Cigar Review: New Orleans Plantation Reserve

Size: 5.25×44, Corona

Wrapper: Connecticut

Binder: Nicaraguan

Filler: Honduran

Strength: Mild

Price: Box of 10, $42

Grade: 8.7

Today’s review was sent to me from Andy (@andym78), a good friend on Twitter. The Plantation Reserve is rolled out of the New Orleans Cigar Factory. The Factory was established in 1999 in the famous French Quarter by two families who are familiar with the industry – they have over 25 years experience and established Don Pablo Cigar Company in Las Vegas years ago. The New Orleans factory produces around 30,000 cigars each month between the two locations in the city. They produce 6 blends. The Plantation Reserve, which we are looking at today is available in 6 sizes and they are well priced at around $4-5 a cigar. To learn more you can visit the company website here.

Now, on to the toast, and thanks Andy!

Pre-light, 1.6:
The Corona Plantation Reserve is a great cigar to hold once you know the story behind it. It has a great shape to it, though it is spongy at the foot and a bit awkward at the cap. Otherwise, it is rolled well and is smooth along the seams. There are two major veins that run the length of the Corona and can be a bit distracting to the overall appearance. The aroma is of sweet honey and pipe tobacco at the cap, and as you move toward the foot some new aromas of cedar and nuts arrive. The cut is very clean and on the draw there are continued flavors of nuts and honey. Though this isn’t the prettiest cigar, the aroma and flavor is very enticing and the draw is spot on.

Burn, 1.7:
The Plantation Reserve lights well and burns straight throughout. The smoke produced is thick, plentiful, and has a very pleasant aroma. Though the cigar is a bit loose, the burn was still slower than I expected. The ash isn’t pretty by any means, but there are very few things to complain about here.

Flavor, 2.7:
The Plantation Reserve starts out great with a creamy burst that has a nice finish. The Nicaraguan flavor is evident immediately with the nice cedar and a very, very light spice that tickles the tongue. The profile through the first third is excellent. Moving into the second third, there is not very much transition, but it remains smooth and consistent with an enjoyable flavor profile. The final third shows the cream subside a bit and give a dryer profile with a slightly longer finish. Overall, there is some nice flavor transition in this mild cigar.

Overall, 2.7:
The Plantation Reserve is very well priced at under $5, especially since it is rolled in the USA. If you are looking for a solid mild smoke and happen to come across these, I’d definitely pick these up. Because of the price and the smoothness, this would easily be a box purchase for me if I was passing through New Orleans.

(Total: 8.7)

Cigar Review: Arturo Fuente Shark

Size: No. 77, 5 ¾ x 54 (The Shark)

Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro

Binder: Dominican

Filler: Dominican

Strength: Medium

Price: $9.25 to $13.25

Grade: 9.2

This is somewhat of rare cigar so I am very fortunate to be able to review this one here at Toasted Foot.  The Anejo is a limited release that comes out twice a year, in the summer around Fathers Day and winter around Christmas.  The seven year old Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro wrapper is aged a portion of its life for 8 months in cognac barrels.  The wrapper encases a blend of Dominican tobacco that is blend that is based on the Opus X release for Fuente.  The size I have chosen is No. 77 or better known as “The Shark”.  The size is very unique and is a Pyramid that is a torpedo at the head but is box pressed at the foot.  It is a neat size and with the red band it is very appealing.

Pre-light, 1.9:
The red band coupled with the dark wrapper and unique shape really makes this cigar stand out, even wrapped in the cello.  The wrapper is oily and has a bit of tooth between the fingers and nice heft in the palm.  The pre-light aroma along the wrapper has a sweetness to it with a raisin and oats aroma at the foot.  The cold draw produces more notes of dried fruit with a bit of warm spice and sweetness on the lips.

Burn, 1.8:
The burn on the “The Shark” is even with a nice and easy draw.  The ash is white, consistent, and holds well.  The cigar temperature is nice throughout and only heats up towards the end, as expected.

Flavor, 2.8:
The first puff on Fuente produces a nice tobacco flavor with a solid base of toasted wood with a long and somewhat spicy finish.  Into the first third I pick up a sweetness from the wrapper. The smoke is warm on the palate with a continued long finish.  The spice plays on the edges of the tongue which is a nice touch. The second third finds the cigar mellowing a bit.  It is not as robust if you will, still very tasty, but not as much body. The last third finds the cigar transitioning into a prevalent wood profile with hints of dried fruit and the continued sweetness from the maduro wrapper.  The cognac was present throughout the smoke but I did not find it overbearing, it was great addition to the flavor profile.

Overall, 2.7:
This cigar is a fine smoke, though hard to find and also pricey from some retailers. It has a lot of unique characteristics that really make it stand out. I found the strength to be a solid medium, but this is a very subjective and every one has different palate. The story, shape, and flavor combine to make this a cigar to try if you can get one.

(Total: 9.2)

Cigar Size Chart: Arturo Fuente Opus X

I came across this size chart for the Arturo Fuente Opus X on Cigar.com and have been meaning to post it to the site for a while. So, here you go! I hope it proves helpful in trades or buys.

Cigar Review: La Escepcion Edicion Limitada 2009

Size: Gran Gener, 6×54

Wrapper: Habano Talango

Binder: Ometepe

Filler: Nicaraguan Ometepe

Strength: Medium

From General Cigars, the information on the La Escepcion is available here. The medium brown wrapper on the Escepcion has a rugged appearance and texture to it but seems to be well constructed. The aroma along the wrapper is heavy with more subtle, almost barnyard notes, at the foot. The cigar is well paced with good weight.

The draw is good at the beginning but did tighten up about one half inch in to the smoke.  The burn is sharp and the ash holds well. The cigar does not produce a ton of smoke but it is adequate, it just requires a little bit of work.

The flavor of this smoke is nice with notes of earth, wood, and oats. Spice is present but does not really dominate or even come to the front enough for me to give a particular description. This smoke does not really transition. It falls into a flavor profile that has a nice tobacco base described above that is mellow for the most part with just hints of spice on the finish.

This is a decent smoke, the draw was a little tight for me, but the larger ring gauge would contribute to that and I am not a fan of larger smokes. Overall this is a decent smoke that would be perfect for the guy that likes a large ring gauge and long smoking time.

SINGLE: YES

BOX: NO

GRADE: B-

Cigar Press Release: 3 New Cigars from Sosa

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – 6/8/11
Antillian Cigar Corporation Reinvents Itself by Introducing Three Fresh New Cigar Brands

Miami, Florida-June 2, 2011-Antillian Cigar Corporation, owner of popular cigar brands such as Sosa, Imperio Cubano and Macabi, explodes onto the cigar scene this summer with the introduction of three new brands.  The new brands, Sosa Underground, 60 by Sosa, and Sosa Family Selection, are a collaboration of new and old cigar traditions by the Sosa family created to appeal to the individuality of the cigar lover.

The hippest of the new brands, Sosa Underground, is a full-bodied cigar made in Little Havana, Florida with an Habano wrapper.  Three hundred cigars will be manufactured per week in two sizes of perfectos:  Arcane at 4 ¾ x 41 with a suggested retail of $6.00 and Delphic at 5 ½ x 41 with a suggested retail of $6.50.  As a special feature, the Underground brand unveils original tattoo artwork created solely for the Sosa family by local Miami tattoo artist, Jay Barranco.

60 by Sosa brings sophistication to the cigar connoisseur.  60 by Sosa is a medium-bodied cigar made in Honduras with an Ecuador Sumatra wrapper.  All cigars are manufactured with 60-ring gauges in the following sizes: 4 x 60, 5 x 60, 6 x 60 and 7 x 60 with a suggested retail between $6.25 and $7.80.

It just keeps getting better with the Sosa Family Selection brand.  Sosa Family Selection is a medium- to full-bodied cigar made in Honduras and available in Natural and Maduro wrappers.  Sizes available will be: Robusto at 5 x 50, Toro at 6 x 50, Gran Toro with 6 x 50, Churchill at 7 x 48 and Double Magnum at 6 x 60 with suggested retail at price ranging from $5.40 to $7.00.

“We are looking forward to introducing the quality of Sosa cigars back to the consumer and creating something this fresh and exciting,” said Arby Sosa, sales manager of Antillian Cigar Corporation and son of Juan B. Sosa.

The Sosa cigar tradition began with Don Juan Sosa, a small tobacco grower in the fertile Taguasco region of Cuba at the turn of the century.  By the 1920’s, his farm had become one of the largest tobacco-producing haciendas in Cuba.  Over the next 30 years, Don Juan’s son, Arturo, and grandson, Juan, manufactured cigars for sale in Cuba and abroad.  Juan B. Sosa moved the operation to the Dominican Republic in the 1960’s where the family re-established their factory along with operations in Miami, Florida.  Today, the legacy of quality, handmade cigars made in the Cuban tradition continues with master blender, Juan B. Sosa, alongside his wife, sons and nephews.

For more information about these new brands, directly contact Arby Sosa at 1-800-238-2234 or sossmoke@aol.com or visit www.antilliancigars.com to learn more about the company.