Estilo Cubano – A Nice Smoke
One of the nice perks of writing cigar reviews is that you never know what you are going to smoke next. Just yesterday I had a long drive in front of me and chose a rich dark cigar that I knew nothing about for the afternoon part of the journey. This stick turned out to be a nice one from Ventura Cigar Company called Estilo Cubana. Upon first inspection you notice a few nice things. The...
The Griffins – An Interesting Surprise
It’s been years since I’ve had a cigar by The Griffins. Usually, I consider them to be to mild for my taste. This particular cigar was given to me at a show, and with an early morning drive, it seemed like a good choice for a ‘breakfast’ cigar. Upon first inspection this cigar really looks nice. It has a great natural Connecticut wrapper and just looks like what a...
Avo Maduro – No Stranger This Night
It’s not often that you write about Frank Sinatra when post a cigar review. But, tonight’s review is of a cigar made by the composer of one of Sinatra’s classics, Stranger in the Night. That song was beautifully composed by jazz musician and cigar maker extraordinaire Avo Uvezian. Playing in the jazz clubs Avo was always smoking a cigar and would often give cigars...
Las Ramblas, Toro
Las Ramblas, aside from being the main boulevard in Barcelona and a must visit location for tourists, is a purveyor of cigars from the Ventura Company. This cigar, Habano Coriollo from Las Ramblas, is another toro, a 6 1/2 X 50 cigar with an attractive color, slightly darker than the connecticut wrapper toro and stronger in flavor. The Habano is a firm, well made cigar and the quality...
La Gloria Cubana – A Mellow Afternoon
There are times when you don’t want to think about your cigar. You just want to enjoy it and not really have to work at, sort of like an old beat-up leather jacket that you’ve had for years. That’s exactly how I felt smoking this La Gloria. I spent an enjoyable afternoon with a good friend and never once thought of my stick, but enjoyed it the whole time. When you first...
Macanudo 1968 – A Very Good Year
This is an interesting cigar. First there are many different tobaccos that make the blend, including some from Ometepe, the remote Nicaraguan island with rich volcanic soil. Secondly, the tobacco is aged in tercios, the burlap bags used to transport the tobacco bales and then placed in charcoaled wooden barrels. This also add flavor that enhances the cigar. Perhaps all of these steps...
