Reviews by Brandon S

By popular demand I’m switching up my normal mantra of reviewing a cigar and giving it my personal rating…for this round I’ve decided to review 2 CIGARS! That’s right gents…side by side comparison of two truly boutique blends – The Diesel Unholy Cocktail vs. Tatuaje Havana VI. Both of these blends have received high praise from consumers since they hit the market and well, I’m gonna see how they stack up against each other…mano y mano – or I guess it would be cigaro y cigaro.

First, I’ll select the vitolas for this matchup:

DIESEL – No brain power necessary for this one. Only comes in one size, dubbed the Unholy Cocktail – it’s a stout 5x56 belicoso that comes packed in a box of 30.

HAVANA VI – This selection took some consideration. There are 2 sizes that share similarities to the Diesel Unholy Cocktail. There’s the Gorditos - a 5.5x56 standard parejo that’s slightly longer with the same ring gauge OR, the Artistas - a 6.25x52 Torpedo that shares the same shape as the Diesel. Hmmm…I’m going to go with the Gorditos.

                Next, the wrapper and the blends:

DIESEL – Blended by Abdel Fernandez in Nicaragua, the Diesel is constructed with top-notch Nicaraguan long-fillers and finished with a gorgeous Pennsylvania Broadleaf Maduro wrapper. Once only utilized as a binder or for filler tobaccos, the PA Broadleaf is becoming increasingly popular among manufacturers for use as a wrapper. It yields a spicy yet sweet character that true maduro wrappers are known for and an extra layer of power to boot.

HAVANA VI – Tatuaje’s Havana VI is a Nicaraguan Puro meaning that the entire cigar is made from tobacco grown in Nicaragua. It utilizes a Nicaraguan Corojo 99 wrapper and is manufactured by Pepin Garcia in his shiny new Nicaraguan factory.

                Third, the flavor and body:

DIESEL – I’ll admit, I’ve burned literally dozens of these since they were released, and every time I am greeted with a medium-full bodied experience that is nothing short of uber-complex. There is a spiciness on the front of the palate and a nice peppery yet sweet finish that keeps me coming back for more. As the cigar develops it tops out with one heck of a full-bodied crescendo.

HAVANA VI – I’ve had a few of these in my time in various shapes and sizes. The Nicaraguan tobaccos really shine through on this blend giving it the trademark Cuban-esque flavor that Pepin has come to be known for.

                And Finally – Price:

DIESEL – Pricing for this cigar goes above and beyond the call of duty in my opinion. Available for around $3 per stick…the price of a cup of coffee at your swankier joints – it’s a no-brainer to at least test a few out.

HAVANA VI – This line is a little more ‘spensive than the Diesel. Suggested retail on the particular vitola for this review is $7.50. But, looking at the other cigars that Tatuaje offers I guess the Havana VI would be considered their “budget” line.

                To cap off this review, I must say that looking at these two truly Boutique blends, you can’t go wrong with either of them. But when it comes down to it, I’m tilting my hand in favor of the Diesel Unholy Cocktail. Is it price? Maybe...  After burning through a 5-pack of each for this review I find the Unholy Cocktail to be a more unique and enjoyable experience and the Havana VI to be similar to cigars that you can find at a lower price point. Now I may get chastised for that last sentence since Tatuaje has a die-hard following that would likely view my opinion as blasphemy but I’m not saying that the Havana VI is a bad blend at all. I’ve enjoyed every one that I’ve had. All I’m saying is I liked the Diesel a little more…that’s all!!!

By popular demand I’m switching up my normal mantra of reviewing a cigar and giving it my personal rating…for this round I’ve decided to review 2 CIGARS! That’s right gents…side by side comparison of two truly boutique blends – The Diesel Unholy Cocktail vs. Tatuaje Havana VI. Both of these blends have received high praise from consumers since they hit the market and well, I’m gonna see how they stack up against each other…mano y mano – or I guess it would be cigaro y cigaro.

First, I’ll select the vitolas for this matchup:

DIESEL – No brain power necessary for this one. Only comes in one size, dubbed the Unholy Cocktail – it’s a stout 5x56 belicoso that comes packed in a box of 30.

HAVANA VI – This selection took some consideration. There are 2 sizes that share similarities to the Diesel Unholy Cocktail. There’s the Gorditos - a 5.5x56 standard parejo that’s slightly longer with the same ring gauge OR, the Artistas - a 6.25x52 Torpedo that shares the same shape as the Diesel. Hmmm…I’m going to go with the Gorditos.
 

                Next, the wrapper and the blends:

DIESEL – Blended by Abdel Fernandez in Nicaragua, the Diesel is constructed with top-notch Nicaraguan long-fillers and finished with a gorgeous Pennsylvania Broadleaf Maduro wrapper. Once only utilized as a binder or for filler tobaccos, the PA Broadleaf is becoming increasingly popular among manufacturers for use as a wrapper. It yields a spicy yet sweet character that true maduro wrappers are known for and an extra layer of power to boot.

HAVANA VI – Tatuaje’s Havana VI is a Nicaraguan Puro meaning that the entire cigar is made from tobacco grown in Nicaragua. It utilizes a Nicaraguan Corojo 99 wrapper and is manufactured by Pepin Garcia in his shiny new Nicaraguan factory.

                Third, the flavor and body:

DIESEL – I’ll admit, I’ve burned literally dozens of these since they were released, and every time I am greeted with a medium-full bodied experience that is nothing short of uber-complex. There is a spiciness on the front of the palate and a nice peppery yet sweet finish that keeps me coming back for more. As the cigar develops it tops out with one heck of a full-bodied crescendo.

HAVANA VI – I’ve had a few of these in my time in various shapes and sizes. The Nicaraguan tobaccos really shine through on this blend giving it the trademark Cuban-esque flavor that Pepin has come to be known for.

                And Finally – Price:

DIESEL – Pricing for this cigar goes above and beyond the call of duty in my opinion. Available for around $3 per stick…the price of a cup of coffee at your swankier joints – it’s a no-brainer to at least test a few out.

HAVANA VI – This line is a little more ‘spensive than the Diesel. Suggested retail on the particular vitola for this review is $7.50. But, looking at the other cigars that Tatuaje offers I guess the Havana VI would be considered their “budget” line.

                To cap off this review, I must say that looking at these two truly Boutique blends, you can’t go wrong with either of them. But when it comes down to it, I’m tilting my hand in favor of the Diesel Unholy Cocktail. Is it price? Maybe...  After burning through a 5-pack of each for this review I find the Unholy Cocktail to be a more unique and enjoyable experience and the Havana VI to be similar to cigars that you can find at a lower price point. Now I may get chastised for that last sentence since Tatuaje has a die-hard following that would likely view my opinion as blasphemy but I’m not saying that the Havana VI is a bad blend at all. I’ve enjoyed every one that I’ve had. All I’m saying is I liked the Diesel a little more…that’s all!!!

                Well well, here we go again! This time I have a selection that’s not only pleasing to the palate, but also to the wallet! I, along with a few of my fellow colleagues were recently on a trip to Nicaragua. While there, we visited many factories where we worked on new blends and sampled blends already in production for quality control purposes. While visiting one particular factory, a blend stood out head and shoulders above the rest. One that a member of our group touted as “the best cigar of the trip!” That cigar would be the La Perla Habana Morado. Some may recognize this 93-rated cigar from a few years back when it hit the market with over-the-top packaging comprised of a heavy cedar chest that, when opened revealed individual slots that housed each cigar. Expensive packaging often means an expensive price tag, and that was in a pre-SCHIP world! Now with a 52.75% federal tax on all cigars it has become very difficult to bring our cigar lunatics a deal worth writin’ home about!

                With this new legislation in place, just about everything is taxable including the packaging! Some manufacturers have had to come up with ways to tighten the old belt in order to keep their cigars reasonably priced. One such way is to scale back the ‘grandioseness’ (yes, that’s a word I just made up) of the boxes. One such example of this is the recent facelift that the La Perla Habana line has received. The fine folks at La Perla scaled back their packaging to a simple yet elegant box and in doing so have been able to save you mucho dinero (that’s lots of duckets to you gringos). 

                But rest assured my friends, everything about the cigar itself remains the same: same African Cameroon wrapper, same binder, and same fillers – it’s even produced in the SAME Nicaraguan-based factory that’s always made this fine smoke.

                I’ll tell you what – after enjoying literally dozens of these beauties, this cigar is spot on. A full-flavored, medium bodied cigar that exudes a pleasing aroma. The blend itself is extremely complex with a strong underlying tobacco flavor that will keep you coming back for more.

                High praise and an even higher price… That’s one way that the Ashton VSG can be summed up. Another way is high quality and highly enjoyable. I’ve been saving the leftover change from my weekly Taco Bell runs and was able to scrape enough together to swing by our Super Store and pick one of these gems up and the torpedo was my vitola of choice on this particular day. This chunky 6.5”x55 box-pressed cigar features an Ecuadorian Sun Grown wrapper and Dominican-grown binder and long-fillers. The VSG or Virgin Sun Grown is made at Chateau de la Fuente in the Dominican Republic utilizing the high quality control standards that Ashton is known for;

                Ashton may be best known for their Classic series which features silky Connecticut wrappers and a smoother profile…a far departure from the VSG. The pre-light draw reveals some chocolaty nuances which are quite enjoyable. Upon sparking the cigar, the chocolaty nuances still remain a part of the underlying character of the cigar. About an inch in I’m greeted with a spiciness and an intense buttery texture which can be attributed to the perfect Sun Grown wrapper – this particular wrapper hales from a private estate in Ecuador that is owned by the Oliva Tobacco Family (not to be confused with the Oliva Cigar Family).

                Now half-way through and this full-bodied selection is coming into its own. Exhaling through the nose adds another dimension of flavor and strength that nearly causes my eyes to water! Note – almost…I’m a full-bodied, full-flavored cigar fan, and a tear might be brought to the eyes of a weaker man. But not I! Now, I should mention that the VSG isn’t available everywhere – in fact even when you can find a few, chances are they won’t be there for long. With its high ratings and limited production the VSG is one of the most sought after blends among cigar enthusiasts year after year and I know that some of you may suffer from a bout of “sticker shock” when looking to purchase a few of these. Trust me lad, it’s worth it. Go ahead and treat yourself once in a while! Personally I recommend sparking one of these up after a hearty meal comprised of some type of tasty dead animal and maybe a few vegetables – you know, to add some color to the dinner plate. And don’t forget the brown liquor to wash it all down!

La Aroma de Cuba was always a decent smoke in my humblest of opinions but it lacked that certain something that could take it from simply “decent” to a whole lot more…and then some. The folks at Ashton seemed to agree with this as was evidenced by their recent factory change for production and subsequent re-blending of the La Aroma de Cuba. Now made by Pepin Garcia in his shiny new Nicaraguan factory, La Aroma de Cuba has allegedly taken on a brand new personality. So, without further delay, I’m off to the humidor to grab me a 5-pack of the 6x52 Monarch. Sit tight, I’ll be back in a few…

Alrighty then, I’m back with my Monarchs along with a few other tasty treats I snagged during the trip, but more on those later. As you may recall, the previous blend of La Aroma de Cuba was produced in Honduras with a Cuban-seed wrapper and a blend of Cuban-seed Nicaraguan and Honduran long-fillers. The result was a medium-bodied cigar that was pretty one-dimensional in flavor and yielded a lingering spice on the finish. Take my word for it, I’ve still got a couple boxes of the old blend and am smoking them side by side to compare. The new Pepin Garcia-made La Aroma de Cuba, by comparison is a few shades darker and oily enough to bring a tear to the eye. It literally glistens in the light! Oooooooohhh…..Aaaaaaaaahhh…say it with me now! The new blend boasts a combination of select Nicaraguan long-fillers all brought together with a ruddy and oily Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper. The end result is a dramastic (term coined by an excited CI staffer. It is believed to be a combination of the words “drastic” and “dramatic”) improvement over the old blend with the new delivering distinguishable cedary notes up front followed by a host of earthy and nutty flavors throughout as the cigar develops. The spice is still there by the boatload but if you need an extra helping just try blowing the smoke out through your nose! For my palate the new La Aroma is a great smoke and a vast improvement over the old blend. If you haven’t had the new blend yet you should give it a shot right now without delay. If you’ve had the old but not the new, well what are you waiting for? Go on and git some!