Foundation El Gueguense Cigar Review

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El Gueguense (“The Wise Man”) is the first release from Nicholas Mellilo of Foundation Cigar Co. Like The Tabernacle, it was reviewed very favorably by myself, the wider cigar blogosphere, and also Cigar Aficionado which gave it a Top 25 rating in 2016.

As you’ll see in the review below, this cigar deserves the praise that it gets.

Blend Specs

Wrapper: 1999 Corojo (Nicaragua)
Binder: Nicaragua (Criollo/Corojo)
Filler: Nicaragua
Size: 5 5/8″ x 46

Appearance and Construction

Silky smooth, almost velvety wrapper. Chocolate brown criollo wrapper. Solid amount of weight in the hand. Slightly springy when squeezed. Off the foot I can smell some hay, spices, and woodiness.

Beautiful artwork on the band, but zero points for pronunciation of the name.

Flavor & Smoke Characteristics

Opens with strong notes of cedar, cinnamon, brown sugar, and touches of white pepper, baking spices, floral notes and salt. Very intriguing. Throughout the first third remains very smooth, with an enjoyable mix of sweet and savory notes. Smoke production is strong.

In the second third, black pepper notes begin to predominate, alongside lots of Oak. On top of the floral notes, this is one heck of a flavor profile. No touch ups on the burn required so far.

In the final third, the strength increases and I’m really feeling the nicotine of the smoke. The taste borders much more on the savory side. As the cigar comes to a close, the smoke is mostly dry with notes of oak and some floral notes. Not how I hoped it would end, but still a fantastic smoking experience overall.

Conclusion

This cigar offers a flavor profile that is very unique given what is currently on the market. If you are looking for a cigar that is bold, complex, and unique, then pick up a five pack.

Final grade: A

Buy the Foundation Cigar Co Gueguense from Famous Smoke Shop (our preferred retailer) here.

Aging Room Solera Sungrown Review

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Up for review today is the Aging Room Sungrown Solera Fantastico (Toro). The Solera line was released at IPCPR 2016 and since then has gained significant traction in the U.S. and international market. This line is particularly visible on social media because the large double-bands make this line impossible to miss on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

Blend specs

Wrapper: Dominican Republic Sungrown
Binder: Dominican Republic
Filler: Dominican Republic
Size: 5.6″ x 54 (Toro)

Appearance & Construction

A beautifully constructed cigar in just about every way. The brown wrapper has a marblized texture, and veins are minimal. The draw is perfect, with just a bit of restrictiveness. The branding is also extremely well done, both from a practical standpoint (it stands out on the shelves) and also aesthetically.

Flavor & Smoke Characteristics

This cigar opens with mild to medium bodied smoke. Initially, there are touches of pepper and strong woodiness, but at about 3 – 4 minutes in, additional floral notes and touches of peanuts are present. The rest of the first third is dominated by round, smooth smoke and soft floral, peanut, and oak notes. Strength increases to a solid medium.

The second third changes dramatically, with the smoke becoming more dry, with notes of black and white pepper, spices, dry wood, with a touch of the peanuts from the third before.

In the final third, the smoke remains more dry than the first third, but the smoke becomes smoother than the second. Notes include dry cedar and bitter espresso. The smoke gets a bit hot near the end so I put the cigar out.

Conclusion

For under $9, this cigar is a must-smoke. It has what many $10+ cigars don’t have: clear, distinct notes, complex aromas, great construction, and a great look.

Final Grade: A-

Buy the Aging Room Solera Sungrown from Famous Smoke Shop (our preferred retailer) here.

The Tabernacle Cigar Review

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The Tabernacle by Foundation Cigar Co has been making big waves since its release in 2016, particularly on social media and some blogs where it has some die hard fans. I picked one up at Cigar Inn on 53rd and 2nd ave almost by accident a few weeks ago, and after smoking it decided I needed to come back to it for a review.
TLDR: does ti live up to the hype? I think so (read on below to find out why). The Tabernacle, though not overly complex, produces some very definite notes that will leave lovers of darker cigars hypnotized.

Blend Specifics

Producer: Foundation Cigar Co.

Wrapper: Nicaraguan (Connecticut Broadleaf)
Binder: Mexican San Andreas

Filler: Nicaraguan and Honduran

Size: Corona (5 1/4 x 46)

Appearance & Construction

Off the bat, I love the branding on this cigar. Looking past the fact that the name is a bit sacrilegious, the color combinations and art on this band are phenomenal and leave a lasting impression (exactly what a band should do). The wrapper itself is a rustic dark brown that has a velvety texture to the touch.
The draw is mostly free and, if any past Tabernacle’s I’ve smoked are any indication, there will be plenty of smoke produced for this review.

Smoke & Flavor Characteristics

Smelling the foot of the cigar, I pick up notes of chocolate, some cedar, whiffs of caramel and some hay.
Lighting up the Tabernacle is a lot like lighting up a dark chocolate bar sprinkled with sea salt. Extremely smooth and opulent smoke. As the minutes inch on, the smoke builds in flavor and strength, adding white and black pepper and cedar. The cigar produces a lot of smoke.
Working into the second third, I’m picking up notes of peanuts and butter on top of the chocolatey base. The texture is reminiscent of marshmellow. The burn is pretty good, though not perfect, and the cigar stays lit for a decent amount of time — just don’t set it down for more than 3 – 4 minutes or you’ll have to relight.
In the final third, the peanut note is back and more prominent than before, along with a marshmallow like flavor.

Conclusion

The Tabernacle is an easy recommendation. Anyone who likes full bodied cigars that are complex, spot on in terms of flavors, and just undeniably enjoyable will love this smoke.

Final Grade: A

Buy The Tabernacle from Foundation Cigar Co from Famous Smoke Shop (our preferred retailer) here.

Jim Beam Signature Craft Red Wheat Review

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Let me start by saying I’m not a big fan of Jim Beam bourbon. There’s always been something on the back end of the flavor and finish of this brand that has bothered me. But, a week ago I was at my favorite liquor store in Queens (36th Ave Wine & Spirits), and saw that a bottle of Jim Beam Signature Soft Red Wheat was on sale for far below it’s typical price.  So I thought, what the heck. I’ll give it a try. Below is the whiskey review.

Specifics

Distiller: Jim Beam
ABV: 45%
Age: 11 Years
Mashbill: 76% corn, 13% red winter wheat, 10% malt

Appearance

The bottle itself is very beautiful, and well branded. Gives it a look of quality that most bottles of American whiskey simply don’t have. The color of the whiskey is a deep amber.

Nose

Vanilla, some spice, oak, and some fruity apricot notes.

Taste

On first sip, there’s a lot going on in this whiskey. Although in other whiskies that might amount to high ratings for complexity, in this whiskey I find it just… confusing. Yes, there’s oak, some spice too. But I find myself thinking that this whiskey would be better off with some rye in it. I just don’t see what the wheat component is adding besides making the whiskey feel and taste just a bit drier than a typical bourbon in a rather unpleasant way.

Finish

The finish is long and spicey, probably my favorite part of this whiskey. But even here there is on the back end of the finish that Beam bourbon aftertaste that I’m not attracted to.

Conclusion

I mentioned previously that I got this whiskey at a steep discount from its normal $45 – $50 price. I would never pay that much for a 375 ml bottle of this whiskey. Even at the discounted price of under $25, I don’t think I’ll be returning and this bottle will have to sit on the shelf and wait for a guest to request a Beam whiskey

Final grade: C

Tatuaje Monster Series “The Michael” Review

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In the tenth installment of Pete Johnson’s Monster Series which is a homage to horror films and now a seasonal Halloween treat we have “The Michael”.  Pete has stated that “The Chuck” and “Tiff” from the Pudgy Monsters are considered a part of the series making this addition number twelve. Having smoked all of these since their inception and discussing it with Pete numerous times the purist in me is sticking with this cigar as number ten.  Named after the knife wielding mental institution escapee Micheal Myers of the Halloween films, this cigar sports a size that attempts to represent the weapon of choice used in the films to deliver the carnage that makes these movies classics. To me it looks simply like a long Toro or a Toro Extra. It must be difficult rolling or creating cigars to represent these characters and with The Michael I am not feeling “Monster” here. No matter, lets get to the Tatuaje Michael review shall we?

Blend Specifics

Vitola:  6 ½ x 52- Toro Extra

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano

Binder: Nicaraguan

Filler:  Nicaraguan

Appearance

Slight veins adorn this milk chocolate colored wrapper. The label is black with a slight blueish hue with the words “Tatuaje” scripted along with “”HALLOWEEN” and “MONSTER” in print. The cigar is well rolled with no discerning soft spots.

Flavor & Smoke Characteristics

The Micheal starts off with notes of wood, hay and muted spice. The spice picks up a bit giving the cigar a little more character however nothing substantial. The medium body seems to stay there without much variation.

Midway the cigar offers some sweet cream with a bit of coconut. The spice returns with flinty notes on its finish. The cigar struggled to stay lit several times which affected its flavor. During this time I picked up a bit of earthiness which quickly dissipated. The body of this cigar has been medium at this point throughout.

The Final third yielded more hay, spice and earth. The ash held its own here and the cigar was well constructed. The flinty notes came and went and the finish fell short for me. The cigar never strayed from its medium bodied profile and the changes in its complexity were minimal.

Conclusion

Having smoked the entire Monster Series from the beginning I give a lot of credit to Pete for creating a themed cigar that has made cigar smokers go crazy for dress boxes to collect and these cigars to acquire. Admittedly I was as excited as any of the lot who enjoyed Pete and Pepin creating magical cigars and when “The Frank” came out I bought two dress boxes straight away. Having said that I feel “The Michael” falls short in creativity and more importantly complexity in a cigar.  In my experience my top  three Monster Series cigars are “The Frank” when it was first released (I acquired another box not long ago and they do not age well, save your money), “The Mummy” possesses quite a unique flavor profile and I’ve found “The Jekyll” just gets better over time. On a side note if you ever get your hands on a “Boris” which is not a Monster Series cigar but was released along side “The Drac” grab them as they age phenomenally. With “The Michael” as with any horror franchise that usually goes beyond its shelf life it tends to become less interesting, dull or simply ridiculous.  Although I wouldn’t say “The Michael” is a bad cigar it just wasn’t as interesting or creative as I’ve seen from Pete. However as a diehard horror fan I’ve watched those sequels and I’ve bought this cigar regardless and if you are of that ilk you will probably do the same.

 

 

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