Blind Cigar Review: Micallef Leyenda Special Edition

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When Micallef cigars first came on the scene I was impressed immediately with their cigars both in terms of construction and taste. Of the several lines I’ve been fortunate enough to try, all have delivered unique profiles and shows that the Sanchez Gomez family knows how to work tobacco, and Al Micallef recognizes talent and seeks to elevate the businesses he’s involved in. Since this was a blind review, I didn’t know I was smoking a Micallef cigar, but the appearance of the flawless outer wrapper certainly invited my attention!

Blend Specifics

  • Cigar Reviewed: Micallef Leyenda Special Edition
  • Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano
  • Binder: Nicaraguan
  • Filler: Nicaraguan and Honduran
  • Size 6”x54 Toro

Blind Review: Micallef Leyenda Special Edition

Appearance and Construction

This cigar has a gorgeous dark wrapper with a tight seemed triple cap. There are minimal veins and as I feel the cigar the tobacco inside it couldn’t be anymore packed to the touch. The roll is on point and the construction reveals this a premium cigar. The foot smells of barnyard with secondary bready notes. As I inhale a bit deeper there’s a toasty quality that rushes through my nose.

Flavor and Smoke Characteristics

Using a V-Cut I snip a piece of the wrapper which yields a perfect slice. I take a draw dry which tastes creamy with an almost buttery quality. The draw is perfect and demonstrative of the talent of the roller. With a long match I toast the cigar and the first puff smacks with black pepper on the tongue. I’m getting lush tobacco mid palate that lingers for a few seconds before changing to earth and forest floor. The retrohale is bringing almond big time and exhaling gives me marzipan and nuts. Then I do a quick relight as the cigar suddenly goes out. A new puff brings earth and toast alongside black pepper and cumin. The ash is solid white and sturdy at this point which is a sight to behold.

Reaching the mid-point of this toro, the draw delivers vanilla bean and leather notes that have a sweet and salty character. The cigar is spicy and bold with the next puff overwhelming my palate. Full bodied and rich are the words that come to mind at the moment. Unfortunately, the cigar extinguishes suddenly once again, forcing another relight. I use my Lamborghini torch to fire up this lagging toro that’s both tasty and frustrating at the same time. The next puff continues with earth, nuts and a long finish that is peppery, almost tabasco like. Despite any relights the burn line has maintained a rather straight appearance. The retrohale brings a vibrant mix of citrus, grain and toast that enlivens the nose. Exhaling gives me a zippy sensation throughout which is a nice surprise.

As if the cigar knows it’s heading towards its end, its burn dissipates once again. I torch the smoke and there’s a salty character along with wood notes and a finish of celery salt as I take a draw. With another puff the leather intensifies bringing with it roasted coffee and a layer of earth as the smoke lingers on my palate. I take a long retrohale where flavors become smoky with oak influence and cedar coating my mouth as I exhale. The burn appears to be flaying so I take a slow cool draw were there’s leather, pepper and some spice. With a final puff, clove and cinnamon round out the flavors of this cigar as it goes out on its own signaling the end of the smoke for me.

Conclusion

This cigar came on strong and delivered a full-bodied experience with lots of flavors. Some cigars that have strength can be a bit overwhelming to the palate without the additional nuances that make smoking it pleasant and interesting. This delivered in capturing the balance of full tobacco with black pepper, leather, almond with an underlying sweetness. The most vexing part was the constant relights as the cigar went out several times while I was smoking it. This hurt the experience as the relights were frustrating. In addition, consistently taking fire to the cigar can change its flavor as it heats and reheats. Important note: the cigar was not over humidified as I let it rest in my humidor and inspect them prior to smoking. Also, the construction was excellent in hand which didn’t indicate there were any flaws to be concerned about. 

When I found out this was a Micallef Leyenda Special Edition I was not surprised because of the flavors and quality of the tobacco.  I have found every Micallef I’ve tried has adhered to excellent quality and taste. I would recommend picking up a few of these as the burn issues may be a one-off in quality of this particular cigar. If it burns well you’ll have a real treat based on all the flavors that came out despite the construction issues.

Final Rating: 90

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Blind Review: Drew Estate: Undercrown 10

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“The Rebirth of Cigars” is probably the most appropriate sentence used to describe the cigar boom in the mid-90s. It’s also Drew Estate Cigars’ longstanding slogan. This year marked its 25th anniversary for the company, and the decade anniversary of its popular Undercrown brand. To commemorate this milestone, they introduce the newest member of the Undercrown line to the market: The Undercrown 10. 

In a press release, Drew Estate describes Undercrown 10 this way:

To celebrate the brand’s anniversary in 2021, Drew Estate is getting “All Dekked Out,” a tag line that denotes Undercrown 10’s elegant packaging and reinforces the pride of Undercrown’s ten years of excellence. The new, sophisticated packaging is surpassed only by Undercrown 10’s complex, rich and bold blend of ultra-premium aged tobaccos that includes the highest priming of Mexican San Andres dark wrapper, the very finest Broadleaf binder from the Connecticut River Valley, and a tripa blend of select and rare Nicaraguan tobaccos.

Blend Specifics

  • Cigar Reviewed: Undercrown 10
  • Wrapper: Mexican San Andres
  • Binder: Connecticut Broadleaf
  • Filler: Nicaragua
  • Size: Toro (6″x52)

Blind Review: Drew Estate Undercrown 10

Appearance & Construction

The wrapper of this cigar is very dark, oily, and toothy, like a tree branch. Visually, it’s a little on the rough side, but it feels sturdy when held between my fingers.  Taking a smell, there’s a faint sweetness coming off the wrapper and barnyard with white pepper spice from the foot of the cigar. Using a straight cut to clip the cigar, I take a cold draw. It has a creamy texture and taste like attic mustiness and wet log, which mirrors the cigar’s tree branch-like visual features.

Flavor and Smoke Characteristics

As the flame from my torch lighter heats the foot, a stream of white-silky smoke wafts past my nose, and I smell the scent of burnt sugar. With my first puffs, I pick up dark chocolate, oatmeal, bitter oak, and a good amount of red pepper spice. The retrohale is overwhelming, with an abundance of red pepper spice that nearly numbs my olfactory senses before transitioning to a slight floral scent on the finish. 

Two thirds into my smoke I find myself finishing more than half a bottle of water due to the spice that’s still lingering on my palate. Nevertheless, the smoke is becoming creamier, and by halfway through the cigar the flavor profile shifts to cocoa powder, raw almonds, oak tree, and red pepper spice. The retrohale becomes sweeter too, but still has an overwhelming amount of spice. 

On a side note, this cigar produces a lot of smoke, even when it’s resting on the ashtray–making me think this could be a Drew Estate product. That said, the overwhelming spice isn’t something I’m used to with Drew Estate so I could be wrong.

In the final third, the cigar seems to take pity on my palate lets up a bit on the spice. I now taste sweet and creamy raw almonds, dark chocolate, bark, and a little red pepper spice. The retrohale is a little less tempered, staying consistently peppery throughout the smoke. 

Conclusion

This wasn’t my first time smoking the Undercrown 10. However, this is the first time I smoked this cigar on a clean palate. It might be the reason why I never realized the true strength of the pepper in this cigar. Even with the strength the overall flavors were balanced and the cigar made sense, especially the raw almond flavor from the second third, which added a creaminess to the mix and made this cigar shine. 

Final Rating: 91

Blind Review: Warped Chinchalle Robusto

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In 2021, Kyle Gellis of Warped Cigars released a blend from the new Tabacalera La Isla in the Dominican Republic called the Chinchalle robusto. Usually known for producing cigars in Nicaragua and El Titan Bronze in Miami, this project is an exciting Dominican-produced smoke from a master blender. I’ve enjoyed many of Warped Cigars blends and respect the styles Kyle has created. I smoked this cigar blind and didn’t know who was behind it – read on to find out what the experience was like.

Blend Specifics

  • Cigar Reviewed: Warped Chinchalle
  • Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano
  • Binder: Dominican
  • Filler: Dominican
  • Size: 5” x 50 (Robusto)

Blind Review: Warped Chinchalle Robusto

Appearance and Construction

The wrapper on this robusto is a rosado color and the cigar is dense to the touch. The wrapper is veiny and does not give in to any pressure, clearly packed full of tobacco. The roll in my palm feels just as solid and overall the smoke is well constructed. The foot smells of earth and mushroom with hay and some wood notes.

Flavor and Smoking Characteristics

With my Xikar I clip a straight cut that takes a small slice off of the head. The dry draw gives a mustiness with oak and straw notes. Using a long match, I toast the cigar and the first puff hits me with some serious spice that gets into the back of my throat. I am not expecting this strength right away, at least not going by the cigar’s outer appearance. There’s rich tobacco and toasty oak that envelops my palate and delivers a robust flavor. I take a retrohale which is spicy, almost tabasco like which pierces the nostrils. The ash is glaring white and solid as a rock.

The burn line at the midpoint is a bit wavy as the ash holds on. The spice continues in this full-bodied smoke with underlying pecans and a creamy finish. Taking a retrohale I’m getting the spice mixed with some floral notes and almond in the mouth. There’s a savory quality I’m picking up on the sides of my palate along with some flickers of cherry that jump out. The changes with this robusto are swift as coffee and almond are next to emerge with a long silky finish.

The final third surprises me with the return of full tobacco flavor and an amped up body. There is definitely a duality in this cigar of strength and texture.

Another retrohale gives off the intense spiciness with a finish of marzipan that lingers on after I expel the smoke. The wrapper is a bit salty which is an added contrast to the complexity of the robusto. Still maintaining its strength there’s leather and wood rounding out the cigar. I take a last puff almost to the nub and finish is roasted nuts and a long creamy finish.

A pleasant experience of power and flavor.

Conclusion

After smoking cigars for over twenty years, it’s easy to feel at times like you have a cigar figured out by its appearance, smell, and draw. It’s always fun when a premium smoke surprises your expectations. I did not see the strength that came on immediately from looking at this robusto, and I was certainly taken back. Even more was that with its strength there was a nice balance of toast, wood, fruit, and even floral notes. Throughout the cigar the full body remained yet managed to become savory on the finish.

When I found out this was a Warped cigar, I was not surprised as I enjoy Kyle Gellis’ variety of blends. The Warped Chinchalle is worth a try and/or a box purchase if you enjoy a full-bodied cigar with character to back it up.

Final Rating: 92

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Blind Review: Davidoff BLEND Exclusive Salomones

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BLEND Bar is a premier cocktail and cigar lounge that focuses on the luxury cigar experience. The original location in Indianapolis opened in 2013. In 2015, they partnered with Davidoff of Geneva USA and by 2017 they were named “The Best Cigar Lounge in the World” by Cigar Journal. Last year, they were named one of the “Best Cigar Lounges in the U.S.” by ICONIC LIFE magazine. Along the way, they have also opened a few other locations in Nashville, Pittsburgh, and soon The Woodland in Texas.

To celebrate the 5th anniversary of their partnership, Davidoff released BLEND Exclusive Salomones. Corey Johnston, the co-founder of BLEND, described the blend thus: 

“Every detail and aspect of this exclusive cigar was poured over by BLEND and Davidoff professionals to ensure a proper pairing with some of the finest bourbons, whiskeys, and scotches in the world which are featured by BLEND.”

Since this was a blind review, I was perplexed by the size of this cigar – not every day I smoke an 8 1/2″ cigar. The more I studied it, the more curious I became. Here is what I experienced during my blind review. 

Blend Specifics

  • Cigar Reviewed: Davidoff “The Blend” Exclusive Salomones
  • Wrapper: 5-year-old Ecuadorian 702
  • Binder: Dominican Republic San Vicente Mejorado Seco
  • Filler: Dominican Republic: San Vicente Mejorado seco, San Vicente visus, Piloto visus & seco, Tamasa visus
  • Size: Salomones (8″ 1/2 x 57)

Blind Review: Davidoff BLEND Exclusive Salomones

Appearance & Construction

This Excalibur-sized cigar shines in the warm sunlight that flows through the massive window of Cigar Den. There are a plethora of minor veins spreading throughout the wrapper like cobwebs. Even so, the cigar feels smooth and oily to the touch. As I run my fingers from head to foot of the cigar, I feel a soft spot on each end of the cigar. Hopefully this will not affect my smoking experience. 

Flavor & Smoke Characteristics

As I run the cigar across my nose, I get a scent of damp foliage (you know, the smell of freshly raked leaves on an autumn day?). The cold draw gives me a hint of sweet herbaceous flavors with a savory metallic taste towards the back end. 

I guillotine through the cap and remove the miniature pyramid. Then to get an even burn, I decided to use matches due to the sharply tapered end. As soon as the foot glows bright red, I take my first puff and I am welcomed by three out of five of the taste profiles: sweet, salty, and bitter. I first pick up flavors of roasted peanuts, oak bark, and bitter charcoal. There is an aftertaste of sweet and savory mineral water which lingers way too long. On the retrohale, damp foliage, followed by black pepper spice, which disappears immediately. 

Two-thirds into my smoke, red pepper spice shines through on both my palate and through retrohaling. Unfortunately, this is where the cigar peaks. Flavors of burnt peanuts, almonds, and a wet log are what I can recognize next. There is also a very distinct flavor that I can only describe as gasoline. I’d associate the flavor profile with ammonia, which could be the byproduct of underaged tobacco leaves. 

The flavors don’t change much when I arrive at the final third, and the lingering flavors of sweet and savory become a nuance at this point. I decide to purge the cigar, hoping to clear out the undesirable flavors, but there isn’t much change. That said, one aspect worth highlighting is the retrohale for this cigar. Since the second third, a very satisfying red pepper spice sizzles through my nasal cavity every time I retrohale, followed by a light cedar finish. If wasn’t for the retrohale, I would honestly find it difficult to finish smoking this cigar. 

Conclusion

When I first saw this cigar in my blind review batch, I suspected that this was a Davidoff Royal due to the masterful skill of the construction, and the unique Salomones size that belongs to only a few cigars. However, after lighting up I was unsure of my guess given the quality of the experience. The Blend Exclusive Salomones by Davidoff had its pros and cons. Unfortunately, the cons outweighed the pros: the combination of burnt peanuts, wet logs, and damp foliage created the taste of ammonia. No matter how attractive the retrohale was, it was not enough to outweigh the frankly detestable taste on the palate.

Final Rating: 76

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Blind Cigar Review: Montecristo Epic Vintage 12 Toro

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The latest in Altadis’ large portfolio of Montecristo products is the Epic Vintage 12. The “12” refers to the 2012 tobacco crop that produced some of the tobacco in this cigar . With an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper, Dominican binder, and Nicaraguan and Dominican fillers, the three-country cigar certainly sounds appealing. But this was a blind review – so all of that branding and marketing made no difference in my assessment.

Blend Specifics

  • Cigar Reviewed: Montecristo Epic Vintage 12 Toro
  • Montecristo Epic Vintage 12 Toro
  • Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sumatra
  • Binder: Dominican
  • Filler: Nicaraguan and Dominican
  • Size: 6” x 52 (Toro)

Appearance and Construction

This toro sports a dark, oily wrapper that is silky smooth to the touch. In hand the roll is excellent as it glides across my palm. When I squeeze the cigar, it is firmly packed with tobacco and in total the construction is very good. As I smell the foot there are notes of barnyard and forest floor emanating distinctly from it.

Flavor and Smoke Characteristics

Utilizing my Xikar cutter I clip a straight cut. Taking a dry draw, I get salt and spice on the lips and fresh tobacco in the back of my throat. The draw is a bit airy and upon lighting there’s a rush of leather almost covering my entire mouth. The saltiness surrounds my lips and the tip of my tongue while the sides of my palate linger with leather as I take another puff. Notes of nuts and spice develop as I savor another draw. I take a retrohale and white pepper resonates through the nostrils and exhaling brings hay and oak. While I take a slow draw, I get a zippy taste of cinnamon that comes on rather strong. The body of the cigar is medium at this point.

The ash is white and flaky midway with a wavy burn line. Lots of toast and brioche surround my tongue as I take in an ample amount of smoke from the cigar. The retrohale delivers more toast along with oak and graham cracker on the exhale. There’s a subtle sweetness coming through with cocoa in tandem with those wood notes. The medium body seems to maintain itself as the toro appears to struggle maintaining smoke from the foot. Giving a few longer puffs I manage to bring the cigar back to life and I’m rewarded with charred oak and a bit of spice.

The toast continues in the last third followed by a creaminess that lingers on my palate. Leather returns with vanilla and a surprisingly short finish. The ash and burn line straighten out a bit although it remains flaky rather than firm. I take a retrohale and the white pepper I initially picked up returns and awakens my senses followed by Spanish cedar. With a slow draw, I pickup chocolate and spice that appears sweet with a finish of toasted oak. The wood and leather seem to be dominant and as the cigar comes to its end a final puff sends it off with a balance of sweet and savory followed by a medium finish.

A consistently flavorful cigar from beginning to end.

Conclusion

This cigar began with distinct notes of salt and leather, followed by white pepper as it developed. Midway, the graham cracker, wood, and sweetness created a nice balance to this toro. Rounding out the final third leather, cocoa and spice gave this cigar a solid medium bodied experience. Finding out this was the new Montecristo Epic 12 was good news. I’m always interested in how they will represent the brand in a new line. I’d say this fits in the Altadis Montecristo portfolio as a flavorful medium bodied cigar that will not disappoint.

If you enjoy this range of strength, you can pick up a box and be assured it will deliver what you seek.

Final Rating: 91

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