June 4th 2012 - Tabak Especial Red Eye

Today I'm wrapping up my favorite cigars for this summer with an infused addition with 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.

June 3rd 2012 - Room 101 San Andreas

Today I continue my top cigars for the summer series with what is in my opinion the top pre summer release of the year in the Room 101 San Andreas. Matt Booth decided to add a maduro cigar to his lineup and he went big. The San Andreas features a San Andreas Maduro wrapper from the Turrent family with the rest of the blend consisting of Corojo and Criollo tobaccos from the El Corojo farms. It's got great flavors of classic tobacco and earth with pepper, spice, chocolate, coffee.

June 2nd 2012 - La Herencia Cubana Dos Capas

Today brings us another addition to my top smokes for the summer in a dual wrapper, La Herencia Cubana Dos Capas in a 6x52 Toro vitola. The La Herencia Cubana Dos Capas comes from Tabaclera Fernandez in Nicaragua. This cigar features the wrappers from both the La Herencia Cubana and La Herencia Cubana Oscuro Fuerte. One is a Pennsylvania Broadleaf Maduro and the other is an Ecuadorian Sumatra Wrapper. The two cigars that had their wrappers combined to make this one featured the same Nicaraguan long fillers so combining them was only natural. This is a fantastic smoke that features an earthy, spicy, woody, nutty core that when combined with the sweetness from the sumatra wrapper and the peppery finish from the maduro wrapper makes this cigar a terrific smoke.

June 1st 2012 - Kristoff Sumatra

Continuing with my top smokes for the summer today brings us a sumatra addition to the list in the Kristoff Sumatra in a 6.5x56 Matador vitola. Kristoff has quickly become a big name in the industry with the high quality of cigars they're producing. The Sumatra features a Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper, a Brazilian binder with Dominican and Nicaraguan fillers. The Sumatra has core flavors of earth and spice with hints of wood and leather throughout. I'm a huge sumatra fan and this one is one my favs.

May 31st 2012 - Crowned Heads Four Kicks

In my top cigars of the summer today brings us a habano edition in the Crowned Heads Four Kicks in a 5x50 Robusto vitola. Crowned Heads hit the scene in 2011 and really made a big splash. The company was created by Jon Huber, Nancy Heathman, Mike Conder, Michael Trebing and company after the sale of CAO Cigars. Their first release is the Four Kicks. Hailing from Tabacalera LaAlianza S.A. in the Dominican Republic it features an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper with it's binder and fillers coming from Nicaragua. You get an earthy and woody core that is complemented by sweet spicy flavor notes that is well balanced and complex.

May 30th 2012 - Liga Privada Undercrown

Continuing my top summer cigars today brings us a very smooth and flavorful maduro the Liga Privada Undercrown 5x54 Robusto vitola. The Liga Privada line is a major departure from what Drew Estate is known for, their infused cigars. The Undercrown was developed by the rollers at Drew Estate. They were smoking the No. 9 so much that they were told they had to stop as the tobaccos used for the No. 9 are hard to come by. As a result they created their own blend using different primings from the tobaccos for the No. 9 and then they topped it off with a new wrapper. The Undercrown has a San Andreas Maduro wrapper, a Brazilian Mata Fina binder with Dominican and Honduran fillers. The Undercrown will not disappoint with great flavors of cedar, spice, pepper, coffee, nuts and a classic tobacco sweetness.

May 29th 2012 - Cigar.com American Label

Today I'm starting a series of my top smokes for the summer. Today brings us the top yard work cigar for this year in the Cigar.com American Label in a 6.5x42 Corona vitola. Cigar.com's house blends are some of if not the best value smokes out there. The newest addition to the line that features all American tobaccos. The American Label features a Connecticut Shade Leaf wrapper, with a Wisconsin binder with Connecticut Broadleaf and Habano fillers. It's a cedary, nutty, earthy and creamy cigar that was fuller in body than I expected.