CIGAR of the DAY!!

cuban smokes said:

have a few of these showing up soon ................ Fifth Year Anniversary Quesada Reserva Privada Corona Gorda

Vitola: 6-1/2×46
Made in: Dominican Republic
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut
Binder: Dominican San Vicente from the 1997 Vintage
Filler: Dominican San Vicente from the 1997 Vintage selected from Cosecha Pareja crops, Pennsylvania Ligero

had 20 cigars in October :mrgreen: will do some reviews soon ..................

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OK, well the Fifth Year Anniversary Quesada Reserva Privada Corona Gorda arrived today just about 12:25 PM & at 2:10 PM I fired one up :mrgreen:

https://fineashcigars.com/shop/fine...versary-quesada-reserva-privada-corona-gorda/

Stats are quoted above from my previous post so, here's the review ...................

Main flavor profile is IMO roasted almond, Crème brûlée, a nice subtle spice, and into the last half & last third a muted leather & tobacco.
This smoke is soooooooo smooth & rich it reminds me of the 'best' of list in life, or more appropriately a favorite list. This is a refined, smooth, and tasty cigar, and it brings back memories of my favorites of many things that I have enjoyed over the years.
The burn was perfect, never requiring a touch-up, the ash held on for ~50 minutes, and the second ash drop was another 45 later. Draw was basically perfect, not too tight & never at all loose. At the time I tossed the cigar I was 1 hour & 50 minutes in with a full 1 1/2 of cigar left; a bit < 25% of the original length. The cigar never got remotely hot, not even warm. I could have easily nubbed this one & gone another 20 minutes. Considering the time I smoked the burn rate was ~25 minutes plus per inch. During the last half the flavor profile actually shifted quite frequently offering an even more interesting complexity.

I have been smoking cigars now for over ten years. Through that time I have been mostly a maduro smoker but for the past 12 to 18 months I have been searching out more traditional/Cuban type fare. This cigar actually reminds me a lot of the LFD Litti Gomez Diez but without the berry notes & the spice is much more muted than the Diez. I actually enjoyed this cigar more than any Diez I have smoked. That alone IMO is one Hell of an endorsement for this cigar.

I don't utilize the descriptor 'amazing' for any cigar but I would have to say this one may well deserve the term. This is literally one of my top three cigars I have ever smoked; yep, IMO it is that good from my experience. The price point is waaaaaaaaay below the enjoyment level too so, I would rate this smoke as a 'best buy.' Not even considering the price point, from my experience this would have to rate a near perfect, if that is possible ...............

No doubt I will be adding more of these to my monthly consumption rotation. Thank you Mr. Sam Lopez & Rosie from Fine Ash Cigars in Avondale, Arizona. :2wave:

Just FYI, I've been a member of Thompson's Cigar club for over a year now. If you shop around carefully and watch the ratings, you can find discount cigars almost as good as the high-dollar stuff. Sometimes they have good deals on the high-end cigars also.

I just got 40 Honduran churchills almost free thanks to the customer rewards program....

jimbo said:

Gurkha is a decent smoke, but I find a lot of inconsistency in the quality.

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Ditto. And for the price, I'm frankly shocked to find a thick stem running straight down the middle sometimes.

Goshin said:

Just FYI, I've been a member of Thompson's Cigar club for over a year now. If you shop around carefully and watch the ratings, you can find discount cigars almost as good as the high-dollar stuff. Sometimes they have good deals on the high-end cigars also.

I just got 40 Honduran churchills almost free thanks to the customer rewards program....

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I like jrcigars.com


But, the original owner sold several years back and they haven't been quite the same since. Still, great selection. Though I haven't bought in quite a long time. Only end up smoking 5-10 a year these days.

PirateMk1 said:

La Gloria Cubana, one of my favs. I usually smoke the maduro Churchill or Charlemagne. Every once in a while I will smoke a maduro Soberano.

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Main line and the Serie S (or is it Serie R?) are my favorites. Heavy on the nicotine though. I have to take it very slowly..

Mr Person said:

I like jrcigars.com


But, the original owner sold several years back and they haven't been quite the same since. Still, great selection. Though I haven't bought in quite a long time. Only end up smoking 5-10 a year these days.

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J R recently purchased Serious Cigars (Houston, TX) and J R Cigars COMPLETELY ****ed up ................ they are on my cigar **** list, no doubt

they even sent me $70 worth of 'coupons' but I won't ever be desperate enuff to want to purchase from J R ever again; that type of customer service bull**** is inexcusable, no matter what the product, or service ......................

Mr Person said:

Ditto. And for the price, I'm frankly shocked to find a thick stem running straight down the middle sometimes.

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during the ten years I have been enjoying cigars, the thing I have learned is this; there will be to some degree for the potential for a wide variety of quality issues within a single box, no matter the brand, the vendor, or other variable

top quality cigars are a natural product, 100% tobacco, produced by the human hand, and there is no widget to widget consistency like when I worked with semiconductors aka chips for 11 years

another thing: I have found that buying single sticks typically offers a cigar that is much better conditioned than buying by the box, which is much more difficult to maintain at a constant temp & RH

of course, cigars are IMO much more enjoyable than semiconductors

YMMV ...................

today I really enjoyed an ASHTON Prime Minister, a nearly 7" x 48 ring gauge vitola

Ashton Cigars | Holt's Cigar Co.

the first third was very mild and not so complex with a flavor profile of mainly weak tobacco, toasted nuts, muted pepper & strong aromas of caramel, vanilla, and espresso, almost a crème brulée.
The burn was razor perfect & no re-lights until the 1 hour 30 minute mark; one of the sharpest burns ever.
The draw was perfect throughout.

The second third the flavor profile became fairly muted & I was under the impression that the flavors & aromas had gone bye bye.
The burn was still perfect, as was the draw.

At 1 hour 30 minutes in the cigar went out = WTF? It was not from lack of puffing .............. dun know what happened .......... strange .....
I re-lit the stogie & began the experience again. I took a few puffs & thought, this isn't very impressive; maybe I should just toss this thing.

At about the 1 hour 40 minute mark the flavors & the aromas came back, STRONG; WTF?
This thing actually started to come alive like it had never been the previous 100 minutes :shock::shock:
I continued on until the 2 hour & 6 minute mark at which time there was a bit more than 1 inch left; nubbsville :2razz:
During that last 26 minutes I experienced one of the MOST COMPLEX cigars I have ever had the pleasure to smoke
The flavors were constantly shifting, even from one puff to the next; I am still in a bit of shock that a cigar could perform this nicely on a flavor profile level at this far into the stick!!! All of this going on, all while the nicotine was getting to a point in which some may toss their cookies ....... haha .......... not me!
The crème brulée flavors & aromas were just as sharp as ever, the pepper was building, I even had one puff with a strong peanut butter flavor, and believe it or not one of the next draws tasted like fresh Gulf of Mexico shrimp. :shock:
I have actually never in my over ten years of enjoying cigars smoked a cigar this overall complex & flavor shifting; I thought maybe I had been abducted by an alien space craft & taken to cigar utopia.
This experience was a huge lesson in NOT tossing a cigar when I thought it was past its' prime but rather just hang on for the ride & see where it all ends.
I was certainly rewarded with one of the wildest cigar rides in my experience, ever.

I have a few more of these & I hope the next four are as enjoyable as this first one.
Thanks to Holts for getting me these!! WOW ................................ luv it ..............

What's with the Gurkha Beauty? Anybody know?

A $30 stick at retail. $145 a five pack. Internet. Reviews range from unsmokeable to best cigar ever, CI is including a 5 pack in one of their combo's. Lighter, cutter, humidor, 10 cigars, your choice of semi premiums. $60. About $200/retail

JR has them for $15/5 pack (today only). Either the best deal on the planet or a waste of $15

Regius of London - Black Label/Arbiter Elegantiae - Grandido (Churchill)

located a seller about one month ago with a few of these in the Churchill size (7 x 47) and IMO these are really nice. I have smoked four over the past three weeks & I am wanting more. IMO these are a medium strength with a great semi-sweet molasses in the background = very unique. I don't agree with most of the more negative 'Final Notes' from the Halfwheel review which may be due to the fact that the sticks I acquired were very well aged. Also, Halfwheel left an 86 rating. I would rate these easily at a 93 but that is purely subjective. If you enjoy a nice cigar, and you can find these, I would recommend you grab some before they are history .................

Regius Robusto - halfwheel

cuban smokes said:

Regius of London - Black Label/Arbiter Elegantiae - Grandido (Churchill)

located a seller about one month ago with a few of these in the Churchill size (7 x 47) and IMO these are really nice. I have smoked four over the past three weeks & I am wanting more. IMO these are a medium strength with a great semi-sweet molasses in the background = very unique. I don't agree with most of the more negative 'Final Notes' from the Halfwheel review which may be due to the fact that the sticks I acquired were very well aged. Also, Halfwheel left an 86 rating. I would rate these easily at a 93 but that is purely subjective. If you enjoy a nice cigar, and you can find these, I would recommend you grab some before they are history .................

Regius Robusto - halfwheel

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I have a box of 25 of the above Regius Black Label arriving today :mrgreen:




on another note: I ordered the first time from the below vendor & I would NOT recommend purchasing from them.
Ordered two boxes, seals on both boxes were breached, cigar quality was not very good, had several damaged cigars, and their 'customer service' is TERRIBLE.
https://www.cigarsinternational.com/
I rate them a DO NOT PURCHASE FROM ....... You have been warned :2wave:

Garcia Vega is my old standby or an 'Fuente Fuente Opus X The Lost City' is a good cohiba.

My favorite stick of 2017 was without a doubt the Quesada Reserva Privada; I had purchased two just to try them out.
I currently have 22 of these now, in two different vitolas; letting them sit in the humi to get conditioned.

Honorable mention goes to: La Aroma de Cuba Noblesse, San Cristobal Revelation, Regius of London Black Label

so, what's up for 2018 for me & cigars?
My goal is to smoke less :shock: as my monthly average for 2017 was 12 aka I smoked 144 cigars thru the year = too many

I certainly have a good collection in the humi to pic from; 133 to be exact & I am purchasing more today :mrgreen: (smoke less, buy more = how does that work?)

so, for 2018 I will try & offer more reviews even by smoking less but it all depends on how many vacations I go on :doh

OK folks; ready, set, get those lighters going .............................. SMOKE ..............................

great (weather) day here in the Twin Cities for a tasty cigar today ................. hum ......... what SMOKE shall I have today? ..............

Today = Regius Black Label

June 20 = Quesda - Reserva Privada

June 21 = La Aroma De Cuba - Noblesse

June 22 = San Cristobal - Revelation


that makes for a pretty good last full day of spring (20), summer solstice (21), and first full day of summer (22) .......... eace .........

June 26 = Ashton Classic - 898

June 27 = Arturo Fuente - Rosado Magnum R54

June 28 = Arturo Fuente - Anejo #55

June 29 - La Flor Dominicana - Litto Gomez/Diez - Dominicano

June 30 - Regius of London - Black Label

these are very under rated IMO; grab a few sticks, or a box if you can find them ........

today, July 5, 2018

La Flor Dominicana (Litto Gomez) - Double Ligero - Digger (Maduro) - 8 1/2" x 60 RG

this is one of the largest cigars currently produced & sold, an easy three hour smoke :shock:

I have enjoyed these for years & I smoke about 4 to 6 of these yearly

let them rest up in your humidor for a minimum of 6 months; they get really sweet, sticky, and yummy :mrgreen:

Flor De Las Antillas - Maduro - Toro

Have a box of these in my humi for about 11 months and they are finally starting to get 'right.'

These can be prone to tunneling & a need for touch ups for irregular burn but proper storage over a period of time (~12 months) seems to mitigate both issues.

If you like the maduro thing then I highly recommend this blend in the Toro size eace

Arturo Fuente Anejo #49

this one has been in my humidor for right @ 22 months

IMO these need to stay in your humi for a minimum 12 months eace

sweet, sticky, lots of cedar notes, lots of Cognac notes, molasses, one of the smoothest, most decadent cigars you may ever enjoy

If you can get these then do yourself a favor


The below is from cigarplace.biz

We’ve all heard of turning life’s lemons into lemonade, but the story behind the Arturo Fuente Añejo No. 49 cigar is just amazing. Back in 1998, when the Arturo Fuente Opus X was just as big of a deal as it is now, Hurricane Georges ravaged the Dominican Republic and caused a shortage in the cigar’s wrapper being grown only at one small Chateau de le Fuente farm. With the expertly-fermented Dominican filler and binder still safe and raring to go, someone had the inspiration to substitute a dark and sticky-sweet five-year-aged Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro wrapper which had been further rested in used Cognac barrels. The result is a 93-rated gem the likes of which may never be equaled.

As if the admittedly impressive specs on the Arturo Fuente Añejo No. 49 were ever going to be enough to satisfy anyone’s curiosity, it is in the experiencing of the cigar itself where true enlightenment takes place. A distinct vanilla-like aroma, sure evidence of the Cognac influence, exudes from the uniformly dark and toothy 7 5/8” X 49 vitola as soon as it is released from its cedar sheath. A draw test peppers the tongue with a flavor reminiscent of a cinnamon sugar cookie. Once lit, a full-on onslaught of oak, spiced molasses, cocoa, black licorice, earth, and leather embraces the palate, not to let go until long after the final puffs are taken.

One final stroke of genius that makes this cigar such an incredible piece of art is its ability to remain a solid medium in strength even as the flavor overflows into the realm of near-excess. This means that just about any smoker can and should enjoy an Arturo Fuente Añejo No. 49 at some point in their lives, and there’s no time like the present. Exceedingly rare, if they’re in stock you need to grab some right now. If not, be patient and make your move next time.

cuban smokes said:

OK stogie fans; post the goods here .............

Yesterday I enjoyed a LFD Litto Gomez Small Batch #6 that had been in my humi @ 72% RH for just over one year

Litto Gomez Small Batch No. 6 - halfwheel

I suppose most folks would consider this particular cigar @ a $20 price point to be a 'special occasion' cigar but to me yesterday was just another day :lol:

LFD is known for heavy, full strength cigars & this one was no exception but it took a while for it to ramp up to the full strength level.
Initially this cigar started off very tame with notes very similar to the LFD Litto Gomez Diez (oh my) which are flavors of crème, berries, almond, tobacco.
The ash held for 55 minutes & then an almost immediate flavor profile transition & strength transition. At this point the flavor profile becomes less desirable IMO but the strength starts to ramp up. After about 90 minutes the strength is pretty much beyond my desire to further pursue puffing but I did enjoy this Small Batch #6 yesterday morning before I ate anything :shock: so, that may have contributed to me tossing it after 100 minutes/1 hour 40 minutes.

I have tried the Litto Gomez Small Batch 4, 5, and 6 & they all have a similar flavor profile, and they do require some touch ups with the ole lighter but nothing major.
Also, I have enjoyed cigars that cost a considerable amount le$$ that are IMO a 'better' cigar. None the less cigar smokers understand the adventure of enjoying differing blends :mrgreen:

Is the LFD Litto Gomez Small Batch series worth $20 a pop? Maybe, maybe not but any cigar smoker should decide for themselves.
I would certainly recommend allowing these to age a minimum of 9 months in your humi eace

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The most recent one I've tried is the CAO America. I go for the more mellow cigars. This one was flavorful.

CLAX1911 said:

The most recent one I've tried is the CAO America. I go for the more mellow cigars. This one was flavorful.

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my fave CAO is the La Traviata Maduro (Intrepido = 7 x 54)

I have purchased & smoked quite a few boxes of these but I haven't smoked one in a few years

now I'm curious; what would one be like now that I have gone UP the $$$$ chain?

so, this morning I get up @ 5:30, my regular 'wake up' time, take a shower, load up on two cups-O-java & decided to go to the gym for my typical 'cardio' routine.

I was like; **** it. I have been to the gym the past FIVE days in a row. I NEED a break from this routine **** :idea:

So, for breakfast I decide to blow off the gym & have a Quesada Reserva Privada (Private Reserve)

These have become one of my favorite 'go to' cigars and I keep a box worth in my humi for personal & home defense :lol:

QUESADA RESERVA PRIVADA – Quesada Cigars

"The Dominican crop of 1997 was extraordinary, and Manuel “Manolo” Quesada saved a large number of pounds of tobacco from this crop. Blending the fillers of 1997 with Dominican tobaccos we are currently using, with a splash of Pennsylvania fillers, and wrapped in a silky Connecticut Ecuadorian wrapper, these Cigars offer a noble yet intense smoke with hints of Cocoa and a cedary sweetness. Smooth and flavorful, these are a certain go-to Cigar."

The blend of Dominican San Vicente from the 1997 Vintage Cosecha Pareja & the Pennsylvania Ligero make this cigar a gem.

Do yourself a favor and grab some of these; stick them in your humi for a minimum 7 to 9 months. You will be richly rewarded :mrgreen:

cuban smokes said:

my fave CAO is the La Traviata Maduro (Intrepido = 7 x 54)

I have purchased & smoked quite a few boxes of these but I haven't smoked one in a few years

now I'm curious; what would one be like now that I have gone UP the $$$$ chain?

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I just started smoking about a year ago. And I dont smile cigars that often so i couldn't tell you how they are different.