K. Hansotia Signature 101 by Gurkha Cigar Review

Cigar Review of The K. Hansotia Signature 101

The cigar’s wrapper is a darker Costa Rican Maduro leaf. The filler blend was supposedly created by Mr. Hansotia himself for his own personal enjoyment.

The filler contains Honduran, Dominican, and Jamaican long-leaf tobaccos. It’s a fine-looking cigar, made a bit more special looking by the addition of its “signed” silver band.

The K. Hansotia Signature 101 cigar lit very easily and burned very slowly and evenly to the end. It stayed lit quite well even as I moved about from task to task as I smoked it.

If you smoke one of these, I recommend using a punch cutter or a “V” cutter rather than a straight slice across the head. The reason I suggest this is that the wrapper wanted to unravel after I sliced it. I was able to prevent that from happening by moistening the end, but it did tend to want to still unravel a bit.

The flavor of the cigar to me had a strong chocolate note to it, more like cocoa powder or very dark chocolate than a Hershey bar. Although described as a complex and full-bodied flavor, all I could say that I picked up was the chocolate flavor and a very mild peppery note. The flavor seemed fairly consistent to me throughout.

The smoke coming from the Hansotia Signature 101 was very thin and wispy when exhaled. When drawn into the mouth it was sometimes hard for me to tell the smoke was there.

The aroma of the smoke was bitingly sharp and my nose definitely knew it was there when I inhaled some that way.

The Signature 101′s strength was very mild initially, but picked up significantly during the last third of the burn. I would describe it as a slightly above-average strength. I definitely felt it by the end of the cigar, but it wasn’t quite as potent as the Gurkha Vintage Series (also made by Hansotia).

The Signature 101 Over all

All things considered, I liked the Hansotia Signature 101 but don’t feel it was quite as special as some do.

Still, it is quite a good cigar and I am not disparaging it here. On a 1-10 rating, the cigar deserves about a 6.5 – perhaps leaning more toward 6 than 7.

Would you like to submit a cigar review of your own?

If you would like to find more information check out our other cigar reviews.

Padron Cigars holds up to this stogie very well. I suggest either for a fine smoke.

K. Hansotia Signature 101 cigar review by msalsbury.

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C.A.O. Mx2 Belicoso – Group Review

CAO Mx2 Belicoso

Review by Deac

First, following the “cheatsheet” is the presentation of the cigar. Probably what sticks out to me was the fact that I rummaged through the box to find the stick with the best color. Even then the CAO Mx2 I ended up with was somewhat mottled. The cigar was very firm and consistent in that regard.

It lit well, the burn was not perfect, but it never required touching up. Draw was tight initially, but improved a degree by 50%. The wrapper on this CAO Mx2 held well and the ash was solid. The cigar was full bodied and of medium strength, I termed it salty on the lips but peppery to the tongue. It seemed to have a smoothing of the flavor from a little touch of bitterness to almost a creamy/spicy finish. I consider it to have a rich aroma.

I ended up giving the CAO Mx2 an 81. I have it this low because of the presentation and the taste. Though in hind sight I was being overly critical of the taste. It was a good cigar and it probably deserves a high 80 rating.

Review of the CAO Mx2 by Hoot

I finally got a chance to fire my CAO Mx2 Belicoso up last night after work. This one has been resting in the trunkador since June-July of ’06. The CAO Mx2 is a well constructed cigar. Small veins in the wrapper, nice even draw. The burn was a bit unruly but not too bad.

Nice, firm white ash. The flavor was somewhat less than I was expecting. It seemed to be, for lack of a better word,…flat. I really like the CAO line of smokes but to me, CAO Mx2 was not on a par with some others I have smoked. Towards the middle , it picked up a little depth but it was still rather thin, flavor-wise. Almost like if you add too much cream in a cup of coffee…the cocoa and coffee notes were there but they were distant. By the end, it started to have a slight bitterness but not untolerabley so.
I believe for the price of these smokes (around $100+ a box), they should be a little better than this one was. Perhaps this C.A.O. Mx2 Belicoso sat too long. Seems like I recall reading somewhere that maduros will fade faster than other smokes. Although I will say that I have not had other maduros lose their flavor.

Cigar review by padronnut

The CAO Mx2  has a pretty solid construction, very pleasing to the eye. Great banding as with almost all of the CAO line. Pre-lite aroma has a nice hint of coffee. The lighting portion was very easy, the first thoughts came off with a light note of wood with the draw began a little firm and the exhale smoke just above moderate. The burn was very good with a solid light grey ash that was a touch flaky. The draw remained a little firm throughout the second half with some faint notes of coffee and creme with a nice sweetness to the aftertaste. As the third part of this smoke came to be the draw loosed to be very nice and the exhale grew to good at best. Pepper and creme as this one finished, all in all a pretty good cigar. Mild to medium bodied.
Personal rating 84.

Again Tim Ozenger has gotten us, he is a marketing genius. Every time I pick up a CAO I usually can not wait to get it home rest it a bit then smoke it with very high expectations. I have yet to find a bad CAO but on the other hand I have never found a great CAO. I feel that CAO tries to do to much with the fillers using 4 different leaves for the filler portion of the MX2 (Dom. Rep, Honduras, Nic. and Peru)I found it as Hoot stated flat in flavor shown by the 84 rating I give it. I would have to think this smoke would need to sit over a year to blend properly. I will continue to smoke CAO with expectations. I did purchase two of these CAO Mx2, the second will wait a long time before it comes out……

I do like this line and hope we continue to do it.

My review of the CAO Mx2

 

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Cigar Review Gurkha Vintage

 

Cigars International refers to Gurkha as the “Rolls Royce of cigars”. They tell us that Gurkha is “known for offering some of the most prestigious and highly-rated blends in the world”. The Gurkha Vintage Series is one of Gurkha’s milder cigars.

The wrapper of the Gurkha Vintage Series is a slightly oily Connecticut shade. It’s a very firm cigar. The Toro size measures 6 inches long with a solid 50 ring gauge. It’s firmly rolled and feels quite solid and sturdy in your hand.

Even though I hadn’t had this one in the humidor since I purchased it back in late March, it still seemed to retain plenty of moisture. It took a good bit to light and to keep lit on those couple of occasions I had to put it down for a moment to tend to other matters.

The cigar’s strength picked up as it burned. There was a very pleasant warm peppery note throughout. The strength picked up considerably during the last couple of inches. I would categorize the opening strength as mild or weak, with a finish that was in the average-strong range. My head was swimming a bit at the end, but in a good way.

The flavor of the Gurkha Vintage, as I mentioned above, began with a distinct but very pleasant peppery hotness to it, like a mild jalapeno pepper. This hotness remained throughout the cigar, neither getting more intense nor backing off in the slightest. Although Cigars International describes the flavor as having “a slight floral note”, I’m not so sure I agree with them. To me there was a mild cedar overtone through the whole cigar.

Two or three hours later, I have only a slight aftertaste in my mouth from the Gurkha Vintage Series Toro cigar, and I wouldn’t categorize it as unpleasant or as floral. It was evident to me from the flavor and the aroma of the smoke that it was that of a mature, aged, and refined blend of tobacco. The two words that leap to mind when I think about the experience of smoking this cigar are “refined” and “quality”.

The smoke produced by the Gurkha Vintage Series cigar is pretty thick and creamy looking. I can’t say that my nose is sophisticated enough to pick up anything subtle in the aroma of the smoke. As I said above, it seemed aged and refined and that’s all I can say with any confidence.

I got about an hour out of the cigar, with only a couple of small breaks in the middle to check on the food I was grilling or some other minor task.

Before I go on to give my usual 1-10 rating on this cigar, I need to explain that my rating system attempts to keep in mind all the other cigars I’ve rated and place them on the same continuum. And since I prefer to smoke only hand-made and better-quality brands, getting a rating of 5 from me is probably like getting a rating of 80 out of 100 from someone who smokes cigars across the spectrum from machine-made to boutique brands. That being said, the Gurkha Vintage Series Toro gets a very solid and respectable 6 from me. It’s a mild, refined, and extremely pleasant smoke and definitely a worthy addition to your humidor.

Cigar Review by: msalsbury

This is the only video cigar review I could find for a Gurkha Vintage:

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La Gloria Cubana Reserva Figurados Group Cigar Review

I will be posting guest reviews from the forum to the blog. You can submit a cigar review as well. This cigar review was a group review we did a long time back.

Wrapper: Ecuadoran
Filler: Dominican, Nicaraguan
Binder: Nicaraguan
Country: Dominican Republic
Factory: El Credito

Information from site:

The History:
In 2004, Ernesto created a new collection of La Gloria Cubanas featuring all Figurados shapes. The Figurado cigars are the optimal size and shape for maximizing the exceptional blend of tobacco.

The Cigar:
The cigar is filled with four-year old aged Dominican and Nicaraguan tobacco, specially grown for Ernesto, then it undergoes a special “cedar aging” process where all the components are aged together in specially designed cedar bins for six months. Then they are expertly handcrafted by two “Grade 7″ master rollers and the cigars are box aged for three additional months.

The Experience:
Distinctively rich and smooth on the palate, the collection is balanced and complex.

———————————-

As a rule, I like bigger ring gauge torpedo’s, but I found the La Gloria Cubanas to be the perfect size for a quick wintertime smoke. It is a beautiful cigar, and pre light inspection showed a well rolled cigar. It was a little tough to get going, as the foot is so small, but once it burned about a half an inch, it really opened up. The cigar drew surprisingly well, and the flavor was wonderful. I could definitely taste the cedar, with hints of earth and coffee. I smoked this one to the nub, and since it was a small cigar, had no trouble lighting up another in about an hour. I don’t know the price of this cigar, but I will be checking into getting some more. Thanks Cigar Monkey for sponsoring this review. I give this small powerhouse 2 “thumbs up”.

Cigar review by wunderdawg

—————————–

This is one shape that really appeals to me. It brings to my imagination smoky rooms full of sport jackets and leather, books and large heavy wooden tables. Maybe a stout or two…or even a bright glass of wine.

The cigar is firm without soft spots and has a nice heft to it. Lighting the cigar is simple with such a small foot. The draw is a bit tight initially but opens quickly and provides a draw that has a “good” tension of resistance and flow allowing clouds of diffused white smoke.

Taste is “woody” with hints of cedar and pine. No leather or chocolate, but what I can only describe as “nutty.” There is a nice layer of spice on the lips and tongue that persists throughout the smoking experience and lasts well on the palate long after the cigar has been allowed to rest.

Burn was a non-issue. No touch-ups and while the burn is never perfectly conical it stays very even. The ash was white and holds to the lit ember as long as it is allowed. There is a very fine wisp of smoke that rises quietly while resting.

Now for the down side (or what not to do): I had determined to smoke two since I wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to smoke in relative peace, and to really give this shape of cigar the attention I feel it deserves.

The problem I had was with the place, temperature and lack of humidity. where I smoked is rather comical in that I have set up a little “man cave” in my metal shed. Now, my wife thinks it is wonderful that I finally organized the shed, clearing out junk, hanging bikes on the wall, winterizing the yard equipment, and in general making “nice.” I placed a hanging light, one of those under the hood metal lamps that you work on the car with, a small desk lamp, a space heater and a folding chair and one of those little folding tables that the grand kids use to eat on when there isn’t room at the table, amongst the various tools and my motorcycles and created a little lounging area where I can read and smoke.

I took the precaution of placing the second La Gloria Reserva Figurados in a zip-lock and placed it on the folding table to lower the risk of damaging the stick in a coat pocket. But in the hour or so that I smoked and took notes on the first La Gloria the second cigar sat and evidently suffered from the oddity of temps and humidity. This is where the ash hit the sweatshirt so to speak. Burn suffered horribly, ash became flaky, the wrapper split, and the whole wonderful experience of the first cigar was almost clouded in the comedy of errors that I inflicted upon myself.

However…bottom line…the La Gloria Reserva Figurados is a great cigar! Highly recommend it and I will definitely keep a few of these vitolas in the humi for those special times in my “man-cave” relaxing with a good book…note I said in the humi!

Cigar review by Deac

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Finally got the chance to smoke the LGC Reserva Figurado last night on the way home from work. I really enjoyed it as I, too, have been a few days without a cigar. This cigar looks beautiful. Smooth wrapper, small veins, and I must admit to a growing fondness for perfectos. The initial draw was quite firm due to the narrow foot but once past that, it opened up to a nice easy draw, but not too loose. The first third or so, I noticed a spiciness that soon mellowed and a more earthy character came to the front. There was something else in the background that I could not put my finger on at first, but about half way, I thought…Marjoram. The herbiness (for lack of a better word) was quite pleasant and held on until I had to put this one down. It was getting tricky to hold and I didn’t have a toothpick on me.
I had no construction or burn issues at all. While not a razor sharp burn, it was even throughout the smoke.

Haven’t checked to see what these cost, But I would highly recommend them and I reckon I will look around and see if I can make room for some in the Trunkador. It is getting full as are my other desktop humis.

I reckon I best ease on over and see if my luck will holdi out with the humidor contest. Thanks to Cigarmonkey for sponsoring this month’s review. I hope after things settle down here, perhaps I will be able to sponsor a monthly review.

Cigar review by Hoot

Here is a video cigar review of the maduro

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Cigar Review: Famous Nicaraguan 3000 Robusto

The Cigar Review

This review is on a value cigar that has been a regular in my humidor for years.  If you are a regular to online cigar blogs or forums you have probably heard of the Nic 3000 a couple of times. I was gifted a couple of these years ago by a friend and have had them on hand ever since. The bad thing is that you will not be able to stop down at your local cigar shop and and pick one up. These are sold through Famous Smoke online. You can however pick up singles, 5-packs and bundles. Even though you will be paying more of a mid-value price when purchasing singles it is always nice to have the option.

Running a little over $2 per stogie when purchased in a 20 cigar bundle I think the Famous Nicaraguan 3000 is one of the best full body value cigars around. The robusto weighs in at a hefty 5×54 with Nicaraguan tobacco’s and a Ecuadorian Habano wrapper. This fat cigar is more of a oval/half box press than not making it is easy to hold and smoke. The draw is good all the way through and you get plenty of flavorful smoke. The ash and burn on this cigar is perfect, it burns like a $10+ smoke. I’m amazed every time I fire one up and watch how tight the white ash holds on to this dark cigar. The burn line is razor sharp all the way down never needing any of your attention.

The flavor of the the Nicaraguan 3000 is earthy and has some spice. Just a good complex smoke that keeps you wanting more. Not much else to say here. The one tip I do have is to let this cigar rest in your humidor for a while. The longer it ages the better it seems to get.

Nicaraguan Bottom Line

I have nothing riding on this cigar review, just the satisfaction of sharing a great value smoke with people that may have not tried them yet. If you have not gave the Nicaraguan a chance yet, you might want to pick a couple up. If you like full body cigars, this just might get a permanent spot in your humidor. I will update this post with pictures from the next one I smoke.

Have you had this cigar? What are your thought on them?

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Cigar Review: J Grotto Reserve Series Gran Toro

Cigar Stats

• Name: J Grotto Reserve Series Gran Toro
• Made in Honduras
• Honduras Criollo 98 wrapper
• Honduras Criollo 98 wrapper
• Honduras and Nicaragua Ligero Filler
• Size 6×52
• Suggested retail price is $8.95

This is a beautiful looking cigar.  The J Grotto Reserve Series Gran Toro is the only one in the line that supports a pig tail cap which is more of a quick wrap. The cigar is dark, oily and constructed solid. No soft spots, perfect looking cap and small to a couple mid sized veins. Just looks like a kick ass cigar.

After lighting this J Grotto cigar I noticed right away that it was going to be a good flavor smoke. It starts and ends with a full flavor and medium strength. This is an earthy cigar with smooth oak in the background. All the flavors seemed to be deep and dark but always smooth. The retrohale was a pleasant experience that brought the flavors out even more.

The burn on this cigar was worse than I had hoped for. From the beginning I had to touch it up through the entire cigar.  Before doing this cigar review I decided to smoke another after it had more time to settle in the humidor. Giving it another week I got the same results as the first J Grotto Reserve Series. More time in the humidor might help with this issue but I don’t know. Make sure to let us know how this cigar has burned for you in the comment section.

Over all: So we have a bad burn that I’m not thrilled with at all but we also have a wonderful, very satisfying flavor and makes me think the burn is worth it. Every time I walk past my coolidor I want to grab another. My thoughts are find one, smoke it and then repeat… Then let us know how it burns for you.

 

 

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Fuente Hemingway Short Story Cigar Review

Looking at my cigar review index last night I noticed I do not have a cigar review for the Hemingway Short Story. Being on of my favorite cigars back in the day this was surprising.

Fuente History:

The Fuente family’s tobacco roots go back to the old world of nineteenth century Cuba. Born in 1887, Arturo Fuente learned the art of cultivating top quality tobacco and manufacturing handmade cigars from his father in Cuba. After immigrating to the United States and finally settling in Tampa, Florida’s famous Ybor City, Arturo rolled his first cigar bearing the Fuente family name. Arturo Fuente is still a family company, representing four generations, and is internationally recognized.

The Cigar:

The Hemingway Short Story is a short Perfecto that supports a Dominican filler and binder along with a select African Cameroon wrapper, weighing in at only 4×42/49. This little Perfecto is always rolled just about perfect with some moderate veins and a oh so inviting look.

The Smoke:

The tip on this Perfecto is rolled perfect every time and only requires a cigarette lighter to get this cigar lit. You will find a tight draw until you get around the end of this cigar due to the Perfecto shape. You will find hints of wood and wonderful nuttiness. The burn is about perfect all the way down and the ash holds on for ever.

Cigar Notes:

Being a Perfecto this cigar starts out fat and gets thinner the closer to the tip. Because of this it is easy to smoke this cigar to fast resulting in it getting hot. I would recommend smoking this cigar slowly to get the full benefits.

Over all:

The Fuente Hemingway Short Story is a great cigar that I would recommend to any cigar smoker. The price dropped on these a couple years ago so that makes it even better.

If you have the time to enjoy a larger cigar I would recommend the Hemingway Signature, this is my favorite of the line. It is not so easy to smoke fast and the nuttiness is just oh so good!

I hope you enjoyed the cigar review, let us know what you think if the Hemingway Short Story in the comment section below or submit a cigar review of your own.

(photo courtesy of www.cigarsdirect.com)

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Black Pedro by Felipe Gregorio Cigar Review

I received a small box with three cigars and a hand written note  from Felipe Gregorio a couple weeks ago. The cigars were Black Pedro cigars. One each, Robusto, Torpedo and Churchill. The Robusto is called the Diabolito, the Torpedo is the Moro Torpedo and the Churchill is called the Andaluz. They also have a 6×54 cigar named Gitano.

Felipe Gregorio grew up in Europe smoking cigars since 16. After collage he sold helicopters in the Middle East before moving in the cigar business in  1988. He has made many stops over the years trying to find a flavor profile he had in his mind. He made stops in many cigar known countries like Honduras and  Nicaragua before settling in the Dominican Republic to create his cigars.

The Black Pedro cigars by Felipe Gregorio are made in the Dominican Republic and sports Ecuadorian Sumatra Maduro Wrapper, Dark Nicaraguan Maduro Binder and  Fillers include Corojo Dominican, Nicaragua Habano 92.

The dark wrapper is beautiful and the silver band blends very nicely with this cigar. It looks dark, sexy and looks as it is going to be a very full body cigar.

This Black Pedro cigar smoked very nicely with a flavor profile of black pepper and espresso. It is a relaxing cigar that surprised me that it was not as heavy as I thought it would be. It burned well and made me not want it to end.

What do you think of the Black Pedro cigar? Let us know in the comment section. Have a different opinion or want to share your thoughts? Submit a cigar review or tip.

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CAO OSA SOL Cigar Review

OSA SOL is a cigar made by the famous CAO. CAO Cigars have many good cigars including the MX2, Brazilia and CAO Gold. They are a high roller in the cigar industry and known for good marketing posting on You Tube and magazines.

The CAO OSA SOL was released in three sizes. Lot 50 is 5×50, Lot 54 is 6×54 and Lot 58 is 6.5×58. They support a green, white and silver band. It has a Honduras wrapper grown in Olancho San Agustin, Connecticut Broadleaf binder and Nicaragua, Honduras filler. The strength of this cigar is considered medium.

Though not the most appealing cigar, the CAO OSA SOL makes a nice choice in the $5-$6 range. It smokes ok with a weak ash and has a nice aroma to it. The flavor profile is woody and earthy, at least what I got out of it.

So the bottom line is it is good, not horrible but also not great. The OSA SOL is a good choice but there are others in this price range that are better. I smoked the Lot 54. I have heard the Lot 50 robusto is a better smoke but I can’t see it being much different from the cigar I smoked.

Please let us know what you think of the OSA SOL in the comments below or you can submit a cigar review of your own.

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PADRON 1964 IMPERIAL

PADRON 1964 IMPERIAL
Woody Robinson

Apparently, Nicaraguan puros are giving Cubans a run for their money. This past weekend I picked up a Padron 1964 Imperial from the local establishment, and was not disappointed. At $15 a pop, I can say it was easily worth the extra money. With a perfect dark maduro and tight seams, the construction of this puro was close to perfect. The compact ash and effortless draw allowed the earth tones and toastedtobacco to seep through the creamy smoke. I’m not one to sing praises of any old cigar, but the Imperial was truly a diamond in the rough.

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