Boris 11 Cigar
Corona Gold Series Cigar
Flor de Cielo Cigar
Gurkha Raider Cigar
Cielo Cigar
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Recent Samplers I've tried
These were part of a sampler pack I picked up, mostly to give away to people who wanted to smoke with me, but didn't want to buy a cigar for themselves. I tried them and just didn't think enough of them to write a review, nor were they at all offensive to write something negative.
Gurkha Gold Hologram
Cost- Free Sampler
Wrapper- Conneticut
Filler- Dominican and Columbian
A gift from Corona Cigar Company with my recent Four Kicks Purchase.
I'm a little behind on getting this review written, and will follow up on it soon.
Intensa
Cost- Sampler
Wrapper- Coroho
Filler- Nicaraguan
Managed about an inch and a half into this cigar with a few friends. None of us got any further before we all admitted this was the worst cigar we had ever tried. Foul taste. I looked like a 5 year old being forced to eat canned spiniach while trying to get past what I had imagined was something I had created by perhaps over toasting the foot. heavy chemical perfume like we were trying to smoke white truffle oil.
Draw- 7/10 draw was stiff, but not labored
Burn- 5/10 it was even, but not fully tested before we put it out and moved on
Consistency- 5/10 not tested past first inch and a half
Taste- 0/10 honestly I can only imagine someone was playing a joke on me
Build- 8/10 actually looked and felt really good
Overall- 5/10 Avoid
Curivari Gloria de Leon
Cost- $6
Wrapper- Nicaraguan
Filler- Nicaraguan
Recommended by Rain City Cigars in Seattle. Review to follow soon.
Curivari Reserva Limitada Classic
Cost- $8
Wrapper- Nicaraguan
Filler- Nicaraguan
The Curivari Reserva Limitada Classic, was recommended to me, by a nice gentleman at Rain City Cigars in the Georgetown district of Seattle, during a recent trip. When I explained my dilemma of chasing after that Cohiba Siglo VI I smoked with something a little easier to get ahold of. I was pointed to three cigars. This was the first I lit into.
The Classic is well made and certainly falls into the boutique cigar company catagory. I didn't do any research on the company. I figured if it was more satisfying than a Four Kicks by Crowned Heads for my palate, then I would dig deeper.
This cigar, was slightly spongy when I was inspecting it, but not to a digree where I was concerned. The cold draw was nice, solid tobacco flavor, with some earthy coffee notes. The draw was a little fast but nothing I would consider to be bad. When I lit the cigar, the earthy coffee taste was there, with hints at times of leather. at about the center of the cigar, I saw why the cigar was recommended, it was developing into the kissing cousin to the Four Kicks and was getting more complex with cedar and spice on my palete.
As the cigar hit the last third, there was a more pronounced leather taste that took over the complex mix I was really happy with in the middle.
It's solid, and I hope to smoke more from Curivari, but I have to say I'm a bit more interested in trying the Reserva Limitada Cafe next time.
Draw- 8/10 draw was on the fast side of good
Burn- 8/10 good burn
Consistency- 7/10 pretty good
Taste- 8/10 from good to love to pretty good again.
Build- 9/10 very well built, ring was tough to remove
Overall- 8/10 Recommended
Four Kicks by Crowned Heads
Cost- $7.50
Wrapper- Habano 2000
Filler- Nicaraguan
This cigar was released by Crowned heads as their inagural release. It's a boutique cigar and when I was first sent out to get my hands on one based on a recommendation, I had very few options to choose from. They are not sold in my state of Utah, so I purchased a five pack from the good folks at Corona Cigar Company in Florida. (Thanks for the hand warmers in my box).
I immediately called up my cigar loving friend, and we had our first taste. I've been watching all of the online marketing material and reviews and by now I was thinking this cigar was going to be amazing. I had very high expectations.
The stick was good, really good, however the smoke was lush. It was so satisfying to watch that silky mist rise from my mouth, and hang in the air. Ok, but enough about how hypnotic the smoke was and back to the taste. Right off the bat I got a woody barnyard taste off it, which although present throughout, did not stay at the forefront for very long. The first third was earthy, and had a green bitterness finish that also stayed present throughout. The bitterness was something I hadn't read in other reviews so I was a little let down, but kept going.
The second third was nice, the smoke was still mesmerizing, and the Four Kicks Robusto began to gain in complexity. There was a hickoriness, and a taste that I wouldn't call leathery, but was certainly similar, along with a coffee sweetness, that dispite the bitter finish on my palete was still very good.
When it came to the end, I didn't want to stop smoking it. The two times I ashed were really solid, tight and bright, with a strong yellow hue when you looked close. I realized there were some things I was tasting that I didn't enjoy, but it's the first cigar that made me wish I had a "roach clip". I smoked it till I couldn't stand to hold it anylonger.
I live in Salt Lake City and the elevation is in the 4k range. The second time I had Four Kicks, was in San Francisco about four days later. I'm not sure if it was because of the shipping, or the change in elevation, but my next Four Kicks had none of that bitter taste I experienced in the first, nor did the one I had when returning to Salt Lake that next week. I love this cigar, it's a bit on the upper middle class pricing for cigars, but I've already chose to make this my first cigar I'll be buying a box of, maybe two.
It's a wonderful medium body, which is right in my wheelhouse. Smoke is the best of any cigar I've smoked and it's just a damn good cigar. At this time it's my #1 non-Cuban.
Draw- 8/10 slightly fast draw, lush smoke
Burn- 10/10 even as can be, ash was tight and bright
Consistency- 9/10 consistent and complex
Taste- 9/10 rich flavor and smooth, leaves a nice taste on your palate
Build- 9/10 very well built
Overall- 9/10 Highly Recommended
Lots of catching up to do
I've been travelling quite a bit, and talking to cigar shops along the way, looking for my next best cigar to compete with just how much I enjoyed the Cohiba Siglo VI. Everyone has their opinion on what I must have liked about the Siglo VI, some say it's the creaminess and recommend mellow cigars that do nothing for me, others send me to cigars that have been dubbed Cubanesque. Truth be told they are usually much closer to getting me where I want to be. So I'll be following this post up with reviews of cigars that were recently dubbed "Cubanesque".
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