Although not overly complex, this cigar was more than what I expected. I have smoked a few RASS in the past and did not recall them being this good. Smooth, rich, creamy and very enjoyable sums up this cigar quite well. The appearance of the cigar on the pre-light may have led many aficionados to pass on this cigar (me included), but this is the perfect example of "don't judge a book by it's cover." I'll certainly be seeking more of these out.
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.
The cigar market has plenty of special cigars to choose from. If you are looking for a cigar to celebrate a special occasion or you just want to treat yourself, I highly recommend the ESG especially in this vitola. Something about this size seems to be just the right combination for a perfect burn and great combination of flavor and strength. Since these cigars already have a good amount of age, you don't need to let them sit in your humidor for a long time before they are in the zone. Smoke them now. They are in the zone now. You will be pleased with the refined, smooth, flavorful, intense, complex, and rich flavors that only improve as the burn progresses.
For the most part, this tasted like a Cohiba, and not the best one I’ve had. I had expected a lot more from a special edition. The flavors were not all that complex and the transitions were moderately noticeable. Perhaps with some more time this would be something special, but for the moment, I doubt it will justify the hefty price tag it will take to get one.
This cigar carried a bit more strength than I expected based on previous cigars from HVC. It has darker flavors which would make me lean towards smoking it in the evening or as a final cigar of a multi-cigar smoking experience. There weren’t many transitions, but that is OK as the cigars flavors were good. I wouldn’t recommend this cigar to a new smoker, but rather someone that is interested in strength along with flavors of earthiness, coffee and wood.
The La Pilar No. 4 was a great burner. Clean burn line, no touch-ups and no relights. It had consistent smoke output and a draw that improved as it went on. The smoke had a nice full texture and pleasing aroma. The flavor profile was not extreme or complex but each individual flavor component was defined and clean. I always enjoy an increase in strength toward the end and the La Pilar No. 4 delivered that very well. At about 82 minutes, its a long burn time for a box-pressed Toro. That brings more value and more enjoyment. I would gladly reach for this cigar again.
Cigar Info The A. Flores 1975 Edicion Especial comes in a natural Habano Ecuador or a maduro Habano Ecuador. The...
This is another fantastic offering in the Monster series, and I would recommend that if you haven't had an opportunity to try one yet to hunt it down before they are gone. This is a perfect example of what a complex cigar can and should be.
The Hoyo de Monterrey Epicure No 2 Reserva Cosecha 2012 is the latest in the annual line of Reserva cigars to be released from Habanos S.A. It was debuted on the first night of the 18th Habanos Festival on February 29th. These are some of the most exclusive and expensive cigars that come out of Cuba. Hoyo de Monterrey was the only national brand to not have a Reserva release prior to this year.
This was a cigar that I was looking forward to ever since I heard of the idea. With fire cured tobacco making an appearance in some prominent cigars recently, this was a slightly different option in the same area. With the tie in of Scotch, I think it makes for another interesting style. With this cigar, the amount of peat flavor wasn’t as prominent as I was expecting. I can understand why this version was the initial release as you wouldn’t want to overpower anyone with that aspect, so I agree with this being the initial release. As it stands, this is a cigar that I would recommend to anyone that enjoys peaty Scotch or just smokiness in general in their cigars. This would even be a good fit with a new or casual cigar smoker as the blend isn’t overpowering at all. For me, I would deem this cigar a success and it makes me look forward to the 50% peat cured filler version to get even more of its characteristics. Then, it will be interesting to see how the 75% version fares.