"Overall good salty musty flavor; in the first third some spiciness noted of black and white pepper but this fades after the first third. Overall the cigar was a consistent flavor throughout the whole thing. It burned very fast but the size of the cigar was not too out of the norm." -Chad M. (Chad Tchad)
"Shockingly to me, I loved this cigar. I'm not a huge box-pressed cigar fan and this one is so thin worried me but it smoked wonderfully and the mouthfeel was not as harsh as expected. The flavors were complex and kept me interested the entire time. Starting with a red pepper blast that then settles into a smoky cedar and leather flavor. Complex baking spice and some surprise floral notes make this cigar stand out. I will absolutely seek out more of this stick in the future." -Lauren S. (Lauren S.)
General Cigar has announced that they are bringing back the Cohiba Spectre for a third release. The Spectre is one of the most expensive cigars ever released by General Cigar and uses four varietals of tobacco, each paying homage to the growing regions, soils and microclimates from which they were harvested.
General Cigar is adding another cigar to its Decedas lineup: Partagas Decadas 2021. This limited edition cigar is dedicated to Partagas’ founder Ramón Cifuentes The new blend uses a special Brazilian-grown Cameroon wrapper, a first for Partagas.
"Probably one the best cigars that I've had this year. I was totally engaged with the flavor profile changes and the richness of the notes the entire time. The smoke output was amazing with a creamy lingering smoke on the palate. It smokes special and even at a higher price, it would be worth having a few on hand for the right occasion. " -Alan (Eulogy)
I have always enjoyed the idea/premise of the chef's editions. Everyone loves a good cigar pairing be it a pairing with bourbon, whiskey, beer, or even my favorite. Coffee. One thing we do not get a chance to do is pair cigars with food as it's not easily done in today's world. I was excited to see the chef's for this year's edition as it has Masa Takayama on the panel who by all rights is very much a true cigar smoker. You can't google his name without stumbling across him with a cigar. I have had the pleasure of smoking the chef's editions the last few years and this hands down is the best yet.
"I was a little unsure when I started smoking this since it was so grassy at the beginning. That quickly dropped to the wayside and I was left with a rich creamy cigar. If you like smoking something an old-timey villain would pick some of these up. It is a classic tobacco-forward profile that performs great. " -Alan (Eulogy)
"I highly enjoyed this cigar from start to finish! While the retrohale’s flavors were the star of the show, the consistent notes experienced via the draw balanced everything out extremely well. Add in the overall stellar construction and I will certainly smoke this cigar again given the opportunity." -Matt Cade (CadeTNCC)
"This cigar was an absolute treat for all you medium to full-bodied smokers. Not only was it well constructed, as evidenced by the draw and burn, but generous notes of chocolate, cedar, leather, and a slightly peppery earth will also give you a pleasurable experience as you puff away on this delight!" -John A. (Bostoneo)
"Overall I was a huge fan of this blend. The strong pepper in the retro along with great leather, chocolate, mocha, and baking spices lead this blend right onto my preferred palate. The only downside was the starting and ending inches had a hot and harsh flavor.I will absolutely revisit this blend in the future." -Lauren S. (Lauren S.)