Fuente Hemingway Signature Maduro

I've been on a corona/petit corona kick lately but felt the need for something a bit larger tonight. In a recent PIF, Warrior sent me a couple of nice sticks so I thought I'd give one a try: the Hemingway Signature Maduro (an odd size at 6x47 with the perfecto shape) . I've had and very much enjoy the natural wrapper Hemingway series, so the Maduro should hopefully be that much better!

The stick has a strong, rich aroma which hit me the second I took off the cellophane wrapper. It is slightly bumpy in some spots but seems to be constructed well. Not the polished look I thought it would have. Cut by the trusty Xikar, lit by matches with cold water to drink, and man is it a beautiful night out.

Pre-light - The pre-light draw is smooth, with a healthy tug that you would expect from a perfecto. Vaguely I taste a sweet, raisin-ish flavor. Lighting it was no problem, though it always feels weird with the tiny end.

First Third - The immediate flavor is rather mellow (not sure the age situation on this stick since it was from a PIF) with coffee notes backed up by toasty and spicy/pepper flavors. Once it gets past the tiny tip, the spiciness opens up a bit and the smoke becomes thicker, though the draw stays relatively the same. I have read other reviews that claim a very mild pepper flavor with a creamy texture, but this stick seems the opposite; pepper has become rather strong (though tasty) and I would describe it more as mellow than creamy. The burn is tilting one way, but I'll wait it out to see if it will fix itself. So far, it is not at all what I expected, and quite different from what I remember about its natural cousin.

Second Third - A slight harshness developed at the beginning of the second third, probably because I'm puffing too much (trying to get the flavor out of it!). It is defiantly more on the mild side of medium as far as my palate goes. The pepper from the first third has diminished some as the main characteristic, leaving a blend of the pepper, toastyness, coffee, and an earthy tone. My ash got up to a decent inch+ before I dropped it, the draw is decent, and the burn has evened out a bit, so I guess the construction is pretty good. So far I'm enjoying this smoke but waiting for something to blow me away- this has defiantly not happened yet, and I have to say I really did expect more of an excellent cigar. The complexity piece of a cigar that I really enjoy is not really popping up with this stick.

Third Third - The burn has totally evened out now (without my help), but the flavors continue to be the same as the second third here at the beginning of the third. The pepper has taken back its role as the flavor leader though, which I am enjoying. Not much is changing this third, though the burn and draw have become almost perfect. I love a cigar with alot of smoke, with which this stick is very generous. I'm beginning to really embrace the pepper flavor, though not much has changed throughout the stick. A good pepper flavor isn't my everyday flavor of choice, but its nice once in a while. I'm nubbing this stick because its so beautiful out and the fact that there is no hint burning.

Conclusion and Score - After having the natural Hemingways I was expecting even more out of this stick. Though it did have a nice construction, draw, and smokiness, the nice pepper flavor was not enough for me to be sold on it. The mix of flavors was nice, but nothing special, and pretty far short of complex. As far as strength, this was defiantly not a full bodied cigar, and probably on the lighter end of medium- not at all what I had thought. This is not to say I would not try it again, but probably will not buy more than 2 or 3 at a time. Maybe some age will help it become the classic I was thinking? We'll have to see. For a rating, I would give this stick an 86, though I will have to revisit and see because others have seen reason for higher ratings. Surely a solid stick, and if the price is right, something to have around in the humi.

Tatuaje Havana VI Angeles

Tonight I thought I would try the Tatuaje Havana VI Angeles I bought recently, a brand with which I have had no experience yet. I am excited to see what all the hype is about with these sticks, and to see if it lives up to the fantastic reviews. This stick is a smaller size (probably a petite corona) at 4 5/8x 42. I like this size for a short smoke, but have trouble finding things I like in this size, so this could be a very good find if it's decent... especially at only around $5 and change per.

Pre-light - The wrapper looks quite nice, and the band is a simple but elegant red with the brand name in script-y font and Fleur De Lis all around. Not the smoothest stick, but this is a quality that really has no effect on the actual smoking in my experience, and a rougher stick can have a nice rusticness to it which I can appreciate. Cut is a Xikar straight, light is a torch, and drink choice is water. Pre-light draw is great- a nice easy draw with a tiny bit of tug.

First Third - The initial draws give off huge amounts of smoke with a very rich, but not overpowering flavor. I can detect a very woody/nutty flavor with a lingering sweet toastyness. No harshness is present at all. The smoke is light enough not to be full-bodied, but on the heavy side of medium with deep, rich flavor. Burn is relatively even, and the ash seems tight and well packed. A vaguely smokey flavor gives this stick a slight roughness to its elegance. I am very much enjoying this stick. A more earthy flavor develops at the end of the first third into the second.

Second Third - I clumsily dropped the nicely forming ash, which is a disappointment as I am generally good at getting a nice, long ash. Nevertheless, this cigar is quickly making a good impression on me. The earthiness has come to the forefront of the flavors, while the others fade into the background, though the woodiness is still prominent. Though the draw has become a teenie bit tougher, it is still very good- producing an even burn and tons of smoke.

Third Third - The earthy-woody-nutty flavors have all joined forces now to create a rich, creaminess that I am very pleased with. The toasty aftertaste is a nice touch throughout. Burn and draw are still the same as the second third, and no hint of heat comes until the very nub. This is worth nubbing! I have not had any bitter or harsh flavors at all, a smooth smoke the whole way. At the end I taste a faint floral flavor along with the sweetness. My only complaint is having to give it a bit of fire, though this could be from the fact that I got up for a minute.

Conclusion and Score - This stick really blew out my expectations. I had thought it was going to be a decent stick, but it proved to be a very complex, creamy stogie with tons of smoke and flavor. Being that this is my first Tat, it left a fantastic impression and I will defiantly be back for more soon. I plan to pick up more of these and it seems that they may be an essential to my humidor going forward. I enjoyed the woody-nutty flavors immensely. Nothing about this cigar was anything but stellar and I would easily give this a 91, though age would have little effect I suspect. The CA rating a while back was a 93, and I can understand why. If you haven't had this yet, it should be high on the list of things to try. Can't wait to get some more!

Gurkha Vintage Shaggy

After a weekend of camping (and no cigars), I think it is time to sit back, enjoy the beautiful weather, and light something up. The other day I purchased a Gurkha Vintage Shaggy Toro for a sale price of $4.99 (normally about $7). This will be my first Gurkha, and hearing mixed reviews, I'm not too sure what to expect.

The stick looks nice, the wrapper has a few nicks, though not from a bad leaf. It measures 6x50, excluding the foot, which is left unwrapped for the last half inch, giving it a rugged, old world look. Cut is a Xikar straight, light is a torch to the shaggy foot, and my drink of choice is cold water.

Pre-light - The cigar looks good, with a clean, unlumpy wrapper. The shaggy foot is growing on me, and the cut was perfect. pre-light draw has a bit of pull, but is not bad. Smells as if it has been lit before for some reason -not bad just odd.

First Third - It starts out as a mild, earthy/woody taste, with a toasty hint in the background. The burn is even for the most part, and the draw is the same as the pre-light. It has a relaxing quality about it, and is a lighter meduim-bodied smoke -a surprisingly pleasent change from my usual full-bodied smoke. The stick gives off a mild amount of smoke, which has a nice aroma and is not "stinky" as some can be. So far there is nothing outstanding about the stick, but for the price I am definatly not disappointed.

Second Third - Moving farther in I start to notice a slight nuttiness, though the flavors have not changed much. If complexity is what you are looking for, than this stick is not for you. I got the ash up to about an inch and a quarter before dropping it; a ragged, loose kind of ash. The burn line has become more unsteady, but I haven't had to relight at all. Smoking past the half way point has proved to show a bit of bitter/harshness, though a nice carmel flavor appeared. The thin Dominican wrapper has the flavor of a cameroon to me. The burn has significantly slowed down, and the flavor has become more robust (the same earthy/woodyness as befor with the carmel now), though still lighter-medium bodied.

Third Third - The stog has started to heat up, not enough to stop smoking though. The burn has evened out and the wood and carmel have taken over with a toasted aftertaste. Flavor has diminished a bit, maybe 2/3 of what was there originally. Not worth nubbing, though I smoked it down to a bit over an inch.

Conclusion and Score - This was a milder smoke for me, but a nice change on a very hot day. The flavors were far from complex, with a pretty constant woodyness thoughout and a few minor overtone changes. The draw and burn were adequate though not outstanding at all. For the sale price of $5 and change with tax, I will definatly pick a few more up to have around. I would have to give this cigar an 84, and believe that age would not really change at all given it has a rather thin wrapper and is a mild Dominican puro. If you're looking for a decent, cheaper smoke with a milder body, than check out the Gurkha Vintage Shaggy.

First Review - Don Lino 1989 Maduro Robusto

This is my first formal cigar review, after I decided that I want to record my experiences with each cigar I smoke. I am posting these reviews as amature ones based on my growing experience with cigars so go easy!! This Don Lino is a favorite of mine, though I have not had one in a while... We'll see how it goes!


On my back patio at about 11 o'clock, with a glass of water. Xikar cut, lit with matches. It measures 5x50 box pressed, though seems more like 5x45ish.


Pre-light - A dark, slightly oily stick with a few veins but nothing unpleasant. Vaguely soft to the touch. Smells great, like a good maduro should. Pre-light draw is very loose, bordering too-easy.


Lighting and First Third - Very strong taste immediately after lighting the stick, which mellowed into a creamyness after a few puffs. The draw is better than the pre-light, almost perfect. Each pull provides a dense cloud of smoke with a strong woody flavor and a mild hint of nuts in the background. Too many puffs in a row brings out a more bold, almost bitter flavor; the aftertaste is very toasty. The burn is more even than others of this brand I have had, but still far from perfectly even. I would say the ash is "ragged," as it stays together nicely (enough to get a full inch or so), but has flakes around the edges and is not tight. As the flavors change going into the second third, the stick clearly pronounces itself as a "full bodied" cigar.


Second Third - It has now mellowed out, as all the flavors that were very robust in the first third, are toned down. A mildly sweet flavor, almost like coffee and coco, appears gradually. A background bitterness is still there, though it is not impeding my enjoyment of the cigar. I am feeling this cigar's power more now, and the little "cigar-buzz" is nice. The burn continues to be inconsistent, which I see as the main drawback so far. The toastyness has paired with a bit of spice, and become the main flavor now.


Third Third - Moving into the later part of the stick, there is still some wood notes, though the robust toastyness has taken over with the mild coffee flavor. Draw is still fantastic and I have not noticed any heat while smoking yet. An earthy-burnt flavor appears about an inch and a half away from the end -it has become more complex, though a tad harsh.


Conclusion and Score - Being that this was one of the first good cigars I ever smoked (about 2 or 3 years ago), it has some sentimental taste and feel value for me. The ones I had a while back seemed to be a bit better than the newer batches, though I still enjoyed this a great deal. The flavor changes throughout were interesting, with a toasty one being present almost throughout. The burn, as always, was a bit disappointing, but had no effect on the actual smoking (no need to relight). I would give this an 88 or 89 score, though with 2 or 3 years of age I believe the harshness would dissipate and could reach for the 90-91 range (though 91 being a stretch). I have a few torpedoes from 2 years back in the humidor, and am excited to see how they have turned out.