Cigar Review: Arturo Fuente Between The Lines

Between The Lines

The Arturo Fuente Between The Lines is a rare smoke. Not many stores get them and they usually fly off the shelf. I came across two of these cigars via a trade with a great brother of the leaf on twitter by the name of Matt. The cigar is also an example of cigar websites that need to be updated as the JC Newman website makes no mention of them, and other limited releases.

Vitolas.net has the following information posted about the Between The Lines: “The BTL was originally created at the request of Cynthia Fuente, who wanted a cigar that wasn’t too heavy but still had an enjoyable smoking profile. The maduro spiral is not simply added to the cigar after the Connecticut shade wrapper has been applied. During the rolling process, the two wrappers are cut to the same size, placed one on top of the other so that they overlap, and then the two wrappers are wrapped as one onto the cigar. This means that there are equal quantities of maduro and Connecticut shade wrapper tobacco on these cigars, influencing the taste profile of the cigar.”

Cigar: Arturo Fuente Between The Lines
Origin: Dominican Republic
Size: 4.5 x 54 (Short Perfecto)
Wrapper: Connecticut Shade/Maduro (Stripe)
Binder: Dominican
Filler: Dominican

Appearance & Construction (20/20): One of the best looking barber polls in the cigar industry today. The foot of the cigar is evenly split on the roll, with one side being a maduro, and the other side Shade. Everything about the cigar is a vision of beauty.

Flavor & Notes (27/30): As we light the nipple on this perfecto the first third of the smoke offers a dominant note of what one can best describe as toast that has been toasted just a little too long. It’s note quite burnt, but it is well done.  That flavor continues past the nipple as the cigar burns into the body of the smoke where it is joined by subtle notes of chocolate. As we approach the second third of the smoke the cigar the notes of toast remain joined by coffee notes and a very subtle chocolate. The final third of the smoke finishes out with some notes of chocolate and coffee.

Burn/Ash/Draw (22/25): The burn is a bit uneven but that can be attributed to the barber pole. It never gets out of hand even though at times it might appear it is getting close. The ash held for an amazing 3/4 of the cigar only needing to ash in order to remove the label. The draw was very typical of a short story, with just enough resistant to make it pleasurable.

Overall (22/25): This smoke is a stick I will always grab when I have the chance, but it is because of how rare it is, not how great it is. Given the choice to smoke this or the Short Story I will almost always opt to smoke that. But for a rare smoke, this cigar is definitely worth the MSRP.

Rating: 91
Price: $15.00

Cigar Review: Gran Habano Cabinet Selection

Gran Habano Cabinet Selecton

I picked this cigar up last week in Philadelphia and it was the first time I saw them in a B&M. I have seen them on-line, and I guess because of that most people do not carry them. However with Pennsylvania currently having no cigar tax they can get away with cigars that are usually a catalog brand. Twin Shoppe is a great smoke shop on 10th and Tasker in the City of Brotherly Love and the smokers haven that I found these sticks. I suggest you check them out, and they are only a few blocks away from Gino’s or Pat’s which have the best cheese steaks in the city.

Cigar: Gran Habano Cabinet Selection
Origin: Honduras
Size: 5 x 52 (Robusto)
Wrapper: Nicarauga Corojo
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua

Appearance & Construction (16/20): A slightly box pressed cigar with a red and silver band that bleeds and lacks definition which gives the cigar an appearance of being  factory second. The wrapper is a gorgeous looking corojo wrapper and if you remove the band it would look like a Punch Rare Corojo Rothchilde. The wrapper has virtually no bands and the flaw on roll lies at the cap where it is a sloppy cap giving the look of a double cap on one side, and a triple cap on another. The cigar is well packed and has a nice weight to it.

Flavor & Notes (28/30): The prelight of this cigar was very interesting as it has notes which I can best describe as a caraway seed. If you ever had rye bread with seeds, the caraway seed is used in rye bread.  The initial light reveals some really nice flavors and as we work the first third of this delightful the cigar the notes of white pepper through the nose and caraway and some subtle leather on the palate. The second third of the smoke some nice floral notes replace the caraway with some cinnamon notes and the occasional wisp of toffee along for the ride.  The final third the toffee notes remain and the hints of leather creep back in to finish the very enjoyable smoke.

Burn/Ash/Draw (21/25): The draw on this cigar rates right up there with some of the best I ever had in terms of a box press. The burn line is straight for the most part until the midway point where it began to burn very jagged. but the ash while being a very light gray was extremely flaky and would not hold on at well. My sweater was full of flake from the ash, and the floor had a nice pile of ashes.

Overall (20/25): Is this a cigar worthy of a 7.50 plus price tag a stick, probably not. Is it a good cigar, yes it is. The one problem I have with the Rico family is their prices on a lot of cigars and that issue continues with this cigar. It has a nice flavor profile, and a decent construction but it should be no more then a 6.50 stick at most. Because of the price I had to take off a significant amount of points on this stick. If you don’t mint paying a premium price for a mild stick then by all means go for it. If you like a corojo wrapper with a little bit of a kick, stick with the Punch Rare Corojo and save some money.

Rating: 85
Price: $148.99 at Famous-Smoke

Cigar Review: Don Lino 1989 Maduro

Don Lino 1989 Maduro

I was gifted today’s cigar from the guys at Ashes Tobacconist in the Bronx, NY. As a fan of the Don Lino Africa line, I was curious to try this smoke which I have never seen before. It is always nice to come across a brand that is new to me even if it has been out for a while.

Cigar: Don Lino 1989 Maduro
Origin: Dominican Republic
Size: 5 x 50 (Robusto)
Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
Binder: Indonesian
Filler: Columbia, Nicaragua, Mexico

Appearance & Construction (16/20): A dark chocolate wrapper adorns the box pressed cigar from the Miami Cigar Company. The regal looking band sports the classic Don Lino brand name is a cream colored rectangular box. The rest of the band is adorned in colors of gold and shades of red making it very appealing. The cigar itself has some stems visible at the foot of the cigar, and the wrapper has a few blemishes.

Flavor & Notes (25/30): The initial notes of this cigar are nuts with some coffee. Nothing special here, but enjoyable at the same time. As we approach the 2nd third the cigar the coffee notes really begin to shine through. As we finish the cigar the notes of coffee remain with a touch of earth.

Burn/Ash/Draw (22/25): This box pressed cigar offer a nice draw, with a dark gray ash that while flaky holds on strong. The burn line was slightly wavy but it never got out of control.

Overall (21/25): Smoking this cigar took me down memory lane to when I first got into the enjoyment of cigar. I would be sitting in The Humidor in Brooklyn NY when it had its original owners, with guys that had names like Tony Karaoke and Tommy Locks. Tommy Locks would always be smoking a Don Lino cigar as we played the Italian card game Briscola. So perhaps I enjoyed this cigar a little more then most, but it was a nice memory to visit and I can still still hear Tommy Locks laughter, may he rest in peace.

Rating: 84
Price: $28.99 for a 5pack at Famous Smoke Shop

Cigar Review: CAO America Bottlerocket

CAO America

Today’s review ties into a contest here at acigarsmoker.com. The details of the contest are at the end of the review. With today being Washington’s Birthday I figured something patriotic needed to be smoked today. Thus the CAO America decision.

Cigar: CAO America
Origin: Honduras
Size: Bottle-rocket 7 x 50 (Churchill)
Wrapper: Connecticut Maduro & Natural
Binder: Brazil
Filler: Nicaragua, Dominican Republic, Italy, USA

Appearance & Construction (18/20): The label is a patriotic red, white blue and gold with a smaller band of gold and blue at the foot. The cigar screams patriotism, and the pinstripe wrapper is very well done. Both wrappers are very clean looking and this cigar is well packed. One can make an issue that every cigar’s pinstripes look a little different unlike the conformity of of Fuente’s Between The Lines, but for this reviewer the individuality of the sticks is welcomed.

Flavor & Notes (27/30): The initial notes of this smoke are that of nuts and wood, but as we continue to work on the first third of the smoke there is almost a sweetness to the cigar that reminds me a little bit of toffee. As we reach the second third of the smoke the sweetness begins to take a backseat and the nutty flavor steps up. The final third of the cigar the notes of wood and nuts finish off this smoke with just a touch of leather.

Burn/Ash/Draw (23/25): One of the big problems a pinstripe or barber pole cigar has is the burn issues. CAO seems to have found a solution for that as this cigar has no burn issues at all. The draw is perfection and if there is one complaint is the ash doesn’t hold too strong as I wound up with an lap full of ashes a few times.

Overall (22/25): I have to put the disclaimer that this site is sponsored by CAO cigars and that I am friends with the local rep. With that said and done, it does not effect how I review a smoke. If it sucked, I would tell you it sucked. But the CAO America is a really good premium smoke that ranks up there with the best.

Rating: 90
Price: $9.00

Contest Time!

This contest won’t be as simple as previous contests. For this one you will have to work. The winner of this contest will be voted on by the readers of this site. To enter you must take a picture of something patriotic and incorporate a fan sign for acigarsmoker.com. For example, a naked girl with an american flag wrapped around her, and acigarsmoker.com written on her person would almost be guaranteed to win… Another idea would be you smoking a cigar, holding an American flag and having a sign that says “X loves acigarsmoker.com”. Yes this contest is about self indulgence and it is not sponsored by CAO…

The winner will receive: a 3 pack of CAO Bottle-rocket Cigars… and 2 CAO LX2 Lanceros…. Good Luck!

Submit your pictures to barry  @ acigarsmoker.com and the submission date is 2/20 by 11:59pm.

Sunday Links

Another week has come and gone. We were teased this week in the Northeast on Wednesday with ideal smoking conditions. It was a gorgeous 70 degrees, and sunny. Soon the days of shuffling about and finding a place to smoke in the cold will be gone and that can’t happen soon enough. I don’t know about my fellow cold weather smokers but I for one am tired of this winter. I long to smoke at the beach and watch the Russian women walk by me in there dental floss bikini’s as I smoke my cigars in the great outdoors.

This past week I reviewed the Rocky Patel Winter Blend, and Tom followed suit over at his website, Tom’s Cigars. Based upon our reviews Jerry from The Stogie Review went out and bought  a box of these limited edition smokes. If that doesn’t put the pressure on to deliver dead on reviews, then I don’t know what does. Let’s hope I don’t choke under pressure like Alex Rodriguez in the playoffs.

Around the cigar sites, there were some interesting reviews….

Jerry (The Stogie Review) shared his aggrivation for the 5 Vegas Miami Knuckle with a video review.

The Perfect Draw: Travis offers up is opinion on the Sancho Panza Toledo.

The Stogie Guys: Offer up a super quick take on the Arturo Fuente 8-5-8

And finally no Sunday can’t be complete with out the Sunday funnies… Today Jerry gets double billing as he goes up against a cupcake….

Cigar Review: Kristoff Maduro Ligero

Kristoff Maduro

I was informed by someone on twitter who I know via the cigar boards that it seems like all the cigars I review score an ’85′ or better. I stated that I tend to only review cigars that I know I like and avoid those I do not like as if it was the plague. Well today’s review is to break that trend as I review the Kristoff Maduro Ligero. Please take the time to vote in the poll at the end of the review.

Cigar: Kristoff Maduro Ligero
Origin: Dominican Republic
Size: 6.5 x 56 (Matador)
Wrapper: Brazilian Maduro
Binder: Dominican and Cuban Seed
Filler: Dominican, 70% Ligero Nicaraguan

Appearance & Construction (19/20): The Kristoff cigar features a dark wrapper with a lot of veins. The cigar has pigtail cap, and a shaggy foot. The band is a simple brown on brown label with the word Kristoff in white. A secondary band is underneath stating the cigar is a maduro. The pigtail cap and the shaggy foot make it a nice cigar visually, but as well all know looks can be deceiving.

Flavor & Notes (20/30): The first third of this smoke is very bitty with notes of heavy earth. Once you get past the dirt there are some notes of a dark coffee similar to that of bustelo. The second third of the smoke, my palate was so dry despite drinking plenty of water as I smoked this cigar. The notes of Bustelo coffee were joined by the occasional nutty note,  but for the most part it was a very dry smoke to this point. As we reached the final third there was a brief period of sweetness, but the cigar began to burn hot and finish was a very dry earth

Burn/Ash/Draw (19/25): The burn of this cigar is very jagged, and needed to be touched up. The ash was a medium gray that did hold on well and looked very cool with the excessive veins visible as ash. The draw was tough and while annoying, I have had worse.

Overall (19/25): I know some people love the Kristoff line of cigars, but I am not one of them. The flavor profile reminds me of the days playing baseball, sliding into third base and getting a mouthful of dirt. Thankfully the notes changed at times, but the finish was a very dry dirt. No thanks, I’ll pass.

Rating: 77
Price: $8.75

Cigar Review: Rocky Patel Renaissance

Cigar: Rocky Patel Renaissance
Origin: Honduras
Size: 5 x 50 (Robusto)
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sumatra Wrapper (Aged 4 years!)
Binder: Jalapa Valley Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua

Appearance & Construction (18/20): The Rocky Renaissance cigar is a well rolled cigar with a gorgeous wrapper. The label has shades of brown, gold and white which is interesting but on a humidor shelf it tends to get lost with the other Rocky Patel cigars. An interesting note about the band is that on the back there are the letters MZ.  The letters stand for Mark Zimenski. His wife works for Rocky Patel, and he passed away in a motorcycle accident. He also had 5 children. Rocky created the cigar in memory of him, and the name Renaissance translates to ‘rebirth’. The cigar has no soft spots and a nice weight to it.

Flavor & Notes (28/30): After an initial hit of pepper on the first third the Renaissance offers some wonderful creamy vanilla notes. As we move to the second third of the smoke the vanilla remains but slowly gives way to some nice coffee notes, which I would expect with the Sumatra wrapper. The final third of the cigar has notes of coffee, nuts and earth. It was an enjoyable cigar with easy to define notes.

Burn/Ash/Draw (21/25): The burn of the cigar was a little jagged, but nothing that ever needed t be touched up. I did have to relight it once though as it went out around the half way point. The ash is a medium to dark gray with some flake but it held firm. The draw was a little tough, but it was acceptable.

Overall (23/25): Some people have told me this cigar is basically the Rocky Patel Edge Sumatra renamed. I have not been able to confirm that. When smoking it there are some similarities, but it does have it’s own identity. The cigar has become a staple in my Rocky Patel repertoire.

Rating: 90
Price: $31.88 a 5 pack at Tex Cigars

Cigar Review: 5 Vegas Limitada

5 Vegas Limitada 2008

Every year 5 Vegas releases a limited edition cigar that is is a different blend every year. The fillers of the smoke are aged at least 5 years and this year the production is limited to 75,000 cigars. If you purchase a box they come packaged as a combination ashtray and humidor which is very nicely done.

Cigar: 5 Vegas Limitada 2008
Origin: Dominican Republic
Size: 6.25 x 52
Wrapper: Dominican Republic Corojo Oscuro
Binder: Unknown
Filler: Dominican Corojo Ligero, Nicaraguan Ligero, Brazil, and Dominican Piloto Cubano

Appearance & Construction (17/20): The wrapper has one long vein the length of the cigar. This cigar has plenty of tooth and oils galore. The simple white label works on this stick with the year 2008 printed on a secondary band.

Flavor & Notes (26/30): The cigar begins very dry so the Dominican Pilito is very evident so make sure you have a beverage nearby. The initial note is a strong pepper which burns the back of the throat but quickly takes a back seat. As the first third continues the notes were coffee and a touch of leather. As we approach the second third the cigar mellows out to a medium bodied smoke which is different from its full bodied beginnings. There is a sweetness to the cigar at this point with some notes of mocha and a very rich coffee that is very relaxing. As we reach the final third of the cigar the coffee remains but the leather finishes the smoke.

Burn/Ash/Draw (22/25): I am in the midst of cigars that have a great burn line and I am glad that this cigar continued the trend. The firm white ash held on strong and the draw was a little tough at first but it opened up as i smoked this rich cigar..

Overall (23/25): I was unsure what to expect when I pulled this cigar out of the humidor, but I wound up being impressed. The price point on the cigar is more then fair especially considering it is a limited edition.

Rating: 88
Price: $6.50

Cigar Review: Davidoff Short Perfecto

Davidoff Short Perfecto

In the summer of 2006 these were my favorite cigars to smoke. Sitting outside at the Tiki Bar at the Elks club smoking a Short Perfecto and sipping on a drink was the perfect way to relax for me. Sometime in the past couple of years Davidoff quietly changed the blend of these cigars switching from a Connecticut grown wrapper, to a Ecuadorian shade grown wrapper. The Davidoff rep in NJ informed me that this was done because Davidoff did not want to depend on the Connecticut tobacco farms which are mostly owned by General Cigars. So they began to grow the wrappers in Ecuador which is under cloud cover most of the year compared to the Connecticut shade wrappers which are kept under cheese cloth to keep them out of the sun.

Cigar: Davidoff Short Perfecto
Origin: Dominican Republic
Size: 4 7/8 x 52 (Perfecto)
Wrapper: Ecuador Shade Grown
Binder: Dominican Republic
Filler: Dominican Republic

Appearance & Construction (18/20): One of my favorite shapes is the perfecto, and the Davidoff is a classic. The cigar features some minimal veins  with a somewhat toothy appearance. The band screams classy with its white band and the name Davidoff in gold script.

Flavor & Notes (23/30): The prelight draw reveals some strong notes of grass and wheat. After the perfecto is lit with ease the first third of the cigar offers notes of grass and a touch of pepper on the back of the throat. As we enter the second third of the smoke the pepper fades and while  notes of grass remain they are joined by some wheat notes. The conclusion of the cigar was that of earth and grass with a touch of wheat.

Burn/Ash/Draw (24/25): When lighting a perfecto you have to be more careful to get the whole cigar lit or you will wind up with an uneven burn fairly quick. If done correctly the burn line is crisp while the motted grey ash holds strong and the need to ash did not occur to nearly the halfway point. On a side note I had to put my cigar down for 10 minutes as I had to deal with some business issues. When I got back to my cigar it was still lit which is always a nice thing.

Overall (20/25): The rep told me me no one has complained about the change in the blend, but let me make this review my official complaint. The cigar is less smooth and creamy and the grass notes are far more then they used to be. What used to be one of my favorite cigars is now an average run of the mill stick and if it wasn’t for the name I wonder how many people would actually like a Davidoff.

Rating: 85
Price: $13.00

Sunday Update

Yesterday was event central for the staff of acigarsmoker.com. We attended a herf for Wounded Warriors at Hudson Valley Cigars in New Windsor, NY. The event was organized by Stogieman who is a regular on the cigar boards and while the majority of the attendees were from Cigar Pass, I attended representing Cigar Outcast. The event raised money for this worthwhile cause and is now in its 4th Year.

Oliva News: At the event I spoke to the rep about the Nub Maduro which Sam Leccia has been bragging on his facebook account that he has been smoking them on a regular basis. I was informed that they are still on target for a late March or an early April release and Oliva will also be releasing the O and G in a natural wrapper over the next few weeks.

In the evening we headed to the grand opening event for the 2nd location of Cigar Inn which is located in NYC. Cigar Inn is one of my favorite smoking locales in the city. The brothers Gus & Billy are 2 of the nicest guys in the business and I wish them nothing but success. In the coming days I will add photos that I took with the CAO Flavorettes, Avo Uvezian, and Rocky Patel.

Rocky Patel News: At the event we had the pleasure of talking to Rocky Patel who was very accommodating. He disclosed to us that both the Spring and Summer Collections were already created and will roll out with no delays. He also informed us that the Rocky Patel Winter Collection featured a Pennsylvania wrapper, Ecuadorian binder and Nicaraguan filler.

The Sunday Links:

Toms Cigars takes a brave pluge and reviews an infused cigar from Drew Estates, the Acid Red Nefasto.

Cigar Command which recently underwent a redesign reviewed a humidor by Avo Uvezian with the classic No. 5 Tubo.