselves. I love practically everything Gran Habano makes and Blue Label is one of their best I think. The cigar was release in 2018 and is sold exclusively for Cigar.com and Cigars International. The cigar begins with a gorgeous Habano wrapper that is beautiful in color and very toothy. There is a minor vein in the cigar but nothing dramatic. Underneath the wrapper is a Corojo binder and a tri-country filler from Honduras, Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic. The cigar is made at their STC factory in Honduras which is considered to be one of the finest cigar factories.

The cigar has wonderful aromas of barnyard and cinnamon, and is gorgeous to look at. Once you light the cigar you are greeted with spicy notes that are accompanied by oak and tea, and it is medium in body. As the cigar develops you begin to taste vanilla beans on your palate and it offers a nice sweetness to the spice, oak, and toast that is prominent in the smoke. Towards the end of the cigar there is an emergence of graham cracker and the final third of the cigar is packed with flavors that overwhelm your palate. The burn on the cigar was even throughout and the cigar produced tons of beautiful smoke.

This is a great everyday smoke and one that should be tried by everyone out there. I think this is the best bargain cigar on the market. This cigar is loaded with flavors and is accompanied by a nice body throughout. I would have to give this cigar a 90 and have it on a regular occasion. I don't think it is possible to be disappointed by anything Gran Habano makes and this is proof of that. If you have not smoked Blue Label hop on the bandwagon and buy a box.

BLue Label by Gran Habano - Cigar.com

E.P. Carrillo

Well it is official, E.P. Carrillo has done it again. Ever since his departure from General he has been making amazing cigars that show what a quality cigar should be. Every cigar he has made shows great and complex flavors and has a wonderful balance as well. The New Wave Connecticut really is the new wave. This is one of the best Connecticut wrapper cigars I have had in long time. The cigar is packed with tons of flavors and has a great body to it as well. Covered in an Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper the cigar is packed with Nicaraguan and Dominican filler tobacco  underneath a Dominican binder. I picked up the robusto in the line, called the Brillantes, which measure 5" with a 50 ring gauge.

The cigar has wonderful aromas of hay, wheat,  and honey, and beautiful to look at. The wrapper has some minor veins in it but has a wonderful shine and silky feeling to touch. As you light up the cigar you are greeted with wonderful notes of nutmeg, earth and cedar, and has a nice medium body to it. Within the first third the cigar shows lots of graham crackers, nuts, wood and cream notes that are beautiful on the palate, and the cigar remains medium in body. Within the second third the creaminess dissipates and is replaced by minor notes of cinnamon and cloves. I have reached the final third and this cigar is kicking butt. The flavors are playing off one another and with the wonderful body of the cigar really making an impression on me.

Brillantes

This cigar was incredible and really showed the skills in making a wonderful smoke. Most people think Connecticut shade wrappers are mild but Carrillo really showed the skills in proved otherwise. I give this cigar a 92 and would definitely recommend this cigar to any person out there. This is a great morning smoke for me and for some a great anytime of day smoke. If you are new to smoking or prefer cigars packed with flavors rather than body this is your smoke. I love it and will definitely pick more of these up.  Pick them up now!

Havana Phil's Cigar Company      

JFR Box

I am sorry, I messed up and forgot to take a picture of the cigar but  I assure you that if you look at my previous blog on the JFR Corojo it looks identical except a dark maduro wrapper. Made by Casa Fernandez, the JFR line is made exclusively for retail and is a great cigar. The cigar comes packaged in beautiful 50 count chests and is sold for a great price. Like the Corojo version, the Maduro is made with all Nicaraguan tobacco that is Cuban Seed. The wrapper is a habano leaf that has undergone the maduro process. Like its counterpart the robusto measure 5 1/2" and has a 50 ring gauge.


Looking at the cigar the wrapper is pitch black and vein free, it is pretty incredibly how well the wrapper looks because you don't see maduro wrappers that look as good as this. Besides from being very oily to touch the cigar has a wonderful aromas of barnyard, spices and espresso. Upon lighting I am greeted with tons of wood and espresso and their are dark spices on the back of the palate. As you continue the smoke the flavors grow more and more and there is a beginning note of chocolate that plays of the espresso. At the halfway point the cigar has become fuller in body and is really kicking. Throughout the rest of the smoke you continue to have notes of wood and espresso beans but black pepper begins to emerge more and more and it plays off the chocolate quite well.

The JFR line is really a wonderful line and a heck of a value as well. I give this cigar an 89 and though I prefer the Corojo version it is a great smoke. The cigar definitely shows signs of quality tobacco and quality craftsmanship. This is a cigar that you can definitely buy a box of and have one everyday and be happy with it. The pigtail cap and shaggy foot really offer an old school feeling to the cigar and add a lovely touch. These are definite buys for when working in the yard, fishing, watching a game and all else entertaining events. I would smokes one of these while watching my Ottawa Senators but since they suck they aren't playing hockey anymore. Pick these beauties up at Havana Phil's!

Centurian

When you smoke a cigar that was originally made exclusively for the Sultan of Brunei you can bet that it is going to be a good smoke. Well that is unfair, but you can safely say that it is going to be made extremely well and with great tobacco, whether or not you like it is up to your palate. The Centurian is a beautiful perfecto that 6" in length with a 60 ring gauge in the center. The beauty about the perfecto shape is that you are going to have the initial flavor which is going be dominantly wrapper, and then the center which will impart more flavors from the filler and then the final third which will be dominantly wrapper. The cigar is covered with a Connencicut wrapper that isn't shade grown or broadleaf but a dark natural Connecticut. Underneath the wrapper is an authentic Cameroon binder and filler tobaccos from the Cibao Valley in the Dominican Republic that are all Cuban-see ligero that have been aged for eight years. The cigar is very difficult to roll because of the shaped and because of that is only made by the best torcedors in the factory. The cigar is very limited so it is almost a collector's item but I say screw that and lets light this baby up!

The dark brown wrapper is silky to touch and there are practically no veins present. Upon lighting you are greeted with wonderful notes of earth, herbs, wood and unsweetened dark baking chocolate. As the smoke continues spices begin to engulf your palate and the cigar becomes medium full in body. Smoking on notes of barnyard begin to show up along with wood, toast and apricots. This cigar has a lot of flavors reminiscent of a Cuban Bolivar and Ramon Allones. At the center and thickest part of the cigar the flavors really go full force and the fullness of the body takes the back seat. The apricot taste really comes on strong and is accompanied by cinnamon and cloves. The chocolate from the beginning comes back to the front along with the herbs and this earthy dirt taste. When the cigar thins out on its downward course to the head of the cigar the body kicks back in and it is accompanied by wood, spices and earth. I found myself smoking this all the way to my fingers and desired another Centurian to continue this amazing journey.

If you have never experience a Centurian you need to. It is a pricey cigar but worth every penny. I give this cigar a 94 and would recommend it to every cigar smoker out there. You are not the Sultan of Brunei and because of that you can't smoke it everyday but you can save it for special occasions when a great cigar is called for. Enjoy this cigar in your backyard on a beautiful evening with a great wine after a great meal. Do yourself favor and treat yourself like a Sultan, even if it is for only a couple of hours.

Gurkha Centurian

Gurkha Centurian - Cigar.com   

Oscuro Fuerte

La Herencia Cuban Oscuro Fuerte

When it comes to Pennsylvania Broadleaf cigars I believe AJ Fernandez is the only one who is truly utilizing it. It is a difficult tobacco to work with but the results you can get from it are truly incredible. Diesel was his first release using the wrapper but since its success he has begun releasing more and more with that wrapper. La Herencia Cubana was originally realeased with an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper and it was a cigar you loved or hated it. I thought it was a great cigar with tons of flavor and when I heard that he was releasing the same blend with a different wrapper I was eager to try it.

The cigar is draped with the notorious dark PA Broadleaf wrapper that has aromas of spice, wood and earth with some minor veins present.Like its predecessor the cigar still has Nicaraguan fillers and binder but the flavor is changed so much because of the wrapper. The cigar is very robust from the get go giving off lots of earth and pepper notes with hints of cedar and spices. The finishes give of a cafe mocha taste to it which balances the full body that the cigar has. This is a very full bodied cigar but with that it has wonderful flavors and a smoothness which balances it all out. From head to foot the cigar has very similar flavors and doesn't throw any curve balls in your direction.   

I have smoked this cigar several times and in all its sizes and though it is pleasant it is not my cup of tea. I know there are those out there which really enjoy this cigar but to me it is not the best of his cigars. I give this cigar an 88 and would not pick it up again but if someone were looking for a cigar that fit this profile I would recommend it. AJ makes tons of great cigars and I love most of them but I felt that the blend on this cigar could have been better. With that being said if you want to compare two cigars with the same binder and filler this is a perfect case. I won't go on with this review because I have nothing more to say but you might like it so give it a shot.  Cigar.com offers samplers and I think that is the best way to try out cigars.

La Herencia Cubana Oscuro Fuerte - Cigar.com

CAO is a well known cigar company that is at the head of the line when coming to marketing and creativity. They have successful lines that are presented wonderfully and have cigars that are complex and balanced. One of their cigars in particular, the Italia, has been a favorite of mine for five years now and is still as good as it was when it was released. I have met the with former President Tim Ozgener several times and he is very knowledgeable and an incredible man to talk to as well. I talked with him years ago about the Italia and  

CAO Italia

The Italia is a wonderful cigar packed with tobacco from all over the world, and of course there is Italian tobacco in it. There are not many cigars that have Italian tobacco in them and I am pretty sure this was the first. The cigar is bold and sweet and gives of wonderful flavors that are accompanied by a beautiful body. To begin with the cigar has filler tobacco from three regions, Nicaragua, Peru and Italy. Nicaragua is a well known tobacco growing region and Peru is somewhat well known as well but Italy is a different category all together. The Italian tobacco adds a nice sweetness, almost pipe tobacco taste to it,  and really plays off well with the rest of the tobacco. The binder and wrapper are both from Honduras and the wrapper on this cigar is gorgeous. It has a beautiful solid color with practically no veins and is very toothy and oily. The Ciao is the robusto in the line measuring 5" with a 56 ring gauge. The aroma is of sweet pipe tobacco, chocolate and bourbon. 

Beautiful Cigar Wrapper

As I light up the cigar I am greeted with notes of chocolate, coffee, spice and some sweetness that dissipates as the second third approaches. As I mention sweetness I want to clarify that the sweetness isn't very overpowering but has a nice way to balance the spice in the cigar. With the second third there is a lot of wood present in the cigar accompanied by leather with some coffee still present. In the final third there is a beginning herbal flavor present with notes of earth. The cigar remained cool throughout and the burn perfect, great smoke. 

I am always eager to light up an Italia. Each cigar is complex and medium-full in body and never disappoints. The cigar does offer flavors that you can pick up in other cigars but it is truly unique because of the Italian tobacco it uses. I give this cigar a 90 and it is a staple in my humidor. I know some people hate this cigar and others have no feeling towards it but it is defintiely a cigar that you have to try. Whether you buy a single of a 5 pack give this cigar a shot and I am pretty sure you will enjoy it.

Available at all my recommended cigar shops.

~mj12~

No you are not confused, the mj12 is wrapped in a material that is silver in color. The mj12 gets its name from The Majestic 12 which was a secret committee of government officials, military personnel and scientists that were responsible for the investigation of the Roswell incident. The silver wrapper is meant to be similar to the space metal material that was discovered. Whether you believe there was a UFO landing and that the material found was alien and not weather balloon material that is up to you, all I know is if there are aliens I hope they are like the Transformers. I am pumped by the way for the third Transformers film and hope it is awesome. Either way the mj12 is probably one of Giolito's biggest cigars measuring 6" with a 54 ring gauge. It is definitely going to be  a different smoke compared with other Illusione Cigar because of the ring gauge on it but I am sure it will still be amazing.

~mj12~ out of the wrapper

Once you unravel the silver material coating the cigar you are greeted by the dark wrapper that is common with an Illusione Cigar and the wonderful aromas of barnyard, chocolate and spices. The wrapper is practically vein free and is a beast of a cigar. Looking at the foot you can see the filler tobacco bunched incredibly well showing the tobacco coloring inside spread out evenly. Sometimes you will see a large amount of dark tobacco right by one another and that is typically ligero. If the color is balanced throughout it means that it was bunched very well.

~mj12~

Upon lighting the cigar I am greeted with tons of flavors, lots of leather, chocolate and spices, with a body that is fuller than most Illusione Cigars. A lot of Illusione Cigars have a very nice medium body to them but this cigar seems to be fuller than most. I don't have anything against full bodied cigars, in fact I love them, but this cigar is definitely fuller in body than the others. As the cigar continues so does the strength but the flavors with it are still wonderful and balancing the strength of the tobacco. Finishing the first third you are greeted with a more nutty characteristic with touched of wood, but you still have lots of chocolate and leather in the background. When I entered the final third of the cigar the flavors returned to the beginning with that leather, chocolate and spice flavor.  Really was a flavorful cigar that captured the Illusione flavors and definitely fuller in body.

Looking back on the cigar I was very pleased with it, it is not my favorite size in the Illusione line up but it is at no point bad. There were some issues with it staying lit throughout the smoke so I had to relight it a couple of times but that as I why I have a lighter. I give this cigar a 91 and would definitely smoke it again, I have a couple more sticks in my humidor so those will be nice occasional treats, but compared with the ~88~ or ~cg:4~ I would have to say those two are at the top of my list. If you love the Illusione line and lover fuller bodied smokes I would definitely reach for this stick. Every time I smoke an Illusione I look at the vitola's in the line and every one of them is incredible, and then I look at his other line such as the Epernay and Cruzado and I say the same thing. Keep doing what you are doing Dion, you are making great smokes!

Illusione Cigars - Cigar.com