Cigar: Punch London Club Maduro
Shape: Petite Carona
Country of Origin: Honduras
Length: 5"
Gauge:40
Strength:Full
Wrapper: Ecuadoran Sumatra
Filler: Honduran, Nicaraguan, Dominican (Piloto Cubano)
Binder: Connecticut Broadleaf
Price: $4.50
This is not a cigar for beginners. Punch has a reputation for smack you in the face cigars, and this little rocket does not disappoint. If you are a fan of stronger cigars then this little guy would be a great inexpensive addition to your smoking line-up. If you are just getting into heavier cigars, or have never smoked a maduro, I would not recommend this for your first. Don't get me wrong, I like this little cigar pretty well, but it is not for the faint of heart, and more than likely your wife or significant other will not appreciate the pungent aroma. This little guy has a very nice bitter sweet chocolate aroma when unsmoked. It is fairly well constructed, but a little soft. The appearance is not bad either, but the wrapper is fairly vienny and not overly oily. It lights well, and burned even enough for the entire smoke time, which was around 30 minutes. The ash was sturdy, but not dense enough to win any records. The flavor was pleasant, but predictable for an inexpensive little maduro. It was spicy and leathery throughout with earth tones at the start. What really struck me about this petite carona was the smoke. The smoke was a nice white color, but the surprise was in how incredibly thick the smoke was. The smoke from this cigar was so thick that it would cling to my face when I exhaled and I almost had to shake it off at times, and it didn't just dissipate either, this smoke hung in the air like a blanket, continuously moving and twirling about with a slow lazy ease which seemed almost ethereal. Needless to say, Shaylen and the dogs were not very appreciative of this quality, but I found it rather amusing to watch. So all in all the Punch London Club Maduro isn't going to win any prizes for beauty, or outstanding taste, but the smoke itself will obscure it's competitors. Here is my final score:
Appearance: 6/10
Aroma Unsmoked: 8/10
Construction: 7/10
Flavor: 7/10
Smoke: 10/10
Overall: 7.6
Fondest Regards,
N
Showing posts with label cigars. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cigars. Show all posts
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Cigar Review: CAO Lx2 Toro
Nick:
As far as premium cigars go, CAO is probably one of my favorite brands. CAO has an extensive variety of cigars, which means that no matter what your taste is, CAO will more than likely have several cigars to suit you. Several months ago I tried a CAO Lx2 Toro and liked it so much that I bought a box of them. The price is fairly reasonable with a single stick running you anywhere between 5 and 7 dollars depending on the size you choose and the establishment you buy from and a box of 20 running about $125 or so. They have been sitting in my humidor since then gradually disappearing at a steady rate. The Lx2 is a pretty strong smoke and I would not recommend it for first time smokers, but if you are not a novice and can appreciate a strong cigar you should most definitely try this one out. The Toro is a nice 6", 50 gauge cigar that is a perfect size for the Lx2 in my opinion because it is not as short as the robusto, but not so long that it will turn you green (keep in mind this is a fairly strong smoke). It is categorized as a full strength cigar, its country of origin is Nicaragua, it is made up of Dominican and Nicaraguan Ligero long-filler with a Honduran binder and Nicaraguan wrapper. This cigar is extremely peppery with flavors of wood and leather for the first quarter of its 6" size, but after the spicy introduction it mellows out and delivers an extremely smooth velvety smoke with rich flavors of sweet spice and coffee. I personally love this cigar and have found it to be one of my favorites among the extensive CAO collection. It has a nice draw that is neither to hard nor too loose, as well as having an even burn and a firm gray ash. I personally enjoy this cigar with one of three beverage accompaniments: Dr. Pepper (if I am not in the mood for anything stronger), a nice dark rum such as Gosling's Old Rum served neat, or a good bourbon or whiskey such as Maker's Mark served on the rocks. The spiciness and sweetness of all three of these beverages compliment the cigar nicely. So in closing, if you find yourself looking for a good strong cigar to wrap up your evening or add to the pleasure of your weekend, the CAO Lx2 Toro is a fairly inexpensive and tasty cigar to pick up and try out.
As far as premium cigars go, CAO is probably one of my favorite brands. CAO has an extensive variety of cigars, which means that no matter what your taste is, CAO will more than likely have several cigars to suit you. Several months ago I tried a CAO Lx2 Toro and liked it so much that I bought a box of them. The price is fairly reasonable with a single stick running you anywhere between 5 and 7 dollars depending on the size you choose and the establishment you buy from and a box of 20 running about $125 or so. They have been sitting in my humidor since then gradually disappearing at a steady rate. The Lx2 is a pretty strong smoke and I would not recommend it for first time smokers, but if you are not a novice and can appreciate a strong cigar you should most definitely try this one out. The Toro is a nice 6", 50 gauge cigar that is a perfect size for the Lx2 in my opinion because it is not as short as the robusto, but not so long that it will turn you green (keep in mind this is a fairly strong smoke). It is categorized as a full strength cigar, its country of origin is Nicaragua, it is made up of Dominican and Nicaraguan Ligero long-filler with a Honduran binder and Nicaraguan wrapper. This cigar is extremely peppery with flavors of wood and leather for the first quarter of its 6" size, but after the spicy introduction it mellows out and delivers an extremely smooth velvety smoke with rich flavors of sweet spice and coffee. I personally love this cigar and have found it to be one of my favorites among the extensive CAO collection. It has a nice draw that is neither to hard nor too loose, as well as having an even burn and a firm gray ash. I personally enjoy this cigar with one of three beverage accompaniments: Dr. Pepper (if I am not in the mood for anything stronger), a nice dark rum such as Gosling's Old Rum served neat, or a good bourbon or whiskey such as Maker's Mark served on the rocks. The spiciness and sweetness of all three of these beverages compliment the cigar nicely. So in closing, if you find yourself looking for a good strong cigar to wrap up your evening or add to the pleasure of your weekend, the CAO Lx2 Toro is a fairly inexpensive and tasty cigar to pick up and try out.
Saturday, April 3, 2010
An Intro to Cigars
Nick:
As anyone who knows me well can tell you I love cigars, but I have only really been enjoying cigars for about three years. Cigars are amazingly complex little bundles of extremely high quality tobacco leaves, hand rolled, and delivered to your local tobacco emporium with the utmost care. Many people think cigars are out of their reach and can only be enjoyed by the well to do, but this can not be further from the truth. The worst thing anyone who thinks they might be interested in cigars can do is go to their local gas station and pick up a box of cheap cigars such as Phillie's. These extremely low quality, bad tasting, and bad smelling dog turds are so far from a true cigar it would be like comparing a rusted old pinto to a brand new Rolls Royce. Cigars such as these are nothing more than cheap filler tobacco dust rolled by machine in a cheap leaf wrapper. A good cigar can be had for just a few dollars, and if you do not have the luxury of a humidor you should only be buying one or two at a time anyway. Trust me. Put down the dog turd and go to your local tobacco retailer, such as a Strauss Tobacconist or the like, and ask the clerk to point you in the direction of a good low priced starter cigar. A decent choice for a good starter cigar is a CAO Gold, this cigar is extremely mild and won't bowl you over if you are just starting out. If you find yourself still interested in cigars after you actually had a decent one, there are a few tips I can pass on to you to help start you on the road to cigar nirvana:
1: Don't go hog wild on cigar accessories when you are first starting out. There are a lot of premium items that can be had, but at a premium price. Not that these items are not worth their sometimes steep prices, but when first starting out a box of matches and a fairly inexpensive cigar cutter (I prefer a cutter, not a punch) will do the job just fine.
2: If you find yourself truly in love with cigars invest in a humidor. You can find a small humidor for fifty dollars or less and can have it up and running in a few days for a total investment of probably eighty bucks. This may seem steep to some, but it is a great investment for the true cigar lover.
3: Talk to people who are more experienced with cigars than you are. This is the best way to get advice on all things cigar related and best of all it's free. You can also find a great deal of information in publications such as Cigar Aficionado which can be found at any local bookstore.
Once you have decided that you are truly a cigar lover you can start sampling the stronger cigars and saving up for those expensive and shiny new accessories!
As anyone who knows me well can tell you I love cigars, but I have only really been enjoying cigars for about three years. Cigars are amazingly complex little bundles of extremely high quality tobacco leaves, hand rolled, and delivered to your local tobacco emporium with the utmost care. Many people think cigars are out of their reach and can only be enjoyed by the well to do, but this can not be further from the truth. The worst thing anyone who thinks they might be interested in cigars can do is go to their local gas station and pick up a box of cheap cigars such as Phillie's. These extremely low quality, bad tasting, and bad smelling dog turds are so far from a true cigar it would be like comparing a rusted old pinto to a brand new Rolls Royce. Cigars such as these are nothing more than cheap filler tobacco dust rolled by machine in a cheap leaf wrapper. A good cigar can be had for just a few dollars, and if you do not have the luxury of a humidor you should only be buying one or two at a time anyway. Trust me. Put down the dog turd and go to your local tobacco retailer, such as a Strauss Tobacconist or the like, and ask the clerk to point you in the direction of a good low priced starter cigar. A decent choice for a good starter cigar is a CAO Gold, this cigar is extremely mild and won't bowl you over if you are just starting out. If you find yourself still interested in cigars after you actually had a decent one, there are a few tips I can pass on to you to help start you on the road to cigar nirvana:
1: Don't go hog wild on cigar accessories when you are first starting out. There are a lot of premium items that can be had, but at a premium price. Not that these items are not worth their sometimes steep prices, but when first starting out a box of matches and a fairly inexpensive cigar cutter (I prefer a cutter, not a punch) will do the job just fine.
2: If you find yourself truly in love with cigars invest in a humidor. You can find a small humidor for fifty dollars or less and can have it up and running in a few days for a total investment of probably eighty bucks. This may seem steep to some, but it is a great investment for the true cigar lover.
3: Talk to people who are more experienced with cigars than you are. This is the best way to get advice on all things cigar related and best of all it's free. You can also find a great deal of information in publications such as Cigar Aficionado which can be found at any local bookstore.
Once you have decided that you are truly a cigar lover you can start sampling the stronger cigars and saving up for those expensive and shiny new accessories!
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