Oliveros King Havano Maduro Fuerte Monarch

Brand of Cigar: Oliveros
Name of Cigar: King Havano Maduro Fuerte Monarch
Vitola: 6X54
Wrapper: Maduro Fuerte
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Body: Full
Time of Smoke: 1:25
MSRP Price: $4.70-5.40
Purchase Price: $2.00 (20 for $40.00)
Place of Purchase: Cigarbid.com


Intro:

I looked in my humidor for what I was going to smoke tonight and realized I was down to my last Oliveros King Havano. I figured I'd better do a review on this one before I forgot about it and smoked my last one. About four months ago I bought a box of these maduro sticks and have already gotten to the end of my supply. I decided to bust out my knew scissor cutters and makeshift ashtray and give this one a go on my deck while enjoying the wind and rain from the storm before I got to my much anticipated Fantasy Football Draft.

Appearance/Construction: 21/25

The first thing I noticed about the King Havano is the dark maduro wrapper. I will admit the dark brown wrapper gave me enough reason to take a chance on these. Not only is the wrapper nice and dark like I prefer, but the band looks great as well. The band is a thick one that is mostly gold with some nice artistic elements added to it. I really thought the gold matched up well with the darkness of the stick. The King Havano also has a smaller band at the foot of the cigar which gave it a nice unique look. From a distance these cigars look beautiful, I will say however, that they do drop off in appearance after a closer look. I noticed that this particular stick had quite a few veins running through it. The veins even made the cigar a little bumpy along the wrapper and took away from the elegant look that I saw from afar.

Smoking Experience: 27/30

After poring myself a glass of Glen Ellen Pinot Gritio and taking a seat on my deck, it was time to examine this cigar properly. After all, the looks really don't mean that much as long as the stick smokes like a champ. During the pre-light examination, I noticed that the King was firm but had a nice bounce to it, and gave off some earthy and mocha tones. I got right into this one and it started burning wonderfully just like the previous King Havanos I had smoked. For a two dollar stick, this one really burns well. I was taken over by the thick smoke that rolled of this cigar and knew that it had the chance to be a solid stick. I started taking in some notes of leather and mocha right away, and those were met by the common earthy and peppery flavors. This one was smoking evenly just like the others that I had smoked and it didn't require any touch-ups. I ended up smoking the gray ash to about 1.5 inches before deciding to ash it before I got hit with some cigarbage. I really didn't want to be cleaning it up when I should have been choosing between AP and Chris Johnson. One thing I was really surprised about was the color of the smoke, it had a brown tint to it, which is a little different from the usual white and gray clouds that I associate with cigars. This was different than what I'm used to, but I had no problem with it. The only problems I had with the cigar was the leaf coming undone a little where I had cut the cigar and tasting a bit of harshness once the stick got down to about an inch. But overall, I solid smoking experience.

Value: 18/20

For two dollars a stick, I can't complain about this one. The construction of the cigar could have been a little better, and I would have liked to see a better flavor profile for a full cigar, but I'm nit picking here. For the price, this is a pretty damn good cigar and I would definitely purchase again at a $2.00 price tag. I personally think that this one's worth it even at MSRP.

Overall Rating: 22/25

Overall, this cigar is a pretty solid stick. The only complaint I could have is the construction, but even with the veins and rough surface, the cigar was a very enjoyable smoke. It didn't have the best flavor profile for a full-bodied cigar, but again, at $2.00 or even $5.40 I'm not complaining. I would definitely recommend this dark Oliveros.

Rating: 88

The Griffin's Classic Robusto

Brand of Cigar: The Griffin's

Name of Cigar: Griffin's Classic
Vitola: 5X50 Robusto
Wrapper: Connecticut
Binder: Dominican
Filler: Dominican
Body: Mild
Time of Smoke: 1:15
MSRP: $5-7
Purchase Price: Gift (unknown)
Place of Purchase: Unknown


Intro:
I received this smoke from my brother because I ran into the unusual problem where I did not have a cigar on me. I had heard of "The Griffin's" cigars before, but had never had one in my years of smoking. I thought it looked like a good stick, and since I hadn't had one of these Connecticut sticks before, I figured I'd better do a review on it. I took the stick and smoking utensils out to the back deck and took in the experience of a smoke out in the woods.


Appearance/Construction: 21/25
Although I personally enjoy the appearance of a nice dark maduro cigar, I couldn't help but think this stick was a beautiful specimen. The 5X50 Robusto looked very smooth and upon putting my lips to it, I could sense a nice oily feel to it. There were a couple prominent veins that ran the length of the cigar, but overall it was a very smooth cigar and put together well. I had no problems with the cigar coming unraveled and the cap disconnected from the rest of the stick with ease.

Smoking Experience: 28/30
Upon taking the cigar out of the wrapper I noticed a woody scent with a little touch of sweetness to it. As I mentioned earlier, it was oily to the touch and looked to be a promising cigar. I lit this delight up with a Coors Light on my side and was ready to start enjoying. After lighting this one up, I immediately started getting some earthy tones along with some nutty flavors. It had a nice dense smoke and I know problems with the draw of the cigar. I personally enjoy a more full-bodied cigar, but this one was exceeding my expectations. "The Griffins" Classic definitely didn't take me over with flavor, but it was a very enjoyable smoke. I decided to risk dealing with "cigarbage" and try to keep the ash going on this one. I kept waiting for the long white ash to fall, but it never seemed to happen. Finally the ash fell from the rest of the cigar after about 2.5"....that's half of the cigar! As a firm believer of the "smoke till you can't no more" mentality, I decided to smoke this cigar down to the bitter end. The only thing was, there was no bitter end. I finally put it down, with about half an inch left, and although my fingers were starting to feel the heat, I never experienced any harshness to the cigar. By the end, this cigar had earned my respect.


Value: 18/20
This is by far one of the better mild cigars I can remember. As a gift, the value is great, but even if I had bought it for the $5.00 price tag, I would have to say I got my money's worth. I would definitely purchase this cigar again, and it would be great for the casual smoke. I feel the $5.00 price tag is very reasonable for this particular stick.


Overall Rating: 23/25
Although I am more of a full-bodied smoker, I must say that this mild cigar was a delight. The burn was flawless and although there was not a lot of complexity, the flavors kept me wanting more. I don't know many smoother cigars out there. It's also a plus that I know I can turn to this particular cigar if I am in need of a specimen for a long-ash contest. Overall, this cigar ranks at the top for me in mild cigars.
Rating: 90

Review: H. Upmann 1844 No. 100

Brand: H Upmann
Name: 1844 No. 100
Vitola: 4 ½ x 50 Robusto
Wrapper: Indonesia
Filler: Dominican Republic, Brazil
Binder: Dominican Republic
Body: Medium
Time of Smoke: 1:10
MSRP: $5.00
Purchase Price: $4.75
Place of Purchase: Spanky’s Tobacco World

Intro:

This was the second cigar I purchased at a local cigar store, the same place that usually doesn't take care of their sticks. Luckily, this cigar came out unscathed for the most part, and I gave it some time in my own humidor just for extra measures. I decided to smoke this cigar with some friends as we enjoyed some drinks around a fire. Since becoming a cigar smoker, I’ve tried more brands than I can keep track of, but I don't believe I’ve had very many H Upmann's, so I was looking forward to this smoke.

(Sorry about the bad picture quality)


Appearance & Construction: 23/25

After running it through my hands a bit, I could find no soft spots and it seemed rather firm. The Sumatra wrapper was a natural color, with no veins or raised spots which is a testament to how well it was shade grown This stick didn’t have the most oily wrapper, and the cap wasn’t the same shade either. It cut well, so no problems there.   

Smoking Experience: 22/30

This cigar was a lot tougher to draw smoke from than I expected, and I caught myself a few times pulling fairly hard for a mouthful of smoke. When I did get smoke, it left me with notes of earth, some cocoa, as well as a small note of leather. The burn was very solid, with very little waviness at all. After the half way mark, the smoke became a little more easy to draw, and the flavors (which hadn’t changed) came out a little stronger which I was happy about.

Price: 18/20

I bought this smoke for $4.75, and I saw the No. 100 online anywhere from $3.50 to $5.50 so it's a pretty cheap smoke with some good qualities. There are better cigars under 5 bucks, but this seems to be a solid choice.

Overall: 23/25

A fairly good smoke for its cheap price tag, and I'd recommend it for a beginner or someone looking for a mellow taste. It doesn't have any bad qualities, and I’m looking forward to some of H Upmann's other cigars. I'll let the others I’ve purchased sit in my humidor for a little while longer, and I'll be sure to get back to you when I’ve smoked another!

Rating: 86

Warlock Robusto

Brand of Cigar: Warlock

Name of Cigar: Warlock Robusto
Vitola: 4 3/4 X 54 Robusto
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Cubano
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Dominican & Nicaraguan
Body: Full
Time of Smoke: 1:20

MSRP Price: $6.25
Purchase Price: $6.00

Place of Purchase: Puff N' Stuff


Intro:
This was another purchase connected to the stupidity of leaving all of my cigars in Ohio. I can't complain though, this is the first time I had seen this cigar and if I hadn't forgotten all my sticks in my humidor I may have never got the opportunity to smoke this one. When I walked in the Puff N' Stuff humidor I ran across the usual Romeo Y Julietas, Cristos, and lower end cigars. I decided that I wanted to try something different, and then I came across the Warlock, they had a toro and robusto, but I decided to go with the robusto because I hadn't heard anything about this particular cigar before. I decided to sit down with the old man and a glass of Monticello Vineyards 2009 Presedential Chardonnay and see just what I had purchased.


Appearance/Construction: (22/25)
I personally thought this was a nice looking cigar. I'll be honest, the main reason I picked this one up was because of the dark maduro wrapper on it. It is definitely one of the darker cigars I've smoked, it reminds me a lot of the Montecristo Media Noches. The band was also pretty cool, it was very plain but the black and silver gave it a nice modern feel and it coincided well with the black maduro wrapper. The cigar did have a couple major veins running through it and it was almost rough to the touch, which hurts it a little in the ratings.


Smoking Experience: (27/30)
Even during the pre-light I could tell this cigar was going to have a nice bitterness to it. It had a nice chocolate smell to it, but I could also make out the spiciness right off the bat. After getting the intimidating Warlock lit, I started getting hints of a dark chocolate/mocha. The chocolate tones continued throughout the first third, but the spices kept the stick from overtaking you with sweetness. The spices really picked up in the second half and it really started to taste like I was sipping on a bitter coffee. The change was pretty significant, and I personally enjoyed it. The cigar was also producing a nice amount of smoke along with a nice white 1.5" ash. Once I got to the final third of the cigar, I started to get a little harshness. I continued to get touches of chocolate but the harshness took over the cigar with about an inch left. Although the stick did get a little harsh, I was thoroughly impressed with the fact that I never had to touch the Warlock up and didn't have to worry about it going out on me.



Value: (18/20)
I was more than satisfied with this stick by the end of the 1:20 smoke. I bought this one for $6.00 and that seems to be about the norm (found them online for $6.25). I would be willing to buy this one again and might even grab a few before I head back to Ohio for the fall. The harshness was the only disappointment in this stick, but in reality I should expect that when I'm smoking them down to the nub.

Overall Rating: (22/25)
Overall, I really enjoyed this cigar, I liked the dark maduro look to it and the chocolaty flavor profile. It had a nice thick smoke and I never had to think about touching this one up. I think I will go grab another and see how a little aging affects it. For grabbing this one out of the store and smoking it immediately I am pretty impressed with this badass robusto.

Rating: 89

Review: Trinidad Habana Reserve Short Churchill

Brand: Trinidad
Name: Habana Reserve Short Churchill

Vitola: 4.5 x 54 Petit Chruchill

Origin: Honduras

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Conneticut

Filler: Honduras/Nicaraguan

Binder: Nicaraguan

Body: Full

Time of Smoke: 1 hour

MSRP: $5.00

Price: $4.05+

Purchased: Tobacco Village

I met up with my fellow cigarnivore the other day to talk a bit about this site and i promised him I'd bring him the Montecristo Reserva Negra he'd been asking for. So, like we usually do, went out onto his patio and decided we might as well smoke a cigar... Fine by me!


Appearance & Construction: 23/25

This Trinidad was on the lighter brown shade, with a cap of the same color. I bought this stick from the same Tobacco Village where I had gotten the Montecristo Classic Especial No. 03, so i assumed it would be very soft as well, luckily for me though it was not. This cigar proved to be very healthy and had just a slight bounce to it. The wrapper had one small wrinkle in it, and one small raised vein around the wrapper. The cap cut very smoothly, and left me with no tobacco to get in my mouth!

Smoking Experience: 23/30

This cigar lit up with ease, and immediately i began drawing a wonderfully thick smoke. The first two inches of this stick left me with notes of leather, and a slight peppery note on the tip of my tounge. Luckily, on this particular smoke i anticipated cigarbage, and caught the ash in my ashtray. The ash on this petit beauty was about an inch and a half long with a medium grey shade to it. It's burn was fairly even, and never once required my attention. After the first two inches, the TTT Trinidad presented a woodsy or woody flavored note, and the pepper at the end of my tounge had disappeared. Overall, the taste of this stick wasn't dominating my mouth with flavor, but i was still pleased.

Price: 19/20

At $4.05 per stick, i have absolutely no room to complain. MSRP on these petits are around 5 dollars, so i got a pretty good deal. I always wonder how this Tobacco Village makes any money on cigars when i've never once bought a cigar at MSRP from there.

Overall: 23/25

Overall, i would most definitely recommend this cigar to anyone. Light smokers would enjoy the length of smoke on this stick, while more adept smokers would be pleased with its taste and construction. I found no problems with this stick aside from one small vein, and i have no doubts in my mind i'll be purchasing a box of these.

Rating: 93

September Releases: Part 3

Padron Family Reserve 85^th

Padron released their Padron Family Reserve No. 47 on September 8^th. They have changed the name to the 85^th to commemorate Jose O. Padron's 85^th birthday. The 85^th has a Nicaraguan maduro wrapper along with a Nicaraguan binder and filler. This stick will come in a 5 ¼X50 Vitola and like the other Padron annual releases, this one will be a little pricey. Currently these sticks are selling for $20.00 a piece.

SWAG Limitado 99

Oliveros will be releasing their newest addition to the SWAG line in September. The '99 which is known as “The Infamous” was originally set to release in July but was pushed back to a September release. It will come in a 6X54 vitola and will be limited to a 2000 box release. The price of this stick comes in at about $6.00 which is fairly cheap considering the limited release and 1999 tobacco that is used in the filler.

Undercrown by Drew Estate

Drew Estate will also be releasing a new line this September. After the highly successful Liga Privada line, they have decided to release the similar Undercrown line. Rather than using the Connecticut wrapper that the Privadas use, they will use the Connecticut leaf in the filler and use a Mexican San Andres Negro wrapper. This stick will have five vitolas ranging from a 5X54 Robusto to a 6X60 Gordito. The Undercrown's MSRP ranges from $7.45-9.95.

September Releases: Part 2

La Aurora Corojo

This Robusto sizes in at a 5 x 50, with a very fancy looking red, white and silver wrapper. It has already been released this month so it’ll be hitting stores any time now. It’s filled with Piloto Cubano, Dominican Olor, and Nicaraguan blends of tobacco, and bound with Ecuadorian Sumatra tobacco. Finally its' wrapper is a beautiful looking Ecuadorian Corojo that is sure to please many. In terms of MSRP, I have yet to find any information on it, but I don’t expect it to be too pricey.

NCH Surrogates

New Havana Cigars has released two new sticks, one called The Bone Crusher and the second named Skull Breaker. The first is a 5 ¼ x 54 ring, while the skull breaker is a 5 ¼ x 52. There isn’t much else in terms of news on these two sticks, but the MSRP is supposedly around $7.50 per stick. The Bone Crusher is the more full bodied of the two smokes.

San Lotano Oval

The San Lotano Oval will be released this September in a very limited release, with more to be sent to dealers throughout the year. This stick has a Ecuadorian Habano 200 wrapper, and is supposedly a new vitola to the industry. They have yet to disclose its shade and size, so it will be very interesting to see it when it actually does come out. Its' binder is from Nicaragua, and filler from Nicaragua and Honduras. The release also states that there is another blend of tobacco in the filler, but it has yet to be released. There also hasn’t been a set MSRP, but I’d expect them in the 10-15 dollar range. It will be a 30 cigar box, individually numbered and plated. I’ll definitely be keeping my eye on this one!

CAO OSA

One of my favorite cigar brands will be releasing its newest blend, the OSA SOL. This will be wrapped in a 2008 Olancho San Agustin wrapper, which Rick Rodriguez (Head of Product Development for CAO) chose for its specific oils. To get the medium bodied flavor, the OSA used a Connecticut broadleaf binder, with Nicaraguan and Honduran filler. This stick was made to have a uniquely robust, earthy flavor with a full body aroma. the 5 x 50 lot will be available for 5.75 per stick, while a box is around $143. There will also be a 6 x 54, and a 6 1/2 x 58.

Gurkha Cellar Reserve

The Cellar reserve will also be dropping in September.  It uses 15 year aged tobacco starting with an oily Criollo 1998 wrapper, a Dominican Olor binder, and finally filler from Criollo and Nicaragua. These medium bodied sticks will be coming in a 20 count, hand carved wooden box, and in 5 different sizes.  The sizes will consist of a 4 x 58 Perfecto, 5 x 58 Double Robusto, 6 x 58 Gran Rothchild, 7 x 54 Churchill and a 6 x 60 XO, with an MSRP ranging from $7.99-$12.95 per stick.