I ran across this cigar from a couple sources. I won one in a raffle, and I believe I was sent one in a grab bag awhile back. There really isn’t a big story behind this cigar that I’m aware of. As we all know, I paired up with PUR filtered water and got to the review.
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Maduro
Binder: Dominican
Filler: Dominican & Nicaraguan
Size: Robusto 5 x 50
Price: Around $3.00
Pre-light & Construction:
First things first… During the pre-light inspection I was immediately annoyed. This cigar was rock hard. I had to massage it and ended up using a draw poker to make it acceptable. I was moments away from trashing the cigar and review, but I pressed on. Not a good way to start a review. Moving on… The wrapper looked nice and had a woody, earthy, and grassy smell. The foot produced a similar smell, with a tinge of pepper. As for the pre-light draw, as I mentioned, it was tight. I was too annoyed with that and didn’t even take notes on what it tasted like. The burn required a few corrections, and the ash was rock solid for over an inch.
Flavor:
The first third had a simple earthy taste. As I reached the end of this third, a slight sweet, dry mocha flavor arrived. Not bad, not great.
The second third didn’t offer much more then the first. I still had plenty of earthy notes, and a buttery flavor came about. Later on I had a bitterness that wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t pleasant either.
The last third really didn’t do anything for me. I was pretty bored at this point, but I pressed on. The earthy flavors fell back a lot, and that buttery component remained. That bitterness remained and started to get on my nerves. As the cigar came to a close, I may have gotten some slight nutty notes that weren’t bad.
Conclusion:
This cigar wasn’t for me. The flavor profile just rubbed me the wrong way. The tight draw was the most annoying part of the experience. If you took that away, I would have enjoyed this cigar a little more. I think it boils down to a cigar that doesn’t fit what I like in a flavor profile. Your mileage may vary, so give it a shot. It wasn’t horrible.
The El Baton is made in Nicaragua by the J.C. Newman Cigar Co. Apparently they are made in a small factory dedicated to this particular line. They claim it to be medium to full bodied with “Notes of spice.” Tonight I am pairing up with water and a few sips of Glenfiddich 18 year scotch. Let’s see how this goes…
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Corojo
Binder/Filler: Nicaraguan
Size: Robusto 5 x 54
Price: Around $5.00
Pre-light & construction:
You guys know my routine by now… believe it or not, I do this inspection before smoking every cigar. Overall, the wrapper looked nice, with a few bumps and veins. Squeezing the cigar revealed no soft spots. The cigar was firmly packed, yet had a good draw. The pre-light draw had a simple taste of sweet earth. Sniffing the wrapper, I noticed a hay like smell with a tinge of poo (Yea, I said poo). Don’t let this distract you. I’ve had many cigars that initially smelled like poo that turned out to be great smokes. Sniffing the foot revealed peppery notes that actually tickled my nose. I did no burn corrections, and the ash held for a little over an inch.
Flavor:
As advertised, the first third did start off with easy notes of spice. At first is was a peppery spice, but after about a half of an inch, it evolved into a sweet spice. A slight caramel flavor mingled with earthy notes.
The second third continued with caramel flavors overtaking the earthy notes. The earthy flavors remained, they just weren’t consistent or strong. The spice remained, with nuances of pepper and sweetness.
The last third saw changes in a few things. First of all, the earthy notes fell back even further. The caramel became mocha, switching back and forth every now and then. The smoke texture became a little smoother, making for an enjoyable experience.
Conclusion:
Not a bad medium to full bodied cigar. It wasn’t exceptionally rich, but it was by no means bad. I think I’ll revisit this cigar when I run across them. Overall, the El Baton is definitely worth a try.
I’m sure many of you saw Ed and I review this cigar back in July of 2008. Unfortunately, we had a bad experience and the review reflected that (unlike our review of the Cienfuegos, which went great). When I saw the Reyes Family Premier recently at a local shop, I had to buy a couple sticks and give it a second try. This time around, I am without Ed, and I tried the robusto size. Sticking with my routine, I am pairing up with water. Let’s see how the Reyes Family Premier goes almost a year later.
Wrapper: Maduro Ecuador Sumatra
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua (Condega and Jalapa)
Size: Robusto 5 x 50
Price: 4-$5.00
Pre-smoke & Construction:
The wrapper looked a bit rugged, with medium sized veins and a few large ones. I squeezed the cigar and found it to be a bit too spongy for my liking. Sniffing the wrapper revealed a sweet woody smell, while the foot smelled of wood and rich soil. The pre-light draw was a bit loose and tasted earthy combined with wood. The burn required many corrections in the first two thirds. It really got on my nerves. Eventually it evened out in the last third. The ash held for about an inch, but was loose and I didn’t trust it. Overall, construction was shoddy.
Flavor:
The first third began with an earthy base flavor. As I progressed into this third, mocha notes overtook the earthy flavors.
The second third continued with the mocha and earthy notes. They played tag with each other on which would be prominent flavor. Pepper entered and was pretty smooth and easy. As things came to a close, a decent woody flavor entered the mix.
The last third developed a coffeeish flavor that overtook the mocha. This revealed the woody flavor that went away for a little while. The pepper went away , and with a little over an inch to go, it was time to put the cigar down.
Conclusion:
This cigar definitely went better then the review Ed and I did last June. I didn’t get those nasty ammonia flavors this time around. I can’t really complain about the flavor profile at all. It hovered in the medium to upper medium body range, and tasted good. As stated earlier, my only complaints relate to the construction. Gladly I can say at least the robusto size is worth trying.
This week I stopped by The Stogie Review to join Walt in reviewing the Esteban Carreras 10 Anos. If you haven’t been to The Stogie Review, you need to leave this place and see how a cigar review site is done.
The title says it all. I’ve never had this cigar before this review was written. I generally like to smoke at least two cigars before doing a review. If I simply don’t have that 2nd or 3rd cigar, I try to make a note in the review. As always, I rummaged through the small humidor and dug this out. After asking around, it turns out my pal Matt gave this to me awhile ago. You remember him, we did this review awhile back. I’m pairing up with water and a touch of Glenfiddich 18 year scotch. The scotch really helps cleanse the palate. Since this is a first impression review, I’ll need all the help I can get. On to the review…
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Habano Natural
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Size: Robusto 5 x 50
Price: Around $7.00
Pre-smoke & Construction:
The smooth, tan wrapper looked nice and refined. There were no noticeable soft spots in the cigar either. I could only detect a woody smell when sniffing the wrapper. I got a combination of wood and pepper when sniffing the foot. The pre-light draw was free, and had notes of hay and grass. The burn only required a few touch up’s, and the ash was flaky, only lasting about a half of an inch.
Flavor:
Smooth peppery notes kicked off the first third. Next up was cedar, a decent amount of it. Cocoa and earthy flavors kicked in as I progressed through this third. Simple, full bodied, and good.
The second third started off with a reduction in pepper. Earthy flavors increased slightly at times, as did the mocha. As I reached the end of the 2nd third, the pepper transformed into a sweet somewhat spicy flavor.
The last third went well in to the full bodied spectrum. Mocha and woody flavors were in the front of the flavor profile. A sweet smoothness combined with earthiness to fill up the remaining space. The smoke became thick and coated the mouth. Very full bodied and creamy.
Conclusion:
Now a bad full bodied cigar! This isn’t a WOW cigar by any means, but it definitely was not bad at all. Considering this was the first time I’ve tried the 601 Red label, it went well and I will try this again.
The Alec Bradley Cigar Company was nice enough to give Ed and I a sneak peek at their latest cigar, the SCR, or Select Cabinet Reserve. This review is featured at our other home, The Stogie Review, as well as St. Pete Pipe and Cigars. Make sure you pay them a visit! In the mean time, see what Ed and I thought of the SCR.
Sorry about the audio hum in the first section. Sounds like we had a small ground loop going for a little while, or I had the microphones too hot. Luckily it wasnt too bad.
First things first… Some companies think you and I are too stupid to notice if they increase their prices just as SCHIP takes effect. Not much we can do really… To add insult to injury, many cigar shops are tacking on yet more cost. They can just blame SCHIP and hope their customers won’t notice.
On to Perdomo… They are eating the SCHIP tax on over 70 percent of their portfolio. Some of their cigars will actually see a price REDUCTION. Nick Perdomo has the right idea. He knows his customers put him on the map, and he is going to help us out. You greedy bastards can learn something from this company.
Anyhow, I am pairing this cigar up with water, and a few sips of Glenfiddich 18 year scotch. My rant is over, lets get to the review!
Wrapper: Cuban seed Criollo
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Cuban seed Nicaraguan
Size: Figurado 4.7 x 56
Price: Around $6.00
Pre-smoke & Construction:
The wrapper looked oily and smooth, with minimal veins. Sniffing the wrapper and foot revealed a woody smell mixed with natural tobacco. When I squeezed the length of the cigar, I found out this thing was packed rock solid. I clipped and took a pre-light draw. It was pretty tight. I managed to loosen it up with careful grooming and a poker. The pre-light draw had a sweet, earthy, woody taste to it.
Flavor:
Right out of the gate, the first third greeted me with a nice flavor profile. Unique earthy notes stood out. They melded with an interesting flavor that was woody. What kind of wood I do not know. As the first third came to a close, a pleasant sweet taste came about. It was almost caramel. Very nice…
The second third kept that smooth, woody flavor. Those unique earthy tones started to become more traditional, which I don’t consider a bad thing. That sweet flavor I described as caramel started to become mocha, but not entirely.
As I hit the last third, I encountered some bitterness. It wasn’t strong and went away quickly. The mocha flavors changed into an unidentifiable sweetness that was very nice. The flavor profile really seemed to simplify itself, but was very nice.
Conclusion:
As you probably noticed, I forgot to take a picture for the first third. I guess I just got tied up in enjoying this cigar. This was a very good medium to full bodied smoke. There isn’t much I can say except I enjoyed it a lot. I’d recommend you try it for sure.
I’m a fan of the Nub line for sure, so Matt and I were looking forward to meeting Sam Leccia, the creator of Nub cigars. No fault to Sam, unfortunately the Nub Live event on June 6th was a wash and insulting. It was held at a tobacco warehouse in Tampa.
It turns out, you had to buy a minimum of one box. No singles, no 5 packs. Oh, and it was cash only. What is this, the 60’s? Add to that a very uninviting environment. I have “Not felt” a cigar event as much as this one. I’m not buying a box of a cigar I’ve never had.
Despite Sam being a nice guy and offering us a free cigar, we decided after 15 minutes to go down the street and purchase a few Nub Maduros at a place that didn’t require a minimum of $107.00 in cash. Although Sam was positive and nice, the negative incompetent people around him spoke volumes over his easy going personality. This reminds me of an experience another cigar reviewer had. Read about it here. I believe Sam’s vision of what Nub Live is about is sometimes being ruined by incompetent bookers and venue staff.
Now that the rant is off of my chest, I sat down with a glass of water, a fresh palate, and smoked another Nub Maduro for this review. Let’s see how it turned out.
Wrapper: Brazilian Maduro
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Size: 60 x 4
Price: $6.00
Pre-smoke and construction:
The Nubs in general have good construction. This one was no different. The dark wrapper had small veins and had the smell of hay or grass. The foot had a similar smell with an added sweetness. When squeezing the cigar, a few soft spots were found, but nothing alarming or unusual. The pre-light draw was free and had an earthy taste.
I did no burn corrections, and only ashed once. As with all Nubs, construction was top notch.
Flavor:
The first third opened up with a simple earthy flavor. A slight peppery spice was detected when passing through the sinus. Although simple, it was easy and wasn’t bad.
The second third showed a decrease in earthy flavors. There were short bursts of a dry mocha. Sort of like the chocolate powder you put in milk. A slight peppery taste remained in the background. An ashy flavor crept into the mix, and wasn’t a pleasant taste.
The last third didn’t go to well. I still got bursts of dry mocha, which was enjoyable. Unfortunately, ashy flavors overtook it most of the time. The smoke began to irritate my mouth and back of the throat.
Conclusion:
I know what some of you are saying… “Tom is just mad about the Nub event and is slamming the cigar.” On the contrary, I have no ill feelings towards Sam or Nub in general. Re-read the rant. My beef is only with the venue staff and whoever books the Nub Live events. I’ll smoke a Nub Habano or Connecticut any day. They are good consistent smokes. There is another Nub event later this year in Tampa, and I’ll be sure to check it out since it will be at a reputable cigar shop.
The Nub Maduro fell into the medium body range. I guess it just wasn’t what I expected from a maduro cigar. It seemed one dimensional and I am not a fan of ashy tasting cigars. I have a feeling a little age may have done this cigar some good. Unfortunately, the Nub Maduro’s that I smoked didn’t offer an enjoyable experience. If I run across them again, I may try another. If it turns out any better, I will be sure to update the review.
The Summer Collection was OK, but really didn’t do anything for me. The Winter Collection was a great full bodied cigar. When I ran across the Spring Collection at a local shop in Tampa, I couldn’t resist picking a few up. It wasn’t easy, but I let these sticks rest a couple weeks and finally, it was time to start smoking for the review. Paired up with water, I bring you the review of the Rocky Patel Spring Collection.
Wrapper: Sumatra
Binder: Pennsylvania Broadleaf
Filler: Nicaragua
Size: Robusto 5 x 52
Price: Around $7.00
Pre-smoke and Construction:
The first thing I notice on a cigar is the wrapper. This one was a little oily and smooth with small veins. Sniffing the wrapper reminded me of wood and a grassy soil. The foot smelled more like wood then anything else. Squeezing the cigars length, I found it was a little spongy and bounced back when squeezed. The pre-light draw was free, with a dry co-coish flavor mixed with wood.
The burn required a few correction in the first half of the cigar, but straightened out afterwards. The ash held for around an inch before I knocked it off (as I commonly do). Overall, I was very happy with construction in general.
Flavor:
The first third began with very smooth woody flavors. Exhaling through the nose, I found a fairly strong pepper. It wasn’t a major jolt, just enough to let you know it was there. As I progressed, mocha notes were detected. This mellow tone set the mood for the first third, and was quite relaxing and easy to smoke.
As I rounded the second third, that pepper that said “Pay attention to me!” calmed down. It was still there, but only a fraction of it’s strength remained. What took it’s place was nice, smooth, and sometimes thick mocha notes. Woody flavors I mentioned before remained and mixed well with an addition of nuts in the background.
The last third had a dominant woodsy flavor. Hiding behind that were subtle nutty notes. Next in line was mocha. It lost its thickness and lurked in the background. This was probably the simplest of the thirds in terms of flavor profile complexities, but it remained enjoyable.
Conclusion:
This was a pretty good medium bodied cigar. I enjoyed the Winter Collection a bit more, but this was far more enjoyable then the Summer Collection. Any Rocky Patel fan should give this cigar a try.
I’m a fan of the Nub line for sure, so Matt and I were looking forward to meeting Sam Leccia, the creator of Nub cigars. No fault to Sam, unfortunately the Nub Live event on June 6th was a wash and insulting. It was held at a tobacco warehouse in Tampa. 
Wrapper: Brazilian Maduro
