Don Pepin Garcia Series JJ Maduro Belicoso - Guest Review

I have been eager to post some guest reviews by friends to get another perspective, and after a good BOTL sent me his review of this stick, I had to put it up! So, without further ado, Matt's review of the DPG Series JJ Maduro Belicoso:

Background - Picked this up from a box-pass, other than that I don’t know much about its background.

Construction - The wrapper on this cigar is a beautiful dark brown, a little tooth, no spotting. To the touch it feels very supple, didn’t find any under filled spots or any spots that felt particularly harder than any other part. Excellent construction.

Pre-light - Draw has a slight tug, which I find unusual for DPGs, so that was something new for me. Lots of spice to this cigar on the cold taste, not much pepper though. I’m already liking the taste of this cigar.

First third - Smacks you in the face with spice and now the pepper hits, very earthy as well. Full-bodied at this point, lots of creamy smoke, and it has a sweet smooth finish to it. The sweetness lingers for a good while after each puff leading me to say that this provides a nice long finish on the palate. Burn is even at this point.

Second third - Still very spicy, and I like that! The pepper note has dissipated, it’s still a little earthy, but a leathery element is coming through. I’m not getting a cedary note, and I’m not sure if that is something normal for this line or not. Very enjoyable, burn is pretty even, no noticeable canoeing or tunneling.Final third - The spice has not stopped and I’m loving it. The earthiness has gone away, but still extremely enjoyable, and the sweet smooth finish remains long. The burn has stayed even. The draw got a little hot towards the end, but didn’t take anything away from the taste.Overall impression - Extremely enjoyable cigar, very spicy throughout the entire smoke, and a sweetness that lingered on the palate the entire time. I’m definitely going to be keeping some of these in my humidor. Consistent, enjoyable, and smooth would be the best 3 words I could use to describe this cigar. Well, I'm no pro, but I'd give the cigar a 93. It was a solid performer all the way around, and it is right up my alley as far as flavor profiles go.

-The Badger

The "Black Ghost"

After hearing some talk about a LE house blend cigar rolled by an ex-Opus Master Roller, I asked around, and found out that the "Black Ghost" is a gnarly looking stick, rolled by Francisco from Habana Premium in upstate NY. It is said to be a real powerhouse sporting a Peruvian wrapper. The Corona Gorda sized stick is rather ugly, having a funky colored wrapper, a little pigtail, and lots of lumps. My curiosity lead to a bomb by a BOTL from Asylum, who sent me two of these so that I could do a review. Seems like I will be in for an interesting experience!

Cut is a Palio, lit with matches, and paired with cold water. Enjoying this with a good buddy, who will be smoking his first CC courtesy of Santa. Feels great to push someone down the slope ;)

Pre-Light - As I said before, this is really an ugly cigar. The wrapper has patchy colors and lumps, and is a bit squishy in some spots. That aside, the pre-light draw is nice, with a tiny tug.

First Third - The draw opens up immediately with thick, cloudy smoke. Wood and a dark, earthy note dominate the flavors right off the bat, and I can already tell this will be quite a strong cigar. Black tea and straight raw tobacco are also in the flavor mix, and it reminds me of a young, ultra-full-bodied Cuban. Ash is flaky but tight, and looks very dark in color, and again, I think CC. After setting it down for only a minute or two while I sent a text message, it went out! No problem after re-lighting though.

Second Third - The burn is going well, though ranging from sharp to somewhat ragged. More tea and black pepper notes are developing, complementing the earthy flavors. I am enjoying the Ghost so far, but it is flirting with the fine line between complexity and muddiness, most likely because of the darkness of the flavors.

Third Third - This cigar is no wimp- I can feel the strength creeping up in the back of my throat. Black tea and earth are dominating the last third, with some rich spice in the background. Ash/burn/draw continue to be on target, and no more re-light problems. Smoker beware with nose-exhaling- trust me it burns like hell.

Conclusion and Score - I smoked one of these previously, and I must say it was not half as good. Not sure if it was more humi time or the fact that I smoked the first one in 15 degree weather, but I was very impressed this time through. This wasn't the most complex cigar I have had, or the most refined in flavor, but it certainly had a nice punch in both body and taste. A rugged, dark, earthy flavor dominated- something that I don't find with too many sticks, and am rarely in the mood for, but today it hit the spot. I would give this an 89 rating, with possible room for improvement if the young, tea like flavor cold mellow with some age.

CAO La Traviata Divino

Being bored today, I wanted to get a cigar in before the NFL Playoffs and decided it was time to see what all the buzz is about over the CAO La Traviata. CAO's newest creation is named for an old Cuban brand, tries to mimic olde-world Cuban style. Lets see how it stacks up!

CAO has picked some leathery, dark, dense tobacco for this cigar, and it feels great in your hand. The pre-light on this Robusto sized stick tastes almost exactly like the sweet raisiny flavor of Redman to me, a flavor I really enjoy. After lighting, I get a nice tug on the draw and plenty of thick smoke. The flavors consist of a creamy medley of nut, sweet, and cedar notes (the cedar being a tiny bit spicy). Burn and ash start out perfect. I am enjoying the full-bodied flavors and body, but look for some more complexity. The second third explodes with coffee and earth flavors, though the flavors from the first third still stick around. Burn is razor sharp, draw is fantastic, and ash holds for over an inch before I drop it. Finishing up, I am still getting alot of coffee flavors though with some wood and spice and some sweet molasses. I rarely compare sticks to each other, but this reminds me of a VSG in body, construction and some of the flavors- though at a Casa Magna like price. A bit more complexity and this would be perfect.

I really enjoyed all hour and fifteen minutes of the La Traviata, it is a high quality product. The flavors were robust and tasty, and the construction was top notch. I would gladly give this a 90 rating, and will definitely be smoking more of these soon.

Illusione MJ12

After having a rough week, and not smoking recently, I decided to light up the Illusione MJ12 on a whim. Must have been the fancy silver foil wrapper, because after rooting through my humi and seeing this, I knew what I wanted to smoke. Having never had an Illusione cigar before, this seems like the perfect way to dive in -a fat toro, with a chocolaty brown wrapper, in some wicked cool packaging. Illusione is a relatively small boutique brand of cigars, with an interesting name for each vitola. The 'MJ12' refers to the 'Majestic Twelve', or twelve disciples; all the names refer back to Christ, or important parts of Dion Giolito's (the creator) life.

Heading outside to the front porch, bundled up with a nice cup of fresh roasted coffee (thank you Gary!). Cut it a Xikar, and lit with matches.

Pre-Light - Initial draw is very easy, almost too much so. I can taste some sweet raisiny notes, but mostly just a mild tobacco flavor.

First Third - The first puff reveals tons of smoke, honestly, in an unventilated room this stick could easily act as a cloaking device. Nut, wood and sweet notes jump out at me, though in an odd combination, dominated by a strong raw tobacco. Some other flavor is lurking, but I can't for the life of me pick out what it is. The burn is decently straight, though the ash didn't last long the first time. No problems yet.

Second Third - Moving into the second third I notice that the ash really has no holding potential, which is fine, just interesting. Most I could get was about 3/4 of an inch. I do love the feel of the leathery smooth wrapper, and it is no doubt a well constructed stick, just not necessarily to my preferences. The flavors have muted some, and I am getting mostly tobacco and an earthy type of wood flavor. Toward the end of this third I can feel a bit of strength, just another tally for 'raw, rugged, man cigar' I suppose.Third Third - The flavors continue to be a bit one dimensional, in the same fashion of earthy tobacco. Maybe I'm just smoking too fast because its about 18 degrees here, but it seems to show some strange sulfur flavoring. The burn and draw are constant, and overall not much has changed since the first third. Even down to the band/nub, it is a good cigar, but not really in the 'great' category for me.Conclusion and Score - I did enjoy my first Illusione cigar, but would have to say I was not overly impressed. This stick was, to me, a very rugged smoke which I may call on in a moment of manliness or need for a large, consistently raw flavor. Complexity was not in the MJ12's vocabulary, though the flavors it did have were enjoyable. I would like to try another Illusione to compare, and will probably keep one or two of these around for when I get in a certain mood. I'd have to give this an 85, as it was good but not great. For the price of about $7-8, the MJ is definitely worth a try.

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!

Tatuaje T110

Got the chance for another review tonight, and decided that it is finally time for the 'Thermonuclear 110." In case you aren't the huge Tat fan I and many others have recently become, this cigar is made with 100% ligero from Nicaragua, and supposed to be the strongest stick out there right now. The original release (which this is from) yielded only 200 boxes of 25, though another release has recently been announce with something like 160 new boxes. I have been quite excited to smoke this guy, and see if it really is the flavorful powerhouse I have heard. Going to my B&M tonight, as it is nasty out. Cut with my Palio and lit with matches.


Pre-light - The wrapper is a beautiful dark chocolate color, smooth, and quite oily. Very easy draw, spicy flavors. For some reason it was surprisingly tough to light.

First Third - Upon the first draw I got the spicy, Tatuaje flavor that describes so many of Pete Johnson's other smokes. The easy draw produces clouds of smoke, with spice and dark chocolate flavors dominating, and a toasty note in the background. The ash isn't terribly straight, but it is quite ragged and dark so far for a NC smoke. The spice settled down after a half inch, and the chocolate blends with some wood flavors that are really melting together beautiful. I can feel the strength now, though it isn't quite as strong as I had expected yet.

Second Third - The ash has now settled down and it is burning straighter. I am loving the flavor notes -the powerhouse isn't just a beast, it has some complexity too! The glass bottle coke I'm drinking goes really well with it, though I can't help wishing I had a nice strong cup of coffee to complement the chocolate and toastyness. As a huge fan of toasty flavors, the T110 is hitting the spot.

Third Third - Though the flavors are getting less refined at this point, I think I have fallen in love. The strength hit me a bit more and I can feel a small knot in my throat, but I am loving it. Ash held for about an inch and a half twice, and I nubbed it so far I think I have a blister on my finger.

Conclusion and Score - The T110 won my heart. I loved the chocolate, wood, and toasty notes, which produced beautiful complex flavors throughout the entire stick. The burn and draw were nothing short of great. Despite this cigar being a powerhouse (and it was), flavor was definitely not a problem. For a rating, I dub this beauty a 93, and would have to put it in the top 10, and probably top five for my favorite cigars of all time. Age should really make it even more enjoyable, though I doubt I will be able to keep my hands off the only other one I have left! I NEED to get some more of these.

Partagas 898V - '02

Tonight I decided to enjoy a smoke given me by a fellow BOTL, to mark the end of my Thanksgiving holiday: a Partagas 898 (Varnished) from '02. It looked quite majestic, though had a few wrapper peels, though this is not surprising since it is pushing 8 years old.

Smoking outside tonight with some cold water, another quick review as I am smoking sin-laptop.

This smoke was beautiful right from the cut. Burn was nice for the most part, and it went out once or twice, though due impart to the conversation I was having with a friend. Initially the draw had a nice tug to it, though was far from plugged as I thought it may be. Flavors consisted of spice and nuttiness in the background to a mild but complex coffee note. The coffee became more robust through the smoke, and the spice went in and out and the creamy beginning gave way to a more 'rustic' flavor as the stick progressed. I would definitely describe this as a classic Cuban cigar. Depite the bitterness at the end, I would give this stick an 88 rating, and it is something I will certainly be trying to get more of.

La Flor Dominicana Cheroot - 'The Icepick'

Haven't smoked a cigar in a while, so tonight I thought I should light up something rather special. Going with a LFD Cheroot tonight, nicknamed 'The Icepick' for it's strength - it is rumored that the Cheroot is made with 100% ligero! This cigar is available in only one shop in the whole US, originally only handed out by LG himself. I'm in the mood for a strong stick so we'll see how this little gem works out. Gonna be a quickie review because my laptop isn't coming outside with me.

Outside tonight, lighting up with matches and drinking some cold water. No need for a cut as it is already cut on both end.

The draw was quite open, providing tons of thick smoke. A blast of spice like I have never seen before greeted me upon lighting, with a background of wood. After I blew out the smoke, my mouth fealt like I had just eaten a hot pepper there was so much spice! Both flavor and strength proved to be very robust, but I did get a hint of plastic (??) out of the first half inch. The middle of the cigar mellowed a bit, with a hint of cream balancing the spice out, but the pepperiness was still dominant. When I smoke a strong stick I often notice a little knot in the back of my throat, and the 'Icepick' was no exception. No head buzz, but definitely quite powerful. The ash progressed to almost 2 inches before I dropped it, and about this time I noticed a bit of harsh tar flavor, which a prompt re-cut mended. The end brought back the wood flavor with the still strong pepper/spice notes. I also noticed an odd, sweet brandy-like flavor which I have never tasted in a cigar.

Overall, this was a really cool stick. I thank my BOTL from the Asylum for gifting me this cool little treat, it was certainly a new experience. As far as a rating, I'm not really sure I want to give this stick a number. Being that this is not a regular production stogie, and not even really in the category of traditional size or flavor, I would prefer to judge it purely as an interesting smoke. If you get a chance, do pick one up, you won't regret it. Just make sure to eat a nice meal before hand!