SmokeScore.com

New Section – “Aged”

Dec 27, 2009 Aged, Cigar, Site News 1 Comment

As we roll into 2010, SmokeScore is proud to announce a new section called “Aged”.

The “Aged” section reviews will focus on cigars that have been properly stored for long term aging.

We will be reviewing sticks with a minimum of two years of age but many will have 5, 10 even 30 years of age.

“Aged” reviews will not contain an official score due to lack of availability of multiple samples for a proper review. They will stand on their own merit and will be reviewed based on the same criteria as any other review on SmokeScore.

Some of the sticks we will be reviewing include:

1977 Sancho Panza

1962 Montecristo Edmundo

1992 Montecristo No.2

1995 Fuente Opus X Robusto

2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005 Camacho Liberty

2003 Cohiba Limitado

and many more.

Look for the first “Aged” review in early January 2010.

Aged Cigar Special

Dec 22, 2009 Cigar, Friends 1 Comment

My friend Lindsay over at Nat Sherman in NYC has an amazing deal going on right now.

They have various *complete* boxes of Vintage Macanudo (Jamaican) cigars and some 1994 Partagas boxes available for sale.

These have sat in a humidor aging for years & are in pristine condition.

If you’ve ever had a Jamaican Mac, you know what treasures these are.

1 Box Duke of Wellington: $330.00
1 Box Vintage 1988 VII: $1,150.00
1 Box Vintage 1988 II: $1,073.00
1 Box Vintage 1988 I: $1,202.00
1 Box Vintage 1993 II : $900.00
1 Box Vintage 1993 III: $858.00
1 Box Vintage 1993 VI: $1,201.00

5 Boxes Partagas No. 3 1994: $500.00

Contact Lindsay Heller [lheller@natsherman.com] at Nat Sherman w/questions or to purchase.

Top 10 Cigars of 2009

Dec 20, 2009 Cigar Leave a comment

So here we are. As 2009 comes to a close we present you with our Top 10 Cigars of 2009.

The list is simple – any cigar is eligible for the Top 10 list. We don’t factor price, availability or production levels into the list.

Our Top 10 Cigars of 2009 is simply the best 10 cigars we smoked in 2009.

Here’s our list:

#10 – Ashton VSG Wizard

Ashton VSG Wizard Natural premium cigars are made ‘Carlito’s way’ by Arturo Fuente with flawless, extra-aged Ecuadorian wrappers and a longer-aged blend of 6 Cuban-seed Dominican fillers, plus an extra-rich Ligero leaf for a fuller, more complex flavor. The 6×56 Wizard vitola does something special to the already magnificent VSG blend and it takes it to another level. The Wizard has flavors of coffee, toasted wood and licorice. At the core is a rich tobacco sweetness that makes it a very satifsying cigar. Easily my favorite cigar by Ashton.

#9 – Cohiba Genio Maduro

Cohiba began experimenting with Maduro wrappers very recently and the Genio Maduro, may be the best of the bunch. It’s a dark chocolate brown wrapper with a mild nose of espresso and earth. Once lit, the cigar has tons of earth, leather and bitter dark chocolate flavors. It burns beautifully and has a nice clean finish. Tough to find, but if you do…grab some.

#8 – La Aurora Cien Años Belicoso

The La Aurora 100 Anos (100 years) pays tribute to La Aurora’s time in the business. The La Aurora 100 Anos has a Corojo seed Dominican wrapper that covers mostly Corojo fillers making it one of the worlds only cigars to use 100% Dominican Tobacco. Only 300,000 cigars were ever produced. Being masters of the Preferido, La Aurora has created a magnificent cigar that is balanced, mellow and flavorful. It has a sweet earthiness along with some leather.

#7 – Tatuaje Regio Reserva

Yes, more Pete Johnson. As a fan of the standard Regio vitola, I immediately gravitated to the Regio Reserva when it was released in early 2009.

The Regio reserva has a very dark oscuro wrapper that bleeds oils. It has a yummy aroma of sweet wood and some raisin. Lighting it, I got a myriad of flavors such as wood, leather, spice, caramel and even some grape flavors. It has a remarkable spectrum of flavor to go with the medium to full body. Very clean finish and burns very well with a little flaking. The stick also gives off a wonderful smell while it’s burning. I honestly feel that the Regio Reserva could be Pete’s masterpiece. Luckily I bought a box and still have some left. I can only hope this line will return in the future.

#6 – Padron 1926 No. 9 Maduro

Padron is a model of consistency in the cigar world. The No.9 Maduro from their 1926 line is as rock solid a cigar as there is on the market today. It’s an elegant smoke with flavors of  aged tobacco, roasted nuts and dried fruit. The No. 9 is always solid, rich and rewarding. It finishes cleanlt with beautiful bitter dark chocolate. I could smoke this every day.

#5 – Illusione eccj

Dion Giolito was commissioned by The European Cigar Cult Journal to make a commemorative cigar for their 15th anniversary. Dion created a gem in the process. The eccj, which is no longer available, is a Corona Gorda size, Nicaraguan Puro with a Corojo wrapper and a filler blend of 6 tobaccos. It burns beautifully and is a smooth, balanced dream. It has flavors of toast, nuts and a noticable floral flavor and aroma. Overall a winner of a smoke and if you enjoy medium bodied cigars, this one is a must.

#4 – Trinidad Robusto Extra

The Trinidad Robusto Extra is a 6×49 beauty. It has a chocolate brown wrapper and pigtail at the cap. The Trinidad Robusto Extra has a distinct nose of hay and nuts. When it burns it gives off a beautiful nutty aroma that also comes through in the flavor. It bursts with flavors of roasted nuts, coffee and some creaminess. It’s medium bodied but loaded with flavor. It’s an outstanding cigar and one of the best Cuban cigars I’ve ever smoked It’s also the #1 Cuban cigar of 2009.

#3 – El Triunfador Lancero

More Pete Johnson. Pete Johnson originally made the El Triunfador line in order to keep the brand name active in commerce in order to maintain his ownership of it. The “Ghost Cigar” was never intended for mass production, but it found its way into the hands of willing smokers. The El Triunfador is one of the most flavorful lanceros I’ve experienced. It has notes of leather, chocolate, spicy wood and a faint sweetness like caramel. It’s a sensational lancero and one that you should not miss.

#2 – Liga Privada No.9 Parejo

Liga Privada No. 9 Parejo Maduro was originally created for the sole smoking pleasure of Drew Estate president Steve Saka. Exquisitely blended from 7 different tobaccos from 7 different farms, it is handcrafted only by the factory’s absolute best torcedors. The Liga Privada is one of the most perfectly constructed cigars I’ve ever seen. It’s very dark and so oily it’s almost greasy. The smoke is medium bodied and loaded with flavors of mocha, burnt sugar and wood. I absolutely love the Liga Privada and it will always have a place in my humidor.

#1 – Padron Family Reserve 45 Years

To celebrate the milestone of reaching 45 years in business, the Padrón family released the Padrón Family Reserve No. 45, a six-inch long, 52 ring gauge, box-pressed cigar made from very old Nicaraguan tobaccos. The cigars are made in very limited quantities, and shipped at various times.

Having an MSRP of over $25, I was a little cautious about this cigar when first released. I love the 1926 series and those are expensive enough. I bought one to smoke and later that day bought the rest of the singles my local shop had, then went online and bought a box.

The Family Reserve is a textbook perfect box-pressed stick. It is teeming with oils and has an aroma of cocoa and spice on the wrapper and foot. The stick transitioned so many times while I smoked it, it was remarkable. Flavors included cocoa, earth, spice, cloves, dense chocolate cake and rich tobacco sweetness.

The Family Reserve quite simply is one of the best cigars I’ve ever smoked. It’s that simple. Availability and price aside, this cigar reminded me of why I started smoking cigars in the first place.

Top 5 Limited Release Cigars of 2009

Dec 17, 2009 Cigar Leave a comment

Now this is really getting fun…

Tonight’s look back on 2009 highlights the Top 5 Limited Release Cigars of 2009.

This list includes any cigar released in 2009 that is either a one-off, limited production release or special edition. It includes cigars that are meant to be a one-shot deal or limited run and are not part of a regular, readily available line. Lack of availability did not factor in to the evaluation, meaning a cigar didn’t lose any points because it was impossible to find.

NOTE: These reviews may include cigars where only one sample was smoked. Due to the limited availability of some of these cigars, multiple tasting samples may not have been possible.

Away we go…

#5 – AVO Limited Edition 2009 Companero

In 2009 Davidoff commemorated Avo Uvezian’s 83rd birthday with a special release called “Companero.” The Avo line is generally a mild to medium bodied line, but the 2009 edition is a departure. It is medium to full bodied and loaded with flavors of leather, toast and sweet wood. Oddly it’s also one of the heaviest sticks I’ve ever smoked. Not in body, but in actual weight. It’s large and weighty and feels substantial. A wonderful Limited Edition smoke that Davidoff can be proud of and one that I made sure to buy a handful of before they are all gone.

#4 – CAO Mx3

CAO maintains an inventory of specific tobacco that they use in special blends called “The Escaparate Collection” The collection is an assortment of different cigar blends that utilizes these special tobacco lots. What makes these blends unique is that they are generally not released to the public or released in very small amounts since there is not enough of the Escaparate tobaccos to be used in standard release blends.

One of these mysterious, Escaparate cigars is the CAO MX3. The MX3 is available only at Drapers Tobacconist in Washington D.C. – (800) 572-2382. It is exclusive to them and will most likely remain so as long as they last.

The Mx3 is a rough, rustic looking stick, but the beauty is in the smoking. The Mx3 explodes on the palate with flavors of bitter chocolate, espresso and a tanginess that I really enjoyed. The flavor profile of this stick blew me away and made me realize why it is I love Maduro cigars so much. Just wish they were a little easier to get a hold of.

#3 – Tatuaje Monster Series “Boris”

Anyone who knows me or reads SmokeScore, knows that I am a huge Pete Johnson fan. That being said, I do occasionally run across one of Pete’s cigars that sticks out in my mind as a classic. The 2009 Monster Series “Boris” is one of those cigars. The Boris is essentially the same blend as last year’s Monster Series “Frank” but with a different wrapper and not boxed press. While I liked the Frank a lot, I ADORE the Boris. The smoke has a minty sweetness that I’ve never tasted in a cigar before. It also has flavors of sweet spice that are so prevalent in Don Pepin’s work. Pete has a winner with the Boris which incidentally has a production of only 1000 boxes of 10 compared to the “Drac” which has 1,300 boxes of 13 available.

#2 – Tatuaje Regio Reserva

Yes, more Pete Johnson. As a fan of the standard Regio vitola, I immediately gravitated to the Regio Reserva when it was released in early 2009.

The Regio reserva has a very dark oscuro wrapper that bleeds oils. It has a yummy aroma of sweet wood and some raisin. Lighting it, I got a myriad of flavors such as wood, leather, spice, caramel and even some grape flavors. It has a remarkable spectrum of flavor to go with the medium to full body. Very clean finish and burns very well with a little flaking. The stick also gives off a wonderful smell while it’s burning. I honestly feel that the Regio Reserva could be Pete’s masterpiece. Luckily I bought a box and still have some left. I can only hope this line will return in the future.

#1 – Padron Family Reserve 45 Years

To celebrate the milestone of reaching 45 years in business, the Padrón family released the Padrón Family Reserve No. 45, a six-inch long, 52 ring gauge, box-pressed cigar made from very old Nicaraguan tobaccos. The cigars are made in very limited quantities, and shipped at various times.

Having an MSRP of over $25, I was a little cautious about this cigar when first released. I love the 1926 series and those are expensive enough. I bought one to smoke and later that day bought the rest of the singles my local shop had, then went online and bought a box.

The Family Reserve is a textbook perfect box-pressed stick. It is teeming with oils and has an aroma of cocoa and spice on the wrapper and foot. The stick transitioned so many times while I smoked it, it was remarkable. Flavors included cocoa, earth, spice, cloves, dense chocolate cake and rich tobacco sweetness.

The Family Reserve quite simply is one of the best cigars I’ve ever smoked. It’s that simple. Availability and price aside, this cigar reminded me of why I started smoking cigars in the first place.

Top 5 Value Cigars of 2009

Dec 16, 2009 Cigar Leave a comment

Tonight we continue our week of reflection by looking back at the Top 5 Value Cigars of 2009.

My criteria for this list is that the cigar had to be less than $6 MSRP and had to be available at the time of this post.

Away we go…

#5 – Excalibur 1066 Dark Knight Robusto

The Exclibur 1066 from Hoyo De Monterrey is a very dark very oily stick that was gifted to me by a regular at the cigar lounge I owned. He smoked these regularly and after having one, I saw why. The cigar was rich, well balanced and very, very smooth. Flavors of sweet tobacco and bitter coffee were all well integrated. The stick burns a little unevenly, but is definitely manageable.  It was fairly basic, but the medium body, nice flavor profile and great price of under $4 made me reach for it many times since he first introduced me to this stick.

#4 – Perdomo Habano Maduro Toro

Admittedly, I don’t often smoke many Perdomo sticks. I just don’t seem to buy them and while I don’t dislike them, I haven’t really found any of their lines that wowed me. Early in 2009, I was at CigarInn on the Upper East Side in Manhattan and the owner Gus suggested I try the Habano Maduro line as I browsed through his shop. After smoking it, I bought some more and continue to buy this smoke as a regular go to stick when I am brining cigars to a party or anywhere where there might be new smokers. It’s medium bodied, smooth and delicious. It’s got some earthy notes up front along with a woody, nuttiness. That flavor profile remains the same through the whole smoke. It burns beautifully and at under $5 a stick, I think it’s a real bargain for the quality.

#3 – Padron 3000 Maduro

Does anyone have a grasp of cigar making better than the Padrons? Every time I smoke a Padron I am always amazed at the quality. The “thousand” series as they are known could very well be the best value cigar ever. They usually aren’t the prettiest cigars, but the 3000 Maduro specifically, has a fantastic nose of leather and spice on the wrapper. It is full bodied with full flavors of unsweetened cocoa, wood and walnuts. It can burn a little funky, but nothing too bad. The 3000 Maduro is always consistent and always delivers full flavor and it a fantastic bargain cigar.

#2 – CAO La Traviata Robusto

CAO La Traviata is a full-bodied, full-flavored cigar that combines an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper with a Cameroon binder and incorporates two different ligero filler tobaccos from the Pueblo Nuevo farm in Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic. “The inspiration for La Traviata came from smoking numerous classic Cuban cigars,” said CAO President Tim Ozgener. “We wanted to create a cigar that appealed to sight, smell, and taste.” I’d been hearing about this stick for a while and was very excited to try it when it was released. It did not disappoint. I got flavors of chestnut and earth along with a sweet spice that carried through the whole smoke. There was also some wood and some earth that came out as it transitioned. A beautifully oily wrapper and excellent construction all make this a winner for CAO.

#1 – Alec Bradley SCR Robusto

Alec Bradley has been very active over the last couple of years, releasing several new lines and vitolas. One of those lines is a bargain priced stick that really caught my attention. On a recent trip to Mexico, I packed about 20 smokes for the week I was going to be away. Of everything I brought, the one stick that really stood out in my mind was the SCR. When I got back to the states, I tried a few more to make sure I was correct. The stick is medium bodied and is incredibly smooth. The word “tasty” kept popping into my head as I picked up flavors of creamy coffee that were so distinct I felt like I just had a cuban coffee. There’s some light spice and some earthiness as well. A wonderfully balanced smoke that’s a great bargain.