Romeo y Julieta 1875 Love Story
Size – 4.5 x 46 (Perfecto)
Age – 3 months
Cost – $5
Wrapper – Natural (Indonesia)
Construction – A nice lookinig, symmetrical cigar in an interesting shape. The cigar was slightly uneven in feel, having a few firm spots. The wrapper also cracked in one spot as I was squeezing the cigar.
Burn – With other love story vitolas I have had no problems getting the stick going thanks to the nipple end. I had the opposite experience with the RyJ 1875; it was quite difficult to light but once it hit the wider part of the perfecto, burn was much improved – even and slow.
Ash – Very light grey, almost white. Compact and held snug in 3/4″ pieces.
Draw & Smoke – Draw was very tight until the burn reached the widest part of the cigar. After that it was smooth sailing with a nice easy but not loose draw, producing a moderate amount of smoke per puff.
Flavor – The prelight flavors of earthy tobacco and grass led into a very smooth, mild blend of flavors after the light – a creamy blend of earth, wood and tobacco with just a bit of sweetness. The gentle flavor profile hides a surprising medium body; I was expecting a very mild cigar which this is not. The second half of the cigar had similar flavors, but a bit more intensity and some tingling spice. It also picked up a touch more sweetness on the finish.
Strength – Medium
Rating – 7/10
Value – 6/10
Drink – Ice water
Notes – Romeo y Julieta are a very well known brand in the cigar world and are probably the daily cigar of many many aficionados. For a younger and relatively new cigar smoker like me, they are often overlooked for blends by “superstars” like Pepin and Patel. I’m glad to have received the 1875 in a sampler because it is a pretty good smoke, but it had a few construction problems and more importantly it shares a price point (and vitola) with the much better Arturo Fuente Hemingway Short Story.
Reviews
46 Ring, 7/10, Arturo Fuente, Cigar Review, Medium, Natural
Arturo Fuente 8-5-8 Factory Seconds Natural
This inexpensive, unbanded second of the Arturo Fuente 858 is a bit of a mystery to me, as the banded cigar normally sells for only $5. The smoke is a tasty, rich blend of sweet tobacco and mocha with a hint of cedar and peanut. The aroma is excellent, almost intoxicating. If you’re willing to overlook some construction issues such as small wrapper flaws, a slightly loose cigar that creates flowery ash and has an overly easy draw, you will find a very tasty cigar at an unbeatable price. Thanks to my co-worker Rocky (no, not that one) for the sample cigars!
Mini Review Grade: B-
Mini Review
Arturo Fuente, Cigar, Grade B-, Mini Review, Natural, Toro
Partagas (Black Label) Prontos
The Pronto from Partagas is a very well constructed small cigar with a dark natural wrapper. They are sold in tins of 6 for $10-14 and last upwards of 40 minutes despite their diminutive size. Flavors are rich tobacco and earthiness with a sweet aroma. The cigar packs a punch with powerful ligero tobacco leading to a full body smoke. Burn was good and the ash was extremely light grey. A great way to spend your lunch break.
Mini Review Grade: A-
Mini Review
Full, Grade A-, Mini Review, Natural, Partagas, Small Cigars
Saint Luis Rey Rothchilde Natural
Size – 5 x 54
Age – 2 months
Cost – $3.50
Wrapper – Natural (Nicaragua)
Construction – A nice looking cigar with a few veins in the wrapper. Good symmetry and no soft spots.
Burn – A nice even burn even in breezy conditions.
Ash – Mottled and somewhat firm with 3/4″ of grab
Draw & Smoke – Good resistance on the draw, not too much, and a satisfying amount of smoke in each puff.
Flavor – The flavor profile was rich, with earthy and woody notes. The SLR is a good example of a cigar that has lots of flavor without a dizzying full body strength. In the second half a bit of toast and spice replaced the woody flavors as the earthiness persisted. The second half also brought some aroma and flavor of peanut.
Strength – Med/Full
Rating – 8/10
Value – 8/10
Drink – Water
Notes – The SLR Rothschild is a solid value cigar with lots of flavor. While it’s not a terribly complex smoke, it’s a darn good one and should be considered for anyone looking to fill their humidor without breaking the bank.
Mini Review, Reviews
54 Ring, 8/10, Cigar Review, Med/Full, Natural, Saint Luis Rey
Coronado by La Flor (aka La Flor Dominicana Coronado) Double Toro
Size – 7 x 54
Age – 2 Months
Cost – $8
Wrapper – Natural (Nicaragua)
Construction – A well constructed large cigar but with some wrapper issues – pronounced veins were present, although some veins are acceptible in a sun grown wrapper. A crack in the foot and two more near the band were evident, despite the cigar being kept in cellophane and not rearranged much.
Burn - Mostly even and steady. When it began to burn unevenly, the cigar corrected itself. One relight was needed around halfway.
Ash – Very light grey and somewhat loose but not completely unruly. Ash held for about 1″ at a time.
Draw & Smoke – The draw was perfect and the cigar produced a ton of smoke per puff. It also continually produced a significant stream of aromatic smoke from the foot while resting.
Flavor – This is a complex and very flavorful cigar. The prelight aroma of anise appeared as a flavor in the first third, along with caramel and some spice. Room aroma was rich and sweet with a hint of citrus, like orange or lime peel. In the second third, black pepper kicked in and the taste of leather joined the flavor party. These flavors were balanced by a sweet and creamy tobacco flavor that persisted through the cigar.
Strength – Med/Full
Rating – 9/10
Value – 6/10
Drink – Columbian coffee – an excellent pairing with the bold and rich flavors of the Coronado.
Notes – The Coronado double toro, at 7 x 54, is a whopper of a cigar and is among the sizes that I do not regularly smoke, mostly due to time constraints. Plan to spend 120 minutes on this cigar, which is going to be a very enjoyable 2 hours of your life. This is an excellent, complex cigar with plenty of reasons to like it, and if you’re like me you’ll want to revisit it to see what you missed. Construction problems are the only thing that kept this stick from being a 10/10.
Reviews
54 Ring, 9/10, Cigar Review, Coronado, La Flor Domninicana, Med/Full, Natural
Padron #2000 Natural
Size – 5 x 50
Age – 1 Month
Cost – $3.50
Wrapper – Natural (Nicaragua)
Construction – Very well constructed with a slightly rustic appearance and good symmetry.
Burn – Slow and completely even; a very well behaved cigar.
Ash – Mottled and slightly loose, held for 3/4″ at a time.
Draw & Smoke – Draw felt slightly loose but after lighting it paired up perfectly with the sizable volume of smoke produced on each puff.
Flavor – Rich earthy and spicy flavors emerge from the light. The peppery spice only persisted through the first third, as the cigar mellowed in taste somewhat. The earthy flavor remained through the whole cigar and a sweet tobacco finish emerged after the first third. Aroma was a nice tobacco smell with a spice and sweetness.
Strength – Medium
Rating – 8/10
Value – 8/10
Drink – I smoked this with a tall mug of hot “Constant Comment”, which is spiced orange pekoe tea. A nice pairing.
Notes -The Padron #2000 is one of many Padrons, this one being the more value-oriented offering. This Nicaraguan puro is a great value and could easily be my goto cigar if I ever ran out of new stuff to try 
Definitely a recommended smoke for the money.
Reviews
50 Ring, 8/10, Cigar Review, Medium, Natural, Padron
Perdomo Lot 23 Churchill
Size – 7 x 50
Age - 2 months
Cost – $4-5 online
Wrapper – Natural (Nicaragua)
Construction – The wrapper on the Lot 23 that I chose for review had some problems. It had some noticeable veins; there were several cracks by the foot and two small tears along the body. The head cracked when I used the punch on it, but it held together. Symmetry was good. (4/10)
Burn – Burn was not straight but needed no touchups or relights. (6/10)
Ash – Ash was light grey and mostly compact, but a nice messy 3/4″ ash fell early and landed on my laptop.
Draw & Smoke – Draw was solid but not difficult and yielded a good amount of smoke per draw.
Flavor – This cigar started out fairly unremarkable, with some woody flavor and a bit of spice and pepper on the finish. The flavors intensified in the second third and the pepper became balanced with a pleasant creaminess. Room aroma was very nice with a sweet and earthy smell. The final third produced even more body moving towards the full range, and more peppery flavor on the back of the palate.
Strength – Med/Full
Rating – 5/10
Value – 5/10
Drink - I had two beverages accompanying this cigar. First, a Cabernet Sauvignon, which I did not like the pairing very much; I felt like the tannins in the wine and all the pepper from the cigar were just killing my palate. So I moved to a good ‘ol Pepsi Cola which actually paired up nicely with the second half stick.
Notes - I was looking forward to trying the Lot 23 since it has an interesting origin – all the tobacco in the cigar comes from the same small farm near the Perdomo factory in Nicaragua. Unfortunately, due to significant consruction issues and somewhat one-dimensional flavor, I rated this pretty low. This cigar will definitely be re-visited after the rest have a long nap in the coolidor.
Reviews
5/10, 50 Ring, Churchill, Cigar Review, Med/Full, Natural, Perdomo
Rocky Patel Vintage 1992 Toro
Size – 6.5 x 50 boxpress
Age – Less than 1 month
Cost – $7 online
Wrapper - Natural (dark), oily and smooth.
Construction - Nearly flawless constuction with a couple of crinkles that seem to be due to the boxpress. (9/10)
Burn – Mostly even with no problems (8/10)
Ash – Salt and pepper (mostly salt), slightly loose but held tight for 1.5-2″
Draw & Smoke - Draw was just right, not too loose or tight. Lots of blue-white smoke pours off the foot when it’s resting. A good amount of tasty smoke accompanies each puff.
Flavor – This stick has plenty of deep, rich flavors including sweet nuts, chocolate and a small amount of cedar, coffee and spice. There is little to no peppery tingle, just a satisfying creamy blend of all these flavors. A beautiful room aroma enhances the smoking experience. With such a deep and tasty cigar, I found the body to be lacking just slightly.
Strength – Medium
Rating – 9/10
Value – 6/10. This is a cigar that is worth every penny. The $9-10 MSRP does not help the value score, however, and it would be hard for most people to justify this as an everyday cigar.
Drink – Hot coffee. Really brought out the coffee flavors in the cigar and enhanced the others. A good pairing.
Notes – I picked this up with a dozen RPs from a weekly sampler deal at Cigars International for a great price. I feel lucky to have bought this stick for about 3 bucks; I’ll be keeping my eyes peeled for another special on them.
Reviews
50 Ring, 9/10, Cigar Review, Medium, Natural, Rocky Patel
The UPS person came by today with a package for me – inside was a bunch of low price/value stuff I had bought on Cigar Bid! So the humidor gets a lot of new stuff and is pretty much full for now. I’m hoping a lot of the stuff I have in there will age well.
The total order:
- 20 Cu-Avana Maduro Toro
- 20 Petrus Reposado No. 6000 Torpedo
- 20 Victor Sinclair Corojo Robusto
- Victor Sinclair mega sampler (5 Connecticut Yankee Toro, 5 Primeros Toro, 5 Triple Corojo Toro, 5 Vintage Select Toro),
- CI Mild/Med sampler (2 Perdomo Lot 23 Churchill, 2 Fonseca 5-50, 2 Gurkha Doble Maduro, 2 RP Connecticut Toro, Perdomo Reserve Champagne Epicure)
Humidor
Cigar, Cigars, Corojo, Cu-Avana, Gurkha, Humidor, Maduro, Natural, Rocky Patel, Victor Sinclair
