Mar 29th 2012 - Macanudo Vintage Maduro 1997

Today brings us the Macanudo Vintage Maduro 1997 in a 5x50 Robusto vitola. Macanudo is one the most well known brands in the industry. In 2010 they released the Vintage Maduro 1997. It features a 13yr old Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro wrapper, with a Honduran binder and fillers from the Dominican, Nicaragua and Brazil. It features a stainless steel cigar band that is not only stunning but also lets the buyer know if the cigar has been properly humidified by how tight or loose it is on the cigar. It has flavors of earth, coffee, chocolate, spice and wood with a classic maduro sweetness to it. I featured this today as a blind grab out of the humidor.

Mar 28th 2012 - Ashton ESG

With a heavy heart today brings us the Ashton ESG 22 Year Salute in a 6x52 Torpedo vitola. The ESG hails from the Dominican and features all Dominican tobaccos. It is an elegant cigar with flavors of wood, earth and leather at the core with nutty notes and a sweet and spicy finish. Today isn't about the cigar it is about one of the men behind it Manny Ferrero the Senior Vice President of Ashton. Manny passed away on Tuesday while attending the Tobacconists Association of America Convention in Los Cabos, Mexico. Manny was known as one of the best and most loving people in the industry. Rest in Peace Manny thanks for everything you did....

Mar 27th 2012 - Arturo Fuente Sun Grown

Today brings us the Arturo Fuente Sun Grown in a 5.7x50 Cuban Belicoso vitola. The Sun Grown was created as an extension to the Gran Reserva line. It follows suit with a very affordable price point so that anybody can pick up and enjoy a good Fuente cigar without breaking the bank. It features an Ecuadorian Sun Grown wrapper with Dominican fillers and binder. You'll get flavors of cream, earth, spice and citrus with a nice sweetness to it as well. Wanted to feature this today as a shout out to Casa Fuente for featuring the blog as their top story on their daily report: http://paper.li/CasaFuenteLV/1320797298 Thanks again for the awesome support!

Mar 26th 2012 - My Father El Hijo

Today brings us the My Father El Hijo in a 5.5x52 vitola, which is it's only size. The El Hijo is a Smoke Inn Exclusive Cigar and is the third installment in their microblend series. It is a box pressed cigar with a shaggy foot. The El Hijo features a 2009 Ecuadorian Habano wrapper with it's fillers and binders coming from Nicaragua. You'll get a complex cigar with flavor notes of spice, pepper, cedar, chocolate, coffee with a sweetness and creaminess that rounds it out nicely. I chose this today to honor the groundbreaking of the Vietnam War Memorial on Mar 26th 1982. The memorial pays tribute to all the brave service members who gave their lives in service to their country in Vietnam. You may be gone but you will never be forgotten...

Mar 25th 2012 - Tatuaje La Verite Vintage 2009

Ok so I know I've asked before but your help is still needed everybody. Pete Johnson, one of the top manufacturers in the industry and a HUGE supporter of my blog, is competing to win the Crushpad Club Challenge. It's Pete's opportunity to make a 10+ year dream of getting into the wine industry come true. The contest end is quickly coming to a close and 2nd place is gaining ground everyday. Please go here, http://www.facebook.com/crushpad?sk=app_301784786521549#!/crushpad?sk=app_301784786521549, and vote for TATOUAGE. You can vote once a day so please pop over and do it everyday from now until the 31st which is the last day of the contest. Thanks!

Today brings us the Tatuaje La Verite Vintage 2009 L’Espirit de Verite Robusto in a 5x50 vitola. Pete Johnson is known for his limited release cigars. The Verite, truth in French, is one that he takes immense pride in. Pete applies a vintners approach to the process by using tobaccos all grown on the same farm. The La Verite Vintage 2009 gets it's tobaccos from part of the 2007 growing season at the Garcia family's La Estrella farm in Nicaragua. The La Verite Vintage 2009 L’Espirit de Verite consists of 50% Habano Criollo, 40% Criollo 98 and 10% Pelo de Oro tobaccos. You'll get great flavors of cocoa, wood, spice and pepper. I chose this to be today's as it relates to what I'm trying to help Pete accomplish with this post with his approach to the La Verite Vintage line. Thanks for the help guys!

Mar 24th 2012 - Don Pepin Garcia Blue Original

Today brings us the Don Pepin Garcia Blue Original in a 7x50 Delicias vitola. Recently I featured the DPG Blue and today I'm featuring the double banded Blue Original. It is my understanding it is the same blend, although I could be mistaken as I can't find much out there on this one, with an added new band that says Original and a blue foot band. It has flavors of flavors of earth, chocolate, coffee, leather and cedar with bold pepper and spice. Chose this to feature today because I was really excited to shoot this cigar and fell in love with this pic.

Mar 23rd 2012 - 262 Manifesto

Today brings us the 262 Manifesto in it's only size a 6x54 vitola. 262 has done a limited release cigar of 262 10 ct boxes as a call to action for cigar enthusiasts to fight back against government tobacco regulations. It has a Honduran Criollo 1998 wrapper, dual binders one being Indonesian and the other a Honduran Criollo 1998 and fillers from Nicaragua and Honduras. I got a medium bodied smoke with flavor notes of spice, cedar, earth and hay. It had an old world kind of flavor profile to me. I am featuring this today as a thanks to the man who hooked me up with it to review out of his personal stash Brett of Tobaccology in Bristow, VA. Tobaccology is a great new B&M that opened up recently and was opened and is run by Brett. He's a great addition to the cigar industry and his shop is top notch. Keep up the great work and thanks again brother! Coming soon I will be featuring an upcoming interview with Brett...

Mar 22nd - La Herencia Cubana Core

Today brings us the La Herencia Cubana Core in a 5x42 Corona vitola. The Core was a new introduction to the La Herencia Cubana line. Blended and produced by AJ Fernandez the Core is a box pressed beauty. AJ is well known for his utilization of the ligero leaves from the tobacco plant and showcases that with this cigar. The Core features an Ecuadorian Habano ligero wrapper with fillers from Honduras, Nicaragua with Pennsylvania Broadleaf mixed in as well. It has flavors of spice, earth, pepper, coffee and leather with a certain creaminess to it. Featured this today as a blind grab out of the humidor.

Mar 21st 2012 - Rocky Patel Patel Bros.

Today brings us the Rocky Patel Patel Bros. in a 6.5x52 Toro vitola. Patel Bros. is brought to us courtesy of a collaboration of Rocky Patel and his brother Nish. The Patel Bros. utilizes one of my fav wrappers the Pennsylvania Broadleaf Maduro. It contains a Nicaraguan binder and fillers. This is a solid med-full bodied cigar with flavors of coffee, leather, pepper, spice and a cocoa sweetness. I chose this to be today's cigar because of how thrilled I am that Sgt. Rafael Peralta's Medal of Honor case is being reopened. Sgt. Peralta valiantly gave his life to save those of the Marines around him in Fallujah, Iraq on Nov 15th 2004. Sgt. Peralta was assigned as a Scout and did not have to be clearing houses but volunteered to do it because he couldn't stand for others to and him not to. On their 4th house of the day when he opened the door to the 3rd room he was shot multiple times by insurgents with an AK-47. After he dropped to the floor and moved out of the way his Marines returned fire which caused a grenade to be thrown into the room they were in. Sgt. Peralta pulled the grenade under his body despite his wounds and absorbed the blast which killed him instantly but saved the lives of the Marines with him. His was originally awarded a Navy Cross but now the case has been reopened based on new video evidence of the events. If that isn't an act of true brotherhood I don't know what is...

Mar 20th 2012 - Puros Indios Viejo

Today brings us the Puros Indios Viejo in a 5x50 Robusto vitola. The Puros Indios Viejo is a value priced cigar with a 20 ct box price ranging $30-$40. Don't let that fool you though as this is a great cigar. The Viejo has a Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper, with an Ecuadorian binder and it's long fillers coming from Brazil, Nicaragua and the Dominican. You'll get great flavors of cocoa, leather and wood. This is a great cigar for any smoker new or old. This was chosen for today as a memorial post for Rolando Reyes Sr who was the founder of Puros Indios Cigars. He passed away Sunday evening in Miami, FL. Rolando started in the industry at age 9 in his native Cuba. Thanks for all the great smokes Sir...

Mar 19th 2012 - Tatuaje Anarchy

Today brings us the Tatuaje Anarchy in it's only size a 6.125x48-52 Perfecto vitola. The Anarchy was created by Pete Johnson and Abe Dababneh who owns and runs Smoke Inn Cigars. The story as I know it is that Abe approached his good friend Pete Johnson when he wanted to make an exclusive Smoke Inn exclusive cigar and thus the Anarchy was born. This was a limited release of only 1,500 boxes containing 15 cigars each. It has an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper with it's binder and fillers coming from Nicaragua. You'll get a smooth cigar with flavors of spice, leather, sweet chocolate, coffee, wood, earth and pepper. I chose to feature this today as I just got my first one recently and am very excited about it.

Mar 18th 2012 - El Titan de Bronze Titan Redemption Maduro

Today brings us the El Titan de Bronze Titan Redemption Maduro in a 5x50 Robusto vitola. El Titan de Bronze Cigar Mfg group has been around for quite some time now, est 1995. They are located down in FL at the famous Calle Ocho factory and employ only the best rollers. The El Titan de Bronze Maduro Redemption features a Mexican San Andreas Maduro wrapper with it's binder and fillers coming from Nicaragua. Today I'll be featuring a review from my buddy Matt over at Kuzi's Cigar Catalog, http://kuziscigarcatalog.wordpress.com/2012/02/02/el-titan-de-bronze-titan-redemption-maduro/, and he says:

"A light with a soft flame brings on a dark chocolate flavor with a bitter coffee aftertaste. Through the nose I get a bit of a wood note. There is the Nicaraguan texture/flavor combo on the finish. It is a spicy, woody mix. There is a ton of smoke coming off of the foot but due to the tight draw I feel that the amount that can be drawn into the mouth is limited. As the cigar settles in, a few more spicy notes come out and the bitterness dissipates. The wood flavor through the nose is strong but only through the nose.

The middle third is not that much different than the end of the first third. There may be a touch of musk through the nose as well but nothing outstandingly different. The draw has yet to open up. The burn is great. As the middle third continues on a subtle sweetness develops. This is how the middle third stays.

The final third starts to transition to a toastier version of the cigar. Close to the end the spice picks up slightly."

Chose this to feature today as I wanted to help spread the word about his fantastic blog site. Keep up the great work brother and thanks for letting me use your great review!

Mar 17th 2012 - RoMa Craft Tobac Intemperance EC XVIII

Today brings us the RoMa Craft Tobac Intemperance EC XVIII Virtue in a 4.5x52 Short Robusto vitola. RoMa Craft Tobac is a new cigar company to the industry and the Intemperance is their first release. They are available in both an Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper on the EC XVIII and a Brazil Arapiraca wrapper on the BA XXI. Each is available in 4 different vitolas: Charity a 4 x 46 Petito, Virtue a 4 1/2 x 52 Short Robusto, Faith a 5 x 50 Short Perfecto and Industry a 5 1/2 x 54 Belicoso. They are produced in their factory, Fabrica de Tobacco NicaSueno, in Esteli, Nicaragua. You'll get a creamy medium bodied smoke with flavors of coffee, nuts, wood, spice and a nice sweetness that rounds it out. I wanted to feature this today to help spread the word on this awesome new cigar company and line that is out there.

Mar 16th 2012 - Don Pepin Garcia Blue

Today brings us the Don Pepin Garcia Blue in a 6x50 Generosos vitola. We all know how well regarded DPG is in the industry and the Blue line is another full bodied home run. The DPG Blue is a Nicaraguan Puro with all it's tobaccos hailing from there. The Blue gives great flavors of earth, chocolate, coffee, leather and cedar with the classic bold pepper and spice that is a signature with DPG's cigars. I chose this to feature today as today marks the 54th anniversary of when the Ford Motor Company produced its 50 millionth automobile, the Thunderbird, averaging almost a million cars a year since the company's founding. It doesn't get much more blue collar than building cars and what better cigar to celebrate that then the DPG Blue...

Mar 15th 2012 - Gurkha Empire Series III

Today brings us the Gurkha Empire Series III in a 5.5x52 vitola. The Empire Series consists of 6 different blends that all have a very affordable price point. The Empire III utilizes a Costa Rican Maduro wrapper with Dominican and Honduran long fillers. The Empire III isn't a Maduro powerhouse like many others on the market it is an elegant mild-medium bodied cigar. It's a creamy, chocolately, leathery cigar with additional flavors of classic tobacco and coffee. I chose this to feature today as Julius Cesar was assasinated on this day in 44 B.C. Julius Cesar was a famed Roman General and Dictator who played a major part in the rise of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire.

Mar 14th 2012 - Man O War Puro Authentico Maduro

Today brings us the Man O War Puro Authentico Maduro in a 5x42 Corona vitola. The Puro Authentico was introduced as a corona addition to the Man O War line and is said to have been AJ Fernandez's personal go to blend. Now there is a maduro version being produced. The PA Maduro uses a Pennsylvania Broadleaf Maduro wrapper and has the same Nicaraguan and Honduran binder and filler from the original PA. You'll get a spicy, earthy, peppery and hickory smoke with the PA Maduro. While researching this cigar Alex Svenson of cigar.com explains why it has a certain hickory tasting note to it. The Pennsylvania Broadleaf Maduro wrapper is grown in Amish Country and they use hickory wood for fires in the barns to regulate temp and humidity during the curing process. Chose this today to help spread the word on this great new addition to the PA line.

Mar 13th 2012 - An Interview with Pete Johnson of Tatuaje Cigars

Today I'm continuing the running series of 1 interview a week with a handful of people in the cigar industry who have been very supportive of me and my blog. These are in no particular order although today's was featured a day late on the 13th to keep in tradition of the Monster Series with their 13 theme. Today brings us Pete Johnson of Tatuaje Cigars and I'll be featuring The Wolfman.

DCB Question 1:
What was it that you made you decide you wanted to be a part of the cigar industry and how did you start?

PJ: The second i walked into a cigar store, everyone was so cool and welcoming...It's like a big family.

DCB Question2:
Pete you are very well known for your limited releases. I know a lot of people are frustrated by this and what most people don't realize is that you are as well. What is it about the limited release that you do love and is the driving force behind it?

PJ: I love experimenting with tobacco.....Some limited release are meant to be fun and to help drive hype around the brand. There is no shortage of tobacco. Things like La Verite and some small batch things are that because of the rarity of the tobacco or certain components. Those are the real interesting ones because i need to know how much of a certain leaf i have to use and that determines the amount of release....

DCB Question 3:
I'm a huge horror film buff and Halloween is my favorite holiday so I have to ask what is the scoop on #5 The Mummy?

PJ: The Mummy will be a longer, thinner version of what people are used to seeing from the monsters...Maybe a little throw back to Frank... 7 3/4 x 47...in a blend very reminiscent to the Black label....

DCB Question 4:
What is your favorite part of creating a cigar from scratch?

PJ: Favorite part is tasting the first sample to see how close I came to recreating what was in my head.......

DCB Question 5:
What are you most excited about for Tatuaje in 2012?

PJ: I most excited to get to 2013....I am looking forward to releasing a redux of the original Black label Corona Gorda to celebrate my 10th anniversary and also to releasing the La Verite 2010....

If I had to pick one release this year, I would say the Little Monsters...That's a fun project.....

DCB: Thanks for your time and support of the blog Pete! It's been an honor to have this interview with you.

Today brings us Tatuaje's The Wolfman in its only vitola a 7.5x52 Torpedo. The Wolfman is the 4th cigar in Pete Johnson's famed Halloween Series. The Wolfman features a Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper with its binder and fillers coming from Nicaraguan. The construction is amazing on this cigar all the way from the shaggy foot to the head. The Wolfman is very complex from start to finish. Starting with its first flavor notes of oak, chocolate and slight pepper that develop into a sweet oak, spice and earth with hints of dark coffee and nuts.

Mar 12th 2012 - Tabak Especial Red Eye

Today brings us the Tabak Especial Red Eye in it's only offering a 4.5x54 vitola. Drew Estate is known for their infused cigars and the Tabak Especial line is one of their coffee infused line. The Red Eye was introduced to be the espresso version. It features triple the amount of ligero used in the original Tabak Especial cigars. It features all Nicaraguan tobaccos. It has great flavor notes of coffee, espresso and a chocolaty sweetness that makes this cigar fantastic. I chose this to feature today as with the Titans now being in the Peyton Manning sweepstakes I'm gonna need lots of caffeine to stay awake because I'm not gonna get any sleep until he picks his team. Come home Peyton!!!

Mar 11th 2012 - Cain F

Today brings us the Cain F in a 6x54 Torpedo vitola. The Cain line was brought out as a "Straight Ligero" line and the F was the third installment to the series. It is personally my favorite in the line. The Cain F is a Nicaraguan Puro with all it's tobaccos hailing from Nicaragua. It has full flavors of spice, pepper, leather, earth, nuts and wood. I chose this today to pay homage to all the people and regions devastated by the Earthquake in Japan that hit 1 year ago today.

Mar 10th 2012 - Joya De Nicaragua Dark Corojo Antano

Today brings us the Joya De Nicaragua Dark Corojo Antano Poderoso in a 6x54 vitola. If you are a full bodied cigar fan then today is def for you. The Dark Corojo Antano hails from Nicaragua and features all Nicaraguan tobacco. It features a foot band that says Double Fuerte which means Double Strong and boy is it. This cigar is packed pull of full bodied power and taste. It has flavor notes of leather, chocolate, coffee with hints of spice. I was playing around shooting this cigar the other day and didn't have anything to tie into today and figured it was a perfect chance to feature it.

Mar 9th 2012 - Man O War 52C

Today brings us the Man O War 52C in a 5x52 Robusto vitola. The 52C is the one of the new Man O War Side Projects that AJ Fernandez has released to his uber popular Man O War line. In my opinion this is the most interesting of them all due to it's shape with a chisel type head on it. Here's the only info I can find on the 52C from cigar.com: "This tasty robusto comes in a stout 5.0"x52 size with a chisel cap for easy access to the savory blend. This Nicaraguan concoction is bursting with flavor that is mellowed by the fatter ring gauge. Still medium to full-bodied, expect notes of oak and spice that lingers on your palate." Wanted to feature this today as I wanted to finish out the new side project series.

Mar 8th 2012 - Man O War Little Devil

Today brings us the Man O War Little Devil in it's only size a 5.5x44 vitola. AJ Fernandez has had a lot of success and developed a large fan base with the Man O War line. From the Virtue to the Armada they are all great smokes. AJ has extended the line now and released 3 limited run Man O War Side Projects. The Little Devil brings us a corona offering. While there's not much out there on them cigar.com says that the Little Devil is "There's a reason for the name. This little, 5.5"x44 corona is a firecracker that packs a punch. Full of robust spicy cedary notes, this blend is perfect as a quick after-dinner smoke. And in typical AJ fashion, the blend finishes clean and smooth." Featured this today because back on this day in 1979 that Philips demonstrated the first CD. CD's revolutionized the way we listen to music. Now we have MP3's and whatnot but I'm personally still a CD fan. There's a personal touch that I miss from not going and purchasing the CD and having it.

Mar 7th 2012 - Graycliff Double Espresso

Today brings us the Graycliff Double Espresso in a 4.5x54 Robusto vitola. Graycliff is a very unique company. Originally started as a 5 star hotel and restaurant in Nassau, Bahamas by Enrico Garzaroli. When Enrico decided to start a cigar line he partnered with Avelino Lara who is the legendary Cuban cigar roller who rolled Fidel Castro's personal cigars. The Double Espresso has a Costa Rican wrapper and binder with it's fillers consisting of Corojo, Ecuadorian Ligero and Nicaraguan tobaccos. The Double Espresso has flavors of chocolate, spice, cedar, coffee and a sweetness that really rounds it out nicely. I chose this to be today's cigar because of the whole Peyton Manning situation in Indy. The sports world will be needing plenty of double espresso to make it threw all the developments with where he's going to sign.

Mar 6th 2012 - Man O War Phalanx

Today brings us the Man O War Phalanx in it's only size a 6.5x56 vitola. AJ Fernandez has lots of success with the Man O War line. From the Virtue to the Armada they are all great smokes. AJ has now released 3 limited run Man O War Side Projects. The Phalanx brings us a maduro offering. While there's not much out there on them cigar.com says that the Phalanx is "A rich, dark maduro in a massive 6.5"x56 size, this blend has flavor to spare. Dark chocolate notes hit your palate as soon as you light it up and a hint of spice lasts throughout." Chose this to feature today to help spread the word on this limited production beauties.

Mar 05th 2012 - An Interview with Clint Aaron of 262 Cigars

Today I'm continuing the running series of 1 interview a week with a handful of people in the cigar industry who have been very supportive of me and my blog. These are in no particular order. Today brings us Clint Aaron of 262 Cigars and I'll be featuring the Paradigm.

DCB Question 1:
What was it that you made you decide you wanted to be a part of the cigar industry and how did you start?

CA: Let me start out by saying that we all remember our first cigar and our first kiss. My first cigar was an Ashton; I was 19, and it was the summer after my freshman year at college. My buddy and I went to a local cigar shop one day after work to pick up a cigar for the evening. We fired up the grill, threw on the steaks, and kicked back. We lit up after dinner, and I had no clue what I was doing. We began to smoke and began to solve the world's problems. The ensuing conversation is what drew me like a month to a flame. Fast-forward a few years... I was a staff accountant after college, and stuck in an office behind a computer and a 10-key all day. I knew that I missed my calling to be a rockstar, and I'm too tall to be a racecar driver, so I started a cigar company. I love the camaraderie and conversation that comes along with being a part of this industry. You can put 30 strangers in a room, give them a cigar, and watch the conversations and mingling begin. That is what I love.

DCB Question2:
262 is a boutique exclusive cigar brand. What is it about being a boutique exclusive that caused you to go that route versus internet and boutique?

CA: First let me say that I am a huge proponent of supporting small, local businesses. For me, cigar shops are notorious for people relaxing and enjoying conversation. This is what I love about the B&Ms. I love walking into a shop as a stranger and walking out with new friends. Cigar smokers are some of the friendliest people I know; the camaraderie is like none I've ever seen. I still love being able to walk into a humidor and have a tobacconist hand-sell me a cigar.

DCB Question 3:
Clint I've seen your tweets about the Lancero's you have coming out. What was it about the Lancero that caused you to want to introduce that particular vitola into your production?

CA: There is so much flavor in smaller ring gauge cigars. It seems crazy to release a lancero in the middle of the 6x60 trend, but our retailers were asking for them. They are a tricky cigar to roll, but when done correctly, they are a slice of Heaven.

DCB Question 4:
What is your favorite part of creating a cigar from scratch?

CA: I enjoy the process from start to finish. From selecting a name, designing artwork, the marketing campaign, the blending process, sampling our tasting panel to get their feedback, making necessary tweaks, and then receiving our shipment of finished product.

DCB Question 5:
What are you most excited about for 262 in 2012?

CA: I am most excited about the Manifesto launch this month. This was my way of giving back to the retailers that were there from the beginning that supported us as we were just getting into the industry. It's a limited run cigar that has been made available to 10 retailers that I have selected to carry it. It's coming out of Raices Cubanas and uses tobacco from Honduras, Indonesia, and Nicaragua. I'm also looking forward to our next release which should be here late fall 2012.

DCB: Thanks for your time and support of the blog Clint! It's been an honor to have this interview with you.

CA:
Thanks, maing!

Clint


Today brings us the 262 Paradigm in a 4x52 Robusto vitola. 262 hasn't been around long but they have exploded onto the cigar scene with the great smokes they are putting out. They are a boutique only brand that honestly I can't keep my grubby fingers off of. The Paradigm is made in Honduras and features Nicaraguan and Colombian long fillers, a Honduran binder and sports a Brazilian wrapper. This med-full bodied cigar features notes of coffee, citrus, pepper and dark chocolate which provides a sweetness that finishes out the total balance that this well constructed cigar provides.

Mar 4th 2012 - Perdomo ESV ’02 Sun Grown

Today brings us the Perdomo ESV ’02 Sun Grown in a 5x54 Robusto vitola. The ESV '02 was introduced as a follow on to the 2005 release of the Perdomo ESV '91, also known as the Estate Vintage Selection. It has an Ecuadorian Sun Grown wrapper with Nicaraguan fillers. It has a leather and earth core with notes of wood, spice, nuts, pepper and coffee. I didn't have anything to feature for today and had been wanting to shoot this cigar for sometime so this was a perfect excuse to shoot it.

Mar 3rd 2012 - 5 Vegas Miami

Today brings us the 5 Vegas Miami in a 6.1x52 torpedo vitola. Originally the Miami line was a small batch production cigar by the people at 5 Vegas for special events across the country. It was originally manufactured in Miami. Now it has been brought to regular production by Don Pepin Garcia and is produced in Nicaragua and is a Nicaraguan puro. The 5 Vegas Miami is a full bodied smoke with great flavors of pepper, spice, nuts, coffee and a sweetness that really rounds it out nicely. I chose this to be today's cigar because on this day in 1845 that Florida became the 27th state in the United States. Florida has been home to some of the biggest milestones in our history. From NASA, the Seminole Indians to the fact that after the Cuban Embargo was signed that Miami became the cigar hub of the US. DPG's El Rey de los Habanos Factory is located in Miami. Happy B-Day Florida!

Mar 2nd 2012 - Viaje Zombie

Today brings us the Viaje Zombie in a 4 3/4x52 vitola. The Zombie was an extremely limited release by Viaje in April of 2011 with only 100 boxes of 20 produced. They were sold by Tobacco Grove and BURN both in MN. They were designed to be a follow on to the MOAB and WMD with theme being that people become Zombies after the fallout. It is a Nicaraguan Puro hailing from Honduras. The Zombie features triple caps on both ends. Just like it's predecessors, the MOAB and WMD, the Zombie is a serious powerhouse. You'll get a full bodied experience with flavors of leather, earth, chocolate, coffee, pepper and spice. I featured this today as I was graciously gifted this yesterday by two great BOTL from the cigar.com forums. HUGE thanks to RCY and JSnake for the hookup!

Mar 1st 2012 - Tatuaje Cabaiguan

Today brings us the Tatuaje Cabaiguan Imperiales in a 7x47 vitola. Pete Johnson is known for his powerhouse cigars but the Cabaiguan is a departure from that. The Cabaiguan is Pete Johnson's mild-medium bodied mass production cigar. It has Nicaraguan fillers and binder with a Ecuadorian grown Connecticut wrapper. This is one of the more complex mild-medium bodied cigars on the market. You'll get ever developing flavors throughout with everything from earth, wood and spice to make this creamy smoke keep you guessing throughout. I wanted to feature this today to help promote today's Cigar Chat. Cigar Chat is hosted by a couple of awesome BOTL that I have the pleasure of knowing and today the cigar for the chat is the Cabaiguan. Make sure you check it out tonight at 7pm EST even if you don't have any Cabaiguan's you can join in on the fun. The chat is here: http://robbyrasreviews.com/live-chat/ and follow them on twitter @CigarChatLive

Feb 29th 2012 - Room 101 One Shot One Kill

Today brings us the Room 101 One Shot One Kill Filero in a 4.5x52 perfecto vitola. The 5th release in the Room 101 line was created by Matt Booth and Edgar Hoill. Edgar is hands down one of the best photographers out there. He is known for his ability to take one shot and have the perfect shot. This is where the name One Shot One Kill came from. The OSOK has an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper, a Honduran Corojo wrapper, and fillers from the Dominican and Honduras. This is a very flavorful cigar from start to finish. You'll get full flavors of coffee, pepper, chocolate, spice and earth. Wanted to feature this as I just had my first one that was gifted to me by an awesome BOTL the other day. Thanks again spindrift!

Feb 28th 2012 - Alec Bradley Black Market

Today brings us the Alec Bradley Black Market Robusto in a 5.2x52 vitola. I know I featured this recently but I'm too in love with this picture I took the other night to not feature it again. The Black Market was a new release by Alec Bradley in 2011. Alec Bradley yet again hit another home run with the Black Market. The Black Market sports a Nicaraguan Maduro wrapper, a Sumatran binder and has long fillers from Panama and the Honduras. Today I'll be providing a review from my good buddy Robby over at, http://robbyrasreviews.com/alec-bradley-black-market/. Right off the bat you are hit with big coffee flavors and a sweet citrusy note with a dry sweetness provided by the wrapper. Then the big coffee gets hints of earth and nuts as it develops into the middle of the stick. In the last part the coffee subsides and competing flavors of creamy sweetness and tangy bitterness battle it out but balance each other well to keep the flavors from being too sweet or too bitter. Thanks for the great review Robby!