Brand evangelist, digital marketer, cigar and spirits expert specializing in consumer tasting and educational events. Matthias made the long trek from his hometown of Portland, Oregon to New York City in 2007, and in nine years has hosted more than 120 events and helped promote and launch dozens of cigar and whiskey brands in the U.S. In 2016, he joined the Cigar Journal Tasting Panel, blind-reviewing pre and new release cigars.
I recently made a stop at the Nat Sherman Townhouse and after finding out that no new shipments had come in since my last visit, I decided to try something from Tatuaje, a brand which I’ve generally overlooked after a handful of less than stellar experiences. The result is what’s up for review today: the Tatuaje Regios Reserva Broadleaf.
Right off the bat I can tell you that this cigar does deliver some of what you might be accustomed to with a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper: lots of richness alongside sweet chocolate and coffee notes. But there’s a lot more to this cigar than any typical flavor profile, so let’s get on to the review.
The Tatuaje Reserve Broadleaf features a somewhat rough, decently veiny Broadleaf wrapper. Branding on the cigar is your standard Tatuaje labeling with the additional Reserva Broadleaf band. The cigar is slightly springy when squeezed, and this is consistent down the cigar. Off of the foot, I pick up dry wood, some spice, and a slightly berry-influenced coffee. The draw is perfect, just the right amount of restrictiveness. The pre light draw is spicy, with a musty texture and aromas of dry wood.
Flavor and Smoke characteristics
The Tatuaje Reserva Broadleaf opens with rich, slightly textured, medium bodied smoke. Flavors include black coffee, dry leather, snickerdoodle cookies (cinnamon, sugar, some salt), and touches of sweetness and white pepper on the retrohale. Smoke production is solid. Certainly above average.
At an inch in, the retrohale is now shifting between white pepper and sea salt dark chocolate. The burn is perfect.
So far, I’m impressed.
At the beginning of the second third, leather is prominent, along with lemon peel and dry wood. The profile is considerably drier than the first third, though strangely the retrohale has settled down considerably.
At halfway, the smoke is musty and flavor is down to the lower end of medium. Notes include dry wood, black coffee, and touches of milk chocolate and cinnamon. Enjoyable, but I’m hoping the body and flavor make a comeback.
Moving into the final third, the earlier snickerdoodle note has morphed into a graham cracker flavor, and I’m picking up a spicy pickle flavor that works surprisingly well alongside the drier woodsy notes. Unfortunately, the remainder of the cigar (about the last 15 minutes) becomes bland, with dry wood as the only dominant note.
Conclusion
The Tatuaje Reserva Broadleaf is an enjoyable cigar, with a decent amount of complexity and a good story to tell. I really enjoyed the interplay between the dry notes (wood, pepper, leather) and the richer notes (chocolate, cinnamon and sugar). At times though, the smoke fell out of balance or became a bit bland. I may not be returning to it soon, but I’d recommend trying it to see if it’s right for you.
With over thirteen decades making whiskey, Four Roses is a whiskey brand that is both revered and vehemently defended by its fans. Though I always have enjoyed Four Roses, my journey on the global whiskey trail took me a bit too quickly out of Kentucky so I’m taking the first few months of 2018 to revisit this brand and taste its core line again.
First up for review is Four Roses Small Batch, the midrange of the core line, priced in at about $30 a bottle.
With all that said, let’s get on to the review.
Four Roses Small Batch Review
Product Specs
Distiller: Four Roses Distillery
Age: No Age Statement (NAS)
ABV: 45% (90 proof)
The Four Roses mashbill calls for Corn, Rye, and Malted Barley (in that order). The distillery also boasts that it uses five yeast strains that help lend each Four Roses bourbon its unique flavor profile. Four different barrels of whiskey are blended to create Small Batch (with up to 10 being used in the production of standard Four Roses).
Appearance
Four Roses Small Batch is packaged in a bottle that is perhaps the most distinguished in its core line. Tall, with a gently rounded frame and the traditional rose bouquet in center. The whiskey itself is a deep amber, and when swirled in my glass displays moderate to full viscosity.
Nose
The nose is deep but bright, with a moderate amount of ethanol intensity. I pick up aromas of apricot, butter, spiciness (rye), and touches of pepper and smokiness.
Palate
Smooth and soft on entry. The mouth feel is medium bodied and round, with notes of caramel, oak, cinnamon, corn, and vanilla. This is a whiskey that expands and coats the entire palate.
Finish
The finish is my favorite part of Four Roses Small Batch. Where the mouthfeel on entry is very soft and round, the finish is bright, long, and spicy (with a bit of breadiness), never veering into harsh territory.
Conclusion
Four Roses Small Batch is a whiskey you can come back to time and again and always know you’re in for a great experience. Is it the most complex whiskey? Nope. But it is complex, delicious, and avoids the cheap finish that many whiskies in this price range fall into. For $30, Small Batch is a no-brainer.
Disclaimer: Though by no means my first ever (or second or third ever) bottle of Four Roses, this bottle was gifted for review by the Four Roses Distillery.
Up for review today is the Davidoff Year of the Rooster. Anyone who knows me knows that I hold Davidoff in high regard. Yes, their cigars are at the upper end of the price spectrum (at least for non-Cubans). But the quality, consistency, complexity, and harmony of most Davidoff cigars give the company a well deserved status as a legendary cigar company.
The Davidoff Year of the Rooster is a limited edition cigar that was released in late 2016. The cigar is rolled in a classic size (a 6 3/4 x 50 diademas finas). Production for this cigar was limited to 8,000 boxes of 10 (80,000 total) at a price of $40 per cigar.
Let’s get to the review and find out if this cigar justifies the higher price point.
Blend Specifics
Cigar reviewed: Davidoff Year of the Rooster
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano
Binder: Dominican Republic (San Vicente Mejorado)
Filler: Dominican Republic (Criollo seco, Piloto seco, Piloto viso and San Vicente viso)
Size: 6 3/4 x 50
Appearance & Construction
The Year of the Rooster is an attractive cigar, with a double band (one white and gold, the secondary band red and gold). The Ecuadorian Habano wrapper is chocolate brown, mostly smooth with some visible seams. The cigar is moderately firm when squeezed, but by no means hard. As I test the firmness across the length of the cigar, it is mostly consistent, with a one soft spot near halfway.
After cutting using a straight cut, I test the draw which turns out to be about a 7/10 in terms of restrictiveness. My guess is this will change as I smoke the cigar and the foot widens over the course of the smoke.
The pre light draw reveals some wood notes, touches of spice, and a surprising and enjoyable plum note.
Time to light up.
Flavor & Smoke Characteristics
The Davidoff Year of the Rooster opens with mild but robust smoke. The the smoke is cool and slightly creamy, with flavors of coffee, salted almonds, and a touch of caramel. The finish is clean. The draw doesn’t restrict the smoke production, which is at or above average.
At about an inch and a half in, the burn is razor sharp. A subtle pepper note has developed alongside a dry cedar note. There are touches of sweetness here and there, but by and large the saltiness is carrying the flavor profile.
By halfway, the body has increased to medium. The pepper has morphed into a spiciness, and an additional oak and floral note has entered the mix. Construction is still perfect, and as expected at this point, the draw has improved to about an average amount of restrictiveness.
In the final third, the body picks up to medium full, with notes of dry oak, almonds, roast espresso, grass, and white pepper on the palate and the retrohale. Dominant still however, is the saltiness, which I wish would take a backseat to the faint cinnamon flavor that’s been trying to edge into the profile throughout the smoke. This third doesn’t express the amount or kind of complexity I was hoping for in the home stretch.
At two inches to close, the smoke heats up considerably and I put the cigar down.
Conclusion
I can’t help but feel a bit disappointed by this offering from Davidoff. While the cigar initially offered an interesting, albeit mild, bouquet of flavors, the second half was dominated by saltiness and dry wood that effectively elbowed the more enjoyable elements out of the experience. For this Davidoff cigar, and at its $40 price point, I’d have to recommend a hard pass.
Before the internet, whiskey fans had to settle for whatever meager offerings their local liquor store had on hand. However, with the advent and proliferation of online shopping, a whole world of fantastic liquor is now on our metaphorical (and physical) doorsteps. But what are the best online whiskey retailers?
The tough part is, there are a lot out there. I will say straight up that one of the most important considerations you’ll face buying whiskey online is the cost of shipping. Not only are bottles heavy, which bumps your bottle purchase price up, but many of my favorite whiskey websites are based in the UK. So, much of “the best” has to do with what you’re buying and where you live. If you live in the USA but want more selection (9,000+ whiskies), buy from The Whiskey Exchange. I’ve noted which states each company can ship to.
So with that little summary out of the way, let’s dive in to the list.
Winner: The Whisky Exchange
The Whisky Exchange sits at the top of our list for the UK, with a five star meta-rating on British consumer advice website TrustPilot. You can find many top shelf whiskies on The Whiskey Exchange at prices that are 10%, 20%, or even 30% lower than what you find on US based websites, though you have to deal with sky-high shipping costs.
The Whisky Exchange stocks a fine range of both popular and esoteric whiskeys in almost any variety, and, unlike Wine Searcher, is a lot more straightforward to navigate. With separate tabs for Scotch and World Whisky, browsing or discovering new spirits you’d never heard of before is simple. The World Whisky tab has sections for American whiskies, as well as for several European and Asian countries, and other far-flung locations such as New Zealand and South Africa.
Of course, while The Whisky Exchange offers global shipping, you are going to need to pay a premium to get your chosen drink delivered to the US. The key here is to make bulk purchases. If you buy three or four bottles, you’ll save enough to offset shipping costs, and if you buy even more you can start buying really expensive scotches for way less than you’d pay in the USA. Your goods will be packaged with great care and should reach these shores in top condition.
Ships to: Alaska, California, Connecticut, Delaware, DC, Florida, Idaho, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Wyoming
Runner Up: The Whisky Barrel (UK)
As we hear your wallets creaking under the strain of further shipping and import costs, an apology may be in order, because taking the second spot on our best list is another store from across the Atlantic – The Whisky Barrel.
The Whisky Barrel offers a similarly wide range of spirits, with several exclusive to the website. The site’s navigation and sorting tabs are just as detailed as those found on The Whisky Exchange, with separate menus for scotch, independent, and world whiskeys.
The Whisky Barrel, however, allows you to browse by distillery with an easily-accessible A-Z tab (which comes in handy).
On the price side, The Whisky Barrel seems to be slightly lower than The Whisky Exchange on some products. For example, 70cl of Glenfiddich XX comes in at $72.92 on The Whisky Exchange, compared to $59.22 at The Whisky Barrel [correct at time of writing] – so do some price comparing before buying.
While certainly not for the average whiskey drinker (or the faint of wallet), Hard to Find Whisky is a must-visit destination for those connoisseurs with a bit (read: lot) more money to put down on the best drinks in the world. These guys built a business answering the question “where to find rare whiskey online.” It was a smart strategy, and they’ve done a good job delivering.
With prices ranging from $42.12 for a 150th Anniversary Edition of Jack Daniels, to an eye-watering $49,227.43 for a (presumably) sublime 37-year-old Macallan 1940, Hard to Find Whiskeys has a wide selection of the very finest and rarest whiskey available. The site also offers a “Whisky Masterclass” gift voucher. You’ll need to make a trip to the company’s headquarters in Birmingham, UK, but the voucher entitles you to a tasting selection of five fine whiskeys, as well as a special tasting tutelage using a bespoke Hard to Find Whisky method.
Even if you have no intention of splashing out a few grand on a bottle, the website is well worth a visit just to peruse some of the fantastic and rare whiskeys on offer.
Ships to: all states
Love Scotch (USA)
Love Scotch may not be the best online whiskey retailer in the world, but it gets our nod as a solid online retailer in the United States.
Aside from a wide range of great whiskeys from around the globe, Love Scotch has a fascinating gallery of photos showing tours the staff have taken of various whiskey distilleries. That’s right, the folks at Love Scotch have heart. Most importantly: being an American-based company, you can expect to spend a lot less in shipping and customs fees on your favorite drinks than you would from one of our top two choices.
Ships to: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming
The Worst
Whisky Shop USA (USA)
Whisky Shop USA is an interesting one. Customer testimonials for the San Francisco based brick and mortar location are very positive. Why then did the company decide to create a website that is so difficult to navigate or even at times read? The UI is pretty uninteresting, and there are several whiskey entries which don’t have an image attached.
There are few things I find more unappealing in an e-store than the “image coming soon” placeholder.
But let’s be honest, these aren’t the most devastating critiques of an online store. It’s a fact of God’s goodness that, unlike the online cigar retail world, we whiskey drinkers don’t have whiskey websites flat out ripping people off.
Final Thoughts
When it comes to enjoying the pleasure of a smooth and soothing glass of whiskey, there have never been more options available. Whether your budget is in the tens or thousands of dollars, there’s a wide range of liquor out there ready to be shipped to keep your cabinet well stocked.
Do you have a favorite online whiskey retailer that should be on this list but isn’t? Let us know in the comments.
Disclaimer: affiliate links may be included in this post at no cost to you. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own!
The cigar industry is full of stories. Some of them true, plenty made up, and all embellished in one way or another (“the [insert family name here] family has been in the business for 200 years, and the farm was personally blessed by Fidel Castro, Pope JP II, and Michael Jordan“). In fact, the cigar world seems so full of stories like these that it’s a bit of a surprise when a cigar company decides to create a cigar based on popular culture. The Highclere Castle by Foundation Cigar Co. is one of those cigars, hitching a ride of the coattails of the popular television series Downton Abbey.
Here’s the backstory, as related on the Foundation website:
Highclere’s rich cigar history goes back to 1862, when cigars were first introduced to England. The tradition at Highclere Castle has always been to retire to the library after dinner for a cigar and whiskey. In 1922, the current Earl’s great-grandfather undoubtedly celebrated his and Howard Carter’s discovery of King Tut’s Tomb with a cigar in hand. Recently, Highclere Castle’s archivist discovered letters and personal account records of the Carnarvon’s cigar purchases in the early 1900s from dealers in London as well as the Ritz Hotel.
Melillo subsequently crafted a cigar that reflects that historic flavor profile and smoking style. The Highclere Castle Cigar is hand rolled in Estelí, Nicaragua, using a Connecticut Shade wrapper, and both Criollo and Corojo from the volcanic soils of Jalapa and the island of Ometepe. The binder is made from Mata Fina, a dark tobacco from Brazil. The blend is finalized with an exclusive hybrid seed the company has named Nicadán.
And luckily for Highclere Castle, Nick Melillo paid real attention to quality, uniqueness, and presentation in the making of this cigar.
With that, let’s get on to the review.
Blend Specifics
Cigar Reviewed: Highclere Castle Robusto
Wrapper: Connecticut Shade Grown
Binder: Brazilian Mata Fina
Filler: Nicaragua (Jalapa & Ometepe)
Size: Robusto (5 x 50)
Appearance & Construction
The Highclair Castle is a beautifully branded, impeccably constructed cigar. I love the white, red, and raised gold on the band. It complements the light Connecticut wrapper very well. After a straight cut, I test the draw, which is moderately restrictive, which I hope doesn’t create issues with smoke production. The pre-light draw is very light and clean, with some grassiness and sweet tobacco evident, along with a very light spice.
Flavor & Smoke Characteristics
Highclair Castle opens with extremely flavorful, medium body/full strength smoke. Opening notes include sweet hay, almonds, toasted bread, cedar, and a floral finish. The texture is very smooth, with a finely ground white pepper on the retrohale. This cigar is a sipping cigar—not to be smoked too quickly as the strength can quickly overwhelm my palate.
At an inch in, the flavors become more condensed and the strength of flavors is now in the full range. The almond note becomes stronger, and I sense some black pepper entering into the profile as well. The tightness of the draw does seem to have affected smoke production, but Highclere Castle is still in an above average range in terms of the amount of smoke produced.
The second third sees the pepper notes ramp up on the retrohale, and the cedar becomes drier. Most prominent are the nuts (which at this point are closer to peanuts than almonds) and the floral/vanilla notes. The burn has been entirely straight throughout the cigar.
In the final third, the bread note morphs into a burnt toast (overly burnt, that is), the smoke temperature picks up, and some harshness creeps in. That’s really quite heartbreaking as I was enjoying the cigar immensely. The floral notes pull way back, and the pepper increases. At around an inch and a half left, the smoke has become so overpowering that I set the cigar down.
Conclusion
The Highclere Castle Robusto by Foundation Cigar Co dishes out big, complex flavor. It also delivers great smoke production and good construction. Besides the final third (which was not a winning way to end the experience), I thought at times the flavors fell out of balance in significant ways. The moments of balance though? Pure bliss. If you can shell out $16 for it, give this cigar a try. If you’re on a tighter budget, I recommend the Oliva Connecticut Reserve, which I think offers a similar experience.
