La Aurora 1495 Brasil Maduro Robusto

 June 29th, 2024: According to the La Aurora website, this cigar is made with,

...six tobaccos from five different countries: the dark and oily wrapper from Ecuador; binder from Brazil; and very complex filler with Peru, Brazil, Nicaragua and, of course, Cibao Valley Dominican tobaccos. 

The sections are: 

Wrapper: Ecuador.

Binder: Brazil.

Filler:  Cibao Valley (Dominican Republic), Nicaragua, Brazil and Peru.

June 9th, 2024: The first out of the box was quite pleasant, but had no great complexity. The Brasilian binder has a distinct dry, woody taste which reminded me of the Danneman cigars I smoked as a teenager. Otherwise, the cigar was nothing to get excited about. Medium body, around 60 minutes.

June 27th: This one was plugged. I tried spiking it but draw improved only marginally. By around the final third the draw became easy and the cigar became quite strong. Overall, it was quite a meaty, complex, dark roast and full bodied cigar. But for the plugging it would have been very satisfying. Around 70 minutes.

June 29th: I was keen to come back to this box, hoping that the next cigar wouldn't be plugged. This one hit the jackpot. Burn and draw were perfect. The dark roasted Maduro flavour was complex and balanced, even creamy. Body reached the full level by the midpoint. There was enough strength to be able to leave the cigar alone for a few minutes. Hence it lasted 90 minutes, which is quite remarkable for a little 5 x 50 Robusto. Very satisfying. 

Oliva Serio O Toro

 This is a 6 x 50 Nicaraguan Puro. It's a beautifully constructed, heavy in the hand cigar. The three that I tried before starting to write were all remarkably different. 

May 9th, 2024: The first cigar from the box was a very impressive specimen; beautifully rolled with a silky texture and quite solid in the hand. Draw and burn were perfect. The cigar began quite mildly with not much body, but adequate complexity. Body and flavour increased towards the middle of the cigar, by which point it reached a solid medium body. Flavour had a wonderful musty quality reminiscent of the Confidenciaal brand; difficult to describe. However, of the first three I smoked, this was the only one with that distinctive flavour. Quite satisfying and consistently tasty. 70 minutes. 

May 11th, 2024: This one had a lot darker wrapper and was heavy in the hand. It was slightly difficult to draw, but managed to deliver a fair plume. Unlike the previous cigar, this one was full bodied from the outset. It was more like a Serie V than the previous cigar and the many Serie O Torpedos which I had smoked. It was also more like the dirty, tarry, Serie V than the smooth variety. Not balanced and not satisfying, but I puffed on it for 80 minutes. 

More like a Serie V: but dirty and tarry

May 13th, 2024: This cigar was also like a Serie V, full bodied from the outset, but smooth and tasty with no dirt and no tarry aftertaste. Draw was easy. There was a bit of Serio O flavour, so perhaps more of a hybrid O and V. It was consistently delicious and balanced, like the Nub Sun Grown. Very satisfying at 80 minutes.

Also more like a serie V but clean, balanced and delicious throughout

May 31st: Also much like Serie V, full bodied, but not as balanced and delicious at the previous. Quite satisfying. 70 minutes.

OIiva Nub Cameroon 460

 

February 12th and Jan 21st and 27th, 2024. Nicaraguan filler and binder with a Cameroon wrapper. This is a 4 x 60 cigar. It's a beautiful specimen with smooth, well crafted appearance, light in the hand and a fragrant pre-light aroma. 

I smoked a few before starting this entry and they all have the same, consistent quality: easy draw, excellent burn, plumes of creamy, smooth smoke without a hint of harshness. Body is mild to medium, but with such a volume of smoke, flavour is more intense than that of the Oliva Serie G Churchill, also with a Cameroon wrapper. 

Smoking time ranged from between 50 minutes to 75 minutes. Quite satisfying, but 50 minutes doesn't quite cut the mustard. 

February 22nd: Started off mild to medium and worked up to a delicious medium with good after taste. Excellent aroma. 60 minutes. 

February 27th, 2024: I'm going through these too quickly so I ordered another box. They are divine. This one was just as good as the previous and lasted well over 80 minutes. It was heavy in the hand but drew nicely. Flavour, balance, complexity and lingering after taste were excellent. Very satisfying.

March 17th, 2024: Not so heavy in the hand and flavour a little less complex. Excellent aroma. Quite satisfying, but not as intense as the previous. 60 minutes.

April 7th, 2024, Comagli: A pleasant puff on the balcony of our rental apartment. Not the most complex sample, as in the March 17th, above. 

April 22nd, 2024: Very smooth and balanced with a delicious complexity. Medium body throughout. Easy draw. 60 minutes, very satisfying. 

May 14th, 2024: I'm really going through these. They are delicious. (Fortunately I bought a second box.) This one was no exception: smooth, mellow, medium body, sufficiently complex, delicious aroma, easy draw, perfect burn. 60 minutes and very satisfying. 

Oliva Nub Sungrown 464

December 20th, 2023: This is a 4 x 64 torpedo. 

It is a Nicaraguan, with sungrown Ecuadorean Habano wrapper and Indonesian binder. Filler is Nicaraguan. 

I smoked a few since opening the box. The first was rather mild to medium and lasted a mere 50 minutes. Body was a bit lacking. Aroma was rich.

The second was much more full bodied and I stretched it out over 80 minutes. The third was somewhere in the middle, lasting 65 minutes. 

Burn and draw was good on all three, which I smoked to the nub without excessive heat. 

Flavour was much reminiscent of the Serie V, medium to full bodied with a remarkably rich aroma. All three were satisfying, but the 85 minute was very satisfying. 

February 19th: Excellent flavour and aroma, easy draw, excellent burn. The flavour was exceptionally smooth and full bodied, but 50 minutes was a bit unsatisfying. Better judgement kept me from lighting up a second one. 

March 25th, 2024: Much like the previous. Excellent flavour, complexity, draw, burn, smooth and full bodied.

April 27th, 2024: Much like the previous, but probably stretched to 60 minutes with a little discipline. 

La Aurora 107 Toro

January 6th, 2024: This is the third vitola that I have tried of this brand. This one is 5.75 inches x 54 ring gauge. 

The wrapper is Ecuadorian Sumatra. The binder is Dominican and the filler is a mixture of Dominican, Nicaraguan and Peruvian tobacco. 

Body: According to the La Aurora website all vitolas of the 107 brand are medium to full bodied. The one I tried, first from the box, was mild to medium, but with a delicious, lingering aftertaste, complex and more subtle than the short robusto and the robusto, without any hint of tar. Burn was perfect. 

Aroma was not as prominent as with the robusto and short robusto, but it was still quite rich and delicious when present. 

Overall this was quite satisfying. A bit more body would have been preferable. Let's see what the other members of the box bring. 

February 14th, 2024: A very fine example of the blend. Perfect draw and burn. Medium to full body, unlike the January 6th example. Delicious savoury flavour. Complex with good, long finish and satisfying after taste. 90 minutes, very satisfying.   

April 20th, 2024: Excellent cigar. Full body with excellent aroma, lasting around 90 minutes. Much like the cigars mentioned above, but with a bit of strength and slight bitterness in the final third. Nonethless, I smoked it to the nub. 

I had a Romeo y Julieta Wide Churchill a few days before. This cigar was similar in dimension and far more satisfying. Both cigars were slightly moist. The Romeo burned unevenly and required many retouches, but the La Aurora burned perfectly and drew easily throughout. The Romeo had some good flavours and aroma, but the La Aurora was far tastier and consistent. The Romeo is now around $30, clearly not worth it when La Aurora delivers a lot more for a lot less.

AJ Fernandez San Lotano Requiem Habano Robusto

This is a 5 x54 robusto with an interesting blend of tobacco. I smoked three from the box of 20 before writing this review (and many more will follow). The first two were exquisitely smooth and balanced with a rich aroma. The third was a little spicier and resembled the best of the New World Cameroon Double Robusto. 

Appearance and Construction: A very well crafted cigar, nice weight in the hand and glamorous bands.

According to Neptune, the construction is as follows:

Wrapper: Brazilian Habano - much darker than what I would expect for a Habano leaf.

Binder: Nicaragua

Filler: Dominican Republic, Honduras and Nicaragua

So quite a mixture, which reveals itself in the complex flavour.

First Puff: a bit spicy but soon settles down to a smoother profile.

Draw and Burn: Perfect draw and burn. No resistance. A little waviness at the beginning but soon corrected. 

Flavour and Complexity: A very rich and complex flavour with a darker roast flavour but with a sweetness that melds together well. One that I smoked was a bit spicy, but not as spicy as the Oval.

Body: Medium to full. Not as potent as the Oval, but getting there.

Strength: A decent amount of strength. I could feel it, but it wasn't overwhelming. 

Finish and Aftertaste: Excellent long finish and interesting sweet aftertaste. 

Aroma: Deliciously rich and complex aroma.

Ash: held on very well in inch long segments, refusing to shake off until that length.

Balance and Consistency: A very balanced and consistently good cigar; no dead spots, no bitterness.

Time smoke: Between 75 and 80 minutes

Overall: Very satisfying. For a five inch cigar, the smoking time was substantial, no doubt due to the excellent long finish.

Beautiful construction, albeit a bit darker than I would expect for a Habano wrapper. 

October 16th, 2023: This one was not as satisfying as the previous. It was a bit rougher. It didn't have the refined complexity of the previous. It was dark and spicy, but a bit tarry and bitter. Still quite pleasant. 

November 8th, 2023: A very fine example of the blend: smooth, medium-full bodied, excellent aroma, easy draw and good construction. Very satisfying and 90 minutes.

November 27th, 2023: This one was a bit less complex; more woody and spicy, building up to full body in the final third. Aroma wasn't pronounced. Finish was long, but only 70 minutes. Quite satisfying. 

January 17th, 2024: Full bodied with good complexity. Wrapper cracked. I'll need to adjust the humidity. Otherwise a fine example of the brand. Very satisfying at around 90 minutes. 

May 6th, 2024: Excellent full bodied cigar. It was smooth, spicy and rich without and dirty, tarry, harshness. Perfect burn. Light in the hand and easy draw. Probably closer to 70 minutes. Very satisfying.

Crowned Heads Juarez Jack Brown

August 25th and 31st, 2023: This is a 5 x 56 maduro cigar made by Crowned Heads. 

Construction: According to Neptune:

Wrapper: Mexican San Andres Maduro

Binder: Ecuador Sumatra

Filler: Dominican Republic and Nicaragua

At 5 x 56 it's quite a handful and feels quite substantial. 

Burn was inconsistent and the second one cracked and fell apart in the final third. 

First Puff: quite encouraging; deliciously complex with a nice peppery finish which soon smoothed out to a more creamy profile.

Flavour: first third: a mild to medium maduro flavour with a delicious creamy texture and light chocolate. However, as burn deteriorated, so did flavour. By the final third there wasn't much flavour left to speak of. 

Body: mild to medium bodied. 

Aroma: delicious chocolately aroma.

Draw and burn: dreadful. I couldn't keep an even burn. Draw was difficult. I left the second cigar.

Burn was inconsistent throughout. Note the glowing spike, suggesting poor rolling. Flavour suffered and the cigar soon cracked and fell apart.

Overall: Flavour was quite compelling, but construction was a real issue. Despite the hefty size, I didn't get 60 minutes out of either cigar smoked and the second one cracked and fell to pieces in the final third. Pleasant puff, but not satisfying. Nonetheless, I'm keen to leave them for a few weeks and try again.

September 14th, 2023: This one hit the spot; a very pleasant creamy, balanced, mild to medium body cigar with no construction issues. Flavour was smooth and complex throughout: dark, creamy, chocolate. Didn't quite get to the hour mark, but it was quite pleasant. 

October 5th, 2023: Good draw, good construction. Excellent complex flavour with medium body and good aftertaste during the first two thirds. The final third lost a bit of complexity, but was still acceptable. Overall quite satisfying at 70 minutes. 

December 20th, 2023: A delicious example of the blend: smooth, medium body, a wonderful chocolatey flavour. Aroma nothing special. Excellent burn and draw. Very satisfying. 70 minutes. 

January 10th, 2023: Much the same as above. The only detraction from perfection is the light and transient aroma. Otherwise, very satisfying at around 70 minutes.

March 18th, 2024: Very smooth, creamy, maduro and chocolate flavour, medium body all the way. Consistent and complex. A bit of strength and good aroma. Very satisfying at around 90 minutes. 

Initiation of my new cigar lounge made for a slower savouring.

April 17th: Lacked body. It was one of those cigars which you try to compensate for lack of body by faster puffing. Not satisfying 60 minutes.