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Cigar Review: Don Pepin Blue Label Generoso

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Unless you have been living under a rock for all of your cigar smoking life then the name José Garcia a.k.a. “Don Pepin” should ring bells. His cigar blends have reached cult status throughout the industry and throughout the world.  That being said, this stick has been on my “get to” list for some time now I was eager to get my hands on some, especially in the Generoso(Toro)  vitola.

Blend Specifics:
Toro(6×50)
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Corojo
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua

Apperance & Construction

First look at this stick and I must say it just looks classy.  The band was well  balanced and elegant. The wrapper was clean, satin and chocolate in color, very smooth with a slight tooth with no visible imperfections

One classy band, even through the cellophane

Taste & Smoking Characteristics

First third: Consistent with Don Pepin cigars, this stick starts off zesty, with spice just dominating the palate and  rich creaminess, wood and leather in the background.  If your anything like me, you love to see great amounts of smoke and this stick proved to be very visually pleasing. As I progressed the burn was razor sharp and the bright white ash proof of excellent tobacco.  Close to end of the first third the spice starts slowly  to diminish leading into the second third.

Second Third: There was a slow transition from a zesty spice to a rich creamy flavor which I must admit I found delicious and entertaining. As I  proceeded the flavor would ever so slightly change between creaminess, wood, leather and a subtle tease of spice in the finish.

Final Third: The last third was a continuation of the second except that this time the flavor profiles were present for a longer amount of time as to give me there last hurrah or final appearance.   In the following order I bid farewell to the rich and creamy, the smooth leather and the shy zesty spice that was lingering ever so slightly in the background. Following this great show the cigar lost its energy and while never getting harsh, it did get woody and dry and due to respect I layed her down and watched another good stick turn to dust in the wind.

 Conclusion:

Overall, this stick was just shy of being full flavor and full strength. There was plenty of  complexity for those willing to pay attention and while the changes were subtle I believe they were enough to satisfy even a picky snob such as myself especially at the price point of  $10-12.  I absolutely recommend.

Final Grade: A-

Cheers,

Kelvin Batista

Mr.KelvinBatsita@gmail.com

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FTNYC FiDi HERF with Reinado Cigars

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On Saturday, June 18th, cigar smokers from around the city came out for the FineTobaccoNYC Financial District HERF, sponsored by Antonio Lem and Reinado Cigars. The event ran most of the day, from 3pm in the afternoon to 11pm at night. We had to reschedule from Friday because of stormy weather, and am I glad that we did! The weather on Saturday was a gorgeous 80 degrees with just enough clouds and a slight breeze. The view from 350 feet was spectacular, and the smoking was great. You can find all of the pictures on our Facebook page.

The crowd was a great mix, so everyone who came made new friends and smoked with old ones. Kevin Bristow and others from New York G&S showed up as well. Take a second and check them out on Social Cigar!

FTNYC members brought their best sticks, and Dave Alicea blessed future FTNYC events with a beautiful porcelain San Cristobal ash tray. I could tell the event was fully underway when we had to empty the ash trays three times to accommodate all of the ash! Throughout the day there were at least 25 FTNYC members that showed up to the free event.

Antonio (left) with Kevin Bristow, myself and Bigeye

Antonio Lem from Reinado also showcased his uniquely fermented Nicaraguan puro cigars. When you get a chance, head over to his website and pick a few up. His cigars have gotten great reviews, and after smoking a few (including the one I’m smoking now), I can say that they live up to the reviews.

Kelvin and the wife!

FineTobaccoNYC events are open to smokers of all ages, backgrounds, and experience. You can follow FineTobaccoNYC on Facebook and Twitter for details on events, but for event specifics and invites, sign up for our event mailing list on the upper right side of this page!

Until the next event (this Friday!), long ashes and happy smoking!

~Matthias

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Cigar Review: PANA Triple Corojo Churchill

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PANA Triple Corojo - Click to Enlarge

After a long week of classes and work, I finally found a couple of hours to pick up another PANA cigar for a review. Granted, the time I found was at 1:00am, but I don’t think it detracted from the review too much – no nodding off anyway. Next on the docket for a review of PANA’s blends was the PANA Triple Corojo, and I was pretty excited.  Then again, I get excited (and a bit nervous) any time I see “triple” anything (maduro, corojo, etc).  In any case, this really was is an excellent cigar, as I will try to describe below. In case you aren’t familiar with Pana Cigars, it is a new brand by Pablo Enchiton that launched midway through 2010. You can find the website here. Enchiton has developed four lines: the Ligero-Maduro, Connecticut Especial, Triple Corojo, and Triple Maduro.

Blend Specifics:

  • Wrapper: Corojo Ecuador
  • Binder: Corojo Dominicano
  • Filler: Criollo 98 (Nicaragua), Corojo Dominicano, Piloto Cubano (DR)

Appearance & Construction:

The Corojo wrapper is a reddish brown with light oil on the wrapper. There are a few veins, but nothing significant, and there are no visible imperfections. The black and white band prominently displays “PANA” in large framed lettering. After clipping the pig-tail cap, I test the draw and it is (like other PANA cigars I’ve smoked) pretty liberal, but not too loose. The scent on the wrapper is subtle, but the foot reveals granola and leather.

Click to Enlarge

Taste & Smoking Characteristics:

The first few draws of this cigar produce large amounts of medium bodied smoke. The texture of the smoke is slightly creamy, and the main notes are black pepper, spice, and some leather. There is also a subtle sweetness to the aroma of the smoke which adds nicely to the experience. The more I smoke this cigar, the clearer it becomes that this stick would be paired very well with Mexican or Southern food. Smoking the cigar actually makes me imagine relaxing on a lounge chair on a hot arid evening in Arizona. About an inch in, the spice picks up considerably and so does the black pepper. The pepper continues to build into the second third of the cigar, and at one point builds a bit too much for my tastes. Still, very enjoyable.  The final third of the cigar tamed a bit on the pepper, but also got a bit hot which may be a result of the slightly more liberal draw. Not the best way to end a cigar, but I wasn’t crushed – it was a great smoke.

Conclusion:

This cigar is an experience. At $7.50, it isn’t a cheap stick, but I think that it will satisfy the Corojo lover in all of us, and I definitely recommend getting your hands on some as soon as you get the chance.

Final Grade: B+

Other PANA cigar reviews:

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Cigar Review: La Sirena “The Prince”

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I would be lying if I said that I reviewed this cigar tonight because I’m behind on my reviews (although I am). I decided to review this cigar because, all joking aside, I was really, really excited to smoke this cigar.  A few weeks ago I ran into Barry from acigarsmoker.com, and he gave me some pretty glowing remarks on the new La Sirena line. So, when I found a few of these sticks in the mail when I returned from my Christmas travels, I dropped everything, even postponing cleaning my apartment (pretty impressive, huh?) to smoke this stick.

Part of the Miami Cigar portfolio, La Sirena cigars are a result of the masterful blending technique of Don Pepin Garcia of My Father cigars, and the new cigars were well accepted at ICPCR.  On hand with this smoke was a glass of cognac, music from Pink Martini, Melody Gardot, and Coldplay.  I also brought along a copy of one of my favorite books, Orthodoxy by G.K. Chesterton (take a week and give this book a read – it is well worth it).

Specifics:
Size: 5 x 50 (The Prince)
Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan

Appearance & Construction:

Wow! What a label! It easily takes up half of the cigar and features an oceanic theme with a silver mermaid, an anchor on top and a helm on bottom. Attempting such a daring theme for a label could have been dangerous, but the designers at Miami Cigar pulled it off well. On an unrelated note, I am also a big fan of the name of this particular cigar, only because it is named after one of my all-time favorite works of political philosophy by one Niccolo Machiavelli.  But to get back on track: the Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper is a gorgeous, well textured dark brown with minimal veins and clean lines – well put together. The foot of the cigar smells faintly of berry granola, natural tobacco, and a good deal of spice. The draw was excellent, and I couldn’t wait to light this cigar up.

Flavor & Smoking Characteristics:

The first puff of this cigar told me that this was going to be a truly special stick. The taste was flavorful, complex, with dark chocolate, coffee, and a hint of spice taking the spotlight. These flavors were accented with a savory aroma. I’m not sure it is an accent I liked, but I was sure willing to investigate further after such a great opening. About half an inch in, I picked up a bit of leather which is a nice addition, and the savory aroma moved more to mirror the taste – dark chocolate and leather – a bit more enjoyable. I really enjoyed the richness of this cigar. The smoke was smooth and sweet, the burn was great, and the smoke stayed cool. A great combination.

Great burn!

At around 2/3, I turned the lights off and enjoyed the complex flavor and aroma of the cigar. Pink Martini playing in the background was a perfect compliment. I can’t say that I was taken to an underwater wonderland (that wouldn’t jive well with the physics of smoking a cigar), but in any case it was a great place to be. The more I think about it, actually, the more this cigar reminds me of one of my all times favorites, the Casa Magna Colorado (the Cigar Aficionado 2008 cigar of the year). Both cigars have impeccable construction, weigh well in the hand, and generate ultra-complex flavors.  At the last third, the spice picked up a bit, and unfortunately so did the heat of the smoke. The cigar was enjoyable down to the end, but wasn’t quite how I would have liked it to end.

Conclusion:

I’ve got to agree with Barry’s review of this stick and say that it is simply a stellar smoke.  This La Sirena cigar is complex, full bodied, and has a great flavor profile. The construction is great too. The only complaint that I have is that at a few points the savory aroma became a bit too prominent and (to me at least) threw the balance of the cigar off.  Even in light of that, I enjoyed this cigar immensely and was sad when the smoke ended.  I’ll definitely be buying more of these in the future and recommend you to do the same.

Final Grade: A


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Following FineTobaccoNYC just got that much easier!

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The past two months have found me completely inundated with college work. My senior thesis, finals, and a stack of topics to write papers on. In that time, I haven’t set up many events, but I have put some serious work into improving the website and expanding FTNYC into more online venues – more on our other sites later.

The most important update is that I just added a nifty new tool to the FTNYC Facebook page that makes it that much easier to join the event mailing list. You can still send me an email at matthias.ftnyc@gmail.com to join, but now interested individuals can simply submit their emails through the Facebook page. Individuals can also register to hear about events on the “FineTobaccoNYC Events” page that has a form like this one:

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So, you can now connect with FineTobaccoNYC through:

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