Reviews by Joe

There’s a few types of people you run into when you work in a cigar shop. Guys that only like maduros, that only like big-rings, that swear by Connecticuts, that won’t touch anything unless AJ’s name is on it — the list goes on. But there’s one type of cigar enthusiast I’d like to shine the spotlight on today. The guy who hates popular brands. 

Maybe you’ve met this guy before: the resident hipster of the tobacconist, who’s always ready to tell you all about the super-limited-edition-ultra-rare-boutique-handmade from a company you’ve never heard of, based out of a fishing village in Peru that ages all their cigars in Alaskan soil under the watchful eye of a 110 year old Cuban grandmother. Yeah, right.

This guy may find some great cigars on his quest towards purposeful obscurity, but he’s making a huge mistake. You see, the Big Brands are big brands for a reason — because they’re time tested, and customer approved. Today, I’d like to visit one of those big brands, and review their (spoiler alert) fantastic new(ish) blend: Cohiba Macassar. 

You can’t smoke the packaging, but in this case it’s at least worth taking a look at. Cohiba Macassar is presented in beautiful 10-count boxes, constructed from the rare Indonesian ebony timber of the same name. Macassar takes inspiration from the limited-edition nature of this wood, ensuring that each tobacco included in the final blend are of the highest-quality, and aged extra-long, with a final year of aging in rum barrels. The result is a medium to full-bodied blend that immediately impresses: it’s gorgeous at first glance, and only gets better as you light her up. 

The wrapper leaf is grown exclusively in one small area of Connecticut, northeast of the Connecticut River Valley. Press releases claim that the “microclimate” in this region help to produce a richer, more flavorful tobacco, in trade for a lower yield per plant. I don’t know much about agriculture, but I can assure you this cigar is incredibly flavorful. In addition to the unique Connecticut Havano wrapper, you’ll find a Connecticut Broadleaf binder and a combination of Nicaraguan and Dominican long-fillers, each aged for a total of six years. 

But enough of the backstory… what’s this thing taste like? Firing up Macassar, I get the traditional smoothness you might associate with this brand from releases like Cohiba Red Dot, but if you blindfolded me I’d probably never guess this was a Cohiba. And I don’t mean that in a bad way. Extraordinarily unique, Macassar impresses with gobs of woody notes, slight black pepper, and a creamy, earthy mixture at the core that provides an enjoyably long and complex finish. 

Though it doesn’t come cheap, Cohiba Macassar is easily my favorite release from the Cohiba brand to date. Pick up a 5-pack when you get a chance, and if you’re looking for a size recommendation, I’d go for the Double Corona. I know, it’s the most expensive, but I promise – this cigar performs incredibly well in such a large size, offering plenty of time for you to appreciate the slow burn and balanced profile. 

There’s two things I love in this world: real nice cigars, and scoring them on the cheap. So naturally, a product line like Oliva 2nds immediately gets my heart pumping. For those that aren’t familiar – Oliva 2nds are the cigars from the same award-winning cigars from the Oliva factory that fail to meet their aesthetic perfection standard. Typically this is just from a slight cosmetic mark, occasionally, you’ll find some veins in the wrapper. But beyond that the cigars match up perfectly with Oliva’s high-quality offerings, and taste just as good as the “real thing.”

For today’s review, I’ve scored myself 5 of each of the different “ligas,” and instead of my normal rambling I’m going to provide some quick tasting notes and ratings for every one of the Oliva 2nds sitting on our docks. Let’s get started!

Liga C: A pleasant, nutty flavor with notes of coffee, wood, and nuts. Good finish and aftertaste, burns well and draws easily. 4 out of 5 stars. 

Liga OM: Really full-bodied, with a rather nice looking wrapper. If I had to guess, I’d call it a Connecticut Broadleaf. Tons of black pepper on the first few draws, which mellow out into a smooth, subtle finish. 4.25 out of 5 stars. 

Liga G: A medium-bodied flavor bomb, with a pretty toothy and dark wrapper leaf. Long finish, ripe with notes of coffee, and a toasty tobacco core. 4 out of 5 stars. 

Liga F: The mellowest of the batch, with a silky smooth Connecticut wrapper on top. Flavor profile is tame, with a pleasant sweetness and nuttiness throughout. For a first cigar of the day: 4.25 out of 5. If you’ve already had a cigar or two, the subtle flavors on this one may miss the mark: 3.5 out of 5. 

Liga M: My absolute favorite of the lot. Really full-bodied, with an oily and smooth wrapper leaf. A distinguished flavor of earth, cream, and loads of sugary chocolate. A perfect choice if you love Nicaraguan cigars, and don’t want to empty your wallet. 5 out of 5 stars. 

Liga O: A contender for the throne when it comes to my favorite 2nd. Nice color to the wrapper, this cigar had the least “flaws” out of the samples I procured. Only noticeable blemish was a few small sun spots. A salty, spicy flavor is balanced by a rich sweetness halfway through the cigar. 4.5 out of 5 stars. 

Liga W: Compared to Liga F, the other Connecticut offering from the Oliva 2nds, W is a bit heartier, weighing in right under a medium-body. Layers of flavor leave behind notes of wood, cream, and coffee on your palate. 4 out of 5 stars. 

In short, I can easily recommend absolutely any of these cigars to add to your humidor. Compare them to top-shelf blends that cost 10x more, and you’ll come away a little disappointed. But when you stack these up next to any $5-7 cigars on the market, the Oliva 2nds are just as tasty, and half the price. The only other knock on the score? Since these are seconds, quantities are limited and there’s a chance we’ll be completely out of a liga for months, if the factory doesn’t have anything to offer up. But when they’re in stock, Oliva 2nds might just be the best bargain cigar we have to offer. 

Let me be frank — I haven’t been excited about an H. Upmann cigar in… well, ever, honestly. I don’t have anything against the brand, but when I go through my humidor or browsing through the shelfs, it’s not something I seek out. All that being said, I’m a sucker for AJ. Light up an AJ stick in the office, and I’ll immediately float over to your desk like a cartoon character seeking out a hot pie on a windowsill. 

So the other day, when my nose started sniffing out that fine Nicaraguan leaf burning somewhere in my vicinity, I immediately went investigating. And by investigating, I mostly mean begging for free cigars. And my work was rewarded! After harassing my co-workers for the umpteenth time, I was begrudgingly “gifted” two H. Upmann by AJ Fernandez Toros, and rushed back to my desk to find a cutter and a lighter. 

Which brings us to our review today. The 2017 release, H. Upmann by AJ Fernandez. 

This paragraph is for the cigar history buffs out there that like a bit of story behind their blend. If you just want to know how this thing tasted (spoiler alert: it’s pretty friggin’ good) feel free to skip to the next section. The H. Upmann brand has over 170 years of quality cigar production under their belts, originally as a Cuban-only brand, and then extending into an American-friendly Dominican made version as well. They’ve always been a “Cuban cigar brand” at heart, keeping the blends simple, the names traditional, and the packaging classic. Add AJ to the mix though, and we get the first Nicaraguan H. Upmann (that I can think of, at least), with a ton of updates — a stronger body, a more intense flavor profile, and a touch of contemporary color to the bands for those design nerds out there. 

Clipping the foot, the first few draws on this cigar were a little tight, but after about a half inch things evened out, and the H. Upmann by AJ delivered a razor-sharp burn and effortless draw the rest of the way through. While the body leans towards the fuller side of things, the flavor is balanced and right in the middle of the scale. The Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper brings out those typical Sumatra flavors with a nice light sweetness and some baking spices, complementing the slight spice and earthiness of the Nicaraguan long-fillers perfectly. The finish is long, but doesn’t overstay its welcome, wearing off right when I was ready to take another puff almost every time. 

In short, this is certainly a cigar I’d recommend. If you’ve never tried H. Upmann before, this AJ Fernandez made blend is probably one of the best H. Upmann cigars you can get. Pick yourself up a 5-pack, and you won’t regret it. Or, if you’re hesitant, do what I did — convince your friend to buy some, and then mooch a couple off of him! Either way, I’d put the H. Upmann by AJ Fernandez chiefly in the “win” column. 

Five generations is one helluva long lineage. And that’s exactly what the Plasencia family brings to the table. If you’re not familiar with the name, I’m almost positive you’ve enjoyed some of their cigars. Check out this résumé — Nestor Plasencia currently makes 5 Vegas Gold, Alec Bradley Black Market Esteli, Romeo 505 Nicaragua, and many, many more. So, back in 2017, Nestor decided it was finally time for the Plasencia name to become a household name and released a series of cigars, all starting with the Plasencia Alma Fuerte. 

It takes some real cojones to enter the market with a $22 blend. But the Plasencias believed in their product, and trusted that once people tried the Alma Fuerte cigar for themselves they’d be on board. 

Personally, I overlooked the brand for the first few months of its release (I prefer my cigars to land around the $5 mark), but after Alma Fuerte received a 93-rating and earned a spot in the Top 10 Cigars of 2017, I figured it was time to give it a shot. As luck would have it, myself and an equally wise and handsome group of cigar lovers were just down in Nicaragua and visited with the Plasencias. There, after insisting I embarrass myself by attempting to ride a horse for the first time in front of a crowd (it ended poorly), Nestor proudly handed us a box of the Alma Fuerte in the Sixto II Haxagon and Generacion V Salomon size. 

Initial impression? This cigar’s an A+. Not only does it look beautiful, but it retails for over a Jackson, and I got it for free. And as CI’s resident mooch, that’s most certainly appreciated.  

After a little wining and dining that evening, I retired to the patio to give this cigar the attention it deserves. Each size is an accomplishment on their own, with only the most skilled rollers capable of handling the unique vitolas. On top, the Alma Fuerte is wrapped in a reddish-hued Nicaraguan Jalapa wrapper, overtop Nicaraguan binder and filler.

On first light, I was not disappointed. This cigar starts rich from the get go, with notes of leather and soft spice combining in an enjoyably long finish. As the cigar progresses, hints of cocoa and black pepper join the mix, with the profile edging more towards medium to full-bodied, but never going all the way to the top of the scale. If I had to make a knock against the cigar, the burn was slightly wavy, but I’m really nitpicking at this point — I never once needed to relight or touch-up the cigar throughout the hour and a half of burn time. 

There’s some bells-and-whistles on this cigar in terms of packaging (the lid doubles as an ashtray), but all that stuff is just icing on the cake. Plasencia Alma Fuerte is a fantastic blend that you should shell up the cash for next time you have a special occassion. You won’t regret it. 

Sometimes in life, you have to roll up your sleeves and do the hard job that no one else is willing to do. Today, however, is not that day. Could I have picked an underrated gem, or an obscure boutique to review this fine Monday morning? Almost certainly. Instead, I’m going to review one of the highest-rated and most beloved cigars in the industry: Padrón 1964 Anniversary. You see, the holiday season is fast approaching, and with these celebratory times coming up, it’s time for celebratory cigars. So let’s check out ‘64 Anniversary, and I’ll remind you all why this cigar is on every single “best cigars” list that exists. 

If you’ve never experienced Padrón before, here’s a little background for you. Each of the cigars in this highly-esteemed portfolio is a uniquely crafted Nicaraguan puro, synonymous with unrivaled quality and consistent complexity. Or, to put it simply, these cigars are all damn good. Originally released in 1994, the ’64 Anniversary was crafted to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Padrón line. Now, we’re approaching sixty years, and the cigar is just as good. 

Like almost all Padróns, the 1964 Anniversary is offered in both a Natural and Maduro wrapper. The Natural is great, don’t get me wrong, but the Maduro has always been the better seller of the two. And I’m a man of the people, so I lit up a Maduro in the “Imperial” 6” x 54 vitola for this review.

I’ll be honest with you — when I cut into this cigar, I was nervous it wasn’t going to be as great as I expected. We’ve all experienced it. The high-end whiskey you splurge for that just isn’t that great, or the restaurant you order the “Chef’s Special” at that ends up being just mediocre. Luckily, that isn’t the case here at all. 

The first few puffs of the Padrón 1964 Anniversary Maduro are incredibly smooth, with sweetness and a dry cocoa background. As the cigar progresses, notes of cedar and thick, dark chocolate join the mix. Through the nose, you get just the slightest hint of black pepper. It’s enough to keep the cigar interesting, without making the spice the main factor. This is a cigar that absolutely screams to be paired up with some bourbon or scotch, so if you have a bottle you’ve been saving, lighting up a Padrón is the perfect opportunity to crack it open. As the cigar comes to its conclusion, the only disappointment I have is that this experience is over. Each draw off this cigar is effortless, flavorful, and immensely satisfying. 

What else is there to say? Padrón 1964 Anniversary lives up to the hype, and then some. If you want to experience the best that premium cigars have to offer, look no further. Sure, the price isn’t the most appealing, but I promise you it’s worth every single penny.