Difficult draw that is mouth drying and uneven burn for the first Inch. Two touch ups didn’t correct the burn so I cut the cigar a quarter inch below the burn line and found the cigar had tunneled past the cut. Waited five minutes and relit the cigar. Draw is good and burn line is straight. Primary flavor of wood with some earthiness, kitchen spice and mild black pepper. A touch of sweet citrus now and again along with some coffee as the cigar approaches the end.
EP Carrillo Core Plus Maduro Club 52
Very dark and for the first 2/3s, simple. Chocolate, coffee and funky earth. Draw was vacant. As the cigar finished there were elements of dried cherries and roses. Kind of like a red Burgundy in a cool vintage. Overall it was okay. = C
Back in the day, Fred made cigars and these were dubbed “Sparky Two.” We bought all our distributor had in stock shortly after release, (June, 2016). Straw aroma on the foot and cedar on the cold draw. Mild and smooth starting out with wood, oak at first, softening to cedar after a half inch. There are notes of roasted nuts, straw, leather and white pepper. Caramel joins the profile in the second third. The sweetness lingers and the white pepper softens. The flavors intensify as the cigar winds down. Great smoke.
Carillo was “king” back in mid ‘90s with his La Gloria Cubana line, well priced and pretty much top of the ladder, save for some others like Padron. All LFCs were made in Miami. After he sold the business and production was moved to Dominica, along with “new blends” to integrate Dominican leaf many of stopped buyingm myself included (when I used to have 5-6 boxes on hand always). Tried a number of his EP Carillo since his non-compete ran out and he opened a factory of his own, but none really strike me as great. His, as well as most others’, idea of adding “flavor” now is not best quality leaf, but simply larger ring gauge. But, as the old commercial goes, “There is no substititute…” His LGC Wavells were a blast, in every way, those days are gone.
In the humidor for at least two years. A little barnyard aroma on the foot. Rich tobacco on the cold draw. The cigar is essentially an Opus X with a Maduro wrapper. The wrapper adds some sweetness and some cocoa to the complex profile of the Opus X, consisting of wood, leather, earth, some roasted nuts and kitchen spices. Towards the end of the cigar there were notes of roasted meat and some black pepper held in check by the sweetness from the wrapper. Excellent.
In the humidor for at least one year. A little barnyard on the foot and rich tobacco on the cold draw. The cigar starts out smooth after lighting it with cocoa, earth and sweet dark berries. The draw is easy and the smoke is so dense blowing a smoke ring creates a smoke tunnel. Some black pepper appears on the finish at the end of the first third. Mid way, the cocoa has become mocha and there are notes of kitchen spice. The cigar never exceeds medium in strength and is full flavored. Have to try the Habano and Sumatra wrapped versions.
Man O’ War Virtue Salomon
This has been resting for 6 or 7 years. I had one in January and it was a little off. This was much better. Nice and on the mild/medium side. I remember these being better when young and so I picked up a few more and will smoke them soon. I’ll report back.
Warped Flor del Valle Ghost Orchid Purchased this year.
Another terrific cigar from Warped. It still needs some time to rest. Medium smoke. Woodsy, earthy, with a bit of dried black cherry. About halfway through there is caramel, cream, peanuts, and white pepper. The pepper is very present but this is not spicy. As it went on, I started to have some burn issues and a taste of dry wood planks. I am hoping a little more time will even this out. Warped are almost always distinctive to my palate. A-
Two years in the humidor. Hay aroma on the foot and earth on the cold draw. The first half inch was a mouthful of red pepper flakes. As they tone down an earthiness builds and continues to the finish. Retrohale is hot red pepper. Some tea notes appear at the start of the second third with earth the primary flavor and the pepper is now mild on the finish. Some caramel sweetness joins in and the pepper disappears. Wood and coffee notes mingle. Pepper reappears in the final third, first on the finish but working it’s way to the forefront. A little too much pepper for my palate but the rest of the cigar was complex and tasty.
Two years in the humidor. Like the other Leaf cigars I posted, the Sumatra has impecible construction, easy draw and dense smoke. Saddle leather aroma on the foot and tobacco on the cold draw. I would call this a subtle cigar. The primary flavor is mild tobacco. Through the length of the cigar there are hints and/or nuances of saddle leather, earth, nuts, citrus, cocoa, hay, caramel, cinnamon, white and black pepper. These elements of the profile intensify from the middle of the cigar on to the end.
Warped Serie Gran Reserva 1988 Purchased in March 2020
Yum. Great smoke. Leather and chocolate malt. Elements of dried orange candy. Not sweet but bold and some brightness. A+
Arrived yesterday. Hay aroma on the foot, tobacco on the cold draw. Starts out peppery and the draw is tight for the first third. The pepper fades revealing some nuttiness, hay and earth. Intermittent caramel sweetness counters the now light white pepper at the halfway point of the cigar. Some espresso notes starting the final third and the pepper returns at the finish. Very good after the draw improved.
Been in the humidor at least six years. The cellophane was amber colored from the oils in the cigar. 100 percent Maduro leaf cigar. Barnyard on the foot and chocolate on the cold draw. Starts out with pepper and settles quickly to a mellow chocolate milk like flavor that is present for the entire cigar. There were notes of earth, nuts, some kitchen spices and an occasional citrus note. Slow smoker and some pepper returned near the end. Very interesting.
Psyko Seven Nicaragua Robusto
This was just not working for me. Thin flavors. 1 note profile. Light bodied, medium flavors. Draw and burn were a problem. =D+
