This was an excellent cigar. I have never come across a PDR that I didn't enjoy, but this one was among the best. I could also sense in it great aging potential and I believe time will only bring out more of the spice and coffee bean I detected in pre-light. These will not be around long, and I would advise against hesitation on purchasing some of these, as they will not lost long. I remember debating on pulling the trigger on a box of these when they were available years ago, and now regret not buying it even more. Buy a box of these, you will not be sorry.
This is a very good cigar even with some of the issues that I ran across. The draw at the halfway point became very very tight. The burn never suffered because of it though and the ash fell at one inch increments almost like clockwork. The strength started at medium and then shot up to full and never backed down. Overall, this is an excellent exclusive for The Privada Cigar Club especially for a lancero.
The cigar was very good overall. Slight transitions during the smoke, which kept it interesting enough. The flavors were good and present enough that you didn’t need to search for them. I think this cigar would pair very well with coffee, so maybe a morning or early afternoon smoke. The performance was very good. I could see myself smoking another one of these.
This was a really good cigar, not overpowering, but lots of flavor. It changed quite a bit throughout the thirds, but was always balanced. Construction was superb with an even burn and tight but good draw, think Cuba. Glad I bought a box.
In all honestly, I don't think I would have liked this as newbie cigar smoker. Rich aged tobacco wasn't something that I was super into when I started smoking and it took time for me to appreciate the nuance and quality. That being said, this cigar has that rich aged tobacco flavor as its main and dominate flavor though out and depending on how much you personally enjoy it will greatly influence your thought of it. As far as burn, construction, and draw they were all top notch. Burned cool and consistence the entire time and the ash looked like stacked nickles. The smoke output was a bit lackluster to me. I enjoy a creamier and thicker smoke myself but it was far from thin. Certainly worth a try but keep a few hours free because it took just under three hours to finish this beast.
The Eye of the Shark comes with a mystique of its own. It is a slightly milder and crisper cigar than it's fellow Anejo shark. The construction is just as pleasant with a nice wrapper color and build. Again, this cigar was an amazing treat with a softer beginning to a leather and spice finish that never overpowered and never diminished. If you are able to find these at not outrageous prices do yourself the favor.
I always look forward to the anniversary cigars from Miami Cigar. From the 25th anniversary of the company to celebrating Nestors 70th anniversary to the 75th I just smoked. The packaging on these are always stellar and cool to keep around. The humidor from the 25th is still one of my favorite pieces and tho only desktop humidor I still utilize. I often find myself attracted to buying Salomon size cigars and never find time to smoke them. I was excited to finally sit down and spend 2 hours and 40 minutes with this cigar. It was well constructed and only required a few burn corrections throughout and the draw after the first few puffs opened up and had just right amount of resistance. The flavors profile while fairly consistent in each third would constantly alternate between flavors. One moment I would get the sweetness strong and in your face and it would then switch to coffee etc. Making it a very interesting smoke. Highly recommend this cigar and hope to pick up more.
To celebrate the milestone of 10 years for El Primer Mundo Cigars, Sean Williams introduced the EPM 10 Year Anniversary cigar. It was released in June of 2016 and will be available at a very select group of retailers by invitation only. The cigar features a Rosado wrapper from Nicaragua, San Vicente binder, and Ligero Criollo, Ligero Negrito, and Corojo 2006 filler. It it made at the De Los Reyes SA factory in Dominican Republic. The EPM 10 Year is available in three vitolas. A 6x54 (MSRP $9.75) Toro, 5x50 Robusto (MSRP $8.75), and 5.5x42 Corona (MSRP $8.50). The cigar sampled for this review was the Toro vitola.
The Double Black Añejo from Blue Mountain Cigars measures in at 6”x54 and carries an MSRP of $8.00. The cigar has a Brazilian Maduro wrapper.
From the first third to the final third I really enjoyed this cigar. If I could smoke all cigars in this format I would be a happy fella as lonsdale is typically my favorite size in any cigar this is just a slightly thicker lonsdale coming in at a 6 1/4 x 48. The cigar had a consistent profile from beginning to end but I thoroughly enjoyed the smoking experience. I would probably rate this cigar a bit higher if it had a bit more of a wow factor but I would be happy to have boxes of these.


