There are many adversities for NYC cigar smokers and retailers. Between high taxes and constant pushbacks from congress and the community, there aren’t many places we can go to enjoy a product that is supposed to help us relax. Amidst what seems to be a bleak future, a new hope shines through and plants itself among the streets of Harlem.
Harlem Sanctuary is a social group established by Rajab Curtisand his business partner Charles Godbold. The location hides between two brick buildings without signage except their logo “H/S” on one slim door. The lounge is dimly lit and decorated with paintings Rajab had personally procured through various artists such as King Prolifik,Kenneth Picasso, etc. There is a small walk-in humidor towards the back filled with cigars ranging from local boutique brands such as Cigargods to more well-known brands like Oscar Valladares’s Leaf by Oscar. One of the most intricate things is a secret stairwell behind one particular painting that leads you to the basement level. This separate area is specifically for hookah smokers that can also be occupied by cigar smokers, just not the other way around.
photo courtesy of Harlem Sanctuaryphoto courtesy of Harlem Sanctuaryphoto courtesy of Harlem Sanctuary
During an interview, Rajab stated that he wanted to recreate the golden age in African American Culture, the Harlem Renaissance, and combine that with the welcoming and relaxing vibe of a cigar lounge. When asked what his vision and goals are for the club, Rajab mentioned the five principles Harlem Sanctuary was founded on, also known as the five Cs: Cigars, Creativity, Collaboration, Culture, and Community. With that in mind, he wants to provide his club members with new experiences through events such as Game Nights, Culture events, Networking, Lady’s Nights, and many more.
photo courtesy of Harlem Sanctuary
Currently, Harlem Sanctuary is still in a soft opening stage due to various delays that are out of their control. However, you can check out the lounge with a day pass or become a member. For more details, please visit their website.
Cain F 550 cigars are handcrafted by the Oliva Cigar Company in Nicaragua. Oliva Cigar Company, founded in 1995, is Nicaragua’s second largest grower of tobacco and one of the largest cigar makers in the world. The Cain line of cigars, first appeared in 2009, and are meant to bring ligero tobacco into the focal point of your smoking experience. The F series uses more (32%) of the stronger ligero from Esteli in the filler, as opposed to the other Cain cigars.
Blend Specifics
Cigar Reviewed: Cain F 550
Wrapper: Colorado Maduro
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Size: 5 3/4 x 50
Appearance & Construction
This toro cigar is a nice milk chocolate brown in complexion with a seamless wrapper. Its almost as if the wrapper leaf was just slipped onto the binder and filler like a stocking. It has a single cap, and is rolled tight. It feels sturdy, and packed fairly even from top to bottom. It has a faint hint of cedar and chocolate aroma on the body and foot of the cigar.
Flavor & Smoke Characteristics
The cigar has a very tight cold draw, with cedar and cold steel on the breath.
It combusts beautifully with a very even light. The type of light-up where you know the construction was absolutely flawless.
The first third tastes of mahogany and spice. The tight draw is not as distracting as I would have assumed. I am just basking in the construction as I sit back and relax. This cigar is built like a battleship. Its great when cigar can put a veteran smoker at ease. I don’t foresee any burn issues in my future. More chocolate aroma off the foot. Zesty cedar and spice on the backed. Faint Strawberry on the retrohale.
Second third turns into a very woody smoke, however, its creamier with lingering spice. The ash build up is spectacular and almost picture perfect. It still has a tight draw, bust as I mentioned, you don’t have to suck the life out of it. The cigar is managing the heat very well. Still a chocolatey aroma off the foot. Lots of wood on the retro.
Last third, is still woody. There is less spice, but still creamy. Great smoke production with volume. Strawberry and hazelnuts on the back end. The flavors get grippier like wine tannins as the cigar burns towards the finish line. Popcorn on the retrohale. Chocolate frosting aroma off the foot. Spice returns as the cigars ends.
Conclusion
The Cin F 550 was a great smoking experience. This was my first Cain ever, though not my first Oliva. Oliva always has a way of pleasing the critics. The Cain F 550 wasn’t a complex smoke, but very enjoyable with a steady change in flavor. If you like chocolate, wood, and spice, then you’re definitely in for a treat. The MSRP is also very appealing for a well built toro such as this. I would absolutely recommend the Cain F 550 to anyone looking for Nicaraguan puro with body, texture, and reliability. Enjoy!
The AJ Fernandez New World Cameroon Doble Robusto is manufactured by AJ Fernandez. AJ Fernandez, is the grandson heir to the famed Cuban cigar brand San Latano, thus, making AJ a third generation cigarmaker. Before establishing himself as an individual force-to-be-reckoned-with in the cigar industry, AJ shined as a partnering manufacturer for Cigars International and Rocky Patel. Today, AJ owns and operates one of Nicaragua’s biggest premium cigar factories, producing some 9 million cigars a year, and currently selling its products in more than 32 countries.
Blend Specifics
Cigar Reviewed: AJ Fernandez New World Cameroon Doble Robusto
Wrapper: Cameroon
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Size: 5.5 x 54
Appearance & Construction
A soft box-press rustic robusto with a wrapper leaf that looks like crust-punk patch-work. Its striated and delicate. I notice it doesn’t fully cover the binder/filler. There is the slightest centimeter of binder/filler protruding out from this wrapper at the foot. I wonder if that was done on purpose? It is packed very loose with a double cap, and feels very light weight in my hands. Strong cedar and chocolate aroma coming off the body and the foot of the cigar. So much so, you don’t even have to hold it close to your nose.
Flavor & Smoke Characteristics
The cold draw is super loose and airy with faint dark chocolate on the breath. It toasts and combusts well.
At first puff I am blown over by a BBQ pit smoker. Nice and strong mesquite. However, that flavor bomb dies down and the cigar become more subdued fairly fast. Whatever the blend is, it makes me salivate a lot. A good sign of premium tobacco. There is spice and the unique farming taste of freshly picked sweet field greens. If you’ve ever harvested broccoli leaves or cabbage stem leaves before the actual brassica grows to full maturity, then you have a clue of what I’m talking about. There is wood, spice, and fruit on the finish of each puff as well as on the retrohale. So far, it handles the heat well, and I don’t necessarily have to pace my smoking speed. There is lots of leather also on my palate as the tobacco oils heat up, and a nice nutmeg aroma coming from the foot.
The second third opens with a sweeter and even lighter profile. Leather forward with spice on the finish. Lots of pencil shaving taste developing. Not my go to “woody note” as a cigar smoker. There is still nutmeg aromas coming from the foot, with some nice hot mesquite on the retro.
The last third begins to get harsh. This happens to be a reoccurring theme the more I smoke loosely packed cigars, as well as a reoccurring issue with box pressed cigars. Where’s the cigar forum “bro-science” to help explain this away for once?! I’m experiencing some savory notes like cumin. There are also earthy tones with lingering leather. Still a nice spice on the finish with the hospitable nutmeg aroma on the foot. Spicy retro with hints of vegetable. Not my cup of tea.
Conclusion
The AJ Fernandez New World Cameroon Doble Robusto was alright. Not my go-to smoke even at the attractively low MSRP. The last third ruined it for me. However, if you’re a big fan of leather, spice, and pencil shavings, then the AJ Fernandez New World Cameroon Doble Robusto is for you. I wont say its the best expression of Cameroon wrapper on the market, even at this price point, but the sweetness was there. With so many people in the market experimenting with this specific wrapper leaf nowadays its hard to tell who is actually sourcing real Cameroon from African terroir and who isn’t. I’m not saying the AJ Fernandez New World Cameroon Doble Robusto will steer you in the wrong direction, I just think Fuente is still the king of Cameroon at the end of the day. It’s a totally different smoking experience to be sure, but a much better one at that, and with a comparable price tag depending on which Fuente mark you choose from. ENJOY!
The Limited Cigar Association—a subsidiary of Privada Cigar Club—releases each year a single farm puro from a noted master blender. This 2021 release is a Honduran puro. Christian Eiroa—original creator of Camacho and now his own lines—is the man behind this blend. Honduran puros haven’t impressed me as much over the years, so this blind review was another test of what this region can do.
Blend Specifics
Cigar Reviewed- LCA Reserva Vintage 2021
Wrapper- Honduran Corojo
Binder- Honduran Corojo
Filler: Honduran Corojo
Size- 6’x 44’ (Lonsdale)
Appearance and Construction
The wrapper is light and silky with a noticeable thick vein on top. I can see the cap is crumpled looking and not very attractive. There are noticeable soft spots as I squeeze the cigar which is concerning. The foot smells of barnyard and oak.
Taste and Smoking Characteristics
I clip the smoke with a guillotine cutter which takes a small piece of the lopsided cap. Taking a dry draw it’s sweet and salty with wood notes. Another puff and I’m picking up white pepper and almond paste. With a retrohale pepper and cedar come through with cocoa powder on the exhale. Thus far the cigar is in the medium bodied range with a nice whitish gray ash. With another draw there’s more toasted oak with some mustiness. More wood and light pepper on the sides of my palate are beginning to development in intensity. The second half of the smoke has some savory notes with nougat that ends in a creamy finish. With a slow draw biscuit and cedar keep the cigar well balanced to a medium body. The retrohale is creamy with cedar and earth coating the sides of my mouth as it wafts through my nostrils. A slight bitterness prevails on my next draw but saves itself with a rich earthiness on the back end. The ash continues to be straight, which was a concern with the soft spots I felt previously. Toast and oak prevail with an effortless draw that makes this cigar easy to smoke.
The last third gives off balsa wood, cherry and roasted nuts. Some bitterness returns with a slightly green taste from the tobacco. Just as quickly I take another retrohale and there’s a large amount of salted almonds and sweet cream. More biscuit and cream linger on the palate with a slow cool draw. I’m impressed at the end of this smoke there appears that the flavors are more pronounced. As I take final puff wood and cream created a long flavorful finish.
Conclusion
This was a wonderful medium bodied blend. The cigar had a balance of toast, oak, cedar with the right amounts of spice to keep you interested and along the way creaminess work its way through. The slightly green bitterness I picked up a few times was a drawback however it quickly corrected itself in the smoke. Finding out this was an LCA Reserva Vintage I was impressed that a Honduran puro had this much to offer. I would recommend a box or at least a fiver to let sit a few months.
The Room 101 Doomsayer Passive Toro is manufactured in the Dominican Republic By Room 101 Cigars. Room 101 is a luxury lifestyle brand founded by Matt Booth in Los Angeles California in 2003, initially crafting custom jewelry. The cigar brand was founded in 2009, and has had help with the manufacturing and distribution phases through a long list of recognizable cigar industry faces such as Camacho, Davidoff, Caldwell, La Pallina, AJ Fernandez, Adventura, and most recently General Cigars.
Blend Specifics
Cigar Reviewed: Room 101 Doomsayer Passive Toro
Wrapper: Ecuador Habano
Binder: Indonesian
Filler: Honduran, Nicaraguan, Pennsylvania
Size: 6 x 55
Appearance & Construction
Grape and apple harvest in Upstate New York is soon upon us! I will be busier then ever. This is a good and a bad thing. Good, because I make the most income around this time of year. Bad, because I don’t have that much time to smoke. I’ve tried to be a tough guy on an apple ladder with a stogie hanging out of my mouth while delicately reaching into the tree of knowledge of good and evil and almost died in the garden of Eden before even having a chance to be cursed and banished for all of eternity. I’m older and wiser now, plus, haven’t you heard silly rabbit? Tricks are for kids! That being said, I binge smoke up until the workload becomes an all-consuming fire. Review cigars will just have to get included in this offensive troop surge, also known as my “pre-harvest rotation.”
Tonight, I curl up next to a gorgeous toro that feels like a baby’s breath in my hands. The construction off-the-bat looks superb, almost like it came out of Perdomo’s factory. For fans of Perdomo cigars, you know exactly what I’m talking about. The cigar itself has a very sweet cedery aroma, with hints of mint tea with honey. NOTE: fans of mint tea with honey, know exactly what I’m talking about! The wrapper leaf is a light brown with a rustic countenance. It has a single cap.
Flavor & Smoke Characteristics
The cold draw is as loose as can be but with tons of weight on the palate. TONS OF PEPPER! The leaf and construction, as mentioned, are perfect but also delicate. It doesn’t take long to toast and combust the cigar. At first puff, the cigar is very pepper forward. Chili pepper! There are nice hints of baking spice and nougat at times depending on your smoking speed. Nougat on the retro as the cigar heats up. The tobacco keeps my palate wet, and is very reminiscent of drinking chocolate milk. The aroma coming from the foot smells like someone just baked brownies.
The second third opens up like the first day back to school. The smoke production has been nothing but outstanding so far, but the mouthfeel is chalky with hints of pencil shavings. There is still this lingering cocoa note. As it progresses, I’m getting stronger notes of copper pennies, and black coffee. The pepper which was very dominating throughout, begins to fade. There is a tongue gripping floral and perfume note. Same on the retrohale. The cigar beigns to burn a little hot, and I take longer pauses in between sips. The foot aroma is similar to birthday cake.
The last third becomes harsh. I also have some burn issues from the tobacco oils pooling on certain wrapper leaf spots. The ash was solid on the first third, but for the last two sections, its becoming quite flakey. Im getting burnt hazelnuts as the only tasting note. Same on the retrohale. Some hints of cedar off the foot aroma. The smoke singes my tongue and dries out my palate even after purging the cigar a couople times. Theres no hope!
Conclusion
The Room 101 Doomsayer Passive Toro reminded me a lot of a spicy corojo cigar with some unusal cupcake shop flavors. I found the diverse tobacco blending to be quite the experience, until the last third. It’s not that I’m bias towards larger vitolas, but I just hate smoking big cigars that cant go their advertised distance. I find this to be the case alot of the time. The MSRP on the Room 101 Doomsayer Passive Toro is quite attractive for a larger well-packed cigar, but there are simply other bargain big sticks more worth your time. They may not be as nuanced, but will defintely burn better on the last half. Enjoy!
