Drew Estate -- Liga Privada T52 - Robusto

Image from StogieGuys.com

VERY COMPLEX AND TASTY CIGAR.

OCCASION: Drew Estate Event at Anthony's	PRICE: $12
BRAND: Drew Estate - Liga Privada T52

GAUGE: 52	LENGTH: 5"
SHAPE NAME: Robusto

FILLER: Nicaraguan (7 different tobaccos)
BINDER: Brazillian Mata Fina	WRAPPER: Stalk Cut Sungrown Habano

APPEARANCE: Mouthwatering, which is why I took the $12 plunge. Dark and oily brown flawless wrapper. Outstanding looking cigar.

CONSTRUCTION: Firm along body and cap, a bit loose at the foot, no big deal. Double cap was flawless with no bunches or bumps. Awesome construction.

DRAW:
START: Great	1/2: Great	3/4: Great

BURN:
START: Even	1/2: Even	3/4: Even

TASTING NOTES: The beginning immediately gives you a nice spice on the tongue and throat to wake up your taste-buds. While the intro is full-bodied, it mellows down a bit near the half-way point.

OTHER NOTES: Enough cannot be said about the look, construction and scent of this cigar. This cigar would be a great companion at a barbecue.

EVALUATION: A wonderfully blended cigar. The beginning starts with a spicy wake up for your senses as the dark and oily wrapper suggests but morphs into a creamy smooth goodness about half-way through. For me this is one for special occasions due to the price point but one I will keep on my list of classic cigars. Nearly all of the on-line retailers have this cigar on back-order. I suggest hitting your local tobacconist.

Oliva -- Nub Habano - 460

Image from bluenotecigars.com

NUB. Novelty's Ultimate Burn? I guess that depends on the person.

OCCASION: Evening Burn	PRICE: Sampler Pack
BRAND: Oliva - Nub

GAUGE: 60	LENGTH: 4"
SHAPE NAME: 460

FILLER: Nicaragua
BINDER: Nicaragua	WRAPPER: Nicaragua

APPEARANCE: Milk chocolatey, oily sheen. Good looking.

CONSTRUCTION: Double cap poorly constructed with flaps and bunches. Major hole on body. Firm to the touch.

DRAW:
START: Good	1/2: Good	3/4: Good

BURN:
START: Even	1/2: Even	3/4: Even

TASTING NOTES: Woody with minor roasted nut taste. Spicy on the first 1/2 of cigar which simmered down to a nice creamy smooth ending.

OTHER NOTES: After taking the cigar out of the cellophane I was hit with smell of cinnamon. How weird and awesome. Aside from the cinnamon the pre-light aroma was that of leather and spicy earth.

EVALUATION: This cigar has received mixed reviews about its quality. I believe the cigar to be a good cigar but the price doesn't reflect the experience. There are many similarly sized cigars out there that are just as good but at a lower price (Te Amo comes to mind). Truth be told, if you enjoy cigars, you've gotta try one of the Nub cigars. It's just a must. BlueNoteCigars.com gives it a pretty good rating while Dr. Fadem from about.com isn't as pleased.

Altadis USA -- Onyx Reserve - Toro

Image from StraightUpCigars.com

WTF?!?! No Way (poor on a whole new level).

OCCASION: Revisit of Onyx	PRICE: $3.49
BRAND: Altadis USA - Onyx Reserve

GAUGE: 50	LENGTH: 6"
SHAPE NAME: Toro

FILLER: Dominican, Nicaraguan, Peruvian
BINDER: Nicaraguan	WRAPPER: Coal Black Connecticut Broadleaf

APPEARANCE: Deep, dark, almost black earth brown.

CONSTRUCTION: Firm and very hard to the touch, almost too hard. Double cap and flawless wrapper.

DRAW:
START: Horrible	1/2: NA	3/4: NA

BURN:
START: Even	1/2: NA	3/4: NA

TASTING NOTES: ...not good...

OTHER NOTES: The aroma before lighting was a strange combo of chocolate and dirty barn.

EVALUATION: While this cigar is rated a 94 by Cigar Aficionado I can't get past the poor draw and the initial smell of a barnyard (dirty one at that). This is my second try at the Onyx Reserve line and unfortunately both experiences were bad. I have to add that this cigar was purchased from a large box store that mainly caters to alcoholic beverage sales and doesn't circulate their cigar merchandise as quickly as a local tobacconist. Although premium cigars should age well, perhaps there were some handling/storage issues by the store. The store does have a large walk in humidor and the cigar was celophane wrapped, so I am fairly confused as to why a 94 cigar is now serving as compost. StraightUpCigars.com wasn't pleased with this stick either and it's been difficult finding a great review of the cigar. Many reviews give the Onyx Reserve Toro average or okay ratings. Buyer beware.

Thompson Cigar Auction

So, I just received the cigars I purchased from the Thompson Cigar Auction at http://www.thompsoncigarauction.com/.

Amazing. I bid $36 + $5 shipping for 16 smokes! That comes out to $2.56/cigar!! Here's the lineup:

 1-Vega Fuego Robusto Maduro $4.29
 2-Cain F 550 Rated 92 by Cigar Aficionado $5.76
 3-Carlos Torano Exodus 1959 Robusto $6.96
 4-Nub Habano $5.80
 5-Rocky Patel Autumn 2008 Collection $7.75
 6-Alec Bradley Tempus Genesis $4.68
 7-Vegas de Fonseca Sobrino $3.60
 8-Cusano 18 Connecticut Robusto $5.88
 9-Gurkha European Selection Habano 2000 Churchill $6.00
10-Gurkha Regent Churchill Rated 90 by Cigar Aficionado $5.00
11-Alec Bradley Plantation Blend Torpedo $3.00
12-Victor Sinclair Legacy Double Maduro $3.50
13-Pinar Del Rio Value Line Reserve Connecticut Toro $1.52
14-Don Lino 1989 Maduro Torpedo
15-Pinar del Rio 1878 Cubano especial Capa Madura $4.45
16-Gran Habano Factory Overruns $3.95

I saved a ton of money even compared to buying in bulk! There's only one negative...the box of cigars were delivered by UPS and sat for who knows how long in a brown cardboard box on my front door step baking in the 101F desert heat. Now I have to be real careful and try to nurse these cigars back to humidity health before I get to enjoy them.

Don't worry, I'll keep you in the loop.

Cigo

Oliva -- Serie V - Robusto

Image from CigarObsession.com

Must have been a storage issue because this 94 point rated cigar didn't make the cut.

OCCASION: 1st time with Oliva	PRICE: $6.95
BRAND: Oliva - Serie V

GAUGE: 50	LENGTH: 5"
SHAPE NAME: Robusto

FILLER: Nicaragua
BINDER: Nicaragua	WRAPPER: Nicaragua

APPEARANCE: Flawless earth brown wrapper, minuscule veins, no bumps or blemishes to be seen. Overall a great appearance.

CONSTRUCTION: .Firm and no spongy spots. Triple or quadruple cap? No bunches, folds, or any other structural flaw. Great construction

DRAW:
START: Okay	1/2: Poor	3/4: NA

BURN:
START: Even	1/2: Uneven, relight	3/4: NA

TASTING NOTES: I picked up an initial pleasant sweetness from perhaps the wrapper or the glue used to make the cap. An initial spice that creeps along your tongue to the back and then mellows out to a creamy smoothness. There is a strong woody presence throughout the cigar and minor spice notes.

OTHER NOTES: Great prelight aroma of graham cracker, spice and cedar. Initial draw was okay and got more difficult as time went on and I had to relight on a few occasions. After the 1/3 mark I had to relight and the cigar foot began to produce a heavy amount of thick white smoke making me wonder if the tobacco was damp. This would explain me having to relight and the poor draw I was experiencing.

EVALUATION: Almost all aspects of the cigar, construction, appearance, and taste were wonderful and the price for such a highly rated cigar is fantastic. Unfortunately, I couldn't get past the horrible draw I was experiencing to recommend this cigar and had to abandon shortly after the 1/2 point. This had to be a storage issue or some fluke because I have read of no other review that has rated this cigar poorly. I will have to try another one just to be sure but until then, this stays off my favorite list. CigarFan.com has a great review on the Oliva Serie V Torpedo, which is the same blend as the robusto I experienced.

CAO -- La Traviata Maduro - Radiante

Image from TikiBarOnline.com

CAO's La Traviata Maduro has not gone astray but has found home as my new favorite cigar!

OCCASION: Morning with coffee	PRICE: $5.65
BRAND: CAO - La Traviate Maduro

GAUGE: 52	LENGTH: 6"
SHAPE NAME: Radiante

FILLER: Nicaraguan and Dominican
BINDER: Camaroon	WRAPPER: Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro

APPEARANCE: Silky chocolaty sheen with minuscule veins and tiny bumps on wrapper. There were a few bumps protruding from the cylindrical shape of the cigar but otherwise good appearance..

CONSTRUCTION: Firm along the body. No folds or bunches on wrapper. Double capped and flawless construction (other than the few bumpy protrusions.

DRAW:
START: Perfect	1/2: Perfect	3/4: Good

BURN:
START: Even	1/2: Even	3/4: Even

TASTING NOTES: Initially I had a lighting issue because of my lighter (ran out of fuel) and only lit the center of the cigar. This initial "center" taste was a nice woody almost like fresh cut oak. Once I refueled and lit the entire foot a beautiful burst of a sweet pipe tobacco flavor came through. A definite sweetness to the first 1" of the cigar and very little spice. A peppery/spicy sensation began poking its head after the first 1". At the halfway point the spice disappeared altogether and transformed into a creamy smooth and roasted nutty flavor.

OTHER NOTES: Prelight aromas on the body were a light chocolate and subtle sweetness. The foot smelled of strong leather and graham cracker). The ash was tight and I actually had trouble knocking it off. As a brief bit of extraneous information, La Traviata is a tragic opera that ends with the main female character dying in the arms of her true love.

EVALUATION: A very complex and what I envision a perfect cigar tastes like. If you are looking for a spicy full-bodied cigar, this is not the choice for you. This one is more medium than full bodied and worked wonderfully as a morning cigar with coffee. No strong nicotine buzz and no tarry aftertaste but still a long finish with each draw. This cigar is one I will be looking to purchase a box of. A classic cigar at a great price. To me the name is an unusual choice for what I believe is a great cigar at an awesome price point. Whatever the name, this cigar is one of my Favorite Cigars and a great Budget Cigar. StogieReview.com gives a great section by section review of the cigar while TikiBarOnline.com states the pre-release version of the maduro as just okay.

Arganese -- CL3 - Torpedo

Eh.

OCCASION: Weekend morning with coffee	PRICE: $3.50
BRAND: Arganese - CL3

GAUGE: 52	LENGTH: 6 - 7/8"
SHAPE NAME: Torpedo

FILLER: Corojo ligero
BINDER: Corojo ligero	WRAPPER: Corojo ligero

APPEARANCE: A nice oily sheen with a consistent medium brown wrapper. Minor veins for the most part. A few ripply veins similar to an old person's ankles...gross, I know. I could see two longitudinal lines or creases in the cigar body from the cigar mold. Wrapper torn under band due to the glue. I've seen this on a few other Arganese cigars so it must be a manufacturing issue.

CONSTRUCTION: Loose at the foot and firm at the head. Noticable spongy spots along body. Cap wrapping well constructed on this torpedo.

DRAW:
START: Average	1/2: Average	3/4: Average

BURN:
START: Even	1/2: Uneven	3/4: Uneven

TASTING NOTES: Initial light spicy flavor with some leathery notes. Very earthy and woody, almost oaky. Picked up on some straw hints as well.

OTHER NOTES: The burn was uneven for most of the cigar and this really drove me crazy as I tried to right the wrong. The ash was loose and didn't hold very long.

EVALUATION: Inexpensive cigar but not a real taste pleaser. The cigar is average at best but for an everyday budget cigar I suppose it would fit the bill. I personally wouldn't smoke it again. StogieGuys.com have a pretty good review giving the cigar average and good ratings.