Best Cigar Review of the Week - Winner Is.....

[Overproof]

Cigar: Partagas Short ( I’m pretty sure)

So my brother had another boy a few days ago, well my brother isn’t a post op lady boy so he didn’t push a kid out of his lady parts but his wife did, and they have named their healthy young boy Rashaad which in Arabic means “good judgement”. That little boy will not live to honour his name at all with me as his uncle I’ll make sure of it!

In celebration I sacrifice a Partagas Short. Well at least i’m pretty sure it is, it’s a single I got and have no memory of what it is. This is the last of my stock that i bought from a local B&M and im fairly certain I sold a part of my liver to pay the bill. All my stock now I bought off a website where these blokes take photos of cigars and sell them, and of course there’s a beautiful young lady behind the scenes to take the money too! Unfortunately I can’t divulge this source… thems the rules people !!

So I light this cigar at work while looking out onto the sunset of this fine afternoon in rural WA. Close to Leonora I am at the moment, sitting outside my donger, after volunteering to stay back a few days at work to help out the company. “What a team player I am” my boss said to me as he gave me my bonus which this year has been halved due to “market conditions”. The first puffs are quite nice with nuts and cream flavours coming through.

A bull walks past the front of my room, I sit still. Bulls can’t see you if you don’t move right? I’m no zoologist but I’m pretty sure my logic is sound. This is the same bull that has been terrorizing a few of the people at camp and the station owner has said he will come and shoot it. Yes folks ,that’s right, we here on a mine site are going to shoot a bull for chasing a few people. The flavours of this cigar have remained the same, which is surprising as my mate the bull has gone about emptying his bowels a mere 2 metres away from me. Luckily it wasn’t in similar fashion to that hippopotamus that was posted (I think on these forums?) a month or so ago.

As I reach the half way point of the cigar I get into the real work, solving the worlds problems. My latest thought is plain packaging fast food. I commented a few days ago on another forum about how I’ve heard plenty about some kind of obesity epidemic, but am yet to hear of a lung and throat cancer epidemic that warranted this stupid rule. Me being muslim I can’t eat any fast food as it’s not halal, so I think plain packaging it all would add value to society and won’t effect me at all. Win win! With the great ideas like this I should run for Prime Minister against Tony Abbott after he wins these next elections by default.

I near the end of this perfect cigar and I’m wondering if I should take some to South Africa with me in a few weeks. I’m going there for my cousins wedding and while I’m in the area will visit the Victoria Falls (and find a 1 trillion dollar note in Zimbabwe) and go shark diving. Although, after watching a recent video of a shark attacking a cage, I’m filling out my will before I go (who wants all my smokes?). I’ve decide I’ll buy a few sticks in Dubai on my way to Cape Town to smoke on my journey, and will buy a few boxes on the way back if there’s anything I fancy.

I have a nub left in my hands and the most relaxed feeling in the world. I’m pretty sure “Cigar” in Cuban means “a bloody awesome relaxing time”. I get up and go put my washing in the dryer, I’m almost penetrated by the plague of insicts on my way there. Seriosuly, I’m pretty sure one of them was inside me. I eagerly await my journey back to the laundry to pick up my clothes when they are done.

Was the cigar good? Yes, better than an average cigar, and i personally enjoyed the flavours. But who really cares? The only question one should ask while enojying a hobby such as ours is did I enjoy myself? My answer? Absolutely . And that my friends is all that matters.

So if you've read this far, thanks for putting up with me !!

Enjoy your weekend one and all.

Khalil

Great read, Khalil

[Jeremy Festa]

Right….so….my first cigar review.

Funnily enough, I have decided to review the prize for this competition. I bought an H.Upmann Travel Humidor last December from Diana, then hid it in my wine fridge for a fortnight.

On Christmas eve I put it under the tree, as a gift to myself, from my wife. The card read:- "Dear Jeremy, Merry Christmas, Love forever, Melissa xoxo" I am still living that one down.

It was totally worth it, because, I love H.Upmann, it's easily in my top 5 marcas. I love robustos, they are my stock standard, go-to vitola. And, I didn't have a decent travel humidor, and one that could perfectly fit robustos, the majority of the cigars I store at home, seemed well worth it as I could take them with me everywhere.

This time I took them to Tangalooma Island Resort, which is on Moreton Island.

My trip overlapped by a day with Rob (El Pres). But with both of us being on family holidays, and limited time, our arranged sampling of these...

will have to wait.

Anyway, let's start this actual review.

It is my understanding these Travel Humidor Robustos from 2007, are a first for H.Upmann.

The case is awesomely embossed.

The cigar looks and feels almost perfect.

The foot is evenly packed.

I am frothing to smoke my second last cigar of the six that come in this case.

I found a nice quiet spot on the beach, and got things underway.

Pre-light draw was quite spicy with a touch of resistance. Perfect really.

Once lit, I was surprised how much more I paid attention to the flavour profile. Usually I discuss a few highlights with mates during a Sunday afternoon session. But now, obviously thinking of the review that I was planning upon arriving home, I paid particular attention. I was taking a few notes with my iPhone, but now I hardly need them as these cigars are 'that' good. Throughout the first-third, they tick off so many of the flavour profiles I so often read about, and sometimes discuss. It is like taking two well known blends and combining them. What I am referring to is it feels like H.Upmann has taken a spicy cigar, with some nutty notes and a sweet cigar with a caramel profile, and since spliced them together. It is truly uncanny. When I do refer to my notes, I notice there are numerous question marks, for the second-third, and I recall being a little baffled, as to, was this a spicy cigar or was it sweet? The answer is both! It is like a spicy peanut brittle.

The burn line was always a little uneven. There was a light afternoon wind, and as I rotated the cigar, it did attempt to self correct. Please note, it never affected the draw.

Towards the third-third, I have a small note on my iPhone, simply stating "salty?" Whether this is because I am beach side, or they were able to sneak in an extra little twist towards the end, I don't know. I only have one of these H.Upmann Robustos left. And I am dying to have the next one. Simply because of this. I am putting this cigar in at a 92/93. The fact that they are already aged, at nearly 6 years now, and are even more hard to come by, only adds to the fact that if I don't win this review, and if there are any left in stock, Smithy or Diana, can you please put one on my account and in my OLH?

[Fuzz]

Took a nice '06 HdM Des Dieux with me to Brighton Le Sands beach today, thought I'd do a review after walking my lab Hunter. After a leisurely stroll down the beach, I grabbed a coffee and found a park bench to park my carcass and light up.

Pre-light is a sweet cedar and tobacco flavour, draw is firm. Just about to light... distracted by a lady in a bikini... finally got it lit. First inch is... another lady in a bikini stops to pet Hunter... damn where was I? Oh yeah, first inch... sorry, wasn't paying attention. Getting a nice sweet creamy richness, with hints of chocolate coming through as I get into the 2nd third.

Two more ladies stop by to pet Hunter... strange, none of them has complained about my cigar. Distracted again... too many bikini clad ladies walking by....

Finally decided to stop trying to review this cigar and just enjoy the view. Note to self: bring Hunter to the beach again.

[Edwhatever]

Had this Trinidad Reyes last night MSE JUL11. To my surprise this batch was far from enlightening even after one and a half years of ageing. I've had 2 to 3 of these every 2 months since October 2012 (1+ year of ageing).

When purchased, this cigar had a very nice oily sheen to it, it caught my attention and purchased it.

The Tea was a blended 1) Maharaja Chai Oolong, 2) Samurai Chai Mate, with rock sugar to activate the cinnamon taste.

Music: Skyrim OST by the London Philharmonic Orchestra

Aroma at cold: Faint dried apricot

Cold draw: White pepper, cedar. Also a bit of spice.

Opening: Clean tobacco taste, the kind you get from a Cohiba Siglo series. Medium bodied. Bitter finish, with just a hint of tobacco sweetness.

1st half (After the opening): A good amount of thick silky smoke, watching the smoke coming out of the cigar was interesting to watch. (Enjoying cigars not only by the taste, but also by the aroma, and visual aesthetics). The 'clean' tobacco taste has became a dirty tobacco taste, reminds me of cigarettes. Theres also a layer of ammonia, pungent smell. Overall, this cigar had no flavour, no aroma, no complexity, ashy, and bitter. The burn is quite good on the outside around the wrapper, however by this time I've had to relight the cigar 4 times.

2nd half: gave up on 1st half. Threw it out.

Could my cigar have been too wet? could be the case, but I've kept these at a relatively low humidity for a few months now. My guess is that this batch of cigars are going through a sick period. Needs more ageing at this point.

I had all the environmental elements all set up right. The lighting, the music, the tea, the mood was all just perfect for enjoying a cigar at night after a long week. But all I have to say this that this cigar is just 'off' right now, maybe in a few more months...

[hmoon01]

Cigar: Monte 2

Box code: ROA JUN 11 (PE Box of 10)

Cold draw: cedar and vanilla, perfect draw.

Smell: cedar and barnyard

Apperence toothy, light brown.

Opening: a blast of pepper fading into wood notes and then a storng vanilla flavor.

1st third: Muted in the beginning and then muted spice before vanilla and an intersing sourness came up strong. No burn on the rethrohale.

2nd third: An interesting mustyness sets in and replaces the sour, the vanilla becomes more muted and the spice is gone.

3rd third: Flavors remain unchaged but a hint of youth becomes clear, spice picks up again near the end and the rethrohale begins to burn slighly.

Burn, the burn was very good all the way down, dipping noticably only once, never more than a 1/4 inch. The ash held on for over an inch at a time before I knocked it off.

Rating 90/91

[cigarmonologues]

Just spotted this... Might be a but cheeky and see if I can sneak in with my review from earlier today...

(Size: 6 1/8″ x 50 — Time: 1hr 30mins)

So then, it has been some time since I last added a new entry to the blog. For that I must apologise, though I suspect you were all quite thankful not to have to read my ramblings on the hot subjects of the day. I’ve been jotting down some tasting notes this week as I’ve travelled around the country for a couple of herfs. I’ve also managed to unearth a pad with notes I thought I had lost. I shall be releasing these ‘lost’ reviews in the run-up to Christmas. The BBC released the ‘lost’ series two of Dad’s Army to much fanfare. Meanwhile I’m sure that there is the same level of tingling anticipation for my reviews as is usually only reserved for Middlesborough Council’s Annual Traffic Report…

Irrelevant small-talk aside, let’s talk about the Punch Medalla de Oro, a regional release for the UK. Hunters & Frankau chose this dobles sized cigar alongside the Bolivar Britanicas as their 2011 offerings (though both were released in 2012 alongside the Ramon Allones Petit Belicosos). I thoroughly enjoyed the RA when I tried it, so I hoped that the Punch would be just as good. The day was set up for an enjoyable afternoon, as I travelled up to Chester for a mini-herf with my good friend (and sometime guest reviewer on Cigar Monologues) Dan Ward. We visited the Turmeaus on Watergate Street in the city’s fine Tudor centre. Calum and the rest of the team were friendly, attentive and enthusiastic about the cigars they were selling – and offered between them some excellent advice as to a good local COSA to visit after they closed. Myself and Dan chose the inviting Punch Medalla de Oro and sat down in the small sampling area to enjoy…

Appearance /15

As the name would suggest, the Punch Medalla de Oro is very similar in appearance to the Bolivar Gold Medal – both being neatly wrapped in gold foil. The cigar looked incredibly inviting, a grown-up Easter egg… The foot was neatly packed, and the cigar was firm (but not hard) along its entire length: a sign of good construction and equally as good storage. Removing the foil revealed a pleasant wrapper, with a few small veins, all running in the same diagonal direction. The wrapper had just a slight sheen to it, and was a colorado claro shade – lighter than one would normally expect from a special release, but attractive. 14

Smoking Characteristics /25

The cigar lit quickly, easily, and evenly. The early burn remained even also. Both Dan and I were impressed with the draw of our cigars, with Dan describing it as “just right”. Our agreement on this issue would suggest that these a fairly consistent cigars, and the slight resistance was spot on. The smoke produced was thick and aromatic – with many visitors to the store commenting on the lovely aroma which we were creating. The smoke production was good throughout for both cigars. From start to finish the burn was fairly even and straight, with only a couple of minor touch ups required on each stick. The ash was solid, light, and only slightly mottled, with next to no flaking. The only issue we really found was that both cigars demonstrated some minor tunnelling, nothing major, but it required a little bit of attention. Despite the tunnelling, the cigar remained firm throughout. 23

Flavour /25

Straight off the bat the Medalla de Oro was a bit peppery, with some nice roasted nut notes. This intense first few puffs soon settled down, and a creaminess developed alongside the pepper and nuts. The intensity continued to drop through the first third, and by the middle of the stick it was very subtle, possibly even subdued. The flavour profile had shifted slightly by this stage too, with it being more woody (Dan suggest slightly oaky, which I would go along with), there were also just hints of berry coming through. At this stage, we decided a mineral forward Sancerre would have been a better match to the cigar than our (gorgeous) Puglian Primitivo, but we weren’t complaining – the cigar was good, and the wine delicious. As the cigar approached its final third, some warming spices started to develop alongside the wood, which soon gave way to a return of the pepper from the first third. The final third wasn’t terribly exciting, though we were impressed that it didn’t become at all tarry (despite its youth). At the very death, some “considered” spiciness came to the fore, with a touch more wood in the background. 21

Overall Impression /35

The Punch Medalla de Oro is a cigar which promises a little more than it delivers. It is a nice cigar, and through the middle is what one would expect of a Punch cigar – fruity with a bit of wood. The opening promised so much more than the stick delivered – it is relatively young, and I’d suggest that it has the potential to add a few more points to its score from today. It does look stunning, and the construction was excellent. It smoked well, and was never anything less than good. However, as an RE, I would suggest that it is currently a little overpriced for what it actually is. 31

Grand total… 89/100

[investandprosper]

Enjoyed two great cigars from the Czar this week! The first was a PL Belicosos Extra from September '08. The aroma at cold is captivating, like rich salted caramel. It started out medium-bodied with a burst of caramel and cream, but quickly settled into nicely aged straightforward tobacco for the first third. Nice caramel undertones through the nose. Through the second and final thirds, the cigar picked up in strength and flavor. Waves of caramel and cream, just what you want from a 4 1/2 year old Por Larranaga. Exhaling through the nose was a treat, like pure candy. Rich, sweet, and decadent; not what I go for on a regular basis but great for a change of pace.

The second, enjoyed just an hour ago on this beautiful Chicago day (finally some spring weather!), was a Ramon Allones Celestiales Finos from August '09. This is my fourth cigar from this box, and each one has been absolutely spectacular. Hits the ground running from the first puff and keeps pace until the last. Full bodied, with notes of stewed fruit, yet sweet like a cobbler. Plums, dates, raisins. Notes of earth, and unbelievably rich. It didn't evolve much, but I was enjoying the flavors so much I didn't want them to change. I'm glad I picked up two boxes of these so that I can smoke through this box with abandon!

[Colt45]

Ouch, mate.

Wow, so much hate towards Americans. Feeling the love. =)

So only Americans are buying fat cigars?

I guess the best thing to do firstly, would be to not visit his blog (another blogger with an attitude....... ). We're an international forum - don't let it bother you.

[Strada]

This example of the Monte 520 pre-release was given to me generously by a great SOTL

The draw is perfect, the cap is beautiful and has an intriguing red hue to it. Construction is perfect on this stick.

1st

Starts slowly, a good medium body. Peanut peel, some sweet raisin bread, hummm this is very nice. The draw is perfect, it feels loose but you can see it burning slowly. Even though the smoke is pungent and thin, this thing is loaded with flavors.

I still taste some sweet bread but no so much raisins. The after taste I am left with is quite light and has a little bitterness.

2nd

The sweetness and bread flavors are still present but there light spicy notes showed up. This is a just a good tasting cigar. I am very impressed with it. The after taste is lighter than I like but fitting for this cigar.

At the end of the second third, there is a steep change in flavors. A U-turn to a smokey meat flavor. That is a first for me. I can already taste what it would do paired with a heavy port or a meat/smoke/peat scotch like the Old Malt Cask Coal Ila 14

3rd

I don't want this cigar to end. There are notes of cinnamon sneaking in and mixing up nicely. This is building up in body. Medium to medium full. Meat and spices are still present but this is turning a bit too harsh for me. Too bad I would have nub it.

I can tell I like a cigar when my tasting notes of it are few. This thing captivated me. That's what I like in a cigar.

Great cigar overall, if the current boxes taste anything like these, I have to get some to keep for a few years.

P.s. Sorry for the grainy pics

4/5

[stargazer14]

I threw in a review for the HDM des Dieux, enjoyed it last night with my sweetheart on the first real spring evening, a smoke that fell apart construction wise but held up on flavor.

Ratty or not, these are gems.

[Skyfall]

When is this drawing taking place?

[cigarmonologues]

Strada - what a nice review of something quite special. Mind you, despite there being a pre-release LE in that post, it's the 14yo Caol Ila which is really making me salivate.

[vink]

http://www.friendsofhabanos.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=114368

[Strada]

Strada - what a nice review of something quite special. Mind you, despite there being a pre-release LE in that post, it's the 14yo Caol Ila which is really making me salivate.

Thanks Simon. Both the 520 and the OMC Caol Ila 14 shocked me with theit charred/smokey meat flavors.

I am Simon also btw. Nice to meet you

[cigarmonologues]

You can never have too many BOTLs called Simon! Both the cigar and the malt sound delicious - I shall keep an eye out for the whisky (picked up a couple of excellent Old Malt Cask bottlings over the last few years).

[dangolf18]

So who won?

[Skyfall]

[mkz]

Running late but I had a really nice Siglo I (BLP NOV09) today.

What can I say? It was grassy, honey goodness with razor sharp burn. All enjoyed in the bath tub. Me so very relaxed. A picture is worth a thousand words...

Cheers!

[rckymtn22]

Running late but I had a really nice Siglo I (BLP NOV09) today.

What can I say? It was grassy, honey goodness with razor sharp burn. All enjoyed in the bath tub. Me so very relaxed. A picture is worth a thousand words...

Cheers!

Interesting place to enjoy a cigar! lol

[asmith]

OK OK OK it may have taken an extra week but like a good bottle of wine with is worth the wait. But the winner of the Cigar Review and the H Upmann Travel Humidor is Finecigar. Well done mate we will get that out to you one day.

[Jeremy Festa]

Classic Smithy.

Nice read Finecigar!

Totes jel!

[LordAnubis]

Well done mate.

[nonameno]

Congratulations FineCigar, and thank you to all of the people who submitted reviews. I enjoyed them all!

[finecigar]

Wow guys thank you so much! I have never won anything like this before . Never had a travel pack cigar either! Thanks!!

[stargazer14]

Good job. But crap - now I'm going the have to buy one of those traveldors.