"The cigar at first sight is a thick chunk of a cigar. I thought it would be interesting because it's a bigger gauge cigar that often not much of a fan of. With that being said, the sweet fruit flavors and the smokey peat and black pepper spice were a nice mixture that made this very enjoyable. The first and second third of the cigar were good, but then the flavors decreased and faded and the cigar became average." -Chad M. (Chad Tchad)
"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)
AllAVOBlind Cigar ReviewsDavidoffDominican RepublicDouble CoronaEladio DiazFeaturedHabanoHendrik Kelner
·"This would not be my typical choice for smoking. Even though I may smoke a couple of cigars in succession, and therefore spend several hours herfing, I tend to like to switch up flavor experiences by smoking more than one type of cigar. For a cigar of this size, I found it to be more enjoyable than I would have originally expected. There were moments of monotony but not enough for me to want to be done. The mix of flavor notes, although not overly complex, provided enough variety that I enjoyed it more than not. Make sure to have time for this cigar and pair it with something that accentuates the flavor profile such as a nice hearty bourbon and even while eating a nice piece of red meat. Red wine would also be complimentary." -Diana (ArmyRN)
"Flavor profile notwithstanding, this was a smooth and easy smoke. If you're a fan of floral cigars, with a simple expression that you don't have to think a lot about, this could make a nice Sunday morning cigar with a cup of tea and a good book. But it's a miss for me." -Vance T. (Vance)
"This is a blend for those who enjoy the deep earthy flavors that you usually find with Honduran or Cuban tobacco. Strong cayenne on the retrohale and just a slight sweetness on top of the earth gives the cigar a slight variation from the solid dirt and minerals that star in this stick. " -Lauren S. (Lauren S.)
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.
"What started out as a phenomenal cigar faded quickly to bitter then harsh. There was such a great sweetness and fruit profile at the beginning I settled in to what I thought was going to be an epic cigar. Instead, the cigar turned dry and earthy with heavy ground coffee and wood notes on the finish. I will be curious to find out what this cigar is and determine if I just got the "one off" from the floor that was just not great, or if this is a common profile of the cigar." -Kevin A. (Kevin A.)
JR Cigar continues to celebrate its 50th anniversary with a new collaboration with Davidoff – the Davidoff JR 50th. The...
"If the cigar smoked as well as the last third did I would have loved this cigar, but the first two-thirds were kind of flat for me. I would have expected a longer smoke time cause of the size but I feel like this is a mix-filled cigar so it burned a little quicker than I would have liked. I would recommend this cigar to a newer cigar smoker cause it shows some small transitions and won't overwhelm them. " -Estevan Z. (TheRealBanzi)
"The cigar started off well, developed nicely, then finished with a slight harshness that wasn't quite enjoyable. It heated up quite a bit in the final third. Maybe smoking it slower would eliminate this, but I am not 100% sure. All in all a decent smoke. The power behind it as it transitioned through the final two thirds was a bit of a surprise, and may prove too strong for a newer smoker. I was expecting it to stay in the medium range with the sweeter notes from the beginning." -Kevin A. (Kevin A.)