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Ashton
Double Magnum
made in: Santiago, Dominican Republic
size : 6 x 50
wrapper: USA/Connecticut
filler : Dominican Republic
binder : Dominican Republic
price : $9.15
Appearance = poor fair good outstanding perfect
Bruce : xx
Mitchell: xx
Dean : xx
Bruce said - A perfect looking toro with a very pretty
wrapper. A nice heavy cigar with excellent
balance in the hand.
Mitchell said - Nice made stick - sort of soft. No big veins -
blonde and mild looking? CT wrapper?
Dean said - Nice-looking toro-sized cigar (6 x 50 or 52).
Connecticut wrapper with minimal veining.
Construction = poor fair good outstanding perfect
Bruce : xx
Mitchell: xx
Dean : xx
Bruce said - No soft spots noted anywhere on this cigar.
Head of the cigar was nicely crowned.
Mitchell said - Good feel - real pretty stick. Toro size, my
favorite.
Dean said - Firm along its entire length. A hard spot was
noticed near the head. A dense pack makes this
a nice weighty cigar.
Burn = very uneven uneven even very even
Bruce : xx
Mitchell: xx
Dean : xx
Problems = runners tunneling got soft split/unraveled
Bruce :
Mitchell: xx
Dean :
Ash Color = black dark grey light grey white
Bruce : xx
Mitchell: xx ------ xx
Dean : xx
Ash Structure = flaky typical very solid
Bruce : xx
Mitchell: xx
Dean : xx
Draw = too easy easy perfect tight plugged
Bruce : xx
Mitchell: xx
Dean : xx
Aroma = rank! poor fair good great
Bruce : xx
Mitchell: xx
Dean : xx
Smoked to = left>=1/2 1/3 to band <band nub
Bruce : xx
Mitchell: xx
Dean : xx
Strength = bland mild medium full powerful
Bruce : xx ---- xx
Mitchell: xx (on full side)
Dean : xx ---- xx
Taste =
Bruce said - I kept waiting for this cigar to get rich and
flavorful, but I ended up disappointed. Some
woody flavors, but otherwise this one was flat.
Mitchell said - On full side of medium. Not harsh. Aged just
right. Nice full flavor, nice taste, very
enjoyable. I smoked this stick with my coffee
on the way to work at 8am.
Dean said - This cigar had an easy draw but not a lot of
smoke volume was produced. There were initial
wood and cocoa notes. At about the midway point
some bitterness developed and stayed through
the end. It really doesn't develop much from
start to finish.
Overall Impression =
Bruce said - Great looking cigar that doesn't live up to how
good it looks. My guess is a Paul Garmarian.
Mitchell said - I would have given this smoke a better grade
if at the 1/2 way mark it didn't split. Tunneled
and fell apart. I was enjoying this stick very
much till then and had to throw it away!
Dean said - Mild with little in the way of complexity.
There just wasn't anything about this cigar
that made it stand out in my mind.
Would you recommend this cigar as one to try based on your
blind taste??? (Editors Note - remember these guys don't
have a clue what cigar they just smoked or what it costs.)
Bruce said - no
Mitchell said - yes
Dean said - no
Ashton Double Magnum
SCALE
YOWZA!!!
Great Smoke
Good Cigar <--- Mitchell
Decent/Worthy
Ho-Hum <--- Bruce & Dean
Blah...
Dog Rocket!
Editor's
2 Cents - Ashton began as the house brand
of Philadelphia's famed Holt's Cigars in the mid-eighties. Over
the last fifeteen years it has grown to become one of the most
popular mild blends in US today. All Ashton cigars are manufactured
by the Fuentes and the blend boasts of being made from six different
tobaccos. Currently there are four separate lines under the brand:
Ashton, Ashton Aged Maduro, Asthon Cabinet Selection, and the
new Ashton VSG.
As is common with Ashton cigars, the Double Magnum makes a very
enticing visual impression - it is a chunky toro wrapped in a
cedar sleeve with a traditional band and foot ring. The wrapper
is a dark Connecticut shade that is chocked full of oils coming
to its surface. It feels solid in the hand and has a good feel
between the teeth. Regretfully the flavor isn't as enticing as
the sight of this cigar. It is pretty much a run-of-the-mill
tasting shade wrapped Dominican cigar. Not bad, just that same
old slightly woodsy flavor with a pale grassy finish. Overall
its thin wispy smoke lacks body.
I am in agreement with Bruce and Dean's "ho-hum"
assessment of the Ashton Double Magnum particularly considering
its price. I like a mild cigar as much as the next guy, but that
doesn't mean I want an expensive flavor-free one. All in all,
a very attractive, but boring cigar.
Indian
H2000 Classic Boxer
made in: Danli, Honduras
size : 4 1/2 x 50
wrapper: Nicaragua H2000
filler : Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica
binder : Nicaragua
price : $4.45
Appearance = poor fair good outstanding perfect
Bruce : xx
Mitchell: xx
Dean : xx
Bruce said - Multi-colored wrapper on this robusto. Very
slight box press was noted. An average looking
cigar. Prominent veining in the wrapper.
Mitchell said - Nice dark, oily wrapper. Nice cap. Robusto,
can't wait to try this with my coffee. Strong
smell of tobacco.
Dean said - 4 1/2 x 42 or 43 gauge. One large vein evident
in the colorado wrapper. Slight sheen to the
wrapper. Cap looks a little sloppy.
Construction = poor fair good outstanding perfect
Bruce : xx
Mitchell: xx
Dean : xx
Bruce said - Firm roll except under the band, where a soft
spot was noted. Cap was messy and the foot of
the cigar was unevenly cut.
Mitchell said - Looks and feels great to me. Hope it smokes and
tastes as good as it looks.
Dean said - Firm throughout its length with no soft spots.
Pre-light aroma made me wonder if this is legal
in the U.S. However cap construction was
marginal.
Burn = very uneven uneven even very even
Bruce : xx
Mitchell: xx
Dean : xx
Problems = runners tunneling got soft split/unraveled
Bruce : xx xx
Mitchell: xx
Dean :
Ash Color = black dark grey light grey white
Bruce : xx
Mitchell: xx
Dean : xx ------ xx
Ash Structure = flaky typical very solid
Bruce : xx
Mitchell: xx
Dean : xx
Draw = too easy easy perfect tight plugged
Bruce : xx
Mitchell: xx
Dean : xx
Aroma = rank! poor fair good great
Bruce : xx
Mitchell: xx
Dean : xx
Smoked to = left>=1/2 1/3 to band <band nub
Bruce : xx
Mitchell: xx
Dean : xx
Strength = bland mild medium full powerful
Bruce : xx
Mitchell: xx ---- xx
Dean : xx ---- xx
Taste =
Bruce said - The first puff of this cigar was a killer. What
a blast of raw power. After a half inch the
smoke was smooth and woody. The finish was very
clean. Got soft and hot a 2 inches.
Mitchell said - To my taste, a little harsh and young. Did not
have the flavor of #1 which was enjoyed much,
just not my taste.
Dean said - Solid core of spices with predominant peppery
overtones. Draw was great with a good volume of
smoke produced. Nice finish with a sweet,
cedary note, some bitterness developed in the
final 1/4 of this cigar.
Overall Impression =
Bruce said - A full bodied smoke without rough edges.
Mitchell said - PASS - Thanks! Too many real good cigars out
there to waste smoking this one. Maybe with
time it will change.
Dean said - I liked this cigar! The only thing holding it
back was the last minute bitterness it
developed. Some additional aging might be in
order to correct this.
Would you recommend this cigar as one to try based on your
blind taste??? (Editors Note - remember these guys don't
have a clue what cigar they just smoked or what it costs.)
Bruce said - yes
Mitchell said - no
Dean said - yes
Indian
H2000 Classic Boxer
SCALE
YOWZA!!!
Great Smoke
Good Cigar <--- Bruce & Dean
Decent/Worthy
Ho-Hum
Blah... <--- Mitchell
Dog Rocket!
Editor's
2 Cents - Indian Tabac Cigar Co. is one of
the cigar companies that debuted during the boom, however unlike
most of its peers it has managed to survive into the post-boom
era. Much of the credit is due to Rocky Patel, one of the brand's
co-founders. The guy is passionate about his cigars and he does
his best to spread the gospel. This line of cigars in manufactured
in cooperation with the legendary cigar-maker Nestor Plascencia.
The Indian Classic Boxer is a dark oily petite robusto
with a pungent earthy pre-light bouquet. The construction seems
solid, however I noticed the quality of the finishing details
varied greatly between the cigars in the box. Also I found the
binder to be a tad too thick on all of the samples used in the
t tasting. To be honest this is a cigar that I have little personal
experience with so I had no clue as to what to expect. This cigar
begins very peppery, but mellows after an inch or so. The H2000
wrapper is thick with a leathery texture against the palate and
the smoke has strong notes of cedar with a spicy finish. Overall
it proved to be a good tasting cigar whose smoke is dense, however
it tended to burn hot and get slightly soft and finally it ended
with a bitter flavor.
Although not perfect, Bruce and Dean keyed into the same
qualities in this cigar that I do - a rather full flavored robusto
that treats the palate. However it proved to be too much for
Mitchell's tastes - which I thought was a good sign of a consistent
palate considering that he found favor in Cigar #1. Regardless
of this cigar's fault, I nubbed this stick and it left me sated.
Not too many non-Havanas do this for me so it proved to be a
cigar well worth my time and dollars. I recommend the Indian
Classic Boxer as one to try.
Aristoff
Special Perfecto Cameroon 550S
made in: San Pedro de Marcos, DR
size : 5 1/2 x 50
wrapper: Cameroon
filler : Dominican Republic
binder : Dominican Republic
price : $6.85
Appearance = poor fair good outstanding perfect
Bruce : xx
Mitchell: xx
Dean : xx
Bruce said - Nice fat perfecto. Prominent veins run through
the otherwise attractive wrapper. Wrapper was
obviously patched at the foot. Noted an
abundance of tooth near the head of the cigar.
Mitchell said - I love perfectos - rolled great. A little
shorter than the Hemingway Sig. Maybe an
Aristoff? Cameroon?
Dean said - Perfecto-shaped. 5 3/4" with about the same
gauge as a Hem. Signature. Colorado wrapper
with average veining. Slight oily sheen to the
wrapper.
Construction = poor fair good outstanding perfect
Bruce : xx
Mitchell: xx
Dean : xx
Bruce said - Nice firm, even roll. The excellent rolling
skills that went into this cigar gave it the
perfect perfecto shape. Head/crown was slightly
crooked.
Mitchell said - Nice and full pack. Great tip and end pack.
Dean said - No hard or soft spots noticed.
Burn = very uneven uneven even very even
Bruce : xx
Mitchell: xx
Dean : xx
Problems = runners tunneling got soft split/unraveled
Bruce :
Mitchell: [none reported by any taster]
Dean :
Ash Color = black dark grey light grey white
Bruce : xx
Mitchell: xx ------- xx
Dean : xx
Ash Structure = flaky typical very solid
Bruce : xx
Mitchell: xx
Dean : xx
Draw = too easy easy perfect tight plugged
Bruce : xx ------ xx
Mitchell: xx
Dean : xx
Aroma = rank! poor fair good great
Bruce : xx
Mitchell: xx
Dean : xx
Smoked to = left>=1/2 1/3 to band <band nub
Bruce : xx
Mitchell: xx
Dean : xx
Strength = bland mild medium full powerful
Bruce : xx
Mitchell: xx ---- xx
Dean : xx
Taste =
Bruce said - Rich and creamy smoke that built to a crescendo
as the cigar reached the final 2 inches. To me,
this cigar fits the Davidoff profile perfectly.
5 1/2" cigar with a 1" of flavor heaven.
Mitchell said - In the beginning could taste the nice spiciness
of cameroon wrapper, but 1/2 way through it got
mild. Great made stick, but there's an old
saying "Why smoke a good cigar when you can
smoke a great one?"
Dean said - Started with a very nice spice taste with hints
of citrus. Halfway through peppery notes
started to dominate. A sweet woodsy finish
which I enjoyed. This cigar had a very tight
draw for the first 2/3 of the smoke.
Overall Impression =
Bruce said - A good quality medium strength smoker. Great
finish. Was this an Aristoff?
Mitchell said - Great make, ash, aroma, but where's the flavor?
Dean said - An overall taste profile similar to the "old-
style" Cupidos. The only thing that kept me
from rating it a "great smoke" was the draw
problem. I'll be interested to know what this
one was!
Would you recommend this cigar as one to try based on your
blind taste??? (Editors Note - remember these guys don't
have a clue what cigar they just smoked or what it costs.)
Bruce said - yes
Mitchell said - no
Dean said - yes
Aristoff
Special Perfecto Cameroon 550S
SCALE
YOWZA!!!
Great Smoke
Good Cigar <--- Bruce & Dean
Decent/Worthy
Ho-Hum <--- Mitchell
Blah...
Dog Rocket!
Editor's
2 Cents - The Aristoff line is late comer
to the cigar boom considering its 1998 launch. This cigar was
created by Patrice Hirschfeld, and is made in San Pedro De Marcoris
in the south of the Dominican Republic at their factory, Tabacalera
Aristoff. They have paid great attention to their cigar's packaging
with their unique bulb footed African Okoume wood boxes and Italian
designer artwork. In addition to the cigar tested, they make
a rather dizzying array of different blends and cigars.
The Aristoff Special Perfecto 550S is a well-made plump
perfecto with an oily toothy Batouri Cameroon wrapper. It proves
to be a solid figurado that is densely packed and provides a
firm yet good draw. The ash is white and the burn is very even.
The flavor is difficult to describe: kind of a mild-medium strength
sweet woodsy smoke that regretfully never seems to go anywhere.
It lacks depth and leaves a dry cloying sensation on the palate.
Typically I expect a spicy edge from a Cameroon wrapped cigar,
but I just can't detect one with this vitola.
Kudos to Bruce for guessing the vitola and to Mitchell
for IDing the wrapper. It isn't a bad cigar, in fact it is very
well constructed and I would have to regard it as better than
average. However it is rather uninspiring smoke, there is nothing
about this blend that makes me want to smoke anymore of these
perfectos. The Aristoff Special Perfecto Cameroon 550S is like
a trophy wife: beautiful packaging, but no real substance.
Padron
Fumas
made in: Danli, Honduras, and Esteli, Nicaragua
size : 6 3/4 x 44
wrapper: Nicaragua
filler : Nicaragua
binder : Nicaragua
price : $0.85
Appearance = poor fair good outstanding perfect
Bruce : xx
Mitchell: xx
Dean : xx
Bruce said - Interesting pig-tail and untrimmed foot. Bloom
crystallization noted on the pig-tail.
Mitchell said - Dark with a pig-tail and one big vein. Looks
like a Lars Teton on acid. Can't wait to taste
this.
Dean said - Interesting looking cigar. A little under 7"
and looks to be a 40 - 42 ring gauge. The
colorado maduro wrapper is very rustic in
appearance.
Construction = poor fair good outstanding perfect
Bruce : xx
Mitchell: xx
Dean : xx
Bruce said - A bit rustic in appearance, but obvious veins
make this cigar less appealing. One soft spot
note in this oval shaped cigar.
Mitchell said - Well the foot of this stick looks uncircumcised
- did they forget it?
Dean said - Several prominent veins. Stem pieces could be
felt under the wrapper at various points.
Burn = very uneven uneven even very even
Bruce : xx
Mitchell: xx
Dean : xx
Problems = runners tunneling got soft split/unraveled
Bruce :
Mitchell: [none reported by any taster]
Dean :
Ash Color = black dark grey light grey white
Bruce : xx -------- xx
Mitchell: xx
Dean : xx
Ash Structure = flaky typical very solid
Bruce : xx
Mitchell: xx
Dean : xx
Draw = too easy easy perfect tight plugged
Bruce : xx
Mitchell: xx
Dean : xx
Aroma = rank! poor fair good great
Bruce : xx
Mitchell: xx
Dean : xx
Smoked to = left>=1/2 1/3 to band <band nub
Bruce : xx ----- xx
Mitchell: xx
Dean : xx
Strength = bland mild medium full powerful
Bruce : xx ---- xx
Mitchell: xx
Dean : xx ---- xx
Taste =
Bruce said - There was something seriously wrong with the
taste of this cigar. It started mild and
developed an unidentified "taste" that stayed
with the cigar throughout the sample. Very
unpleasant. Post smoking autopsy revealed
"unpremium" short filler was used in this
cigar.
Mitchell said - Blah for what you're looking at.
Dean said - A tight draw limited the flavor produced from
this cigar. Straight forward tobacco taste with
little in the way of complexity. It left a
distinct unpleasant aftertaste on the palate.
Overall Impression =
Bruce said - A cigar I would never purchase. Was it a Lars?
Smoked a Marlboro to cleanse my palate after
this one.
Mitchell said - You'd think with the pig-tail and undone foot
and dark wrapper this stick would be different.
Well it was!! It was the most blah of the
bunch, hands down.
Dean said - There's nothing about this cigar I can
recommend.
Would you recommend this cigar as one to try based on your
blind taste??? (Editors Note - remember these guys don't
have a clue what cigar they just smoked or what it costs.)
Bruce said - no
Mitchell said - no
Dean said - no
Padron
Fumas
SCALE
YOWZA!!!
Great Smoke
Good Cigar
Decent/Worthy
Ho-Hum <--- Mitchell
Blah... <--- Bruce, Mitchell
Dog Rocket! <--- Dean
Editor's
2 Cents - The Padron family is one of the
premier cigar makers in the world today. Their stock line is
noted for being one of the best tasting and valued premiums on
the market, while their Anniversary series are heralded by many
as the finest Nicaraguan puros made today. Unbeknownst to many,
the Padrons also manufacture a line of very inexpensive short/mix
filled cigars exclusively for the local Little Havana market.
Commonly these are referred to as "cafeteria cigars"
since they are primarily sold at all the small Mom & Pop
restaurants in the area.
The Padron Fumas is a long corona with a dark maduro wrapper
that is mottled by varying shades. It has an uncut foot and crudely
twisted cap - not an attractive lonsdale by any stretch, however
it has a coarse rugged appeal. Although crude looking, the construction
is sound on this cigar. You would expect this cigar to kick some
serious ass, but rather it is a mild-medium easy going blend.
It is sweet Nicaraguan tobacco all the way with a slight floral
edge. If you really concentrate on it there are distinct notes
of oak in its blue smoke. The finish is dry sweet-sour taste.
This cigar is far from par when compared to the premium
Padrons most of us are use to smoking, but it is an pretty good
cigar given its price. For the record, this was really an unfair
taste test as there is no way this cigar could compete on the
level of premium cigars; I was just curious how it would fair
in a blind review. And as you can see, not very well. If you
are in Little Havana I suggest you try one of the Padron Fumas
for yourself, however I wouldn't go out of my way to smoke one.
Habana
Juan Lopez Seleccion No. 1
made in: Havana, Cuba
size : 5 5/8 x 46
wrapper: Cuba
filler : Cuba
binder : Cuba
price : $13.00
Appearance = poor fair good outstanding perfect
Bruce : xx
Mitchell: xx
Dean : xx
Bruce said - A very pretty cigar. A slightly discolored cap
kept this cigar from perfection.
Mitchell said - Big veins with green spots. (Looks Cuban -
triple cap) Nice color wrapper.
Dean said - A triple cap corona gorda with a colorado claro
wrapper. Several green "water spots" grace the
wrapper. It has a certain "forbidden" pre-light
aroma!
Construction = poor fair good outstanding perfect
Bruce : xx
Mitchell: xx
Dean : xx
Bruce said - A beautifully crafted masterpiece.
Mitchell said - Nicely made.
Dean said - Excellent construction; could not find any
problems with this cigar.
Burn = very uneven uneven even very even
Bruce : xx
Mitchell: xx
Dean : xx
Problems = runners tunneling got soft split/unraveled
Bruce :
Mitchell: [none reported by any taster]
Dean :
Ash Color = black dark grey light grey white
Bruce : xx
Mitchell: xx
Dean : xx
Ash Structure = flaky typical very solid
Bruce : xx
Mitchell: xx
Dean : xx
Draw = too easy easy perfect tight plugged
Bruce : xx
Mitchell: xx
Dean : xx
Aroma = rank! poor fair good great
Bruce : xx
Mitchell: xx
Dean : xx
Smoked to = left>=1/2 1/3 to band <band nub
Bruce : xx
Mitchell: xx
Dean : xx
Strength = bland mild medium full powerful
Bruce : xx ---- xx
Mitchell: xx
Dean : xx
Taste =
Bruce said - Pleasing and smooth the entire way. Flavors of
wood and spice dominate this smoke.
Mitchell said - In the start full and harsh - burnt my mouth.
Dean said - Tons of smoke with lots of peppery spice and
hints of chocolate. The chocolate notes
increased as the cigar was smoked.
Overall Impression =
Bruce said - Overall this was a very good smoke.
Mitchell said - I didn't enjoy this one. Worst of the bunch.
Dean said - Almost too peppery spice for me. Other than
that, a good cigar.
Would you recommend this cigar as one to try based on your
blind taste??? (Editors Note - remember these guys don't
have a clue what cigar they just smoked or what it costs.)
Bruce said - yes
Mitchell said - no
Dean said - yes
Habana Juan Lopez Seleccion
No. 1
SCALE
YOWZA!!!
Great Smoke <--- Bruce
Good Cigar <--- Bruce & Dean
Decent/Worthy
Ho-Hum
Blah... <--- Mitchell
Dog Rocket!
Editor's
2 Cents - Flor de Juan Lopez is an old Havana
brand that was founded in 1876 by Juan Lopez Diaz. The mild Cuban
brand has slowly been slipping into obscurity for years, in fact
there was talk of reducing it to only two sizes, a corona and
petite corona. However with the recent increase in demand for
Havana cigars worldwide, sizes were actually reestablished within
this line in the late nineties. All the sizes are handmade and
this cigar is commonly referred to by its abbreviated name: Juan
Lopez. Typically this cigar is found in the Spanish and Swiss
markets.
The Juan Lopez Seleccion No. 1 is a classic Cuban coronas
gorda size making it a rather elegant shaped cigar. The craftsmanship
of this vitola is superior. It begins a bit peppery against the
palate, but quickly mellows to a smooth woodsy smoke with light
spice. It is an easy cigar to smoke with an clear draw and even
burn throughout. The blend is rather straightforward, however
there are some notes of chocolate that slowly build as it is
smoked down. A simple, yet pleasing smoke.
It is a lighter bodied cigar than most people expect from a Cuban
cigar and it is commonly regarded as a "daytime" smoke
or a cigar for beginners. I was surprised by Mitchell's rating
and comments, but then again taste is a subjective thing. Personally,
I find $13.00 too much to pay for a mild-medium cigar particularly
given the wide range of such cigars that are available in the
US market for far less. An odd sidebar: I actually prefer the
Juan Lopez line in its youth more so than when it is allowed
to age. The Habana Juan Lopez No. 1 is a well crafted milder
Cuban cigar that is worth trying, but not likely to become one
of your favorite Havanas.
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