vanilla

Cigar Review | Southern Draw Cedrus The Hogan

December 20, 2018CutLightSmokeReviewsbrown sugar, cedar, cinnamon, coffee, molasses, Toast, vanillaLeave a comment

It’s Stog o’Clock, and this time, I review the Southern Draw Cedrus The Hogan. This Belicoso Fino comes in at 5 ½ x 52 and retails for $11.99. These come packed in unique boxes of 10 with each cigar standing upright. The cigar was made to honor Phil and Shelly Hogan, friends and early supporters of the brand. The blend features an Indonesian Sumatra Bosuki TBN wrapper concealing a Nicaraguan Habano binder and fillers from the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua.

The wrapper produces a light leathery aroma, while I smell raisin out of the foot. On the cold draw, I pick up wine notes. Once lit, this stick blows tons of smoke. The draw offers cedar with sweet cocoa. Through the nose, I find more cedar with spicy nuttiness. The finish hits me with red pepper, cocoa, and molasses.

Twenty-five minutes in, the first third closes out. On the draw, I pick up a hint of cedar with raisin and brown sugar. Through the nose, red pepper and cinnamon mix. The finish gives me cinnamon with roasted coffee and light molasses. Strength settles at a medium while body is very full.

The second third finishes at forty-five minutes. The draw offers toast with more cedar and distinct flavor of sunflower seeds. On the retro-hale, I’m greeted with more cinnamon alongside coffee. The finish consists of bold espresso with fading molasses notes and hints of vanilla. Both strength and vanilla sit at medium-to-full.

One hour and fifteen minutes in, the final third wraps up. Brown sugar returns on the draw with cinnamon and some sweet cocoa. There is no change through the nose. I find flowery earth, citrus, and molasses on the finish. Strength and body finish out at a solid medium-to-full.

The Southern Draw Cedrus The Hogan is a phenomenal cigar. It hits all the right notes on flavor pulling you back in with every puff, and there’s enough complexity to keep things interesting. Every minute of this smoke is a treat. Construction is top notch, and smoke output is plentiful. If you haven’t tried this cigar, you’re missing out. Watch for this to hit top 25 lists everywhere.

Smoke on!

-CutLightSmoke

Cigar Review | MBombay Gaaja

December 26, 2016CutLightSmokeReviewsAlmond, black pepper, cedar, vanilla, white pepperLeave a comment

It’s Stog o’Clock, and this time, I check out the new MBombay Gaaja. This 6×54 box-pressed stick features a very smooth Ecuadorian Hybrid wrapper on top of an Ecuadorian binder and fillers from the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Peru, and Paraguay. It retails for $15.50.

The cold draw gives me dried cherry flavor. The wrapper produces a rich leather and chocolate aroma with the same out of the foot. Once lit, I find sweet cedar, white pepper, and vanilla on the draw. Through the nose, I pick up more vanilla and white pepper. The finish gives me cinnamon, additional vanilla, cedar, and toast.

The first third wraps up at thirty-five minutes. On the draw, I pick up cedar with sweet almond and white pepper. Spicy gingerbread comes through the retro-hale. The finish gives me black pepper with vanilla and leather. Both strength and body settle in at the medium mark.

One hour and ten minutes in, the second third wraps up. I pick up the same flavors on the draw with an added saltiness. Through the nose, there’s black pepper and cedar. The finish offers more black pepper with nutty earth. Strength and body remain the same at a steady medium.

The final third closes out at one hour and forty-five minutes. On the draw, I find spicy white pepper and cedar. Through the nose, I continue to get black pepper with the addition of toast. There is no change to the retro-hale. Both strength and body finish out at the medium mark.

The Mbombay Gaaja is a pretty good smoke. It’s expensive, but it’s got a nice amount of complexity with enjoyable flavors. Strength and body remain in the center of the road throughout making for a very approachable cigar. It’s another MBombay I recommend trying out.

Smoke on!
-Noah (CutLightSmoke)

Cigar Review | Cornelius & Anthony Daddy Mac

August 10, 2016CutLightSmokeReviewsAlmond, caramel, cedar, vanilla, white pepperLeave a comment

It’s Stog o’Clock, and this time, I try out my first Cornelius & Anthony cigar – the Daddy Mac. It is the second cigar released by this company and a tribute to the owner’s father. It comes in with a Brazilian wrapper concealing an Ecuadorian binder and Nicaraguan fillers. For this review, I smoke the Robusto, a 5×52 stick that retails for $9.

On the cold draw, I only pick up an airy tobacco. The wrapper gives off a potent tobacco aroma with leather. Out of the foot, I smell leather and black pepper. Once lit, I pick up creamy cedar with a hint of cinnamon sweetness. Through the nose, there is a very sweet caramel and vanilla mix. On the finish, there is black pepper with creamy cedar and graham cracker.

The first third gets me to twenty-five minutes. On the draw, I pick up almond with sweet toast and grassy earth. Through the nose, I find a delicious mix of spicy caramel, vanilla, and cedar. The finish is spectacular offering up white pepper on top of a “coffee with hazelnut creamer” flavor. Strength and body settle in at the medium mark.

One hour in, the second third comes to a close. More almond comes through on the draw with creamy cedar. The retro-hale is delightful with more spicy caramel and a toasty earth. The finish is now very vegetal with oak and white pepper notes. Strength and body jumps slightly to the medium-to-full mark.

The final third finishes at an hour and a half. On the draw, I pick up spicy black pepper and grassy earth. The grassy earth carries through the nose alongside leather. The finish is stellar with salty pretzel on top of rich tobacco and more white pepper. Strength and body finish out at medium-to-full.

The Cornelius & Anthony Daddy Mac is one of the best cigars I’ve smoked this year. It’s extremely complex and so delicious, you just can’t put it down. The flavors are out of this world, and construction is absolutely perfect. It’s a box-worthy cigar that I’ll smoke time and time again. Don’t miss this one!

Smoke on!
-Noah (CutLightSmoke)

Cigar Review | Fable Fourth Prime

August 3, 2016CutLightSmokeReviewsblack pepper, cocoa, coffee, leather, vanillaLeave a comment

It’s Stog o’Clock, and this time, I check out a relatively new cigar that carried a lot of hype at the 2016 IPCPR trade show. The Fable Fourth Prime is a cigar made in the RoMa Craft factory. For this review, I picked the Mi size, a 5.75×46 Gran Corona. This blend features a Pennsylvania Broadleaf wrapper, Ecuadoran Habano Ligero binder, and fillers from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic.

On the cold draw, I pick up a distinct creamy cocoa flavor. The wrapper produces a barnyard and cocoa aroma, while I smell more cocoa out of the foot. Once lit, I’m hit with cocoa and black pepper spice alongside a dark leather. Through the nose, salty cocoa pairs with black pepper. The finish offers dried fruit, more leather, and earth.

Thirty minutes in, the first third comes to a close. On the draw, I get a delicious mix of cocoa, strong coffee, and leather. Through the nose, black pepper blends with sweet earth. The finish is out of this world with very buttery cocoa and creamy vanilla – the cigar equivalent of a twist ice cream cone. Strength and body settle in at the medium-to-full mark.

The second third gets me to one hour. The flavor profile takes a twist. I get more cocoa on the draw with a very spicy black pepper. On the retro-hale, gingerbread and earth complement each other. The finish loses the ice cream mojo and explodes with black pepper and burnt coffee – a surprisingly good combo. Strength and body jump to the full mark.

The final third wisps away at an hour and a half. Cocoa and black pepper continue to hit me on the draw alongside raisin. Through the nose, leather and black pepper dance. The finish is a super spicy bombardment of black pepper and deep espresso. Strength and body finish out at the full mark.

The Fourth Prime is one of the best cigars I’ve had all year. It starts out as an absolute dessert stick and then turns into a bold force of power. It won’t necessarily knock you out, but it does have some kick behind it in the last two thirds. The complexity and depth of this smoke is rare these days, so this is a very welcome addition to the industry. Construction is absolutely perfect. This is a box-worthy cigar that I highly recommend. What are you waiting for? Go find one!

Smoke on!
-Noah (CutLightSmoke)

Cigar Review | Quintero Favoritos

March 30, 2016CutLightSmokeReviewsAlmond, cedar, leather, vanillaLeave a comment

It’s Stog o’Clock, and this time, I check out a short filler Cuban cigar. The Quintano Favoritos is a 4.5×50 Robusto that’s still hand rolled but stuffed with short filler tobacco inside. It has a relatively smooth appearance and a simple label.

The wrapper produces a faint smoky cedar while the foot gives off the smell of damp grass and black pepper. The cold draw is snug with no flavor. Once lit, I pick up slight leather with red pepper and earth. Through the nose, there is hardly any flavor with only a little cedar. Red pepper carries over on the finish with creamy almond.

After twenty minutes, the first third comes to a close. On the draw, I pick up faint vanilla alongside red pepper and oak. Through the nose, I find slightly sweet and creamy cedar. The finish consists of cinnamon and leather. Strength and body settle in at the medium mark.

The second third gets me to thirty-five minutes. The draw offers smoky almond with oak and damp earth. On the retro-hale, I find more cedar with the addition of some caramel. The finish gives me more cinnamon with the introduction of toast. Strength and body continue to sit at the medium mark.

The final third closes out at fifty-five minutes. On the draw, there is smoky earth with more almond and black pepper. Through the nose, I find more caramel with some toast. The finish sees the return of leather on top of black pepper. Strength and body finish out at the high end of medium.

The Quintero is a solid blend considering it’s made of short filler. Surprisingly, it offers a moderate amount of complexity and is overall an enjoyable stick. Being a short filler blend, you can end up with some shrapnel in your mouth. These short smokes can typically be had for $3 to $5, but in some high tax locations, I’ve seen them for as high as $16. If you get them for cheap, they’re definitely worth keeping a handful in the humidor.

Smoke on!
-Noah (CutLightSmoke)

Cigar Review | Glandon Family Sir Leland

March 12, 2016CutLightSmokeReviewsblack pepper, caramel, cinnamon, earth, vanillaLeave a comment

It’s Stog o’Clock, and this time, I check out a relatively new cigar. The Glandon Family Sir Leland is a 5.5×52 Nicaraguan puro featuring a shade-grown Habano wrapper. This cigar is made by the Salamanca Cigar Group, which was started by Alan Fonseca. The Sir Leland looks to be expertly rolled with perfect cap placement and an even pack.

The wrapper produces an earthy grass aroma. Out of the foot, I smell dried fruit and earth. The cold draw has just the right amount of resistance, and I pick up a cedar flavor. Once lit, I find graham cracker, toast, and cedar. The finish hits me with black pepper on top of leather and brown sugar. The retro-hale offers more brown sugar and leather.

After twenty-five minutes, the first third comes to a close. On the draw, I pick up vanilla with some cedar and toast. Through the nose, I find black pepper spice with brown sugar and a smooth, sweet earth. The finish is long with a mix of cinnamon and black licorice. Strength and body settle in at the medium mark.

The second third gets me to fifty minutes. Smoke production is insane on this stick! The draw offers salty earth with a hint of citrus and some hazelnut. The retro-hale is absolutely fantastic with caramel and what I would describe as sweet pastry dough. On the finish, more cinnamon mixes with gingerbread and cedar. There is no change to strength or body.

The final third closes out at an hour and a half. On the draw, I get more salty earth with black pepper and coffee. Through the nose, graham cracker dances with almond and more black pepper. I pick up a hint of leather on the finish with even more black pepper and spicy grass. Strength and body jump slightly to the medium-to-full mark.

The Glandon Family Sir Leland is an outstanding cigar. It offers complexity and flavor transitions not found in many cigars. The smoke production is out of this world, and it burns well. I can’t wait to smoke another one of these, and I wouldn’t be surprised if I see this break into my top ten list for the year. This is a must try. Well done, Mr. Fonseca. Well done.

I would like to extend a huge thank you to the Cigar Chairman for sending this to me for review. I truly appreciate it and am thrilled to have been introduced to the brand! Thank you!

Smoke on!
-Noah (CutLightSmoke)

Cigar Review | Sawtelle Inkwell

January 23, 2016CutLightSmokeReviewsAlmond, Citrus, leather, oak, vanillaLeave a comment

It’s Stog o’Clock once more, and this time, I check out the Sawtelle Inkwell. This 6.5×52 Torpedo features a very sharp box press and a simple, classy label with a hand-written cursive “S” on it. The blend is top secret, but I’ve been able to find out that it has a Maduro wrapper and tobaccos ranging from the Dominican Republic to Nicaragua.

On the cold draw, I pick up a light sawdust flavor. The wrapper gives off an antique wood and manure aroma. The foot produces a similar smell with a fruity element. Once lit, I find toast and black pepper spice on the draw. The retro-hale offers cedar, nutmeg and earth. On the finish, there is more cedar with black pepper and cinnamon.

Twenty-five minutes in, I finish the first third. On the draw, I pick up roasted almond paired with vanilla and toast. Through the nose, there is distinct gingerbread and molasses flavor. The finish offers charred cedar with black pepper and leather. Both strength and body settle in at the medium mark.

The second third closes out at forty-five minutes. The almond flavor on the draw now comes in with a spicy note on top of nutmeg and oak. On the retro-hale, I find a simple combo of leather and citrus. The finish is dominated with nutty earthy and smoky leather. Strength and body jump up slightly to the medium-to-full mark.

The final third ends at one hour and fifteen minutes. On the draw, I find more oak on top of leather with the return of vanilla. Through the nose, there is black pepper spice and more citrus complimented by grass. The finish transforms to a wonderful blend of smoky coffee, cocoa, and vegetal hay. Strength and body close out at the medium-to-full mark.

The Sawtelle Inkwell is a delicious cigar. It has a lot going on in the flavor department, and the blend just works. Construction is good, and the only complaint I had was a little tar buildup on the head. The kicker with this smoke is its price point. The Inkwell can be had for $5-7 depending on the quantity purchased. That seals the deal and makes this cigar a true winner in my book. I highly recommend it!

Smoke on!
-Noah (CutLightSmoke)