Cigar Review: Matilde Oscura Toro Bravo

Hello Cigar Smokers!
Today I'm reviewing another new product, and a quick favorite of mine, the Matilde Oscura. We stock two sizes of this cigar, the Toro Brevas, which measures  6 1/2" by 54. We also stock a Corona which measures 5 1/2" by 44. This cigar is wrapped in a Mexican grown San Andres Maduro leaf with fillers from the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua and Pennsylvania with a Sumatra Binder leaf. This cigar comes in boxes of 20 in a striking green cabinet style box. This is definitely a full bodied cigar, I rank this cigar a 4/5 strength.

These cigars come with a dark, lush wrapper, very much like other San Andres wrapper cigars. They are rolled on the tighter side, they are pretty firm when you give them a slight squeeze, but they are not rolled tight enough to affect the draw negatively. I haven't seen any blemishes in my experience with this cigar. The draw is well balanced and opens up as the cigar progresses, which I like for this blend. The cigar is rich from the initial light up, if you smoke lots of San Andres Maduro cigars the richness is very familiar. Once you get into the cigar a peppery quality starts to develop behind the velvety, rich feeling on the palate. The ash holds on to the foot of the cigar for a long time, which I attribute to the tightness of the fillers. It is a very satisfying cigar to smoke that takes a long time for the flavors to develop.

Overall I am very happy with this cigar, personally San Andres Maduro is my favorite wrapper leaf, and I think this cigar has merits over similar offerings. I think this cigar has more complexity than the Aroma de Cuba Mi Amor, which is a popular San Andres cigar on the market. This cigar pairs well with a full bodied red wine, as both would give similar sensations on the palate. I recommend this cigar to anybody that is a fan of San Andres Maduro wrappers, like myself. Or for anybody who is used to Dominican cigars but wants to try something stronger.

New Product: Arturo Fuente Don Carlos Belicoso

Hello Cigar Smokers!
Today I'm proud to present our newest addition to our Fuente collection, the Don Carlos Belicoso. This is the same cigar that Cigar Aficionado ranked the #4 cigar of 2015, and is a real treat for any fan of Arturo Fuente Cigars. This cigar is a 3/5 strength and fits in nicely with our range of Arturo Fuente's.

Unlike any other Fuente, the Don Carlos comes with a premium aged Cameroon wrapper. The flagship Fuente Gran Reserva comes with a Cameroon wrapper, but do not mistake those with the Don Carlos. The construction of the Don Carlos is top notch, I would put it's general quality up there with the Opus X line. The wrappers are all uniform and each cigar is well made, I haven't experienced any crooked burns, plugged fillers or any other quality control bungles.

This cigar brings a smoothness and easy draw that is characteristic of Fuente cigars, but gives a little bit of bite from the Cameroon wrapper. It gives a lot of flavor without being a very full bodied cigar. I would put the Don Carlos in the "must try" category like the Opus X. I recommend this cigar to Arturo Fuente fans, people who enjoy lighter cigars but want to try something with more flavor or anybody who is a fan of the Cameroon wrapper. I consider this the best example of a Cameroon wrapper cigar I have tried to date.

Cigar review: Illusione Rothschilds

Hello Cigar Smokers,
Today, leading up to the 4th of July I'm reviewing a cigar that is special to me, the Illusione Rothschilds. I'm expecting a hot day on the 4th, and a larger sized cigar is often times too much in scorching weather. I've definitely taken on too much cigar on a hot day and ended up a little dizzy, cutting my cigar experience short. Now I err on the side of caution and stick to medium bodied and smaller cigars when the weather gets on the hotter side. This Illusione is a perfect balance for me on those kind of days. The Illusione Rothschilds is a Nicaraguan Puro that measures 4.5 inches by a 50 ring gauge and features a pretty simple band. Like many Rothschilds on the market this cigar is packed in boxes of 50 that come in a bundle. The packaging is understated and easy to pass by on the shelf, however if you notice them I wouldn't pass them by.

All the cigars are reasonably well made, none are rolled too tight or too loose. I haven't had a bad draw from one of these cigars, or a plugged up filler that ruins the draw. I do notice that there are some imperfections on some wrappers in the box, but not frequently enough to bother me. The blemished wrappers don't taste any different or smoke any different in my experience. This cigar delivers a smooth, but earthy flavor that stays in the medium flavor range. I rank this cigar's strength as a 3/5. This cigar leaves a strong impression on the palate and the earthiness I describe hits the tongue more than anything. The finish is strong for a smaller cigar, and it burns in a straight line across the cigar for the duration.

Overall I think this is a perfect shorter smoke. It delivers a strong flavor that I like with an easy draw, but it isn't sickening like some of my favorite cigars can be on a hot day. While this cigar isn't very complex, the flavors it does deliver are very nice and well blended. I know I'm going to smoke a couple of these at least on Monday for the 4th. The flavors here would go well with beer or sugary mixed drinks, like many people opt for on Independence Day. I wouldn't call this cigar neutral, but this cigar has mass appeal for the smoker that enjoys heavier or lighter cigars, with this being the bridge between full bodied and light bodied. I hope you all have a good holiday with good smokes and good company!