Viaje Holiday Blend

I was given this by a very generous BOTL, and decided to light it up tonight as I was feeling pretty 'Christmassy!' If you haven't heard about this yet, the Holiday Blend is a very limited release for the holiday season (only 100 boxes of 30). Not sure if this will be a yearly smoke, but I certainly hope so. This stick has a beautiful leathery wrapper and a slightly oval shape which was interesting. The wrapped foot was pretty awesome too!

It started off with a great draw, on the lighter side, and billows of smoke. The initial flavors provided a blast of cedar and wood for a strong, full bodied smoke. Spice and toastiness brought up the rear and rounded the flavor out. Construction for this smoke was impeccable, and the ash was tight with nice layers on it. I was impressed by pretty much everything about this cigar, from construction, to draw, to ash, and flavor. The second half did get a bit of an ashy, but i really enjoyed this down to the nub. No doubt a full flavored, 'meaty' smoke. The ash only dropped twice throughout the entire stick too which was awesome! I would have to rate this stick a 90, which could have been higher if the flavors hadn't gotten a bit ashy- some age should take care of that!

I'm disappointed that these were not more readily available, as I would love to have gotten some more. Definitely going on my wish list!

H. Upmann Connnoisseur No. 1

I grabbed a fiver of these a while back, and almost forgot about them. Recently there has been some buzz about the 08 year (which this is), so I decided that it was time to smoke one. H. Upmann is quickly becoming one of my favorite CC brands, so we'll see if this stick stacks up to my expectations. Short review today!

This stick starts off with a nice tug on the draw, and opens with plenty of nutty/chocolaty flavors, and a bit of cedar. The burn is decent, and the ash is holding nicely with many ragged layers. Stronger than I expected so far, with nice rich flavors. The ash held for a good 2 inches before dropping, and around this point I tasted some nice mild coffee. A toasty aftertaste lingers after I blow out the smoke which is nice. I am a fan of toastyness. The smoke isn't all that plentiful, but that may be due to a draw on the tighter side -no complaints though. Started to get a bit bitter a bit over half way through, but came back to stride after a quarter inch. The last third isn't quite as rich in flavor as the first two, with flavors that aren't as defined. Ash continues to hold nicely. The bitterness came back towards the end which was disappointing, but it was still a decent smoke, and I would give it an 86. I believe that with a few years of age, the bitterness will disappear; if the flavors can stay constant throughout with no bitterness, this could probably break the 90s. The other four I have are going back to sleep!

Quesada 35th Anniversary

The Quesada 35th Anniversary is the newest creation of the Quesada family and Matesa, though this time blended by the youngest and fifth generation of the family. It is a limited edition commemorative cigar, recognizing Matesa's 35th Anniversary (ironically). There has been some hype around this stick recently, as it comes from the same family that brought us last year's "Cigar of the Year," the Casa Magna Colorado. Time to get down to business and see if this stick can really hold it's own in a cigar business currently booming with LE sticks.

Sitting outside on a brisk day with a good friend and BOTL. The stick was lit with a torch, cut with a Palio, and accompanied by water.

Pre-Light - Beautiful dark, oily, chocolate colored wrapper on this stick. The box press feels nice in your hand. Nice easy draw, with a cinnamon flavor.

First Third - The lighter draw gives off a nice cloud of smoke, and the first few puffs produce a dark, almost subdued chocolate and full bodied wood flavor. The burn is nothing special, but has a pretty tight ash. A more pronounced coffee flavor (little bit of cream, no sugar) fills this stick out -the complexity is interesting. The dark cocoa in the background is making it for me.
Second Third - The as began to get 'flaky' and eventually dropped, though not until about an inch an a half. The flavors continue to change, but the same coffee, cocoa, and wood flavors are predominant. Bitterness appears here and there, though it is more tied to the cocoa so not a bad flavor. The ligero in here is sneaking up on me and I'm feeling the strength a little bit in the back of my throat. Really enjoying it so far.
Third Third - I really have nothing bad to say thus far. The cocoa and wood are dominant in the last third, with the coffee close behind. Though they have become a bit more 'muddled' I am still enthralled with this cigar. The burn is a bit uneven, but fixes itself -no biggie.
Conclusion and Score - The flavors in this cigar were immensely enjoyable, the smoke nice and thick, and the draw fantastic, though the burn left a bit to be desired. I loved the dark, smooth complexity in flavors, especially the cocoa and coffee. I really had a tough time putting it down, and would have to score this a hearty 92. Though age may mellow this stick out and bring out some more complexity, I think it is a fantastic smoke now. Definitely one of the smokes out right now I would have no problem shelling out the $12 for. Worth a try for sure if you can find it!

PS thank you to the BOTL who sent me this stick, making me promise to do a review. I loved it and was happy to comply!