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Blind Review: Cigar Clowns “The Ronald”

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Cigar Clowns “The Ronald”

In 2021, Limited Cigar Association (owned by Privada Cigar Club) released Cigar Clowns “The Ronald.” This toro size cigar recognizes the popular clown Ronald McDonald of the fast food McDonalds chain. Master blender AJ Fernandez created this smoke at his Esteli factory as a Nicaraguan puro. AJ has developed blends for a variety of cigar companies and has a superb reputation as someone that processes and treats tobacco with an expert touch. I’ve smoked many of his cigars which rarely if ever disappoint in taste and quality. Read on for the blind review.

Blend Specifics

  • Cigar Reviewed: Cigar Clowns “The Ronald”
  • Wrapper: Nicaraguan Habano
  • Binder: Nicaraguan 
  • Filler: Nicaraguan 
  • Size: 6″ x 50 (Toro)
Cigar Clowns “The Ronald” Review
Cigar Clowns “The Ronald” Review

Blind Review: Cigar Clowns “The Ronald”

Appearance & Construction

There’s an oily sheen to this toothy, milk chocolate colored wrapper. The foot is a bit spongy and as I run my fingers alongside the cigar there are no discerning soft spots. Giving a roll in my palm, the uniformity of the smoke is evident and the quality in construction is there. The accent is the triple cap on the head that makes the cigar more attractive. The foot smells of cocoa bean and rich chocolate.

Flavor & Smoke Characteristics

A straight cut clips just enough of the head and giving a dry draw, there’s must and some grit from the wrapper. With a cigar taper I toast the foot which burns brightly. Taking a puff, the cigar starts off spicy with some heat and black pepper. The smoke turns up right away and is wafting thick in the air. Taking a retrohale there’s distinct graham cracker and floral notes resonating from my nostrils. The white/gray ash is uneven while I draw slowly. Vanilla and cream counterbalance the strength from the cigar’s full body. 

By midway, I’m picking up burnt almonds with the profile in the medium to full bodied range. On the retrohale there’s notes of tin and copper that is rather displeasing. Another draw yields spiciness that ends a bit harshly. The burn line continues to falter, and the spice turns to cedar with a short finish. I’m currently enjoying the spice and wood notes although I wish the flavors lasted a little longer. With another puff there is serious chocolate coming from the cigar, giving this cigar some sweetness and making the profile more interesting.

Reaching the last third the full strength continues with black pepper interplaying with cocoa and cinnamon. I’m getting sea salt with toasted oats and a full blast of smoke that coats my palate. The finish continues to be short with little left on the tongue as I exhale. There’s a metallic taste with a retrohale and bakers chocolate pushing through that’s becoming bitter. With a final puff the wood and pepper come together to emphasize the strength of this cigar.   

Conclusion

AJ has such a wide variety of blends and styles its hard to nail down where this one fits. Right away there was spice and heat with a full bodied profile. The toast and wood notes evident midway were enjoyable, minus the tin and copper notes on the retrohale which create some bitterness on the short finish. With the exception of the metallic tastes that resonated on the last two thirds of the cigar, this was an enjoyable full bodied smoke. I would recommend picking up one or two and laying them down for a few months and see where The Clown takes you.

Final Rating: 89

Blind Cigar Review: J. London Queen’s Guard

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J. London Queen's Guard Review

Jonathan Fiant has been developing his J. London brand largely under the radar since 2014. Truly a boutique blend made at the Tabcalera William Ventura, the Gold Series uses an Ecuadorian Connecticut Shade wrapper in its line. Admittedly I have little experience with this brand and what I’ve smoked from the William Ventura factory has been hit or miss. Fortunately, this was a blind tasting which gave the benefit of evaluating without the bias of knowing the brand, producer, or country of origin. I believe this is the only true and accurate way to discern a cigar if you are choosing to give it a rating. As a person who has Sommelier certifications, if would be laughable to rate a wine properly while having the luxury of knowing exactly what you are tasting. As far as I saw it, this was just a petit corona that I was looking forward to trying out!

J. London Queen's Guard Review

Blend Specifics

  • Cigar Reviewed: J. London Queens Guard
  • Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut
  • Binder: Ecuadorian Connecticut
  • Filler: Dominican
  • Size: 4 1/2x 38 (Petit Corona)

Appearance and Construction

This petit corona sports a tan, somewhat greenish wrapper. The roll is effortless and even in hand and feeling the wrapper I’m seeing it’s a bit soft in certain areas. There are minimal veins and a silkiness that makes this cigar smooth to the touch. The heft is light which would account to the lack of packing in the filler tobaccos. Smelling the foot, I’m picking up vanilla bean and a faint earthiness.

Flavor and Smoke Characteristics

A straight cut with my Lamborghini guillotine cutter slices quick and clean. I take a dry draw and wood notes ala oak as well as mushroom and wheat come through. I figure this cigar needs a soft easy flame, so I take a long match and lightly toast it. With the first puff there’s maple and leather with a dryness on the palate. Another slow draw brings about a fruitiness that does not last long. I take a retrohale and there’s candy corn and a dampness on the exhale. This is a mild smoke to start with only a small uptick to a medium body. The ash is presenting itself as whitish/gray and thus far holding on.

The middle of the petit corona is showing some pealing in the wrapper which is concerning. Another puff delivers marzipan and cedar notes. With a quick retrohale that stings my nostrils, a bit of oak and some floral notes intermix ending with a short finish. The wrapper continues to peel slightly as the strength builds into the medium range. Another draw and I pick up a pleasant creaminess with rose petal that develops into an earthiness on the back end. There seems to be a bit more complexities at present which is making the cigar more interesting.

Coming to the last third there’s fruit and nuts with a bite to the finish. I take a longer puff where there’s more wheat and wood notes that cover the sides of my mouth and quickly dissipate. The retrohale seems to reveal a bit more from this cigar and as I take one there’s vanilla and a nuttiness that lingers. The wrapper is still peeling although it has not unraveled completely and hasn’t compromised the taste as much as I worried it might. The medium body seems to be where its staying and a last draw of this petit corona gives off a dying leathery finish that began the cigar. A roundabout ending to the smoke.

Conclusion

As I mentioned I haven’t had a lot of experience with the J. London Brand. While I did enjoy the wrapper in this blend the filler tobaccos could have benefited from more complexity. There were drying leather, wood, fruit, and candied notes that satisfied, but the finish always came up short. When the wrapper began to peel, I was concerned the combustion and flavors would be adversely affected but thankfully that was not the case. The body developed into a solid medium range and the retrohale seemed to reveal floral and wheat notes, although again in short supply. I would certainly like to try other vitolas in the J. London series and see what the other sizes offer to this blend. I would pick one up as a quick day smoke or even on a fresh palate mid-morning.

Final Rating: 88

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Blind Cigar Review:Trinidad Espiritu Series No. 2 Toro

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Trinidad Espiritu No 2 Review

In 2021, two master blenders Rafael Nodal and AJ Fernandez combined their skills to honor the Trinidad cigar brand and the nation of Brazil with the Trinidad Espiritu No. 2. The cigar uses Brazilian and Nicaraguan leaf to capture what they feel is the “spirit” of Brazil. The Brazilian Arapiraca wrapper really stands out with its dark maduro color and bold appearance. Read on to see how this cigar fared in blind review.

Blend Specifics

  • Cigar Reviewed: Trinidad Espiritu Series No. 2 Toro
  • Wrapper: Brazilian Arapiraca
  • Binder: Nicaraguan
  • Filler: Nicaraguan and Brazilian
  • Size:6”x 54 (Toro)
Trinidad Espiritu No 2 Review
Trinidad Espiritu No 2 Review

Blind Review: Trinidad Espiritu No. 2

Appearance and Construction

This toro sports a molted dark maduro wrapper with a few distinct veins along the side. There are some soft spots at the foot and in the middle of the cigar as I give it a squeeze. The foot of the smoke is semi closed with some wrapper leaf covering most though not all of it. Not sure if this was intentional or a quality control issue. While I give it a smell and coax out some flavors there’s faint traces of oak, wine barrel and leather with nothing too pungent lingering.

Taste and Smoke Characteristics

I slice the toro with my Xikar and despite the clean cut a bit of filler tobacco appears loose from the binder. Taking a cold draw there’s oak notes along with pieces of tobacco I must take out of my mouth. With that, I take a torch to the foot of the covered piece and the wrapper takes flame with a gritty start. There’s an intense charred oak flavor that’s overwhelming with earth notes and a short finish. Taking a retrohale I’m getting white pepper and a noticeable minerality that builds in intensity. Despite the flavors coming on strong the cigar is in the medium range at present. Another puff delivers wet stone and earth followed by a sharp finish. There’s a sufficient amount of smoke billowing from the cigar giving off a slight aroma of cocoa with a gray ash and straight burn line.

Working on the midpoint of the smoke I take a long draw that is full of milk chocolate backed by leather and a gritty end on the back palate. There’s a raisinated sweetness that develops with bakers’ chocolate providing a bite on my tongue as swirl the smoke around.  The retrohale is grassy with stale wine attacking my nostrils as the smoke rolls out. The strength is appearing to fade from medium to milder as the flavors get lighter in taste and less distinct. Taking a long draw leather and minerality grips the sides of my mouth which leave it dry. As I release the smoke there’s cedar and white pepper wafting out. The burn line continues to be razor sharp as the wrapper holds on strong.

The cigar is burning faster than before as I am at the final third of the smoke. I’m getting coffee and spice while I take another draw. There’s a rawness on the retrohale that stings my sinus and as I exhale there’s a lingering bitterness.  The medium body that has been prevalent has turned to a fuller profile with a chewy, dense mouthfeel. Taking another puff earth and oak preside with a short mineral finish. The draw has become tighter and there’s a peppery note then ends the cigar as it goes out on its own.

Conclusion

The Trinidad Espiritu Series No. 2 Toro started off gritty with notes of charred oak then settled into an earthy, peppery cigar with a sharp minerality. At its best the smoke delivered milk chocolate and a raisinated sweetness that finished with leather and cedar. It maintained a medium body only sparingly switching to a fuller chewy quality. The short finish left me wanting more from this cigar as it delivered some pleasing flavors–they were simply too short in supply. This is not the best from AJ and Raphael however it was a concept I was happy to checkout. This is worth of try if you find it, just nothing I would seek out.

Final Rating: 87

Blind Cigar Review: Viaje TNT 2021

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Viaje TNT 2021 Review

Andrew Farkas of Viaje has been creating exciting blends and themes for cigars for over a decade now. I’ve smoked a lot of these cleverly marketed smokes since Viaje first came on the scene. I enjoy the core lines Andrew has available as well as some of the more limited releases that range from Halloween, Christmas, Thanksgiving and even Fourth of July boutique blends for those occasions.

Blend Specifics

  • Cigar Reviewed: Viaje TNT 2021
  • Wrapper: Unknown
  • Binder: Unknown
  • Filler: Unknown
  • Size: 6’1/2 x 56 (Toro Extra)
Viaje TNT 2021 Review
Viaje TNT 2021 Review

Blind Review: Viaje TNT 2021

Appearance and Construction

Glistening with oils, this dark wrapper practically shines. It has a long tail from the head running along more than half of the cigar much like a firecracker fuse. There are noticeable veins all over and to the touch this toro is fully packed. The foot is closed and there isn’t much aroma as a result as I give it a smell.

Flavor and Smoke Characteristics

A straight cut clips the fuse leaving a slight hole to draw on. As I test it, I’m getting some good air coming through with prunes and toffee notes. With my cigar taper I toast the closed foot and the first draw I take offers me insight into the taste of the wrapper. Heavy layers of spice hitting my palate and hit the back of my throat. As the wrapper burns and moves to the filler tobaccos there’s charry notes and barbecue with a smoky finish. I’m not surprised this cigar is delivering some full flavors and strength just by the look of it. I take a retrohale and cedar, espresso, and cream coat my palate. The ash is a solid white and thus far burning well.

Reaching the midpoint of this cigar I’m picking up biscuity notes along with cocoa powder and wood. The profile is medium full with flavors coming off bold and intense. The bright white ash is flaky and falling off slightly. Taking a retrohale cashews and coffee bean with a spicy release lingers on my tongue. Another draw, I notice the burn line wavering although the flavors do not seem adversely affected. The cocoa and nuts along with a savory finish give this large toro some nice complexities. Another puff and toffee and raisins rush through with a long finish.

There’s a salty and sweet combination as I’m smoking through the last third which ends in a surprising spiciness as the smoke dissipates. A long draw brings out cedar and espresso with pepper that finishes short. With a retrohale there’s dark fruit and earth that doesn’t linger for that long on the palate. The cigar continues to be in the medium to full range with the flavors not staying around for too long. With a final puff earth and bramble mingle as the cigar goes out on its own.

Conclusion

The Viaje TNT delivers enough pop to warrant its firecracker appearance yet not too much where it becomes overly aggressive. The spice that began in the cigar was appropriate for what you get. The barbecue and smokiness would work perfectly to pair with food of the same on a summer outing. Funny since I’m smoking it in the winter where it would probably go well with a nice fire as it has the strength for the flavors to come through even in the cold. I enjoyed the biscuit and cocoa notes in combination with the wood all in a medium to full profile. The last third of the TNT was saltier and sweeter and the finish was shorter than at the start. If you can find any I would pickup a few to smoke with a nice fire or lay in the humidor until the summer months return and celebrate the season.

Final Rating: 90

Blind Cigar Review: Quesada Oktoberfest 10 Year Anniversary

3 0 2.3k
Quesada Oktoberfest 2021 10th Anniversary Review

This year marks the 10th Anniversary of the Quesada Oktoberfest cigar. The cigar was created a decade ago to be paired with beer and malty beverages in honor of the Oktoberfest held in Munich Germany. I was fortunate to smoke the first release at Oktoberfest in Munich a decade ago and it indeed paired well with liters of German beer. Since then, I’ve smoked them yearly in different vitolas they’ve released and generally paired them with a beer in keeping with the tradition.

Blend Specifics

  • Cigar Reviewed: Quesada Oktoberfest 10 Year Anniversary
  • Wrapper: Mexican San Andreas
  • Binder: Dominican
  • Filler: Dominican
  • Size: 5.5”x52 (Robusto)
Quesada Oktoberfest 2021 10th Anniversary Review
Quesada Oktoberfest 2021 10th Anniversary Review

Blind Review: Quesada Oktoberfest 10th Anniversary

Appearance and Construction

This robusto is a toothy mottled maduro with minimal veins across it. When I give it as squeezes it’s as solid as brick with no soft spots whatsoever. Rolling it in my palm seems a little off from the tooth on the wrapper, but overall construction is quite good.  The foot smells of nuts and earth with a dampness permeating from it. I would say its not the most attractive cigar however it stands out with due to its color and size.

Taste and Smoke Characteristics

My rosewood Xikar is hand and I take a nice slice off the cap to induce airflow. I take a dry draw that’s creamy and nutty. With my torch I light up and my first puff has earthy and maple intonations to start. There’s a malty character developing with wheat and char on a medium finish. I take a retrohale where cinnamon and dark espresso dominate for position in my nose and exhaling there’s leather as the smoke releases. The cigar is in the medium body range with solid white ash.

For a larger smoke it’s burning faster than I would’ve thought. A nice draw gives a combination of graham cracker and salt with a longer creamy finish. The burn line is spot on, and the profile is in the medium to full range. With a retrohale lots of sourdough and woody notes linger in the sinus right before marzipan on the exhale wafts through. There’s cinnamon and allspice with another draw ending in a wood finish. At this point the fullness picks up in the profile with roasted coffee beans and some acidity on the back end of the throat.

There’s charred wood and wheat as I draw on the last third of this robusto. The burn line continues to be razor sharp and the smoke production amps up. I’m getting more of that woody profile that’s almost overwhelming any secondary flavors. I take a retrohale that brings chocolate and coffee to my nose along with a dense oak taste on the sides of my mouth. The profile lingers on the medium-full side which is where it has hovered around for most of the cigar. Another puff and wheat and oak coat the palate with a surprisingly short finish. A slow draw coaxes cinnamon, maple, and more wood notes as I finish the smoke.

Conclusion

This robusto delivered a medium to full profile with predominantly wood, cinnamon, and wheat throughout. The maple and marzipan notes in the beginning intrigued me as I delved into the rest of the cigar, although it never deviated too much from the above profile. What it lacked in complexity it made up for in consistently pleasing tastes.  Finding out this was a Quesada Oktoberfest 10 Year Anniversary I can see how a beverage would be perfect with it.  The combination of the two flavors can enhance each other rather than overwhelm. I would recommend picking a few up when you want to have that malty beverage with your cigar. Prost!

Final Rating: 89

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