El Rey del Mundo - Choix Supreme

"Sweet and fruity, this cigar is mingles honey and orange in a creamy smoke giving it a ubiquitous quality able to be smoked first in the day or later on after lunch."

I had one of these and I was blown away by how different it was to any of the other cigars i'd ever tasted. A very citrus-fruit flavour which sets it apart. Really enjoyed mine as per comment on this post (full review that i wrote that day). Perfect for a sunny afternoon.


45mn - 1hr15mn smoke
Size: "Hermoso no.4" (roughly known as a "Robusto" size)
Length 12.7cm Ring gauge 48
Strength: Medium-bodied
Drink match: something white and sweet- e.g. Martini Bianco
From a box dated June '08

Brand: This brand whose name means "The King of the World" was developed in 1848 and under the direction of Antonio Allones, it was celebrated as one of the great Havana brands.

Here's Sam smoking one with the 3 Reyes del Mundo for company.

Tasting Batch no. III - happy holidays

Yes I'm reliably informed that Sam has passed out your next batch for Dec. - Jan.
These are (in escalating order of compensation):

• Hoyo du Maire and/or Romeo y Julieta Petit Julieta (I am satisfied with the size of my willy)
• Arturo Fuente Hemingway Short Story / Oliva Serie G (I have a pale John Thomas but would like a darker Juan Tomas)
• Hoyo de Monterrey - Le Hoyo des Dieux (if it was longer i'd feel like a god among men)
• El Rey del Mundo - Choix Supreme (this girth makes me a Supreme Choice for any lady)
• Bolivar Belicoso Fino (*cough* ... no comment)

The Petit Julieta is a variation on the small theme, the Fuente and Oliva are both non-cubans (Dominican Republic and Nicaraguan) with West African ("Cameroon") wrapper leaves, the Hoyo des Dieux is vintage from 1998, the Choix Supreme is your first robusto (most popular size/format in the cigar these days), and the Belicoso a pretty powerful pyramid.

- Mild-ish cigars (no strong drinks or heavy meals before these):
Petit Julieta, Choix Supreme (a treat with martini bianco in the sun!!), Hoyo des Dieux

- Stronger cigars:
both non-cubans and especially the BBF - that baby packs a spicy punch!

Happy holidays!

Note: the Arturo Fuente is reviewed in the Cigar Blues Faceoff vid, and the ERDM Choix Supreme is reviewed in a comment on the eponymous post.

Blues n' Cigar Face-Off

IN THE LEFT CORNER,
MATT "Mannish Boy" BONDI...

IN THE RIGHT CORNER,
XAV "Mousquetaire" HERESIARCH

Bluesman Matt "Mannish Boy" Bondi reviewing an Arturo Fuente Hemingway - Short Story faces off against amateur counterpart Xav "Musketeer" Grand Heresiarch with his La Gloria Cubana - Medaille d'Or no. 1 in an intense mano a mano wrestle for Smoking Supremacy.

We talk about Blues, Women, Grand-Pappies and just about everything other than cigars in this hard-hitting contest. Note that you will get to smoke both of these cigars at some point, and that Arturo Fuente is the first non-cuban (Dominican-made, West African wrapper leaf) cigar mentioned on this site!

San Cristobal de la Habana - El Principe

"An aromatic smoke, with prevalent notes of spice, hazelnuts and chocolate. The evolution of flavours is so smooth you’d wish this cigar would never end. The Principe is the smallest cigar of the brand and should be over and done with in a lunch break."

The ones we have a very young - had one shortly after the box arrived and could detect the caramel/cream notes that will become the dominant flavour of the cigar once it has some age. At present, just solid young tobacco flavours. Take some notes when you taste these now and in 8months time I will send out some more and you can compare - they will have changed!

20-40mn smoke.
Size: "Minuto" - Length: 11cm; Ring Gauge: 42 (110mm x 16.67mm)
Strength: Medium-bodied.
Drink match: Something with a bit of body to it
From a box dated August 2008.

Brand: The latest and probably the last of the new series of Havana brands launced since 1996 has been given the original name of the city of Havana when it was founded by settlers back in 1519 - San Cristobal (St. Christopher) de La Habana. The brand boasts four sizes, each of which is named after one of the fronts that defended the city in its heyday, as the hub of the Spanish empire in Latin America. Two of the sizes, La Fuerza and El Morro, are entirely new and are unique to the San Cristobal brand.

Cigars... dissected

Take a look at this link:
http://www.friendsofhabanos.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=95668

... to see some cigars cut up and annotated for the three types of filler leaf (seco, volado, ligero).

Will save you wasting your own with a scalpel.

Sir Euan on Caol Ila 25 y.o. Single Malt

... one of only 225 bottles distilled in 1982 and independently bottled in 2007 - "Adelphi Selection" Coastal Highlands Single Malt.

Sir Euan on the Clynelish 14 y.o. Single Malt

Andrew asked for Whisky tips ... cometh the Hour, cometh the Man: Euan "the Great" Hoskin is our new Spirits (spiritual?) Consultant.

Montecristo No.4

The Montecristo No.4 is consistently in the top 3 of cuban cigar sales around the world. Its a pity that this demand has also resulted in below average consistency of construction - I've experienced plenty of disappointing examples. But when you get a good one, they are great-tasting short smokes for all occasions and all palates.

Taste: Leather, oak, chocolate, and a hint of earth.

30-50mn smoke.
Size: Marevas Length: 5" Ring Gauge: 42 (129mm x 16.67mm)
Strength: Medium bodied.
Drink match: Most things will do.
From a box dated Apr 2008.

Brand:
What a gorgeous name, probably inspired by the 1844 novel "Le Comte de Monte Cristo" by Alexandre Dumas. Readers were employed to keep the cigar rollers entertained, and this novel was apparently a favourite in the factories, perhaps leading to the inspiration for the brand name. The brand was established in 1935 by Menendez, Garcia y Cia, the then owners of H. Upmann, and heavily marketed by Alfred Dunhill of London. It became the most popular of all Havana exports and a standard against which all others are now judged. They have well earned their reputation from the art that is portrayed in the manufacture to the balance and rounding of the flavours. Their range is extensive, amongst them the finest pyramide in the world, the no. 2. There is a distinctive Montecristo taste that manifests itself with complex earthy tones, rich and chocolatey, and an almost brooding aroma of roasted spice, vanilla and patchouli.

Cohiba Maduro 5 Secretos

The US market (ie no cuban cigars allowed) has long been saturated with 'maduro' cigars - ie cigars that have only one shade of wrapper - a dark one. The cubans have never been too fussed about giving their cigars one specific colour - they would just select wrappers that were consistent with the blend and model of cigar and make sure that these were homogenous throughout every cigar box. So a box of Hoyo du Maire could be a light shade, and the next one a dark shade (so we have seen). With this cigar, first released in 2007, Habanos S.A. have responded to the demand for models exclusively dressed in maduro wrappers.

However, as a model of the luxury brand, Cohiba, not only is it a wrapper aged 5 years, but the filler leaves are also aged 2-3years and have undergone an extra fermentation (3 instead of 2 for all the other brands). So here is a rather expensive little cigar with a bit of a pedigree for you.

Taste: A well constructed cigar with a deceptive strength. Vanilla and chocolate underscore the usual Cohiba layers of flavour. Enjoy the clouds of cedar smoke, with a touch of burnt cinnamon.

20-40mn smoke.
Size: "Reyes" - Length: 11cm; Ring Gauge: 40 (110mm x 15.87mm)
Strength: Full-bodied (or heavy-medium).
Drink match: Something with a bit of body to it
From a box dated Jan 2008.

Brand:
The word "Cohiba" is derived from the Taino (caribbean "indian" people) word for tobacco. A new brand which was introduced only in 1968, Cohiba quickly became the flagship brand of the Cuban cigar industry. Developed initially as a medium bodied protocol cigar for presentation only by officials of the Cuban government, Cohiba was marketed widely beginning in 1982 as The luxury brand. The third fermentation of the filler leaves makes for a unique flavour and the mystique associated is used to command a higher price.

Punch Royal Selection No12 - Reviewed by Greg

Marginally the largest cigar of Batch #2, here is the Punch RS12 reviewed for you by Gandalf Greg.

DESCRIPTION:
Classic cuban flavours in one balanced package. Peppered cream gives way to floral, earthy tastes all of which is encased in a sweet woody envelope of toasted medium tobacco.

30-50mn smoke.
Size: "Mareva" - Length: 12.9cm; Ring Gauge: 42 (129mm x 16.67mm)
Strength: Medium-bodied, on the fuller side. Probably best after a meal.
Drink match: Anything fruity with a bit of sweetness e.g. Port
From a box dated Feb 2007.


Brand:
Created in 1840 by Manuel Lopez, this line takes its name from the popular character of Punch so widely seen in English puppetry in the 19th century. Today's lithographed boxes still show the comically-dressed Punch enjoying a cigar while his faithful pet stands by, questioning why he is wearing a rainbow-coloured collar.

Tasting Batch Numero II ...

... was hand-delivered while i was up on the weekend.
Go to Sam if you haven't already got them!

1 - Punch Royal Selection No 12
2 - Cohiba Maduro 5 Secretos
3 - Montecristo No 4
4 - San Cristobal del Habano El Principe x2
5 - Hoyo de Monterrey - Le Hoyo du Maire x2

Details on these and a video review with Greg will follow later...
(as will some video reviews by our new Grand Whisky Consultant)

Video Review - Trinidad Reyes

This is a very long (30mn) review of this cigar on my little webcam.

One of the reasons it's so long is that I go to great lengths to explain a few things about cigars:
how to describe the flavours, tips for lighting up, cutting, touching up an uneven burn, etc. And generally because I like the sound of my own voice (and it's too time consuming to edit it down!).

You might need to light one up just to get through the review... enjoy.

And make a comment just so that i know that you're alive and smoking!

CIGAR BASICS

Welcome to Aotearoa - New Zealand's finest cigar aficionado club.

Check out:

• the history of cigars
  

• A basic guide to smoking cigars, including how to cut them and light them

• How cigars are made

• A glossary of cigar terminology
  

Tasting Batch Numero Uno - What to do first

And here it is... the very first batch of gourmet cigars from New Zealand s best cigar club for our tasting pleasure.

Sam has got them so meet up with him for your stash! All you need is a clean tupperware or icecream box, if possible approx 1L, to put cigars in as per instructions below.

In this batch you will have:

• 1 Partagas Princess
• 2 Hoyo de Monterrey Le Hoyo du Maire (smallest ones)
  
• 1 Hoyo de Monterrey Epicure Especial
  
• 2 Trinidad Reyes

[TASTING NOTES PROVIDED BELOW]

The idea of this selection is to provide a rough idea of what a few different cuban brands taste like, and just to get smoking really!

• Step 1: Set up your cigar storage as in STORING YOUR CIGARS post.

• Step 2: Then, check out all the other posts for relevant info.

• Step 3: As you smoke each cigar, comment on the posts about individual cigars below to give your own tasting experience - or write up a full review as per the post on "Reviewing a Cigar"

STORING YOUR CIGARS

Cigars are sensitive little creatures that need to be stored between 65-70% relative humidity and 16-20deg.C. Higher humidity/temperature leads to wet cigars which don't burn well and even fungal problems (goodbye cigars). Lower hum/temp leads to cigars drying out so that they burn too hot, lose their essential oils and become harsh tasting, and even disintegrate, eventually.

You can buy a humidor for long term storage (specially made wooden box lined with spanish cedar wood which retains humidity) or for temporary purposes like ours just get any old tupperware or ice cream box (provided it DOESN'T smell of anything, including last night's curry or yesterday's icecream, or else your cigars will pick up the flavour - yurk).

So basically:

• Get a plastic container, not too big (ie not more than 1L or so or you'll need more beads).
  
• Place the little bag of beads inside, a sheet of cedar, and the cigars.*
• Don't close the lid - place it on top as if to close it; or alternatively close it and put a few pin prick holes in it; this will enable a tiny bit of moisture to escape**
• Put the tupperware OUT OF THE SUN somewhere where the temperature is relatively stable around 15-20deg.C. ***

Voila - temporary cigar storage is ready.

* The sheet of cedar is to make the box smell a little of aromatic cedar in which cigars are stored.
** The problem with tupperware is that it's airtight - unlike wooden humidors which "breathe" - and so the humidity will always be too high unless there's a minuscule outlet for moisture to escape.
*** Cigars cook and are ruined quite quickly, and cold sucks the moisture and their flavour out of them

NOTE ON CARING FOR HUMIDIFYING BEADS

These beads are special humidifying silica gel beads that keep humidity at 65%R.H - ideal smoking (as opposed to long term storage 70%) humidity. They will do the trick as long as they are semi-transparent i.e. moisture charged.

Eventually, when they lose their moisture - you will be able to see this quite clearly as they become completely white and opaque like white plastic - then it will be time to re-charge them.

Unfortunately they need Distilled water - not mineral or tap water*- and it can't be poured on them or they will crack - it has to be sprayed on them in a mist or absorbed through the air. You can either buy some distilled water at supermarket and spray it on with (hard to find - i found this brand of bottled water called "PureDew" which is effectively distilled water); or put the beads somewhere high up in the bathroom, close the window and have a shower - the mist is distilled water and if you leave the beads in the room for say half an hour they should be recharged (ie they've absorbed some moisture and turned semi-transparent again).
[*Non-distilled water has minerals in it which block the micro-pores on the beads]

How to describe a cigar's Flavour

FLAVOUR = AROMA > TASTE
Our taste is actually limited to five different elements – sweet, sour, salty, bitter and "umami" (ie old cheese, mushrooms, seaweed). So in reality, when we say taste, what we are mostly saying is what we smell.

Apparently, we can pick up around 10,000 different aromas. Wine, there is still much work being done on this, has hundreds of compounds (some say thousands) and these work individually and in combination. It is simply inevitable that some of these compounds will resemble other characters/flavours/aromas etc.

Hence, it makes sense that the same should happen with cigars/tobacco. When transformed into cigars, the combination of compounds therein gives off different flavours. Don’t forget that there is a human component in the production of both, including fermentation, which will alter the original flavour. Otherwise, wine would taste like grapes and cigars like tobacco leaves and nothing more.

Making it all the more difficult is that there is no doubt that aromas are inextricably linked with one’s individual experiences and emotions, not unlike music. So if I was chugging on a Reyes while enjoying... a good All Blacks win say (great self-censure)... then chances are I will have a higher opinion of it than I should.


DESCRIBING AROMA/TASTE
All these things aside, a great learning tool for describing taste is a Taste Wheel. Its great use is in helping to identify the flavours you are enjoying. The concept is that you start in the centre with a simple general flavour, and move outwards towards the more specific flavours.

It also allows us to determine if a cigar is smoking as one would expect and perhaps most importantly, it simply allows each of us to identify the cigars we prefer.

Click here for a Flavour Wheel (to print if you want)

For more info on cigar flavours, including chemical compounds etc, go to this link where most of the above was stolen from.

Little tube of mighty pow'r, Charmer of an idle hour, Object of my warm desire.

An Irish proverb wisely counsels: "Smoke your pipe and be silent; there's only wind and smoke in the world"(and tasting notes I guess).

I have indeed received the first shipment of cigars. Andrew and I shared one of the small dark ones [Hoyo Du Maire] tonight with coffee after a nice meal. It had a pleasant punch and a quick draw.

Kiaora Xav, for this exquisite website, as well as our first handful of fine cigars. I feel like a young Fidel, unwrapping his Cigarillos on Chritmas morn'. Tata. (PS. the title has no intended inuendo)

[Ed.: you can call your "little tube" whatever you want, none of our business really ;-)]

Trinidad Reyes

The most luxurious (and one of the most expensive) of the small cuban cigars. Always perfectly constructed, with flavours of well matured and high quality tobacco, with an excellent smoothness and lots of creamy vanilla notes. Produces clouds of thick, white smoke. Delightful!

30-45mn smoke. Drink match: good hot chocolate, coffee, port.
Size: "Reyes" - Length: 4 1/4" Ring Gauge: 39 (110mm x 15.87mm)

Brand info: These cigars have been recognised by connoisseurs all over the world, but not easily obtained as, since 1969, they were produced in a 38 ring guage exclusively for Fidel Castro as diplomatic presents. In 1998 they were launched upon the world market. They are named for the beautiful cuban city of Trinidad. Superior and stylish cigars of medium strength, well rounded, rich and tasty. Smooth cinnamon spice flavours tantalise the palate with hints of chocolate and roasted coffee intermingled with cedar aromas.

Comment on this post with your own tasting review

Partagas - Princess

Slender, elegant and delightful, these cigars are medium in strength and body and perhaps a little milder than the normal Partagas style. Very well balanced and full of earthy flavours, underscored with ginger and cinnamon.

20-40mn smoke. Drink match: Anything light (ie prob. too mild for whisky)
Size: "Conchitas" - Length: 5"; Ring Gauge: 34 (127mm x 13.89mm)
From a box dated May 2008.

Brand info: Don Jaime Partagas started manufacturing cigars in 1827. Evelyn Waugh mentioned this cigar in Brideshead Revisited and Partagas cigars won gold medals in at least three international exhibitions between 1867 and 1884. They are still produced in the Partagas factory, renamed Fernando Perez after nationalisation. Partagas cigars are medium-full bodied, well balanced and rich in flavour.

Comment on this post with your own experience of these cigars.

Hoyo de Monterrey - Le Hoyo du Maire

An excellent cigar for coffee or when you only have only half an hour to spare. Don't be fooled by the size, this little cigar is flavoursome, wood, leather and almonds abound with a hint of mint/cloves. Neither sweet nor spicy. Medium in strength, with delightful aromatics.
These are aged almost a decade so all the ammonia of the new tobacco has worn off. Smallest cigar in the "Le Hoyo" series.

15-30mn smoke. Drink match: Very light - tea, coffee, milo.
Size: "Entreactos" - Length: 3 6/7"; Ring Gauge: 30 (100mm x 11.91mm)
From 2 boxes dated 2001

Brand info: This brand was established in 1865 by Jose Gener and is named after the fertile valley in the Vuelta Abajo which has been farmed by Gener since at least 1860.

Hoyo de Monterrey cigars gently flow over the tongue with light, rich and aromatic sensations.

WRAPPER EXPERIMENT
Note that if Sam has done his job right you will have one with a lighter wrapper and one with a darker wrapper from 2 different boxes. At the cigar factories, they try to group all the cigars with similar tones of wrapper colour so as to get a homogeneous colour for each box. Comparing the two will give you an idea of the influence of the wrapper leaf's colour on the flavour of the cigar. It's a very subtle difference but it is noticeable - generally for a given cigar the darker the wrapper leaf, the sweeter and stronger the flavour (with a hint of underlying bitterness).

There has long been a debate about how much of the overall cigar flavour is given by the wrapper leaf. Estimates vary between 10%-50%...

Comment on this post with your own experience of these cigars.

Hoyo de Monterrey - Epicure Especial

This is your Special Smoke for the batch - best after a good meal or a few drinks. In fact I suggest that you Aucklanders meet up for a game of poker to smoke these fellas.

An outstanding cigar, with a developing complexity that keeps surprising you until the very last draw. Rich earth and tobacco flavours slowly build to a pepper and spice climax. Wonderfully rich on the palate and just packed with amazing aromas. Aging will only improve this delightful habano. (Check out full reviews of this cigar in "HOW TO REVIEW A CIGAR" below)

Based on a Limited Edition that came out in 2004 and was wildly popular, this cigar was released in 2008 as a regular format.

1hr smoke? Drink match: You tell me, I haven't smoked one yet!
Size: "Gorditos" Length: 5 1/2" Ring Gauge: 49 (141mm x 19.84mm)
From a box dated Oct 08

Comment on this post with your own tasting review.

HOW TO REVIEW A CIGAR

Your first mission as a NZ cigar heretic is to smoke these cigars and post your tasting notes on this site (with Silly Photos if possible).

To give you an idea of a full-on cigar review, check out these 2 run-downs on your Big Cigar of the tasting batch:

• HdM Epicure Especial review 1
  
• HdM Epicure Especial review 2

Note how they review:

• Appearance: how it looks, smells and what it feels like before lighting it.

• Pre-light draw: cut the cap and take a puff BEFORE you light it - what does it taste like?

• Smoke: what it tastes like, what texture it has and how this evolves throughout the cigar (typically 1st third, 2nd third, 3rd third)

• Construction: whether it burns well or not, if the draw is good (too tight = hard to smoke, too loose = burns too quickly and smoke gets too hot), and how well the ash holds together.

Also check out the post: How to describe a Cigar's Flavour