Cigar Beat Blog

It’s time again for me to bring you another cigar review; made possible by the generosity of the one and only Stinkie, who has kept me smoking away steadily while he’s been occupied with finding a new residence. Before I get into the review, I just wanted to thank him again for all the great smokes!

In this review, we take a look at the La Gloria Cubana Serie R No. 5 Natural. The No. 5 is the robusto size in the Serie R line of cigars. This line was created by Ernesto Perez-Carrillo Jr. as an answer to the the increasing popularity and demand for fuller-bodied smokes among the cigar smoking community. Now the question is, is it a good answer? That’s where this review comes in.

Cigar Stats:
Size: 5 1/2 x 54 (robusto)
Wrapper: Ecuador
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Dominican Republic & Nicaragua
Smoking Time: 1 1/2 hours
Beverage: Water
Price: ~$6.00 (Buy Now)

The Pre-Smoke
The two Gloria Cubanas that I smoked were very interesting in appearance. They had kind of a rustic look to them that was enhanced by lighter colored veins that were prominent in the wrapper. Though it doesn’t probably sound flattering, they had the appearance of old, comfortably-worn leather, which was actually very visually appealing to me.

A closer visual inspection revealed that the cigar was actually drier in appearance than may other cigars I’ve had recently. However, the mottled darkness of the wrapper may have made it more difficult to detect the oils. Clearly this cigar isn’t a maduro, but the wrapper is on the darker end of natural.

As is my custom I clipped the cigar with my flamboyantly-red Xicar cutter. And I was in for a surprise. The cap clipped easily and flew off into the ashtray like a little, solid flying saucer. A great cut, but what’s really interesting is the opening was left in the head of the cigar. The cut was actually a little crater instead of a flat cut. It wasn’t deep or damaging, but it was noticeably concaved inward. I was immediately suspicious of the construction, but the cigar was firm with an appropriate amount of give, so I made a mental note and moved on.

The concaved cut

Smelling the wrapper I noted a rich combination of molasses and barnyard aromas. In the cold taste I detected a faint confirmation of that molasses flavor.

The Burn
When it comes to the burn, I seem to be having a bad bit of luck recently. In the first of these cigars, I had pretty uneven burn right from the beginning. I don’t think I’m to blame for that, as the I did give it a good even light. The cigar did even up considerably in the second third to a nearly perfect burn line, before losing it again in the final third.

Burn lines gone wild…

Also the draw in this cigar was considerably tighter than I’d prefer. While it wasn’t as bad as the Joya De Nicaragua Celebracion Consul I reviewed earlier, it was still tough. It lightened up for a while in the second third, but then turned the screws again in the final third.

At this point you’re thinking, “Oh no, Brian’s gonna give another bad review to a cigar based on burn and draw issues.” Let me stop you right there. The saving grace for the La Gloria Cubana was that the second cigar had a wonderful draw, and and an even better burn than this one. To be honest, I suspect that the area I had placed these cigars in the humidor was a little over humidified and contributing to a tough draw and inconsistent burn. So to be on the safe side, I moved the second cigar to another humidor that has been running at a slightly lower humidity. I don’t know if that helped or not, but the second cigar was clearly more enjoyable than the first!

But getting beyond the issues of draw, another great thing about this cigar was its ash. Both cigars easily sported attractive ashes weighing in at least 2 inches before either dropping or being tapped off. (I smoked the second cigar in polite company, and didn’t want to risk dropping ash all over the table!)

The Flavor
This cigar started off lightly. In the initial third, the majority of the flavor I got was all in the front of the mouth. I noticed syrupy sweetness and woody notes early on, or as I wrote in my notes, the first third of this cigar “smokes like a dessert”. The sweetness and woodiness continues, and is joined by a raisin or light, sweet almond flavor as it burns into the second third.

In the second third a creaminess began to appear and the woodiness became more pronounced. I also detected a subtle nutmegy spiciness that made a brief appearance when the creaminess first appeared, but disappeared shortly thereafter. The body also ratcheted it up a bit to around medium.

The body continues to build a bit more on it’s way into and through the final third; making it to about midway between medium and full and the woody flavor continues. In the first, tough drawing cigar, the flavor was compromised by overheating due to heavy draws to keep the cigar burning.

The Price
Since this cigar was given to me for this review, the price noted is based on what I’ve seen online. (In a local, and really overpriced shop I’ve seen this cigar retailing for $9!) I think the price is reasonable. I’ve definitely seen cigars of the same quality (or even less) for sale at higher prices!

The Verdict
I like this cigar. I really enjoyed the flavors, and I’m giving it a complete pass on the burn issues I had. If the second cigar had been a repeat performance of the first, I think I still would find this a favorable smoke, though I would have hesitated to recommend it. I very happy to not have to do that this time!

I have to say that I don’t think this cigar is “the answer” to the demand for a full-bodied smoke, but it’s a good answer to the question, “what should I smoke tonight?” Of course, as this is the natural version of the line, it’s entirely possible that the maduro is this answer they speak of. (I haven’t tried the maduro yet, but I am anxious to do so!)

Liked It: Yes
Buy It Again: Yes
Recommend It: Yes

The Cigar In Action

My Other Reviews
If you like my review style, you may be interested in reading some of my other reviews on my home blog, Brian’s Random Thoughts. To see a full list of my cigar reviews, visit the cigar review index.

Cigar review Index, Cigar Review: Oliva Serie O, Oliva Serie G Special,

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It’s time again for my weekly review of the smokes Stinkie generously provided me. I had originally planned to have this review up last week, but due to RTDA/IPCPR, I was simply not able to get to it!

The good news is that by waiting a week, my charred palate was able to heal, giving me back my ability to taste cigars! (Six plus cigars a day for three days really has an impact on the ol’ taste buds!) So lets get to this week’s cigar!

Cigar Stats:
Size: 4 1/2 x 52 (Consul)
Wrapper: Nicaragua
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Smoking Time: 1 1/2 hours
Beverage: Water
Price: $3 - $4.50

The Pre-Smoke
The Celebracion is a nice looking cigar. It’s smooth, with fine, attractive veins and a slight sheen to the wrapper. It boasts of a nicely firm feel to the touch, with no noticeable soft spots or extra give anywhere.

The first of the two cigars smoked for this review did have a little white spot on the wrapper maybe an inch below the band. In my visual inspection of the second cigar, I found no obvious patches or flaws.

Both cigars had a nice rich, earthy aroma. In the cold taste I detected the a similarly rich dark coffee flavor. The scent really stood out to me, as many of the cigars I’ve been smoking recently have had an almost pungent barnyard scent to them. This was a nice change of pace.

Very light resting smoke

The Burn
Ironically, my favorite and least favorite things about this cigar is the burn. The great thing about the burn is that it looks fantastic. It’s photogenic with near perfect burn line. It has an extremely solid white ash that hangs on seemingly forever. In the cigar shown in the pictures, the ash reached nearly 2 1/2 inches before it dropped like a rock into the ashtray. (In the cigar not pictured, the ash was even prettier.) It’s the kind of ash all cigars aspire to.

Good burn line, but the other cigar was even prettier!

Unfortunately, it’s same the construction that makes that attractive white pillar possible that also makes this such a difficult cigar to smoke. What I’m saying here is that this cigar is so firm, so impregnable, that it’s tough to draw any smoke through it!

The first of the two cigars I sampled was absolutely plugged. Even using my improvised (but effective!) draw-poker, I was only able to make it to the end of the second third. Just before the final third, the cigar refused to remain lit, the draw kept tightening back up and I finally threw in the towel. I couldn’t keep it lit and the smoke I was getting was little better than vapor. The second cigar had a looser, more smokable draw, but it was still a challenge. It left me smoke starved for a good percentage of the stick.

As a result of the tight draw, these cigars burned far more hotly than they should. I was concerned that the negative impact of this super heating and poor draw will result in my flavor observations being skewed.

The Flavor
It’s a real shame about the draw, because in spite of that irritation, I found the cigar to some really great flavors. The very first puff rewarded me with a rich sweet chocolate flavor that I really enjoyed. It was followed by coffee flavors that reminded me of coffee-flavored hard candies I’ve had in the past.

In the second third I still had the coffee flavor, some nuttiness and what seemed to be wood with a hint of salt. I’m not sure how that sounds, but the combination of flavors was actually very enjoyable, even though I’m not a fan of saltiness in cigars.

In the final third I detected some chocolate notes again, more of the unusual salty wood flavor and just a little bit of cinnamon. In all, this is a great tasting cigar, in spite of the affects of tight draw and overheating.

The Price
I have no complaints regarding the price of this cigar. If I weren’t so put off by two bad draw experiences, I’d be happy to buy more in this price range.

The Verdict
I hate to do it, but I have to give this cigar a thumbs down. Normally a great flavor experience will outweigh construction flaws, but I have a strong bias toward normal to looser drawing cigars. And this cigar was way out of my range of comfort.

I’d love to smoke this again if I could be assured of a better draw, but the odds appear to not be in my favor. And it’s a shame. The draw is all that stands in the way of this being a winner in my book.

Liked It: No
Buy It Again: Unlikely
Recommend It: To people who prefer a tight draw, and with a strong word of caution.

What Other People Are Saying

• The Consul on Keepers of the Flame - Likes it, but prefers the CAO Criollo.
• Jerry of Stogie Review on the churchill - Thumbs up, but look at those teeth marks!
• Rob’s review on Cigar Live - 5.9/10
• Torpedo size review on Humiblog - Liked it, but had trouble keeping it lit.
• Summer ‘05 Smoke Magazine torpedo review - They liked it: 9.0!

The Cigar In Action

The split in the wrapper is probably my fault: Band removal troubles!

My Other Reviews
If you like my review style, you may be interested in reading some of my other reviews on my home blog, Brian’s Random Thoughts. To see a full list of my cigar reviews, visit the cigar review index.

Cigar review Index, La Gloria Cubana Serie R No. 5 Natural, Puros Indios Changes Name,

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It’s time for the second installment of my guest cigar reviews. Thanks again to Stinkie for the cigars and the opportunity to make a mess on his blog.

For this review I smoked two Sancho Panza Extra Fuerte Pamplonas (the designated name for the robusto size in this line of cigars). I’m combing my notes for these two smokes together with my recent experience smoking the Madrid (or toro) size a few weeks ago. The majority of the pictures in this post are from the second cigar.

Cigar Stats:
Size: 4 1/2 x 50 (Robusto)
Wrapper: Honduras
Binder: Honduras
Filler: Honduras, Nicaragua
Price: $2.75 (Buy Now)
Smoking time: 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes

The Pre-Smoke
In my initial inspection, I noticed some cosmetic variations in these cigars. The first one I smoked was very smooth. You could see the veins in the wrapper, but they were absolutely flush with the leaf. As you might be able to see in the image above, the veins were actually considerably lighter in color than the rest of the wrapper, giving it an interesting decorated effect. It was a very attractive cigar. The second cigar wasn’t quite as refined looking. It had prominent veins running down its sides that were both visually apparent and noticeable to the touch. I’m not saying the cigar was ugly, it’s just hard to match the appearance of the first.

The first cigar also had the slight oily sheen you would expect from a cigar like this. Again, the second cigar just didn’t match up in the cosmetic department. It appeared dry both visually and to the touch.

Both cigars were nicely packed with tobacco and firm when pinched. One cigar had a softer spot toward the foot, but it wasn’t so soft that I was concerned about burn problems.

Both cigars clipped nicely and I detected notes dark chocolate notes in the smell and in the cold taste. There was also the faintest flavor of black licorice or anise in those pre-burn draws that I found pretty intriguing.

The Burn
I was very pleased with the burn of these cigars. Both started out a little uneven, but settled into a perfectly straight burn until well into the final third. I was right to not be concerned about the softer spot in the first cigar, it never became an issue. With both cigars, shortly after they began burning erratically in the final third it became clear the cigar was finished. The interesting thing is this “I’m done now” point came much later in the second cigar than in the first. (Which, as you’ll see in the flavor section, was ideal.)

One thing I really like observe when I’m smoking is how long an ash will get before it drops into the ashtray. (Or on my shirt. Or the floor. My wife really loves that! ) Longer ashes are a pretty good indicator of well constructed cigars. Well, I was amazed by the construction of the second cigar. It ashed only once! And it did that at well over two inches. The final ash never dropped, even though I smoked it until my fingers started smoldering. (My fingers aren’t that great of a smoke, it turns out.) That more than makes up for a weird final burn line.

The Flavor
This is the interesting part. My flavor reads on these cigars are so different that I have to wonder if Stinkie didn’t pull a fast one on me, slipping me an Oliva cigar in Sancho Panza clothing or something. (If you did, I admire your duplicity! But I caught you!) Of course, as I learned the hard way a single cigar is not a box. It’s also possible that my drink pairing with the second cigar was responsible for the vastly different taste experience.

The first cigar was cigar I smoked with water as my beverage. This smoking experience happens to most resemble my previous experience with the Madrid Extra Fuerte. The cigar began with a dark chocolate flavor and quickly became peppery with a somewhat harsh burnt wood flavor. Around the beginning of the second third, I detected a faint sweetness that grew more pronounced before transitioning into a spicy, peppery finish. I found this cigar a little harsh both at the very beginning and again at the end.

Based on previous experience with the Sancho Panza Extra Fuerte, I decided to make the second smoking experience more interesting by pairing a good hoppy or bitter beer with it. I decided to go with a long time favorite of mine, Bridgeport ESB (Extra Special Bitter). And I gotta say, I nailed it. The combination of the ESB and this cigar was magic. This second cigar was a pleasure to smoke.

None of the harshness I experienced in the previous cigars was noticeable this time around. It began with a strong toasted nut flavor and a sharp cedar taste. The spiciness picked up as it moved into the second third and that sweetness appeared. This time instead of transitioning into a potent peppery finish, it continued to fluctuate between a tasty raisiny sweetness and cinnamon spice, until I finally, reluctantly, put it down.

The Price
I have nothing but good things to say about these cigars in terms of price. I don’t think I’ve ever seen one of these guys going for more than $3 a cigar, which makes it a great candidate for anybody’s everyday cigar. It’s hard to beat the Sancho Panza when it comes to value for money!

The Verdict
Even before this review, Sancho Panza had won me over with the Double Maduro. Like the Extra Fuerte, it’s very reasonably priced, and very full of flavor. When it comes to the Extra Fuerte, I have mixed feelings. The first Pamplona was enjoyable, but a bit too harsh for my palate at points. It could be a one-off, but it was consistent with my experience with the Madrid size, so that seems unlikely.

On the other hand, the second Pamplona was absolute smoking bliss, foot to head. Leading me to believe that this cigar is makes a fantastic part of a duo. A good hoppy or bitter beer is the Robin to the Sancho Panza Extra Fuerte’s Batman. And that makes sense. The Sancho Panza is an everyman’s cigar, and that means it should be enjoyed with friends at the pub while taking pulls of your favorite ale. And for that I raise my tankard to this cigar!

Liked It: YES
Buy It Again: YES (I already have!)
Recommend It: YES (At this price everyone should try it!)

What Other People Are Saying

• Jerry over at The Stogie Reviews both the Extra Fuerte and the Double Maduro - Yep, all in a single review. “This cigar really knocked me on my ass when I first smoked it…”
• The Pamplona reviewed on CigarFan - A lot of good background information and a positive review: “A reliable everyday kind of smoke.”
• The Fall 2004 Smoke Magazine panelists - A very recommended smoke!
• A Bunch of user reviews at CigarWorld of the Barcelona size

Smoking the Pamplona
Here’s a collection of pictures taken while smoking the second Sancho Panza Extra Fuerte Pamplona.

My Other Reviews
If you like my review style, you may be interested in reading some of my other reviews on my home blog, Brian’s Random Thoughts. To see a full list of my cigar reviews, visit the cigar review index.

Cigar review Index, This Week In Cigars, Review: Sancho Panza Double Maduro Quixote,

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Well hello there! Stinkie is currently in the middle of a move (we all know how much fun that is), and has asked me to step in an write a few reviews for him. This post is the first, and possibly most exciting, of series of reviews I’ll be putting up in the coming weeks. It’s a sneak peak at a cigar that most of us can’t yet get our hands on: the Oliva Serie V Ligero Especial!

For this review, I smoked two different sizes of the Serie V: The churchill and the figurado. I’ve combined my notes from each to create this review.

Cigar Stats:
Sizes: 7 x 52 (Churchill Extra); 6 x 60 (Figurado)
Wrapper: Habano Sun Grown (Nicaragua)
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Jalapa Valley Ligero (Nicaragua)
Price: $5 - $8 (Expected retail price)
Smoking Time: 2 to 2 hours 20 minutes

The Pre-Smoke
The first thing that hits you with these cigars is both their size and extremely attractive appearance. These are very elegant looking cigars! (And as a bonus, the cigar band color-scheme fits in nicely with the Cigar Beat color scheme.) Both cigars were very smooth, with fine, but noticeable veins that add positively to their aesthetic appeal. It goes without saying that only the most pristine leaves are selected to be wrapper of a cigar, and these remind you of that fact.

In my inspection of both cigars, I noted that they were both firm. The figurado being the most firm of the two, particularly toward the head of the cigar. In the foot of the figurado and the churchill, there was some initial give, but you quickly hit a brick wall of tobacco underneath. Very nicely packed.

While both cigars did have a nice oily sheen, they didn’t visually appear to be any more oily than most cigars. It wasn’t until I clipped them and went for the cold taste that I detected how oily these cigars are. In a word, very. The last cigar I had that was this oily on the lips was the Gurkha Black Puro.

The Burn
Lighting this cigar is a pleasure. The room immediately takes on a rich, delicious toasty coffee smell. I’ve heard it said that it’s difficult to detect the room aroma of a cigar while you’re smoking it. While that’s generally true, it’s less so with this cigar. If I could pick a single favorite part of smoking this cigar, it’s lighting it and taking the first few puffs.

The interesting thing about smoking two very differently shaped cigars is that you get to see two very different burns. Such was the case in my experience. While the figurado started off oddly (apparently while the figurado seems idiot proof in terms of lighting, it is not Brian-proof) in the first 3rd but evened out by the beginning of the second third. On the other hand, the churchill burned perfectly for the first third and then get a bit crazy by the end of the second.

In both cases, there seems to be a spot in this cigar, just beyond the halfway point, where it decides to no longer tolerate my slower smoking pace. Both cigars went out on me at that point, and required much more frequent puffing to stay lit going forward, as well as the occasional corrective touch up. That was a little disappointing, as I find the flavor begins to suffer with the faster smoke. This was a bit more pronounced in the figurado, whose shape seems to be more inclined to plug up a it’s smoked. (No draw poking required though, applying gentle pressure to the head while rolling it between my thumb and finger corrected the reoccurring draw issue.)

The Flavor
Beginning with the cold taste, right away I could tell I was in for a full bodied, potent cigar. (OK, I did read other reviews of this cigar, so that might have biased me a bit.) In the initial taste, I detected a rich flavor that was very reminiscent of prunes and licorice.

These cigars started very differently for me in the flavor department. The churchill started right off with a dense but smooth chocolatey flavor, but in the figurado I was greeted with a great deal of pepperiness as the capped foot burned. In my notes I described this flavor as resembling the some of the heavy smells of campfires of my youth. (Bonus points for nostalgia.)

Of the two cigars, the figurado had a more pronounced spiciness present throughout the smoke (possibly brought out by the wine I had earlier in the evening) A similar spiciness was present in the churchill though more subdued until the end. Even with that spiciness, both cigars were impressively smooth, dense and complex. My notes on flavors for both are much longer than normal; as each cigar made frequent transitions between chocolate tones, earthiness and coffee or cappuccino flavors and occasionally a pocket of faint sweetness. If a cigar is meant to be a journey, the Oliva Serie V is an epic road trip full of hedonistic pleasure.

The Price
I wasn’t able to find an official price for this cigar anywhere, but rumor has it you’ll be able to pick up the Serie V for $5 to $8 a cigar. I find that price range to be very reasonable.

The Verdict
As you can probably tell by now, I like this cigar. It’s a definite must-smoke for all full-bodied cigar lovers. In fact, due to its smoothness, even a seasoned fan of milder cigars might want to try it out. The thing to keep in mind is that it packs a surprising kick, even when you know it’s coming, it still sneaks up on you. So it’s a cigar that’s best reserved for the evening after the day’s chores have been completed (or put off, either way). People new to cigars smoke at your own risk!

There are two things I would do differently the next time I smoke this cigar. First of all, I would probably go for a size down. For slow smokers like me, these big fellows demand a lot of time, and can be hard to fit into a busy schedule. (Though the investment of time is well worth it.) The other thing I would do is eat a thick juicy steak before having this cigar. And that’s because the whole time I was smoking it, I was seriously jonesin’ for a steak. This is not a post-pasta cigar!

Quick Summary
Liked It: YES
Buy It Again: YES
Recommend It: YES (To experienced smokers, this’ll knock the socks off a newbie.)

What Other People Are Saying
Even though this cigar is not widely available, there are quite few reviews already out there for the Oliva Serie V. Here’s a quick sampling.

• The Official Serie V Website - It isn’t a review, but it’s a good thing to have a look at.
• Walt’s Early Release Review on The Stogie Review - This review was so early, the cigar didn’t even have a band! Great review, with plenty of pictures and a video!
• Cigar Jack’s Verdict On The Serie V - 9 out of 10. (He also smoked the figurado.)
• A Favorable Review on Stogie Fresh

Smoking The Figurado
Here’s a quick collection of the pictures I took while smoking the figurado.

Doncha just love a long ash?

My Other Reviews
If you like my review style, you may be interested in reading some of my other reviews on my home blog, Brian’s Random Thoughts. To see a full list of my cigar reviews, visit the cigar review index.

The Winner of Guess and Win, Guess How Many, Win A Free Cigar!, Around The Cigar Blogs,

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