"A lot of flavors in this stick. Sweet to spicy notes are well balanced. A beautiful grayish-black ash gives way to a tri-colored ash. I would include this stick in my humidor. A nice relaxing smoke that pairs well with a dark coffee and a rain storm. Pick up a few when you have the opportunity." -Sean F. (fullermaine)
"Dinner was done and the air was finally starting to cool when I went out to give this cigar a try. I was blown away initially by the huge flavors this cigar produced and I couldn't have been luckier to have waited until early evening to smoke the cigar. It is quite intense, and I'm sure a lot of people would call it harsh. I couldn't imagine smoking this earlier in the day." -Isaac M. (The Nothing)
"I really enjoyed this cigar. I had a very hard time describing the flavors but they were good and they were stronger than I thought they would be from the look of the cigar. This was a cigar I'd buy a box of." -Paul (pmr1010)
The newest cigar from Casa Cuevas, La Mandarria, is now shipping. La Mandarria translates in Spanish to "the sledgehammer" and references the tool used by burglars that stole the entire Casa Cuevas inventory of cigars earlier this year. The cigar was shown off at IPCPR and only 500 boxes were rolled.
"I liked this a ton. Great flavors in one of my favorite vitolas. Pretty powerful cigar, but there was still a nice range of flavors, and pretty dramatic transitions from yeasty sweetness to dark rich coffee. Only drawback was the rapid burn which seemed to be due to being rather under-filled, at least in the early stages of this smoke. I'd still buy a whole bunch more. " -John I. (John I.)
Today, Alec and Bradley Rubin announced today that their second cigar, Gatekeeper, is how shipping to tobacconists worldwide. This cigar is a followup to last year's Blind Faith, which we rated a 92. This new cigar, Gatekeeper, is made at E.P. Carrillo's Tabacalera La Alianza in Santiago, Dominican Republic. It comes in four vitolas: Corona, Robusto, Toro and Gordo and sells for $8.75 to $12.25 per cigar.
"From start to finish this cigar was a winner in my opinion. The creaminess, the floral notes along with the fruity zest, and the leather note all worked well together. But man does that strength sneak up on you. This is definitely a cigar I'd try again. But not on an empty stomach. I'd give this a 'great'. Box worthy for sure. " -Kevin J. (maninblack77)
"Over all, a pleasant smoke with a good spice that hit the roof of your mouth and back of the throat, a good solid dark grey ash, plenty of smoke, very enjoyable after a day of dealing with sub zero temperatures and frozen pipes, it was warming indeed. Overall, a fine experience to cap off the day." -Joseph S. (Bearded Bastard)
"The final third of this cigar really upped the enjoyment factor. It took it from good to very good in my opinion. I have always been a fan of cigars with many transitions, and this one did not let me down and threw in a completely unexpected and unique flavor, that made the cigar a true star. The strength and body stayed right in the medium range and can be enjoyed by anyone. The flavors would go well with morning coffee as well as a lighter bodied beer that won't overrun it. I am really looking forward to finding out what this cigar is and recommend you try it when the secret is out! " -Kevin A. (Kevin A.)