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Macanudo Robust Prince Philip
made in: Santiago, D.R. and Kingston,Jamaica
size : 7 1/2 x 49
wrapper: USA/Connecticut
filler : Dominican Republic
binder : USA/Connecticut
price : $6.00
Appearance = poor fair good outstanding perfect
Irving: xx
Jackie: xx
Nathan: xx
Irving said - A nice looking cigar.
Jackie said - EMS - a few large veins. Slightly oily, good
even color.
Nathan said - This almost box pressed cigar is about 7.25 x
48. It is a rich brown with some veins along its
slightly oily wrapper. Do I clip or punch?
Construction = poor fair good outstanding perfect
Irving: xx
Jackie: xx
Nathan: xx
Irving said - A nicely constructed cigar. The appearance
really got my hopes up.
Jackie said - Cap applied nicely, wrapper evenly applied, no
bunching.
Nathan said - Seems to be well made, there are no apparent
inconsistencies in its construction, no soft
spots at all with an even feel along the entire
length of the cigar.
Burn = very uneven uneven even very even
Irving: xx
Jackie: xx
Nathan: xx
Problems = runners tunneling got soft split/unraveled
Irving: xx
Jackie:
Nathan:
Ash Color = black dark grey light grey white
Irving: xx
Jackie: xx
Nathan: xx
Ash Structure = flaky typical very solid
Irving: xx
Jackie: xx
Nathan: xx
Draw = too easy easy perfect tight plugged
Irving: xx
Jackie: xx
Nathan: xx
Aroma = rank! poor fair good great
Irving: xx
Jackie: xx
Nathan: xx
Smoked to = left>=1/2 1/3 to band <band nub
Irving: xx
Jackie: xx
Nathan: xx
Strength = bland mild medium full powerful
Irving: xx
Jackie: xx
Nathan: xx
Taste =
Irving said - This cigar didn't rock my world. While it had no
"offensive" flavors, I felt like I was smoking a
two dollar cigar.
Jackie said - Slightly sweet, faint caramel flavor in first 1/3
developed into a medium flavor. Last 1/3 developed
quickly into a harsh smoke.
Nathan said - This cigar was mild to start, with a hint of spice on
the back of the palate. I would guess this is a
Dominican Republic product. With the punch cut used on
this large ring cigar, the average draw yielded a mild,
one dimensional, but pleasing flavor which developed as the
cigar progressed. This medium bodied cigar became more
full bodied and toasty and spicy at the time it was
completed just above the band.
Overall Impression =
Irving said - Not a bad cigar. Not a good cigar. I wouldn't buy
one.
Jackie said - Overall a good mild to medium smoke, but the last
third got pretty harsh.
Nathan said - This is a good cigar, but one without any
outstanding characteristics. It is one I would
not hesitate to recommend, but would not consider
for my personal rotation.
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.)
Irving said - no
Jackie said - yes
Nathan said - yes
Macanudo Robust Prince Philip
SCALE
YOWZA!!!
Great Smoke
Good Cigar <--- Jackie
Decent/Worthy <--- Nathan
Ho-Hum <--- Irving
Blah...
Dog Rocket!
Editor's
2 Cents - The Macanudo Robust was introduced
at the 1998 RTDA by General Cigars as their "next great
cigar." The concept was pretty simple: their mild Macanudo
line has remained a top seller for years, and the Robust version
was to carry on in that tradition except be heavier in body to
satisfy those smokers who craved more bite and flavor. It comes
in only the six most popular sizes of the Macanudo line and sports
a dark green packaging motif.
The Prince Phillip is the largest of the line and comes
in dress boxes of ten cigars. Much like the original Macanudo,
it is well constructed, burns evenly, and has a good draw. Other
than the box and band colors the first thing that sets it apart
from the original is its darker wrapper color. It is a deeper
shade of brown but rather flat and dull. For the first half it
is a mild cigar with notes of sweet cedar. By the latter half
it picks up a little bit of steam introducing a bit of pepper
to the tastebuds. Also, a slight sourness is evident and it has
a very shallow finish. Overall, I find it to be one dimensional
and dull.
Whatever you may think of the brand, you can not deny
how consistent it is from box to box. Every one I have smoked
was "ok," but there is nothing about this cigar to
make me want to smoke another. Is it stronger than the original
Macanudo? Yes, but not anywhere near strong enough to deserve
the name "Robust" in my opinion. The Macanudo Robust
Prince Phillip is not recommended.
Vegas
Robaina Clasico
made in: Havana, Cuba
size : 6 1/2 x 42
wrapper: Cuba
filler : Cuba
binder : Cuba
price : $14.00
Appearance = poor fair good outstanding perfect
Irving: xx
Jackie: xx
Nathan: xx
Irving said - A decent looking cigar, light wrapper, nice
aroma.
Jackie said - Nice box pressed claro. Coloration was a little
uneven with a few green spots. Veiny with a
slight tooth.
Nathan said - This is a 6.5 x 44(?) semi-box pressed beauty
sports a very neat triple cap and a medium brown
wrapper. Aside from a green water spot about an
inch from the foot, the wrapper exhibits no
imperfections. Small veins run across the
direction of the wrapper.
Construction = poor fair good outstanding perfect
Irving: xx
Jackie: xx
Nathan: xx
Irving said - The cigar had a lot of "wrinkles" in it - not
sure if they are folds or what.
Jackie said - Firm.
Nathan said - Neither too hard nor too soft, this cigar appears
consistently constructed along its length. It
seemed a shame to cut the triple cap, but it's a
dirty job and someone has to do it.
Burn = very uneven uneven even very even
Irving: xx
Jackie: xx
Nathan: xx
Problems = runners tunneling got soft split/unraveled
Irving:
Jackie: xx (at band)
Nathan:
Ash Color = black dark grey light grey white
Irving: xx
Jackie: xx
Nathan: xx
Ash Structure = flaky typical very solid
Irving: xx
Jackie: xx
Nathan: xx
Draw = too easy easy perfect tight plugged
Irving: xx
Jackie: xx
Nathan: xx
Aroma = rank! poor fair good great
Irving: xx
Jackie: xx
Nathan: xx
Smoked to = left>=1/2 1/3 to band <band nub
Irving: xx
Jackie: xx
Nathan: xx
Strength = bland mild medium full powerful
Irving: xx ---- xx
Jackie: xx
Nathan: xx
Taste =
Irving said - A mild cigar. I enjoyed it, but because I smoked
it at 7:30 in the a.m. on my way to work.
Definitely not an after dinner smoke.
Jackie said - Spicy/peppery. Close to band the wrapper split a
little which caused the burn to get a little
uneven.
Nathan said - I found myself somewhat surprised to find this
cigar very smooth and mild at the start, having
made an assumption about the origins of this
cigar based on the triple cap. My limited
experience with ISOM cigars have been with those
that start with considerably stronger impact than
Cigar #2. It produced lots of smoke from which I
seemed to detect a slight fruity quality to the
aroma. (Is that possible?) I had a great deal of
difficulty keeping the cigar lit and it required
frequent relighting after only a few minutes of
inattention. About halfway through, it started to
take on more complexity and I began to taste
(dare I say it?) a subtle coffee finish. The
strength of this cigar built significantly after
the halfway point while it maintained its medium
body. By the time I finished it, I was glad I was
sitting down. As a result, I stand by my initial
opinion about this cigar's pedigree.
Overall Impression =
Irving said - A nice breakfast cigar.
Jackie said - A good full flavored strong smoke. Got a little
spongy toward the band. Got a little buzz off
this one!
Nathan said - This cigar was a very good (but sneaky) smoke. It
started quietly but finished very strongly and
with a significant kick. An excellent cigar, one
worthy a lot of attention.
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.)
Irving said - yes
Jackie said - yes
Nathan said - yes
Vegas Robaina Clasico
SCALE
YOWZA!!!
Great Smoke <--- Nathan
Good Cigar <--- Jackie
Decent/Worthy <--- Irving
Ho-Hum
Blah...
Dog Rocket!
Editor's
2 Cents - One of the newest additions to
Habanos S.A. product line up, the Vegas Robaina brand was launched
in 1997. Named in honor of 79 year old master grower Alejandro
Robaina and his family who has been growing the finest tobaccos
in the Pinar del Rio and San Luis since 1845. His vegas (farms)
are considered to provide the very finest wrapper leaves for
many of Cuba's benchmark cigars. The entire line consists of
only five handmade sizes.
The Vegas Robaina Clasico is a traditional Cuban Cervantes
vitola at 6 1/2 x 42. This carefully crafted Lonsdale possesses
a light, but rich colorado wrapper with a good sheen of oil coating
its length. Like many Havana lonsdales, it is firm to the touch,
but draws well upon lighting. It begins softly on the palate
with a leathery caramel taste, but builds steadily. By the time
you reach the band it has become full of spice. The smoke is
dense and the finish is very long.
This Cervantes is not a blockbuster Havana, but is without
a doubt a very good smoke. The entire Vegas Robaina line has
steadily been attracting the attention of serious Cuban cigar
smokers with its solid performance and fair pricing. If you are
given the opportunity and are a fan of lonsdales, I would suggest
giving the Vegas Robaina Clasico a try.
Butera
Vintage Maduro No. 550
made in: La Romana, Dominican Republic
size : 5 x 50
wrapper: USA/Connecticut
filler : Dominican Republic, Brazil
binder : Indonesia
price : $7.95
Appearance = poor fair good outstanding perfect
Irving: xx
Jackie: xx
Nathan: xx
Irving said - A very nice looking cigar. Oily wrapper, dark
leaf, great aroma. One very small vein running
along the entire length of the cigar.
Jackie said - Dark oily reddish tint wrapper. Nice looking
stick.
Nathan said - This robusto is almost red in color (rosado
wrapper) reminiscent of a "Rosado Red" I was
given from a bundle retailer with an order I
received. This oily cigar is somewhat rough
looking, with some veining and tooth apparent
down it's length.
Construction = poor fair good outstanding perfect
Irving: xx
Jackie: xx
Nathan: xx
Irving said - [no comment]
Jackie said - Cap was really well applied. Firm smooth, slight,
tooth.
Nathan said - [no comment]
Burn = very uneven uneven even very even
Irving: xx
Jackie: xx
Nathan: xx
Problems = runners tunneling got soft split/unraveled
Irving:
Jackie: [none reported by any taster]
Nathan:
Ash Color = black dark grey light grey white
Irving: xx
Jackie: xx
Nathan: xx
Ash Structure = flaky typical very solid
Irving: xx
Jackie: xx
Nathan: xx
Draw = too easy easy perfect tight plugged
Irving: xx
Jackie: xx
Nathan: xx
Aroma = rank! poor fair good great
Irving: xx
Jackie: xx
Nathan: xx
Smoked to = left>=1/2 1/3 to band <band nub
Irving: xx
Jackie: xx
Nathan: xx
Strength = bland mild medium full powerful
Irving: xx
Jackie: xx
Nathan: xx
Taste =
Irving said - I really enjoyed this cigar - it was rather
"Fuente-ish." It left a long lasting yummy taste
on the palate.
Jackie said - Prelight draw was slightly sweet with a hint of
chocolate. Slight tooth. Great full flavor with
lots of full bodied smoke. Very consistent from
start to finish. Faint hints of chocolate/coffee.
Spicy!
Nathan said - There was a slight salty taste to the wrapper
initially prior to lighting this cigar. It
started with an earthy (leathery?) taste and
would be considered as what I would call medium
bodied. It maintained the same characteristics
until I had smoked slightly more than one half
when it seemed to improve, having smoothed out a
bit. It finished with a little more body and very
straightforward tobacco flavors.
Overall Impression =
Irving said - A truly wonderful cigar. Thanks Steve!! Sure beat #5.
Jackie said - Nice, spicy/earthy taste. Just what I've come to
expect from a good Nicaraguan cigar. This one is
on my to-buy list.
Nathan said - A good satisfying cigar that would be a elcome
addition after lunch or dinner. I would like to
have some of these aging in my humidor.
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.)
Irving said - yes
Jackie said - yes
Nathan said - yes
Butera Vintage Maduro No. 550
SCALE
YOWZA!!!
Great Smoke <--- Irving & Jackie
Good Cigar <--- Nathan
Decent/Worthy
Ho-Hum
Blah...
Dog Rocket!
Editor's
2 Cents - Another new cigar, the Butera Vintage
Maduro was just introduced in 1998. The original shade wrapped
Butera line was introduced in 1993 and has established itself
as one of the favorite mild cigars in the market. In addition
to the wrapper, the Vintage Maduro's blend differs from the original
with the addition of some Brazilian tobacco to the filler. These
handmade cigars are packed in boxes of 20 and are offered in
only four sizes: lonsdale, robusto, toro, and churchill.
The No. 550's name is representative of its size: five
inches long by fifty in ring gauge. This robusto comes wrapped
in a dark brown coarse broadleaf wrapper that possesses a slight
reddish hue. The finishing details on the cap and roll are both
well done. I found the pre-light bouquet to be young, but just
slightly. It began with a very mellow earthy flavor with sweet
notes. The flavor built into the second half to end as a solid
medium bodied smoke. It provided a very well balanced mellow
smoking experience throughout.
All three of our tasters enjoyed this easy-to-smoke robusto.
It may be too light for some smokers, but I found it to deliver
an easy going and relaxing smoking experience. For me it would
make a good cigar selection for a lazy summer afternoon except
for one thing - it is a bit overpriced. If the $8.00 price tag
doesn't bother you then the Butera Vintage Maduro No. 550 is
a good cigar to sample.
Hoyo
de Monterrey Seleccion Royale Aristocrats
made in: Cofradia, Honduras
size : 6 1/8 x 54
wrapper: Ecuador, USA/Connecticut
filler : Honduras, Nicaragua, Dominican Republic
binder : Honduras
price : $8.95
Appearance = poor fair good outstanding perfect
Irving: xx
Jackie: xx
Nathan: xx
Irving said - A very unique shape. A nice wrapper - oily and dark.
Jackie said - Man, do I have to burn this one? It's a real
looker. I hope it tastes as good as it looks.
Nathan said - Smooth, with a slightly oily sheen. This perfecto
shaped beauty is approximately 6.25 inches long
with about a 50 - 52 ring gauge at the closed
foot and 42 - 44 at the head. The medium brown
wrapper is smooth with only slight, fine veins
visible.
Construction = poor fair good outstanding perfect
Irving: xx
Jackie: xx
Nathan: xx
Irving said - Gorgeous!
Jackie said - A few medium veins, but the wrapper is smoothly
applied.
Nathan said - Initially started to run, but soon evened out.
Burn = very uneven uneven even very even
Irving: xx
Jackie: xx
Nathan: xx
Problems = runners tunneling got soft split/unraveled
Irving:
Jackie: [none reported by any taster]
Nathan:
Ash Color = black dark grey light grey white
Irving: xx
Jackie: xx
Nathan: xx
Ash Structure = flaky typical very solid
Irving: xx
Jackie: xx
Nathan: xx
Draw = too easy easy perfect tight plugged
Irving: xx
Jackie: xx
Nathan: xx
Aroma = rank! poor fair good great
Irving: xx
Jackie: xx
Nathan: xx
Smoked to = left>=1/2 1/3 to band <band nub
Irving: xx
Jackie: xx
Nathan: xx
Strength = bland mild medium full powerful
Irving: xx
Jackie: xx
Nathan: xx
Taste =
Irving said - I was less moved by this cigar then I thought I'd
be. I was hoping for a strong and bold taste - I
didn't find it here. It was short in finish and a
little grassy.
Jackie said - Lots of creamy smoke. Slightly grassy. Hints of
cocoa, rich tobacco flavor. Burn was even after I
got it going - kind of difficult to light
effectively. Like all pyramids you have to cut
off enough of the head to get a good draw.
Nathan said - Mild to medium bodied, this tasty perfecto
started poorly in terms of the burn (uneven) and
flavor (not much flavor), but improved after the
initial lighting. The draw, flavor, and burn all
improved after the first half inch. I had used a
guillotine cut and about halfway through, I
clipped a bit more off the head. The flavor
improved considerably toward the last third of
the cigar, although I do not believe it was
related to the second cut. It became more full
bodied and complex; I found myself really
enjoying it at this point and wished it didn't
take so long for it to show up. It finished very
well, with a moderately long and very pleasant
finish.
Overall Impression =
Irving said - A decent cigar. I'm sure it ain't cheap so I
probably wouldn't buy one.
Jackie said - A few more months of aging could make this a real
winner. I could see a few large veins on the cut
surface - in the filler. There was an occasional
"sizzle" as it burned. Would be interesting to
try again after a little more aging.
Nathan said - This would be a great smoke if it kicked
in a bit sooner.
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.)
Irving said - yes
Jackie said - yes
Nathan said - yes
Hoyo de Monterrey Seleccion Royale Aristocrats
SCALE
YOWZA!!!
Great Smoke
Good Cigar <--- Irving, Jackie & Nathan
Decent/Worthy
Ho-Hum
Blah...
Dog Rocket!
Editor's
2 Cents - The newest offering from Villazon
is the Hoyo de Monterrey Seleccion Royale line. Comprised of
only four figurado shapes, this new line adopts the Cuban style
rings and dress boxes similar to those used on the legendary
Havana Hoyo de Monterrey Double Corona. Ever since General bought
Villazon one of the questions asked was, "How long was it
going to be before there was a Hoyo de Monterrey "Vintage,"
"Limited Reserve," "2000, or whatever?" I
am genuinely surprised it took them nearly two years to offer
a special, a.k.a. higher priced, cigar from Villazon's existing
lines.
The Aristocrat is an exceptional looking cigar. It is
a unique teardrop shaped perfecto whose foot is completely closed.
The construction is of absolutely top notch Grade 7 quality.
The wrapper is a silky dark colorado leaf that makes this a truly
beautiful cigar. Because of the closed foot it takes a couple
of minutes for the draw to open up, but once it does it is perfect.
It is a mild-medium bodied cigar with a sweet woodsy flavor and
a slight tangy aftertaste. It builds in flavor and complexity
with a captivating conclusion that really makes you wish for
more.
The Hoyo de Monterrey Seleccion Royale Aristocrat is a
very well balanced blend. It is such an elegant refined smoke
it is difficult to believe it is Honduran. My only complaint
is that I wish the entire cigar tasted like the last two inches,
but even with this fault, it is an excellent mild-medium bodied
cigar. If you prefer stronger cigars, then you will be disappointed,
but if you are looking for a mild smoke then this is an excellent
selection.
Garo
Verde 2
made in: Santiago, Dominican Republic
size : 6 1/2 x 50
wrapper: Indonesia
filler : Dominican Republic
binder : Dominican Republic
price : $7.30
Appearance = poor fair good outstanding perfect
Irving: xx --- xx
Jackie: xx
Nathan: xx
Irving said - This cigar looked O.K. But looks are deceiving.
The wrapper looked blotchy and dry. I've seen worse.
Jackie said - Oily toothy wrapper.
Nathan said - This 6.75 x 50 sized cigar is wrapped in an
earthy brown (Cameroon?) wrapper with a nice oily
sheen. Slightly rough looking with obvious veins
and some tooth, there was a slight chip in the
wrapper below the band.
Construction = poor fair good outstanding perfect
Irving: xx
Jackie: xx
Nathan: xx
Irving said - A well constructed cigar. One slight hole above
the band.
Jackie said - [no comment]
Nathan said - Solid throughout with no soft spots along the
length of the cigar. Firm around the cap, it took
the punch cut cleanly.
Burn = very uneven uneven even very even
Irving: xx
Jackie: xx
Nathan: xx
Problems = runners tunneling got soft split/unraveled
Irving: xx
Jackie: xx
Nathan: xx (slight)
Ash Color = black dark grey light grey white
Irving: xx
Jackie: xx
Nathan: xx
Ash Structure = flaky typical very solid
Irving: xx
Jackie: xx
Nathan: xx
Draw = too easy easy perfect tight plugged
Irving: xx
Jackie: xx
Nathan: xx
Aroma = rank! poor fair good great
Irving: xx
Jackie: xx
Nathan: xx
Smoked to = left>=1/2 1/3 to band <band nub
Irving: xx
Jackie: xx
Nathan: xx
Strength = bland mild medium full powerful
Irving: xx
Jackie: xx
Nathan: xx
Taste =
Irving said - Started out rather flat. Very little flavor and
an extremely short finish. By the half way point,
the cigar began to taste like a stale cigarette.
Jackie said - Solid tobacco/earthy flavor. Harshness built up
toward the end but not overpowering.
Nathan said - Cigar #5 started with a mild but tasty
impression. A subtle hint of spice was evident in
early goings which continued throughout the rest
of the cigar. It left a pleasant and spicy taste
on my lips after each draw. It remained mild but
uninspired throughout its length. The wrapper
started to unravel about an inch above the band
at which time I gave up on it. Slightly more
spicy towards the end, this cigar remains hard to
describe as aside from saying it was an
unremarkable, just a bit more than bland, smoking
experience that left me unenthusiastic and
somewhat bored.
Overall Impression =
Irving said - This was really not a good cigar. It lacked
flavor and had a rather nasty aftertaste.
Jackie said - This one has potential. I kept waiting for a
little more richness to develop but it never did.
If the price is low enough I would recommend it,
but would like to see a bit more "fullness" -
strength is fine.
Nathan said - This is not a bad cigar, just not one that stands
out in my opinion. A good morning or early afternoon
smoke, but not one that I would 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.)
Irving said - no
Jackie said - yes
Nathan said - no
Garo Verde 2
SCALE
YOWZA!!!
Great Smoke
Good Cigar
Decent/Worthy <--- Jackie
Ho-Hum <--- Nathan
Blah...
Dog Rocket! <--- Irving
Editor's
2 Cents - This Dominican brand was debuted
in 1996, but the Verde line was not introduced until 1997. Tobacconists
commonly refer to this as the "green" line due to their
green bands whose color distinguishes them from the original
Garo cigars. The Verde is an all-Dominican blend finished with
a Sumatran wrapper.
The Garo Verde 2 is a toro-size parejo with a ruddy dark
wrapper and appears to be well constructed. From here it goes
down hill... The tell-tale ammonia scent of underaged tobacco
is present in its pre-light bouquet. Although the construction
looks good, burn and/or draw problems resulted in every one of
these I smoked. It has a terribly flaky ash and a poor aroma.
The flavor is sickly sweet and flat on the palate leaving a slightly
medicinal aftertaste with the smoker. Irving nailed this cigar
with his "began to taste like a stale cigarette" comment.
That comment mirrored my own tasting note which read "more
like a bad cigarette than a cigar."
The Garo Verde 2 was such bad cigar I even went through
the effort and expense of buying more samples from two other
tobacconists. I just wanted to make sure I didn't buy from a
really off box for the taste test. I didn't, they all tasted
and smoked the same. This cigar is absolute crap and at roughly
$7.00+ per cigar I was not only robbed, but also punished. Save
your money and tastebuds my comrades, I strongly recommend you
don't even bother trying this Dog Rocket!
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