Jul 12 2011
What’s in your humidor?
At the moment, I only have The Mogul in the humidor I’m afraid. Guilty! I happen to be in “perfectionist-mode”and I end up testing The Mogul in different vitolas to get a sense of change in flavor profile.
My favorite in my brand would be The Mogul because it happens to be our only line thus far. I must say, however, that I would still consider it one my favorites in my brand because it took over a year to perfect and I chose something I truly want to smoke every day, all day long.
If I don’t have The Mogul on me and I come across a shop, I will buy a stick of something I haven’t tried before. I happen to be a BIG fan of cigars and enjoy smoking them. So lately, I’ve had a few of the Series G and those are very good cigars.
What kind of humidor (and size) do you use for your personal storage?
I have the Old World Humidor that holds about 75 sticks. The worldly motif appealed to me and sits well on my desk.
How many cigars are in your humidor right now?
Last I checked I had 75 but I have a feeling it’s time to stock up very soon.
Are you currently testing any new blends for your company? Any details?
I am testing The Mogul in different vitolas at the moment, it’s important for me to know The Mogul inside and out. I happen to enjoy Lanceros very much so that is something I find myself “testing,” a significant amount. Aside from that, I am testing Churchills and Torpedos.
And of course I am always open to finding the next amazing blend for a future release. I have smoked one that really stood out but since the brand will only be releasing a few full product lines, I am in no hurry to pick a blend quite yet. That is all I’m revealing at the moment.
How many cigars do you smoke in a typical day, when your not blend testing?
I had a hard time trying to answer this one because I smoke a sporadic amount. For instance, I was on the set of The Maldonado Dynasty commercial yesterday and smoked 4 cigars within 6 hours. And then there are days when I smoke only one. So I would say it averages out to about 2-3 a day.
What are some of your all time favorite cigars?
No offense to any great brands out there but I was spoiled very early on as a kid with Opus X. A friend of my father’s was HUGE into cigar smoking and he noticed I enjoyed a couple cigars a day. I was smoking another brand at the moment so he handed me a Toro of Opus X and told me This is what I SHOULD be smoking. I graciously accepted and wrote him off of course (in my defense I was a kid)… So I saved it for an after dinner smoke that evening, which I enjoyed with my usual cappuccino and it was Excellent cigar. Needless to say, I didn’t stray from the line too much after that.
There are so many great cigars out there but this one has a personal touch with me because of the combination of meal, setting; under the moonlight-right on a Caribbean beach with Excellent company.
Jun 27 2011
Tony is back with another guest review – it’s always a pleasure having him join us!
Size: 4 7/8×50
Wrapper: Costa Rica
Binder: Equador
Filler: Costa Rica/Dominican
Price: Unknown
I’m back for another review for my friends at Toasted Foot with another cigar I know nothing about. The only information I have is from a review done for the Torpedo vitola here on Toasted Foot:
D’Crossier is distributed by Pure Aroma Cigars and recently displayed at the 2009 IPCPR. The operation is based in Miami, Florida, while the manufacturing processes take place in Costa Rica. The president, Isaias Stantana Diaz, was Cuban born in 1973 and came to the United States in 1995, by way of Sweden; he rolled his first cigar at the age of 17 and has been on a journey to create a great cigar ever since. D’Crossier is named for Isaias’ great grandfather, Francis Navarro Crossier, whose legacy was impressed upon a young Isaias when coming across his diary. His great grandfather was an avid smoker and indulger in the finer things of life.
Currently, D’Crossier boasts a 5 cigar lineup: Premium Blend, Golden Blend, Limited Edition 2008, Imperium Class Vintage, and Presidential Four Pac. The Golden Blend received 4/5 stars and the Imperium Class Vintage received 3/5 stars from the 2009 Special Edition of the European Cult Journal. They also received a 90 from Cigar Snob Magazine for the Premium Blend (May/June 2009 Issue).
The cigar has an oily, red, splotchy wrapper with a few prominent veins and is a little spongy to the touch. A bit of a spicy smell is detectible from the foot while the wrapper has the delightful smell of rich tobacco. The draw has the perfect amount of resistance and the cold draw is similar to the smell of spice and rich tobacco. The cigar lights well and is smooth with a nice spicy finish.
I can taste a nice, full tobacco flavor before the exhale produces a blast of pepper that overwhelms it. As I get farther into the first third the spice begins to die down just a little and I can detect a hint of sweetness through the sinuses. The ash falls after the first ½ inch and the cigar begins to burn unevenly needing a touchup.
As the second third begins the flavors begin to smooth out and with the perfect draw I begin to get an almost creamy mouth-feel. The spice has all but died and is replaced with a nice almost caramel finish with hints of wood and nuts. The burn keeps becoming a problem and requires a couple of more touchups before getting into the final third.
The final third begins with a return of the spice which really goes well with the creamy sweet flavors from the last third. The strength begins to ramp up from a solid medium bodied smoke to what I would consider to be medium-full. Once again the burn becomes uneven so I put the cigar down a little earlier than I usually would.
Overall, this cigar was pretty nice. Total smoke time was almost 50 minutes. The flavors and draw were very nice and the strength was just enough to make it a good mid-to-late day smoke. It may be a little stronger than what I would recommend to a novice smoker but people who smoke medium+ cigars would find it sits right in the sweet spot. Had it not been for the continuous burn issues on this particular example and the lack of knowledge on pricing I would have considered this a cigar I would not only highly recommend, but might try to find a few for my humidor as well. Regardless, if you happen by one at your local B&M and the price is decent I would recommend giving it a try.
Filed In: Reviews
Tags: cigar, Cigar Review, Cigar Snob Magazine, D'Crossier cigar, D'Crossier Imperium Class Vintage, D’Crossier Golden Blend, D’Crossier Limited Edition 2008, D’Crossier Premium Blend, D’Crossier Presidential Four Pac, European Cult Journal, IPCPR, Isaias Stantana Diaz, new cigar, Pure Aroma Cigars, review, Taino, Toasted Foot, Trabuco
Jun 24 2011
For additional information:
Contact: John Brooke
Phone: (786) 581-1800
Email: jbrooke@drewestate.com
Miami, FL – On June 15th, Willy Herrera, formerly the blender and master cigar maker of El Titan de Bronze, joined Drew Estate. Willy is bringing his unique cigar skills and talents to this dynamic, rapidly expanding premium cigar manufacturer. He will be responsible for creating and crafting handmade, traditional cigar blends under his own moniker within their Esteli, Nicaragua-based La Gran Fabrica Drew Estate and will report directly to Drew Estate’s executive board.
Herrera is best known for overseeing and directing daily operations and production at Little Havana’s El Titan de Bronze (ETB) located on Miami’s famed Calle Ocho for the last 6 years. Established in 1995, this family owned and operated “fabriquita” hand rolls cigars utilizing Cuban entubado techniques and manufacturers premium handmades for wholesale and retail sale. Also, ETB is the manufacturer for Miami Cigar’s new Casa Miranda brand and the reblended Padilla “8&11” to be reintroduced at this year’s IPCPR tradeshow. ETB will continue to be operated successfully as an independent factory under the watchful eye of its owner, Sandy Cobas.
“I have decided to join Drew Estate for many reasons,” says 38-year old Herrera, “first and most importantly, I’ve known Jonathan for a number of years and separate of business, we have become good friends. I have long admired his approach and innovative style and I feel that we can combine Drew Estate’s sense of style and fresh new ideas with my old school, traditional Cuban way of making cigars. Their factory is amazing and more so their production team is top flight. Plus, DE has deep inventories of exceptional tobacco and great relationships with all the top growers which will afford me the opportunity to have at-will access to amazing leaf. I am very anxious to get started and know I will be able to create fantastic cigars for consumers to enjoy.”
Jonathan Drew, Drew Estate’s Co-Founder and Master Cigar Maker, states, “What I respect most about Willy is that he’s authentic. Let me explain further. When I moved to Nicaragua to manufacture cigars in 1998, I only knew how to blend. I knew nothing about the inherent characteristics of heavy leaf, how to determine good crops from bad, how to ferment tobacco through pre-industry, or how to make the entire process functional in a factory setting. It took my young team and I many years to become what we have and we learned through the school of hard-knocks. Nothing came easy.” Drew continues, “Watching Willy make magic in his small factory in Miami was inspirational to me and a major reason why I pursued the new relationship. Willy ran his factory for over six years, including the purchasing of tobacco, curing, blending and quality control – he has earned his rank as a real manufacturer, plus he’s humble, honest, and cool as hell. He’s a real Don.” “Our goal is to give Willy the freedom to create his own unique style of cigars within our operation,” explains Marvin Samel, DE’s Co-Founder and Executive VP. “Almost a factory within a factory, so as to allow him to succeed on his own merit. Ultimately the intent is for there to be brands that are not only ‘Willy Hererra’ by name, but are ones that are truly those of his creation and efforts, not just some marketing gimmick.”
According to Steve Saka, Drew Estate’s President, “We are very excited to be adding Willy to the team. Six years ago when I joined Drew Estate many thought I was crazy, but I saw something in JD, Marvin and the company that many didn’t. I knew they could become world-class, master cigar makers and that they were capable of doing much more, they just needed to be directed and nurtured. Today we are known for not only making great infused cigars, but also some of the very best traditional cigars in the world, in what is arguably the best handmade premium cigar factory in Nicaragua. I see the same spark in Willy, he has the talent to become far greater than he already is, he just needs the environment and resources to blossom. We can provide both.” “Although Willy is very anxious to get started, we are going to make him take a deep breath,” adds Saka. “We are going to afford him the opportunity to spend the upcoming year in Nicaragua, to work with our team, to feel, to smoke and to blend with our and other new tobaccos. We also want to afford him the chance to spend some time on the road visiting cigar smokers around the country not only to introduce himself, but to listen and learn. There is no rush or timetable, what is important to us is that Willy become part of the team and for him to focus solely on creating the great cigars we know he is capable of.”
Herrera will be joining Drew Estate at this year’s annual International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers tradeshow in Las Vegas, Nevada this July 17th thru 21st, 2011.
About Drew Estate, Inc.
Established in 1996, Drew Estate Inc. is a privately held manufacturer and distributor of innovative and traditional premium cigars for today’s cigar smoker. In just over ten years, Drew Estate’s ACID line of premium cigars has become one of the top five selling premium cigar brands in the nation. Regarded as the pioneer and leader in the infused cigar® market, Drew Estate’s Nicaraguan factory handcrafts ACID by Drew Estate®, Natural®, Java by Drew Estate®, and other unique cigars along with its traditional Liga Privada®, La Vieja Habana® and Undercrown® marks. For more information, please visit: www.drewestate.com.
®ACID, Natural, Java by Drew Estate, Undercrown, La Vieja Habana and Liga Privada are registered trademarks of Drew Estate and/or affiliated companies.
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Jun 22 2011
Size: 4 x52, 4Sixty (Short Robusto)
Wrapper: Brazilian
Binder: Honduran
Filler: Cubito, Columbian, and Nicaraguan (Seco/Ligero from Esteli and Jalapa)
Strength: Medium-Full
Price: Box of 20, $141.42
Grade: 8.8
We have previously reviewed the 262 Paradigm Box Pressed Toro here. Today we are reviewing the same blend, but in a different size that was created after the initial release. The intro below is from the original review and gives the story behind the brand along with information on the cigar.
Revolution 262 was started by 3 cigar enthusiasts in 2009 and they spent most of last year designing the brand and working on their first release, the Paradigm, which was released in January of 2010. 262 carry the motto “Smoke the Revolution” and are advocates for fighting the regulations that impede upon personal freedom, including the ever increasing laws that harm the cigar industry. You can find their manifesto on their website.
The Paradigm jumps onto the scene with a smorgasbord of tobacco, combining Nicaraguan, Cubito, Columbian, Honduran, and Brazilian. The name 262 is taken from the February 1962 date of the Cuban embargo and is a change from the original moniker of Revolution 262. The Paradigm is sold in four sizes, Robusto, Toro (box press), Torpedo, and the 4Sixty, which we are toasting today.
You can learn more about 262 online and they are also on Twitter. Now, let’s toast it!
Pre-light, 1.8:
The dark wrapper on the 262 Paradigm is smooth to the touch. I like the foot band on this blend from 262, they give the cigars a nice look. The cigar is well packed with a good weight with no soft spots. The pre-light is pretty mild with no notes really cutting through on the palate. The cold draw produces some nice warm earthy notes with spice on the edges.
Burn, 1.8:
The 4Sixty had a nice even burn with a nice draw the produced plenty of smoke. The ash held well and was mottled grey in color. The smoke temperature was little warmer than I expected, but the shorter length, I feel was factor in that characteristic.
Flavor, 2.6:
The first third of the 262 was of earthy tobacco with some toasted nuts. There was a bit of sweetness but no spice present on my palate. The spice showed up a bit in the second third with the rest of the profile staying about the same with the addition of some coffee notes. The last third finished strong with a combination of nutty tobacco, a bit of spice, and coffee type notes. The finish on this smoke was warm and medium from start to finish.
Total, 2.6:
The 4Sixty from 262 is a good smoke. I do like the box pressed Toro better, but I think they are both solid smokes. Coming in at just over $7.00 bucks a stick, it is not a bad price point at all, however I am not sure it would make my daily rotation.
(Total: 8.8)
Filed In: Reviews
Tags: 262 cigar, 262 cigars, 262 Paradigm, boutique cigar, boutique cigars, cigar, Cigar Review, Cigar Reviews, Honduran, medium bodied cigar, medium to full bodied cigar, Nicaraguan filler, Smoke the Revolution, Toasted Foot
Jun 20 2011
The outstanding quality and affordable price of Sencillo Platinum cigars have won them thousands of fans since they were introduced in March 2010. The new Sencillo Black-a collaboration between Nestor Plasencia Jr. and Keith K. Park, the man behind God of Fire and Angelenos cigars and Prometheus accessories, is sure to win the brand even more acclaim.
Sencillo Black is a new twist on the Sencillo theme. Like Sencillo Platinum (the first release of the Sencillo brand), it’s a truly extraordinary cigar that is smooth enough and inexpensive enough to smoke every day. Yet Sencillo Black has a distinctive flavor all its own. If Sencillo Platinum is the cabernet of the line, Sencillo Black is the pinot noir.
Plasencia, highly respected cigar maker, who is also the largest tobacco grower in Nicaragua, produces Sencillo Black for Keith K. Park at his Nicaraguan factory, using five different tobaccos. The filler is blended from two Cuban-seed tobaccos grown in Nicaragua and Honduras-Ligero Habano Jalapa (Nicaragua) and Ligero Habano Jamastran (Honduras)-as well as Viso San Andres tobacco grown in Mexico. The Habano Colorado wrapper and Habano Jalapa binder are also Cuban-seed, Nicaraguan-grown leaves. The five different tobaccos blend perfectly to give Sencillo Black a consistent yet complex flavor.
According to Keith K. Park, Founder and CEO of Prometheus International, Inc. and God of Fire, Inc., the first release of 5,000 cigars in five sizes (1,000 cigars per size) will be delivered to 15 authorized Sencillo dealers in the week of June 20th, and the second release to all authorized Sencillo dealers in September. Park states, “Nestor and I had been talking about doing a project together for many years. When we decided to add a Nicaraguan blend to our brand portfolio, Nestor and I worked on the Sencillo Black blend together for over a year. The cigars were ready last year, but we decided to age them longer to deliver a more polished and flavorful taste to our customers. I am so happy that we are finally releasing Sencillo Black.”
All five sizes of the Sencillo Black have a similarly smooth character, but each one emphasizes different aspects of the flavor profile-and each one provides a unique smoking experience. Sample them all to find your favorite, or simply keep a stock of each one on hand to suit any setting.
