pepper

Opens up with a series of wood notes and a bit of grass, but evolves into a wonderful strong smoke with notes of pepper and licorice on the spicy side and faint notes of dried fruit and tang on the sweet side. The scent of roasted tobacco and caramelized fruit is truly amazing and will blow your mind. Licorice on the draw, pepper on the tongue and oak in the aftertaste. In short, a strong spicy smoke with a full body. I rate it 94 from a single stick dated 2010.

The taste reminds me very much of the Trinidad Robusto Extra and is closely related to the Montecristo family. My advise – Save your money and buy the Trinidad.

This cigar has a wonderful set of unique flavors, and really is, in a league of its own. The first puff just hits you with a salty spicy aroma, reminiscing of raw licorice, it’s soo good it’s addictive. It’s similar to the Montecristo flavor profile, but with a rich creamy nuance. This might be the ultimate poker cigar.

There is almond on the draw, licorice on the tongue, sweet cedar in the scent and oak in the aftertaste with a hint of coffee and toast in moderations. This is a lovely light-medium bodied cigar on the spicy flavor spectrum. I rate it 93 from a box dated 02/2008.

This cigar is referred to as the king of kings. The best of the best. But I must admit that the entire Siglo line from Cohiba has never been a favorite of mine. I think that the price is to high, relative to the quality of the smoke. And in the case of this Cañonazo it is about to get interesting…

As with most Cohiba cigars, it starts out with a kick of pepper and toast. The first third is a vegetal symfony of floral almost fruity notes and wet grass. A lovely mix of citrus and pepper on the spicy side. There is milk on the draw, fruit on the tongue, a floral/green-pepper aftertaste and a sweet chocolate scent.

The second third brought on some wood, cedar and toasted notes. A medium bodied cigar. I rate it 90 from a box dated 07/2008.

I got a box of 10 dated 09/2009 a few months ago and a couple of tubos dated 06/2009, just for comparison. The tubos had lots of lovely flavors from the start but the sticks, out of the box, was a bit green/mossy. Now, five months later, it is time to open the torch again.

This is just a really creamy smoke with sweet spicy and earthy flavours. Hints of chocolate on the draw, pepper on the tongue and roasted coffee in the aftertaste. After the first inch the sweetness becomes more sour. The pepper gets stronger and the coffee become more dominant in the aftertaste. The smoke is thick with a nutty scent. A medium-full body with an even burn.

With more aging this will be the perfect cigar. Rated side by side with the Bolivar RC. The limited editions #1 and #2 are just the top of the line from Partagas, but as a regular production cigar, the #4 is a strong contender. I rate it 91.

The Belicosos, a beautiful shape in a short format. I really like the Bolivar brand, but this Belicosos Finos is not one of my favorites. Yes, it is good, but there are many nominees and this one doesn’t take the gold.

This is a classic woody smoke with lots of oak and cedar notes. The cedar is present on the draw, pepper on the tongue and oak in the aftertaste. There are small hints if citrus and sweet cedar in moderations. There is not much complexity going on and stays on the bitter/salty side mainly through the entire smoke. It ends on a toasty note and a bit dissy. I rate it 89 from a box dated 10/2008.

More and more Vegas cigars are undergoing my inspection and is slowly becoming a regular item in my humidor. When reaching for an easy premium cigar, the choice is often the Famosos or the larger Double Corona - Don Aleandro…

What a lovely creamy start with a waterfall of nutty notes in this 6 year old cigar. It’s like smoking a bottle of Baileys Irish Cream. Open an aged white wine, find a comfortable chair and let this fine cigar ease your worries for a couple of hours.

There is milk on the draw, almond on the tongue, a light coffee/chocolate in the aftertaste and a mixture of cocoa, almond and coffee in the scent. There are moments of a heavy coffee and a pinch of pepper in moderations. This is really a relaxing medium bodied smoke with a spectacular earthy flavor spectrum. I rate it 93 from a box dated 09/2004.

A lovely roasted start in both taste and scent. Alot of coffee/espresso notes with a blend of vanilla and pepper in this Petit Palma vitola.

Vanilla on the draw, coffee/pepper on the tongue, espresso/fruit in the aftertaste and espresso in the scent. An overall full bodied espresso smoke with a lovely sweet roasted nuance. Perfect in the company of friends after an outdoor barbecue grilling. I rate it 91 from a box dated 10/2007.

A christmas gift from my father, a box of Partagas D #5. Covered in a beautiful silky dark wrapper, so smooth and mouth watering, without any flaw.

Full on citrus and pepper in this short robusto. A relative young smoke proving the be the stronger sibling in the D family. I am reminded of the flavours in Bolivar Royal Corona, but with a fierce force.

There is coffee on the draw, pepper/citrus/salt on the tongue, espresso in the aftertaste, heavy salt on the lips and roasted cocoa/leather in the scent. In generel a full bodied spicy cigar, but watch out for the sudden burst of toast and burnt notes. Buy a box, put it to rest for 2 more years and enjoy. This is an interesting salty alternative to the Cohiba Maduro 5 Magicos. I rate it 90 from a box dated 08/2008. Thanks Dad!

Licorice, vanilla, pepper, coffee and heavy toasted leather. This  cigar is a complex full bodied spicy smoke. This cigar is truly a powerhouse of taste and it demeands your full attention or it will burn your tongue. Very oily, allmost to much. At the end it stays primary on the sour coffee side moving in to strong espresso with hints of sweet vanilla and bitter pepper in moderations. A lovely spicy smoke which is not for the faint hearted. I was impressed with the white ash and the crisp even burn, delivering a thick gorges smoke. Rate 91.

I bought a box of 10 from 09/2009 and without any rest I smoked the first one. Just wonderful without any humi time. But now a couple of weeks has gone by since they arrived and the time for a true tasting is at hand.

There is something about the shape that I find mesmerizing and this is my first time trying out this figurado. Do I lit it as it is, or do I clip the bottom? I took it as it was and lit the narrow end of the cigar.

The first couple of puffs was spicy and very peppery. After the cigar opened op, I got alot of floral and sweet fruit. A bit of vanilla and sudden occoasions of leather. There is almond on the draw, pepper on the tongue and floral in the aftertaste. This is a beautiful and oily smoke. And each cigar releases hidden treasures. Very complex. The burn, the wrapper, the size is just perfect engineered. I will rate it 92.