Rain City Cigar

E.P. Carrillo

Aged 1 year. This cigar strikes me as both a masterpiece of blending and construction, while also being unceremoniously linear and boring. Appearance, construction and the smoking experience are all outstanding. Yet, the flavor is a linear barnyard / oak mix that fails to develop unique expressions. Just about any humidor is full of cigars that I could say the same thing about: ordinary and unimpressive. Burn🔥 requires a relight or two. Mild flavor and medium nicotine.

Diamond Crown

TL;DR - Pure Luxury. Toasted graham cracker core turns to a confectioners cocoa and spicy brandy retrohale. Just wow. Recommended 👍 Aged 13 mos, dry-boxed 1 hour⏳️ Pre-light is dark chocolate 🍫 Light-up is easy👌Goldilocks construction and draw, though this cigar's wrapper had some light unraveling a few times. No big deal. Initial flavor impressions: creamy, toasted graham cracker. Ridiculous volumes of smoke come off this thing. Fantastic! A confectioner's cocoa appears about halfway in, now paired with a brandy retrohale. Wow, what a journey. Burn🔥was perfect. Medium-strong flavors and medium nicotine.

La Flor Dominicana

TL;DR - Hickory and saffron. Very well made cigar. Aged 10 mos, dry-boxed 3 hours ⏳️ Goldilocks light-up and draw 👌 Construction is stunning 😍 Initial impressions: mild wood tones, possibly Hickory. Saffron develops as an additional core. A linear smoke. Medium flavors and medium nicotine. Pairing options seem wide-open.

Arturo Fuente

Outstanding as always.

Arturo Fuente

Rich, memorable. Deep holiday spice flavors.

My Father

Like a spiced hot chocolate.

La Aroma de Cuba

TL;DR - superb quality, without compelling flavors. Light black tea for most of the smoke. Recommended 👍 Aged 1+ year, dry-boxed 13 hours ⏳️ Pre-light from taste to scent, it's mellow. Nondescript, really. Light-up is easy 👌 Starting core is light toasted oak. Pleasant. Goldilocks construction and draw. Initial impressions: light toasted oak. Superb tobacco, yet not a lot to say about it. About a third of the way in, a little bit of black tea shows up. Light mint on the finish. This turned out to be a linear cigar. Superb quality, though not compelling enough to make the humidor. Burn 🔥 has been okay. Touch ups required. Light flavors and medium nicotine.

Alec & Bradley

TL;DR - an approachable smoke, though I recommend pairing as it's a bit too dark on it's own. Dark roasted oak and espresso bean. Recommended 👍 Aged 8 mos, dry-boxed 7 hours ⏳️ Pre-light pleasant barnyard. Light-up is easy 👌 Starting core is roasted oak. Draw is great. Construction is good enough. Cap along with the top wrapper of cigar cracked when cutting. Initial impressions: roasted oak continues, espresso bean joins in. Linear. Burn 🔥 is great. Doesn't get better 👍 Dark flavors and medium nicotine. Pairing: this would likely pair well with just about anything that's barrel aged. Various wines, cognac, whiskey and bourbon come to mind. Taking this a little further, I don't know that this is a good cigar unless it's paired. Not sure it's interesting enough on its own.

Crowned Heads

TL;DR - walnut, Cedar and leather. A classic smoke. Recommended 👍 Aged 8 mos, dry-boxed 7 hours ⏳️ Light-up is easy. 👌 Starting core is toasted walnut and Cedar with background leather. Goldilocks construction and draw. Initial impressions: core has remained steady with walnut, Cedar and leather. This ends up being the linear experience through the entire cigar. Burn 🔥 required some touch-ups, but overall fine. Medium flavors and medium nicotine. Pairing ideas: the walnut bitterness might not pair with coffee very well. Other than that, this cigar seems like it has many options for pairing.

La Aroma de Cuba

TL/DR - mellow oak core. Some leather. The cigar is easy to like. Yet it's linear, so there's not much to love about it. I'll recommend it highly. And yet. I will not buy any more myself. Recommended 👍 Aged 1+ year. Dry-boxed 14 hours ⏳️ Pre-light is sweet and light. Construction and draw are both spot on. Everything you'd expect from an Ashton and Garcia collab. Light-up is easy with an even burn 🔥 The core flavor eases into a mellow Oak. There's a little leather here too. It wants to get sweet and then it doesn't. Nothing offensive, and yet, also not amazing. Light and mellow flavors, Medium nicotine. Because the flavors are mellow, I would say pair this with just about anything. I'd worry about getting the drink right, rather than worrying about ruining the cigar. It's linear, so there's not much to ruin.

Ashton

One of the first 3 maduros ever made. The OG. Always has been, and always will be one of the finest smokes. Paired with starbucks sugar cookie latte.

Arturo Fuente

Over a year aged. Sweet wood, leather, and fine hints of baking spice. Refined and nuanced. Always outstanding.

Ozgener

A dessert-like and luxurious smoke. This B54 had serious burn issues. Still, highly recommended 👍

E.P. Carrillo

1+ year aged. Everything about this cigar was wonderful, except the taste. It tasted like dog poop. 👎👎👎 Don't buy them. These are an embarrassment for EP Carrillo.

Aging Room

TL;DR - toasted wood, light cocoa and a rich smoke. Outstanding. 👍 Aged 9 mos ⏳️ Pre-light deep, rich tobacco and barnyard. Dry-boxed. Goldilocks draw. Beautiful construction. Light-up is toasted wood, cocoa, and spice to the gums; steadily continuing into the first third. Wavy burn-line comes and goes. Transition to second third maintains profile. Very smooth with light almond making appearances. Finishing up, this was everything I hoped it would be for a 96 rated Cigar of the Year winner (2019).

My Father

Punch cut to open this monster up. Would like to try in a smaller vitola.

Arturo Fuente

TL;DR - very tasty leather and honey. Burn issues. Recommended if you like full strength long smokes. 👍 6 mos aged ⏳️ Pre-light sweet tobacco and honey. Light-up perfect. Goldilocks draw. Difficult to keep lit. Wavy burn. Would benefit from dry-boxing. Leathery, low key spice. Cinnamon. Honey 🍯. Full strength. Hay in the finish.

Arturo Fuente

TL;DR - comfortable and reliable like your favorite leather chair. Recommended. 👍 6 mos aged ⏳️ Pre-light cedar and light, sweet tobacco. Goldilocks draw and light-up. As usual, oak core with anise popping in and out of the background. A little waxy from time to time. Mild spice shows up at first 1/3. Burn 100% to the end. Mellow spice and oak finish.

1502

This had ample aging and came from a reputable local vendor. This was a terrible cigar, and because it was treated correctly in it's early days I have to conclude the issue is with the blender's recipe. More on that in a moment, but first the plus sides. The cigar was goldilocks-firm: just right. The light and burn were perfect. The draw was squarely in the center pocket: perfect. And the very best of the cigar was it's pre-light. The pre-light draw was apricot. Unmistakable and wonderful. Then it changed into chewing tobacco... the sweet, good kind. Really nice. Then I lit it... ugh, the taste. Honestly, I do not understand what the blender of this cigar was thinking. It starts off with an unavoidable char that quickly ruins your palate to last the entire experience. Not too far in the profile shifts to bread. Then burned bread. Then more bland bread... not a good bread, just bland. Then the char again. The burn was perfect, so I was not charring the cherry... it was something about the tobacco choices. I hung in there hoping for a shift in the last 3rd, which it did slightly start giving off earthy if not barnyard notes. Not great. Then the insult: it gave off the unmistakable flavor of gasoline. With that, I quit. I can't think of a cigar I have disliked more. Congrats 1502, you've made a very strong impression on this smoker.

Drew Estate

Barnyard prelight. There's an immediate spice to the gums as you take your first draws. From the beginning, this vitola is noticeably better than the Flying Pig version of the same blend. Starting off it's a rich earthy smoke. There's a bit of dark chocolate there. The spice gives way to rich tobacco flavors with a slight leather undertone. Entering the second third, something herbal is coming in and out. Light, nuanced. There is a noticeable and very enjoyable journey developing. Then a light and enjoyable oak develops. It carries the palate now. This cigar hits. Full-bodied. Entering the final third, there's an herbal (minty?) undertone that's developed. The finish is strong and rich. I will most certainly be getting more of these. I've been worried that the H99 blend would not be worthy of the Liga Privada flag. I will worry no more.

Joya de Nicaragua

A wonderful, oily smoke. Earthy and rich deep espresso in droves. Another clear triumph for Joya. The burn took a little bit of tender, loving care with a few relight touch-ups here and there. All good.

Joya de Nicaragua

Prelight is a wonderful barnyard. Classic Joya goodness. First third delivers Hickory and walnut. The second third transforms into an earthy smoke. Still with that unmistakable, fantastic Joya. Rolling into the final third a dark espresso bean emerges. In the end, there's definitely a spice on the pallet. Smooth, smoky and earthy. Thanks for another good one, Joya. A solid 100.

Ashton

Outstanding cigar as always. Unfortunately, this time the burn line had a runner down the side that I had to touch up through the first half of the cigar. Generally a great experience, and I'll look forward to more.

Drew Estate

This one is a Toro, not the Robusto. Prelight has a slight barnyard. Scent is rich and deep. Tasting notes start with Hickory, and a bit of Cedar. There's definitely leather at the beginning, which then turns to an undertone reoccurring intermittently. Smoke is abundant while the burn is even. The draw is outstanding. The cherry forms perfectly, while the desired sugar ring forms. Entering the second third, there's an undertone of apricot, while overall the smoke has become a tamed leather. A light intermittent forms in the palate. Toasty Cedar and leather remain prevalent, while a relight touch-up is necessary. Entering the final third, the spice intensifies. Cedar and leather continue to lead. The cigar has a notable mineral undertone now. Rich with depth. A full-bodied and opulent finish.

Ashton

Great birthday cigar. Perfect delivery through-and-through with lots of spice.

Arturo Fuente

The experience on this smoke was unexpected. It was an outstanding smoke in every way, except flavor. The rolling was masterful. So it should be no surprise that the burn was even the entire time. The flavor profile started with a very light spice to the tip of the tongue, which fairly quickly changes to oak. Then, after the first third I got an intense hay. And there it stayed... hay and oak. Not something I need more of in my life.

Arturo Fuente

Consistent smoke beginning to end. Light spice at beginning that mellows, coming back strong at the very end. Pleasant woody mellows through the middle third.

Ashton

These cigars pretty much always start with strong spice on the tongue and this was no exception. Outstanding. There was also a hint of dried fruit as the cherry formed. Perhaps dried current? The middle was a steady wood flavor. Oak maybe. And finally it finished with a notable but tame spice at the end. Really just great. Only complaint was the burn needed regular attention and a few relights. No big deal.