Frank Llaneza 1961 Cuban Corona

Frank Llaneza is a lion of the cigar industry who has been described by the Wall Street Journal as “the last grand old man of the cigar business as it was carried over from Cuba.”

He is best known as the former president of Villazon & Co., which was started by his father and his partners in Tampa in 1920. Young Frank was conscripted into the cigar industry, starting out with janitorial duties in his father’s factory, a job that he would have gladly forsaken to spend more time in school instead. But this was the during the Depression, and his choices were limited. As part of his education in the business he soon left for Cuba, where he learned how to select wrapper leaf under the legendary Angel Oliva, Sr., a man who would become first his mentor and later his collaborator.

Llaneza was on the ground in Cuba “when Fidel Castro came down from the mountains into Havana.”  He saw changes on the horizon, but initially he didn’t see the extent of them. The Castro regime gained strength and finally fomented a revolution, leading eventually to the confiscation of the entire Cuban tobacco industry. Fortunately, Llaneza, along with Angel Oliva, had wisely already begun their first experiments with Cuban-seed tobacco in Central America.

Llaneza took over the reins of Villazon in 1953 and continued the company’s tradition of making clear Havana cigars. That changed over the following decade as his continued success with growing excellent cuban-seed tobaccos in Honduras provided Villazon the opportunity to fill the full-bodied cigar niche left open by the embargo.

Two of those of those cigars would become mainstays on the American cigar scene for the next fifty-plus years: Punch and Hoyo de Monterrey.

In 1996 General Cigar purchased Villazon and with it those famous brands. Theo Folz, recently retired from Altadis USA, saw this as a missed opportunity for his company:

“We’ve always been a net buyer of businesses,” says Folz. He regrets missing one, Villazon & Co., and its renowned cigarmaker, Frank Llaneza. The maker of Punch and Hoyo de Monterrey was acquired by General Cigar in 1997. “The one acquisition that I should have made, that slipped through my fingers, was Villazon. Because not only would you get a great business, but you would get one of the greatest cigarmakers in my lifetime.”  Cigar Aficionado, 3/09/2004

Ironically, Llaneza recently retired from General Cigar and is now blending cigars — for Altadis USA.  The Siglo Limited Reserve was his first, and the Frank Llaneza 1961 is his most recent creation.

The 1961 is made in Nicaragua and features a Criollo 98 wrapper from Ecuador. The binder is Nicaraguan, and the filler is a Nicaraguan-Dominican blend.  Cigar Insider picked the Cuban Corona size as the pick of the litter, rating it 92 and bestowing upon it “Humidor Selection” status.

Six sizes are available:

• Corona Grande – 6 1/2 x 44
• Cuban Corona – 5 5/8 x 46
• Double Corona – 6 3/4 x 48
• Double Magnum – 6 1/2 x 54
• Magnum – 4 3/4 x 54
• Pyramid – 6 1/4 x 54

Construction Notes

The 1961 Cuban Corona is an unassuming stick with its simple band and dark leathery wrapper. This outer leaf is actually maduro in color; with its leathery appearance and slight sheen of oil, it could pass for a maduro cigar. The head of the cigar is well made and one of my specimens exhibited a quadruple cap. The roll is solid, though one cigar had a very minor dent in one side. The draw is just right and the ash is firm, but it does flake just a little. The burn is very slow. I expected to get 45 minutes to an hour from this stick but it smoldered for almost twice that long.

Overall excellent construction.

Tasting Notes

The Cuban Corona is an assertive cigar that announces itself with a leathery bite. There are a lot of flavors here, but they seem to be blended together so well that it’s hard to distinguish between them. In the first third I was a little overwhelmed by the leather and spice, but I was still able to detect a sweet edge to the smoke. The lengthy finish is impressive.

I learned quickly not to retrohale this cigar at all. Unless you enjoy the sting of rich peppery tobacco and the sneezes and sniffles that accompany it, you won’t either. But simply puffing on this cigar releases clouds of rich woody spice. There’s some salt here too, which had my palate begging for a Islay malt companion. I was happy to oblige with a glass of Lagavulin.

The Cuban Corona comes out of the corner swinging and never lets up for a breather. The last round is not much different than the first, but by this point my palate has taken so many blows that it’s a little bit numb. Pepper, leather, and some cinnamon spice are the main contenders, with the ghost of grilled meat hovering over it all.

Conclusion

This cigar carries all the characteristics of the Honduran style, despite the fact that it has no Honduran leaf. It reminds me of a Camacho more than any other cigar, minus Camacho’s signature Corojo overtones. But this should come as no surprise, since Frank Llaneza has been making this style of cigar for most of his life. The 1961 blend is much bolder, I think, than any Punch or Hoyo I have tasted, but it shares the same leathery, meaty quality of those cigars.

I hesitate to use the verboten term “strong,” but there is certainly an edge to this smoke. The nicotine content is not overpowering, but retrohaling left my mucosal passages crying for Mama. I love the flavors of this cigar, but I am really hoping that some aging will sand down the edges a bit. If that happens, this cigar will truly be worthy of being called a “humidor selection.”

The 1961 is a limited release (see the Stogie Guys review for details) and is retailing for around 7 USD per stick.

Final Score: 87

Cabaiguan Maduro

I have to wonder if a maduro variation is really necessary for every successful cigar blend. Obviously this is the conventional thing to do, and manufacturers feel no need for discipline when it comes to creating new extensions for reputable brand names, but I still wonder if it doesn’t water down the label a little.

On the other hand, when your forte is making powerful, bold tasting cigars, maybe you do what you can to extend the softer side of your range. Which is what Pete Johnson has done with Cabaiguan Maduro. Cabaiguan is Johnson’s milder alternative to his bold and powerful Tatuaje line. The original Cabaiguan was rolled in Miami with an Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper and made its debut in 2005. It was followed a couple years later by the Guapo, a slightly larger vitola with a sun grown Ecuadorian wrapper, which was slated to be a limited edition rolled in what was then Pepin Garcia’s new factory in Nicaragua.  Both are excellent cigars –  the Corona Extra is in my opinion one of the very best Connecticut Shade cigars available anywhere.

And now we have a maduro edition to tantalize our tastebuds as well. It should be noted that this wrapper is maduro in color only — it is in fact a natural sun-grown Connecticut broadleaf.  The rest of the blend is the same as the standard Cabaiguan, which is of course Nicaraguan.

Like the Guapo series, the Maduro Cabaiguan is available in only a few sizes. Two, to be precise:

• Rx (Robusto Extra) – 5 1/4 x 50
• 46 (Corona Extra) -  5 5/8 x 46

Construction Notes

Both the Rx and the 46 are well made cigars with a dark, toothy wrapper. The wrapper is typical of sun grown leaf — it’s rough and weathered with a few chips here and there. Both varieties are rolled perfectly — these are products of Pepin Garcia’s factory, and perfection (or something close to it) is what we’ve come to expect from “My Father“.

Both sizes burn very well, though the robusto was not plumb-line even; it corrected itself over time and needed no assistance from me. The 46 was spot-on all the way. The ash is a solid light gray with a yellowish cast.

Overall excellent construction.

Tasting Notes

These are both smooth smoking cigars, but the 46 is slightly more assertive. In the first third I found the Rx easy going, with bittersweet chocolate, cedar, and a touch of anise. The 46 featured more tannin and pepper, with cocoa rather than chocolate.

The robusto picks up a little more tannin in the middle section, while the corona’s peppery edge softens. Both sizes seem to level out at this point, and agree on cocoa with an interesting malty note.

The Rx finishes up with a touch of woody bitterness on the palate that balances well with the sweet chocolate on the nose.  The 46 goes in an interesting direction at this point, increasing the spice and throwing some floral notes into the mix, something almost like lilac. I was reminded a little bit of La Riqueza at this point — it’s a little unusual to find this flavor in one of Pepin’s blends, but I think it’s there in La Riqueza as well.

Conclusion

The Cabaiguan Maduro is a worthy addition to the line. The sun grown broadleaf brings a lot of balance and a little more complexity to a medium-bodied blend that is exceptional to begin with. The wrapper adds some sweet notes of chocolate and cocoa that work well with the tannins on the palate. Over time the tannins might weaken a bit, resulting in a slightly sweeter cigar, but the blend is still very good right now, as long as you don’t mind a little of that fresh green woody taste on the tongue.

I thought the 46 was a little more expressive than the Rx, but both are excellent cigars. The MSRP is a bit steep, around 8 or 9 USD per stick, but that’s not too surprising given the overall quality on display here.

Final Scores

Rx: 89

46: 90

Bargain Arganese Rundown

I don’t have too much experience with Arganese cigars. I don’t see them in the shops I patronize and I’ve never been curious enough to take a chance on a box online. But when I saw a five-pack sampler of  discontinued blends on sale for less than ten bucks, I bit.

I’m not sure why these are being discontinued, but it’s a great opportunity to pick up some decent smokes for cheap. The last I heard, Arganese was catching flak for some kind of multi-level marketing scheme,  but what I know this company best for are the gloriously cheesy ads that accompanied their entry into the market. The douchebag at a casino table with two made-up blondes draped over his shoulders, or the obese guy on a golf course with the mini-skirted coed caddies… utterly hilarious.

So it’s safe to say that I am not in their marketing demographic.  Which is unfortunate in a way, because these are actually not bad cigars. I only picked up one sampler of these so I can’t in good faith give them a complete review, but I thought I’d offer some short notes this week for the bargain hunters out there.

The Maduro doesn’t stray too far from what you’d expect in a Dominican Maduro. The Brazilian wrapper is very toothy, in fact rough to the touch, and the draw is a little tight but it burns well with a straight and solid ash. The flavors are typical, but good: chocolate and nuts, with negligible finish or aftertaste. There is a touch of spice in the last third, but it won’t satisfy the power smoker  – it’s really pretty smooth and mild for the most part. Light to medium in body.  Quite pleasant as an everyday light maduro cigar.

The Double Wrap is an impressively built cigar — I think I counted 4 or 5 wraps at the head of this thing. Unfortunately it was unsmokeable. I fought with it for the first inch or so, but the draw was just too tight and what flavors I could get were sharp and metallic. I had to pitch this one and move on to the next.

The CL3  is 100% “first-generation” Cuban-seed Corojo, and it was probably the most interesting smoke in the sampler. It starts up with a peppery bite and a nice caramel accent. The smoke seems a little thin, but the aroma is quite unusual — the only descriptor I could come up with was “gamey.” It burns slowly and is extremely well-behaved for a blend with so much ligero. The only issue I had was the thin smoke body, which is way over-matched by the power of the cigar. This stick has too much nicotine for me, but I did enjoy its distinctive aroma.

The Nicaraguan smokes like a maduro, but it has more kick to it than the Maduro blend. This is also a nice looking stick, and while the draw is a bit tight at first it opens up after a half-inch or so. Moderately spiced with black pepper and accompanied by some caramel sweetness on the nose, it’s nicely balanced. Chocolate flavors appear in the second half and it gets a bit rough on the throat. It’s not terribly complex, but there’s enough here to keep my interest for the duration of the cigar. A good medium-full bodied smoke.

I’d recommend the Connecticut to anyone who appreciates fine shade wrappers. It’s another handsome cigar, and even though the draw was again a little tight it was otherwise well constructed. In most ways it’s typical of Ecuadorian Connecticut — creamy with floral notes, but at one point I thought I could detect apple notes. That was unexpected. In the home stretch it’s mostly nuts and creamy shade-grown goodness. Another really decent smoke.

The Maduro, Nicaraguan, and Connecticut cigars are available in different weights — mild, medium, and full. I honestly don’t know which these were, but I would have to guess they were either medium or full. The Connecticut in particular was quite chewy for this style of cigar.

Conclusion

I wasn’t blown away by any of these cigars, but I wasn’t disappointed either. (It wouldn’t be fair to direct the full force of my derision on the Double Wrap after one bad stick. This time it will merely receive an indifferent shrug.)  For two to three dollars per stick I could see picking up a box or two — probably the Nicaraguan or maybe the Maduro.

These are great value cigars, at least while they’re still around. I had discounted Arganese cigars as a trendy upstart, but I’m happy to report that there is more behind these blends than just a cheesy ad campaign. After smoking all of five cigars from this outfit I’ll be interested to see what’s next on the horizon for them.

Alec Bradley Select Cabinet Reserve (SCR)

The Trojes region of Honduras came to attention last year when Alec Bradley released the long-awaited Tempus cigar. Alan Rubin has gone back to Trojes again for the Select Cabinet Reserve, but this time for a more balanced and less powerful blend.

The SCR cigar is made in the same factory as the Tempus — Raices Cubanas in Honduras — and that is a very good thing. And of course the tobaccos themselves are very similar, relying heavily on leaf from Trojes but also employing an Indonesian binder and some filler from Nicaragua.

Now, keeping in mind that this area is still in the rich area of Central America that includes both the Jalapa Valley of Nicaragua and the Jamastran of Honduras, the Nicaragua-Honduras distinction might be a little academic. Trojes is equidistant from both Esteli, the capital of Nicaraguan cigar production, and Danli, it’s Honduran equivalent. (More importantly, I wonder if people from Trojes call themselves “Trojens.” Try yelling that when USC comes to play.)

An odd thing about the SCR is its use of two binders: the expected one from Trojes, but also a leaf called “Indonesia Embetunada.” Embetunar means “to polish” or according to my somewhat wonky Diccionario, “to cover with gum-resin or bitumen.” Betún is a common word for shoe polish. What on earth are they doing to this binder?

I haven’t been able to uncover an explanation, but in the cigar world betún is a sweet fermented concoction created from the immersion of tobacco stems and scraps in water or rum or god-knows-what-else to create a sticky black casing. This is then used to treat tobacco leaves for cigars. Sometimes this is a way to artificially darken or flavor maduro wrappers, but in this case it appears to serve a different purpose. Maybe it’s the secret ingredient?

The SCR was released earlier this year in five sizes:

• Churchill – 7 x 48
• Robusto – 5 x 50
• Corona – 5 1/2 x 42
• Gran Robusto – 5 1/2 x 60
• Torpedo – 6 1/8 x 52

I smoked the corona and the robusto for this review and was surprised to find that these taste like radically different cigars.

Construction Notes

The huge band on this cigar, accompanied by its smaller foot band, might lead one to believe that this cigar has something to hide. And while it’s true that the dusky colorado maduro wrapper is a bit rough and veiny, it’s not so unattractive that it must be veiled from sight. Sometimes the foot band would slip off easily; other times I had to peel it, and as usual this meant chipping the wrapper at the foot. That is why I hate foot bands.

The roll tended to be inconsistent, but in all cases fair enough with no draw problems. The SCR is topped with a nice triple-cap, which seems to be standard procedure at Raices Cubanas. They’re not the museum quality specimens that roll off Don Pepin’s tables, but they’re attractive nevertheless. Most of these burned a little off-kilter but never needed correction.

Overall very good construction.

Tasting Notes

Frequently a single blend will exhibit distinctive characteristics depending on the size of the cigar, but in this case the difference was extreme. Smaller ring gauges tend to highlight the wrapper, which is usually the most flavorful part of the cigar, and this proved to the corona’s advantage here.

The corona starts up with a spicy sharp flavor that slowly gives rise to smoked meat with a paprika sting on the nose. There is a serious sneeze factor. Eventually the meaty notes mellow a little and turn to leather. The robusto by contrast is much mellower, focusing on wood and leather with none of the zing of the corona.

The mid-section of the corona continues to showcase sweet spicy pepper notes that really rock the sinuses. On the lower end of the scale there is leather and a touch of cinnamon. The spices kick in for the robusto at this point, but are subdued when compared to the corona. Some of the cinnamon shows up in the robusto, but it is dominated by soft woody flavors with a maple syrup-like top note.

The last third of the corona is biting with a long peppery finish and a noticeable nicotine kick. The robusto gets a little more serious, picking up some of the pepper and sneeziness of the corona, but stays pretty mellow for the most part.

Conclusion

I really enjoyed both of these cigars, but to me they seemed almost unrelated to each other. The SCR corona smokes a lot like the Tempus — it’s an expressive and fiery little guy with a lot of spice. The robusto, on the other hand, is more reticent. A little wood, a little leather, and its job is done. The corona shows up with a shot of tequila. The robusto brings a microbrew.

Both are great smokes. I just can’t believe how different they are. I probably liked the robusto a little more because it lives up to the SCR billing: a smoother and more balanced Tempus. And while the corona is a fine smoke as well, you could just as well pick up a Tempus Genesis if this is what you’re after.

I picked up the coronas for around 5 USD per stick. The robustos might run a dollar higher. In either case it’s money well spent.

Final Scores:

Corona: 88

Robusto: 89

Padron 1964 Anniversary Exclusivo Maduro

Padron’s 1964 Anniversary cigars are so classic at this point that it’s hard to believe the blend is only fifteen years old. The 1964 was created to celebrate the Padron company’s 30th Anniversary in 1994. It was also, as George Padron added in a CA interview,  ”something special as we went to nationwide distribution.”

There are currently ten sizes in production, all available in either a sun-grown natural wrapper or maduro. The maduro version seems to be the most popular, but I have to say I like the natural just as well, if not better.

Padron is proud of its seed-to-smoke, vertically integrated operation, so the Anniversary blend is like all the rest of their cigars: an undisputed Nicaraguan puro.  Jorge Padron, the patriarch of the family, explains that the cigars are square pressed,

“because they reminded me of the squared cigars in Cuba that I used to smoke. It is the only thing I have actually copied from a good Cuban cigar.”

The cigars I smoked for the review were from 2006. The tobaccos in this blend are aged for four years to start with, so a few more years shouldn’t make that much of a difference. This is a deliciously smooth smoke straight from the factory, but three years in the humidor might have mellowed it even more.

Construction Notes

The Exclusivo is the robusto size in the 1964 Anniversary line –  a simple 5 1/2 x 50 parejo with an obvious square press. The wrapper is a little dry but consistent in color. As is typical with Padron cigars, it’s a little hard to tell the difference between the sun-grown natural and the maduro wrapper.  (In the top photo the maduro is on the left, the natural on the right.) They’re both pretty dark, and a little rough – some of these have really prominent veins, discreetly situated so they run laterally down the cigar. But that’s sun-grown leaf for you. What you lose in aesthetics you gain in flavor.

The cap is sub-par for a super-premium cigar, but at least it’s more attractive than what you’ll find on the Padron standard series. Aesthetically the cigar suffers a little, but the rest of the construction is almost perfect — a firm roll, an easy draw, and an even burn — which is worth noting because this is a square pressed smoke. Even the ash is firm and hassle-free.

Tasting Notes

This is a smooth, medium-bodied, very flavorful cigar. It starts up with cedar and coffee with cream. After an inch it becomes more complex, adding some sweetness and a silky aftertaste. The aroma is mild but nicely spiced, reminding me in a way of incense. At one point it occurred to me that smoking this cigar is almost like being in church.

The mid-section is a little heavier and exhibits that typically Nicaraguan acidic flavor on the sides of the tongue and back of the mouth. Cocoa notes are up front with some mild spice that keeps pace with a sweet woodsy aroma. The smoke texture is medium-bodied and stays very smooth.

The Exclusivo finishes up with a classically maduro finale — coffee and chocolate with a beautifully creamy texture. This cigar lacks the third stage bitterness that makes an appearance towards the band of most ordinary cigars – only at the very end is there some bittersweetness and a little char.

Conclusion

The Padron ‘64 doesn’t get reviewed too often, probably because it’s so well known and because there is a general consensus that it’s a damn fine smoke. It’s a cigar you’d rather enjoy than analyze. It’s not as bold as many other Nicaraguan puros, but it’s perfectly balanced: smooth and creamy, yet nicely spiced. It burns without a second thought. And it’s simply one of my favorite cigars. If you’ve never smoked the Padron ‘64 before, you really need to treat yourself sometime.

Average retail is around 11 USD for the Exclusivo.

Final Score: 94

Other Reviews of Note

In the Humidor takes a look at the Exclusivo Maduro

Cigar In Hand grapples with an aged Exclusivo, also Maduro

Nice Tight Ash reviews the Superior Maduro

moki checks out the Natural Exclusivo for Cigar Weekly

Verdadero Organic Torpedo

Organic agriculture is always a challenge for the farmer, but you’d almost have to be crazy to try to grow and process tobacco without recourse to fertilizers and pesticides.  The tobacco plant is notoriously susceptible to blight and infestation — cigar makers contend with everything from blue mold to the lasioderma t0bacco beetle before those beautiful brown sticks are layered into the dress box. The wrong amount of rain, an influx of hornworms, any number of untold misfortunes, and your cigars never see the light of day.

Nestor Plasencia Jr. produced the first organic cigar, the Plasencia Organica. It’s a decent cigar, though I admire Plasencia’s success more than I appreciate the cigar itself.  But in the last year or so another organic cigar has arrived, the Verdadero Organic, so I thought I’d give it a go. This one is made in the Dona Elba cigar factory in the scenic town of Granada, which is situated by the shore of the giant Lake Nicaragua.

Silvio Reyes grows  tobacco for the Verdadero on family land at the base of the Mombacho volcano near Granada. (Bottom center on the map.) Before the land was cleared for planting it had never been used for any kind of agriculture, so it can truly be called “virgin soil.”  This  Nicaraguan grown Cuban-seed filler is the heart of the Verdadero Organic cigar, but it is completed with a binder from Sumatra (Indonesia) and a Connecticut seed wrapper from Ecuador.  I have seen no claims that the binder and wrapper are organic, so maybe it should be called the Verdadero (Very Nearly) Organic?

Construction Notes

The Verdadero torpedo is an attractive stick with a perfectly pointed tip that snips off easily with a guillotine. Prelight, the scent is bright and grassy, like freshly mown hay. The shade wrapper is slightly glossy with minimal veins, and the roll is mostly solid; the only exception was a bunching error that resulted in a lateral furrow running down one cigar. It was similar to a “soft spot” but rather than a spot it ran down the entire side of the cigar. It didn’t affect the burn, but it was a defect nevertheless.

The draw is trouble free, and while the burn is a little fast the smoke never gets hot. The light gray ash flakes a bit and crumbles in the ashtray. Overall very good construction.

Tasting Notes

The Verdadero Organic is a mild cigar that offers a minimal amount of drama but is unique enough to remain interesting. It starts up with a dusty, toasty flavor that has a hint of anise about it. The aroma is earthy with some cedary spice, and it has an unusually herbal aftertaste that coats the tongue in a waxy sort of way. I’m not sure if I dislike this, or if it’s just strange to me. I can’t put my finger on it exactly, but it seems to supply a subtle note of pumpkin or banana.

The cigar picks up a little more body and grows woodier as the the stick burns down. The aroma is classic Connecticut Shade — creamy and mildly floral with a touch of cedar. The smoke texture is buttery.

The last section continues on in the same vein but gets a little bit sweeter, adding a cotton-candy like element, and it finishes up with a light touch of caramel. The aftertaste remains mild but earthy with a relatively short finish.

Conclusion

The Verdadero Organic is a very well constructed cigar with a distinctive flavor profile. I wasn’t crazy about the waxy aftertaste, but I was able to overlook that and appreciate the stick’s other fine characteristics. The aroma has some really unusual qualities, making this more than just a conventionally mild Connecticut Shade cigar. Folks who gravitate to mild cigars and are looking for something a little different might want to check this one out. Retail prices hover around the 5 USD mark. Grab yourself a 5-pack at CigarsDirect.com, or try your luck on the auction sites.

Final Score: 85

Cuchillos Cubanos

As the humidor slowly empties of my small supply of cigars from Casa Fernandez- Tabacalera Tropical, I still find myself gravitating  to the rich earthy flavor of Nicaraguan tobaccos. Cuchillos Cubanos are from the maker of Illusione and Cruzado cigars, Dion Giolito, and even though these were designed with economy in mind, they’re top-notch full-bodied smokes.

Giolito prefers narrower ring gauges to showcase the blends he likes, so these are all relatively small cigars, with the exception of the Churchill sized ~47~. This makes a lot of sense to me, because I think the real treasure here is the wrapper. This cigar utilizes an esoteric blend of long and medium filler, with a double binder to encourage good combustion. The wrapper is advertised as “silky grade A,”  secretly grown by a specially trained order of hermetic tabaqueros.  Or so I’ve heard. (Not really.)

They’re sold in convenient five packs (four for the ~47~) at an equally convenient price: around 18 USD per pack. Four sizes are in production:

• ~40~  5 1/4 x 40
• ~42~  4 3/4 x 42
• ~46~  4 1/2 x 46
• ~47~  7 x 47

I picked up a pack of the ~42~, which is almost a standard corona size, and smoked them up in short order.

Construction Notes

All of the cigars in this line arrive unbanded and encased in an attractive Davidoff-style white box. The imperial double-headed eagle is an impressive touch, and a fitting statement for the cigars that lie within.

Despite the fact that the wrappers are billed as “silky grade A” they are actually pretty rustic looking: veiny and inconsistent in color. The cap is slapped on tightly without regard for aesthetics, and there is an occasional surface nick. But the roll is solid and the draw is good, and that is obviously what matters most here.

Overall good construction.

Tasting Notes

Cuchillo is Spanish for knife, and that is a good one-word summary of what this cigar has to offer. It starts up with earth, black pepper, and a long leathery finish. There is no preamble. It takes you by the collar and demands your attention without any introductory niceties. Within a few puffs it is clearly full-bodied and it doesn’t let up from there.

Along with the sharp spicy flavor on the palate there is a nice subtlety to the aroma. There is a little of the hickory smell that I look for in Giolito’s blends, but there’s also an earthy, bready quality that reminds a lot of the Cuban Fonseca KDT Cadetes.

This cigar doesn’t have much of a transition — it punches the accelerator and keeps it there. The sharp, bright, peppery tobacco flavors just keep pouring in. The finish remains lengthy and the leathery aftertaste lingers as the ash grows and flakes off into the ashtray.

I was reminded as I smoked this of what Jose Blanco once said about Cuban cigars — he said smoking Cuban tobacco was like getting a big mouthful of dirt. That’s what this cigar is like, except it’s much more expressive and powerful than most current production Cubans. The distinctive and highly desirable quality of Cuban tobacco is, for me, the aroma, and Cuchillos Cubanos emulates that very nicely. It should also be noted that the nicotine hit here is not inconsiderable. It may be small in stature, but this cigar sticks up for itself just fine.

Conclusion

While the Cuchillos Cubanos can be a bit harsh on the throat at times and they’re not much to look at, they’re great economy smokes if you’re in the mood for a full-bodied Cuban-style cigar. They’re not as refined as the premium Illusione and Cruzado lines, but for less than four dollars a stick you won’t find this kind of flavor anywhere. Not that I’ve found anyway.

Final Score: 86

Casa Fernandez Robusto

It’s safe to say that the Casa Fernandez cigar is the flagship blend of Casa de Fernandez, the new face of Tabacalera Tropical. The cigar was introduced in 2007, before the company’s name change, but it hasn’t gotten as much press as I would expect. The lancero has received some attention on the cigar forums (mostly positive) but only a few of the review sites have taken a serious look at the blend. After smoking this cigar, I don’t think that it’s a quality issue. The fact is that this cigar is not terribly easy to find on the shelves.

It looks like the distribution of this brand is spread worldwide, so maybe it’s easier to find in Europe or Asia than on American retail shelves. I had to track these down online.

The Casa Fernandez features a wrapper that is dramatically described as “Super Premium grade ‘A’ 2006 Sun Grown Corojo.” It is of course an Aganorsa grown Nicaraguan leaf, as are the binder and filler leaves.

Five vitolas are listed as currently in production, per the Casa de Fernandez website:

• Robusto – 4 1/2 x 52
• Torpedo – 6 1/4 x 52
• Toro – 6 1/2 x 52
• Lancero – 7 1/2 x 40
• Salomon – 7 1/8 x 60  (the Salomon is also available in Ecuadorian Connecticut and Nicaraguan Maduro)

Construction

This robusto seems squat by comparison with traditional 5 x 50 robustos; it’s slightly truncated and a little overinflated, but handsome nevertheless. It feels a little light in the hand, but the pack is firm with no soft spots. The pig-tail cap is mashed into the head of the cigar, making a little swirl that is easily overlooked. (The same technique is used to finish the Particulares cigar.)  The triple cap is otherwise extremely well executed. The wrapper is dark, glossy and attractive, despite being a little rough. The corojo cover leaf seems to be very thin, allowing the  texture of the rough binder leaf to show on the surface of the cigar. One sample arrived with a small v-shaped crack that posed only a cosmetic threat.

The Casa Fernandez burns well with an open draw.  The ash is dark and little bit crumbly — typical of Aganorsa leaf, and not really an issue. One odd thing I noticed was that the ligero centered in the middle of the cigar seems to flame out as the cigar burns, creating the illusion that the cigar is tunneling, when it really isn’t. I would say it was my imagination, but it happened with both of the cigars I smoked.

Tasting Notes

The smoking characteristics of the Casa Fernandez are quite similar to the Particulares, but a little heavier. There is more pepper and more punch to this cigar, especially in the back half.

The first few puffs of smoke are smooth in texture but are served with plenty of black pepper. It doesn’t come out as trenchantly as say, the Don Pepin Blue, but it isn’t shy either. The aroma is corojo all the way — caramel sweetness over an underlying cedary base.

The pepper dies down after the two-thirds point and the flavor becomes less sharp. An astringent woodiness takes over from here, accompanied by a pleasant and familiar nuttiness. The aroma continues on the same track as before, but replaces some of its sweetness with a stronger pungency while remaining woodsy and cedar-like.

The last part of the cigar turns up the heat. Pepper returns on the palate and the aftertaste becomes tannic. While still tasty, the smoke becomes a little too aggressive for my taste. I let it smolder on anyway to enjoy the aroma, hoping the neighbor doesn’t think I’m nuts for waving a cigar butt under my nose instead of just smoking it. Corojo is good stuff.

Conclusion

The Casa Fernandez robusto is a fine smoke, but it loses some of its finesse in the home stretch. It’s similar to but more complex than its sister blend Particulares, but it’s also slightly more expensive. Ringing in at around 8 USD per stick, it’s not over the top for a “super premium” smoke, but I’d think twice before picking the Fernandez over Particulares.

Final Score: 87

Other Thoughts

Brian finds the Torpedo to be boxworthy for the Stogie Review

Rob digs the robusto but finds the price discouraging for PuffingCigars.com

Particulares Robusto

My original intention in trying more cigars from Tabacalera Tropical was to find a less expensive but comparable alternative to the Nicaraguan puros that I smoke on a regular basis.  The name Aganorsa kept popping up, and I thought that by following the trail of that grower’s tobacco I might find cigars of a similar style, possibly at a lesser price.

Since cigar makers like Pepin Garcia, Dion Giolito, and Ernesto Padilla have all at one time or another used Aganorsa leaf in their blends, I expected that Tropical’s blends would at least have a passing resemblance to smokes like DPG’s Cuban Classic, Illusione, etc.  Their JFR cigar certainly does.

I was a little disappointed to find that Lempira Fuerte and Condega didn’t live up to my expectations, though I still thought Condega was a very good blend. Particulares, on the other hand, is a great cigar, and it is the first in the series so far to really taste like it’s in the same category as the Big Nicaraguans I have been using as a benchmark.

Particulares is an old Cuban brand name (as well as a frontmark for the Cuban Hoyo de Monterrey ”A” size) but the name was revived by Tropical as one of their first brands.  (Their very first brand was Solo Aromas, followed by Particulares, Cacique, and Maya.) And even though this appears to be the only formulation available it is listed with its royal appellation “Reserva Privada” in some online catalogs.

Not surprisingly, the Particulares (Reserva Privada) is a Nicaraguan puro. The wrapper is a Corojo leaf from 2006. Four sizes are currently in production:

• Robusto – 5 x 50
• Toro – 6 x 52
• Torpedo – 6 1/4 x 52
• Churchill – 7 x 48

Construction Notes

I didn’t notice it immediately but it turns out these sticks have pig-tail caps. The tail is curled and pressed down into the head so it just looks like a small swirl. It can be easily prised up with a fingernail, though admittedly there isn’t much point. The rest of the head is wound perfectly into a fine triple cap. The wrapper is somewhat rough but consistent in color, a dark colorado maduro. The band features a lock-and-key motif that “locks” at the point where the band ends meet — a clever design, I think.

The draw is good and the  burn is slow and even. The ash flakes slightly, but not enough to matter. Overall excellent construction.

Tasting Notes

The Particulares robusto starts up with a rich hickory-like aroma that is immediately recognizable. This is what I’ve been looking for. From the first puff this cigar tastes more like an Illusione or Padilla than the Lempira Fuerte or the Condega Corojo.  The flavor is a little charred, but not in the way that the Lempira was. The flavor is closer to grilled meat with some maple syrup-like sweetness.

The middle section continues in this vein but softens up a bit — it’s smooth with some fruity notes, almost brandy-like at times. It reminds me of the JFR cigar, but smoother and more refined.

The last third is spicier but still sweet. The finish lengthens, but it doesn’t settle in for the night like some cigars do after the mid-point. It stays clean and crisp and leaves in a reasonable amount of time, like a good guest.  The aftertaste gets a little tarry at the band, but by that time this cigar has said its piece.

Conclusion

The Particulares robusto is a tasty smoke that finally delivers on the flavor I was expecting from Tropical – Aganorsa.  The only hitch is that it isn’t much less expensive than Illusione or Padilla or others in that class. Prices range from 6 to 7 USD.  That’s not too much to ask for a cigar of this caliber, but I was hoping to tap a secret source of Nicaragua’s finest and save myself a bundle. But I really have no legitimate reason to be disappointed — it’s still a great smoke at a reasonable price.

Final Score: 90

Condega Corojo 1999 Toro

Next up in this series of cigars from Tabacalera Tropical (aka Casa Fernandez, aka Aganorsa) is the Condega Corojo 1999 (2006 Series.) For more information about Tabacalera Tropical and Aganorsa, see last week’s review of the Lempira Fuerte.

Since Condega is the least well known region of Nicaragua’s three primary growing regions, it’s nice to see it get some name recognition. The Condega Corojo is not only a Nicaraguan puro, it’s a Nicaraguan Corojo puro — a cigar composed entirely of corojo leaf from Condega, Jalapa, and Esteli, Nicaragua.

From what I hear, Condega has appeared in more than one formulation, but the Corojo 1999 was unveiled sometime in 2004. The version that I smoked for this review was the 2006 series.

For a long time I associated the term “corojo” with power — maybe that came from smoking Camacho’s Corojo blend — but the Condega cigar sets the record straight once and for all. Corojo is after all just a black tobacco varietal; a cigar primarily composed of corojo ligero is going to be a powerhouse. A more balanced blend of corojo volado and seco leaves will be a lighter cigar, which is actually what Condega is — a medium bodied cigar with fairly mild strength.

Condega “Cuban Seed Corojo 1999″ is available in four sizes:

• Robusto – 5 x 52
• Toro – 6 x 52
• Torpedo – 6 1/2 x 54
• Churchill – 7 x 50

Construction Notes

The Condega Corojo Toro is a nice looking stick, but I have to join the growing chorus of complaint about foot bands. If a company wants to use them, fine, but make sure they are applied in such a way that they can be easily removed or slipped off. These cigars have delicate wrappers, and both samples cracked when I removed the foot band. Once I got over that initial irritation, I really liked the look of this cigar. The wrapper is smooth and attractive, similar to Connecticut shade but darker and thinner. The triple cap is attractive, though it also cracked slightly when I cut the stick prior to smoking. Fortunately the crack didn’t grow beyond that, but there’s no doubt that this is a very finicky wrapper leaf. The draw was fine on both samples; the burn was even and the ash was solid.

Overall excellent construction. (Incidentally, reviews of this cigar have in the past zeroed in on faulty construction. Evidently the factory is employing better quality control these days.)

Tasting Notes

I think this might be the lightest Nicaraguan puro I’ve ever smoked — the smoke texture is medium-bodied, or becomes that way eventually, but this cigar has only the slightest kick to it. It starts out mild and smooth with an acidic twang typical of Nicaraguan cigars. There is caramel on the nose and a touch of cocoa on the palate.

The middle section of the cigar showcases a stellar aroma — soft woody spices that remind me of Pepin Garcia’s El Centurion cigar. The underlying flavor is toasty with a hint of leather, but the aroma is where the action is. This is a sweetheart of a cigar.

The last third gets a little more serious, but not by much. The acidic accent becomes more pronounced, accompanied by a hint of black pepper and some sweetness on the front palate. The body of the cigar peaks at about a medium, but this cigar never really flexes much muscle at all. This toro is all about finesse, not power.

Conclusion

The Condega Corojo 1999 shares many of the nuances of Don Pepin Garcia’s cigars, but none of the strength. This could be a good or a bad thing, depending on your preferences. While the overall experience is pretty mellow, the aroma is quite dramatic: mild to medium bodied smokers will enjoy this cigar a lot and others may find it a pleasant morning or mid-day smoke. Five to six dollars is a reasonable hit for this stick, but it is a little hard to find. If your local tobacconist carries Tropical products, definitely give it a shot.

Final Score: 89