May 21, 2013

Rich, Chewy, Toasty and Flavorful – Cigar Review of A. Fuente’s Sun Grown Blend

 

The next time you are in the market to restock your humidor, take note of the Arturo Fuente Sungrown blend. Each A. Fuente Sun Grown is blended with their exclusive Ecuadorian sun-grown wrappers (which are distinguished from the other blends by the black ribbon/band at the foot of each cigar as opposed to a green or red band like the other blends have). The Arturo Fuente Sun Growns are naturally sweeter (like most maduros) than other Fuente lines, yet their wrapper is lighter in shade. The Fuente family utilizes the A. Fuente Gran Reserva’s binder and filler tobaccos, with the exception of the dark, Ecuadorian sun-grown wrapper leaf, to assemble the tasty A. Fuente Sungrown blend.

Arturo Fuente Sungrown at My Discount Cigars

Arturo Fuente Sungrown at My Discount Cigars

As you smoke your way through the Arturo Fuente Sun Grown cigar you will be pleasantly surprised by its natural sweetness which is imparted on your palate, complemented by a medium-bodied, balanced and smooth richness. The Fuentes treat all their cigar lines with the highest standards and care, including the Sun Grown line, utilizing the highest quality vintage tobaccos alongside impeccable hand workmanship guarantees a rich, flavorful smoking experience with tantalizing aromas each time you light up.

The A. Fuente Sun Grown is an oily, toothy and stout cigar exuding chewy leather, notes of earthiness and a touch of spice and pepper on its finish. If you pay close attention you might even pick up some cocoa, toastiness and vanilla. It will grow in strength as you smoke your way through it. They are each individually wrapped in cedar with a black band at the foot. All in all the A. Fuente Sungrown is not for the lighthearted as it is a fairly rich and fuller smoke, but there is no denying that they are VERY well crafted. Kudos to Arturo Fuente for bringing their A-game each and every time. Do yourself and your palate a favor and pick up an A. Fuente Sungrown today!

RATED 91 BY CIGAR AFICIONADO!

Arturo Fuente Sungrown Cuban Belicoso Cigars at My Discount Cigars

Arturo Fuente Sungrown Cuban Belicoso Cigars at My Discount Cigars

Country of Origin: Dominican Republic
Flavor: Full
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sungrown
Binder: Dominican
Filler: Dominican

Available in the following vitolas:

Chateau Fuente Sungrown (4 1/2 x 50)
Cuban Belicoso Sungrown (5 3/4 x 52)
Double Chateau Sungrown (6 3/4 x 50)
King B Sungrown (6 x 55T)
Royal Salute Sungrown (7 5/8 x 54)

 

 

To order your Arturo Fuente Sungrown cigars please visit MyDiscountCigar.com.

If you wish to read more about the A. Fuente Sungrowns visit ArturoFuente.com.

 

~ Peace, Love, Cigars ~


The Java Mint: Creme de Menthe Meets Great Cigar

Java Mint Cigars at My Discount Cigars

Java Mint Cigars at My Discount Cigars

Picture this, you just devoured the most scrumptious, juicy steak dinner and are craving something sweet, but are also jonesing for a great after-dinner cigar. What better way to remedy that craving than with a creamy, medium-bodied, chocolatey, mocha and refreshing minty-flavored box-pressed cigar? That delight, that you will undoubtedly nub, would be the Java Mint.

Since the debut of Drew Estate’s ACID line in 1999, they have grown immensely. Jonathan Drew and Rocky Patel have made a collaborated effort on the JAVA infused cigars, introduced in 2004. Now with their new line, the Java Mint, the Patel-Drew team has brought their most unique and innovative offering yet.  You might say the Java Mint tastes like a Peppermint Pattie, or perhaps a Creme de Menthe, but whichever minty delight it reminds you of, we just say it is one tasty smokey treat! If you are already a fan of the JAVA line consider the Java Mint your next guilty pleasure that you simply must try.

Country of Origin: Nicaragua

Java Mint Toro Cigars at My Discount Cigars

Java Mint Toro Cigars at My Discount Cigars

Flavor: Medium
Wrapper: Aged Brazilian Mata Fina
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua

The Java Mint is the cool new smoking experience offering the same mocha, chocolatey infused flavor of the original Java blend but is lightly infused with a zesty mint flavor, essences of mocha and vanilla.  The Java Mint is a handmade cigar utilizing a Nicaraguan long-filler and binder, box-pressed within a rich 3-year old Brazilian Mata Fina wrapper and infused with cocoa, vanilla, coffee and a variety of different mints. The result is a medium-bodied, chocolatey, minty, dessert-like cigar brimming with a myriad of aromas and a silky smooth creaminess imparting a sweetness with each puff till you get to the nub.  The Java Mint is the perfect carb and calorie-free confectionary delight to follow up a classic steak dinner. How can you pass THAT up?

The JAVA MINT cigars are available to purchase online here at MyDiscountCigar.com.

To learn more about the JAVA MINT blend please visit RockyPatel.com.

~ Peace, Love, Cigars ~

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Cigar Review – Java Mint Robusto, by Will of Best Cigar Blog

Nov 3rd, 2011 by

I am not the biggest fan of flavored or infused cigars, and to my knowledge, we’ve never posted a review of one on this blog. But when we got in our first shipment of Java Mint Robusto and hastily cracked open a box, I couldn’t help but succumb to the Thin Mint-like smell of these stogies. Having smoked and enjoyed a handful of cigars from both Rocky Patel and Drew Estate, I figured that not a lot could go wrong here. So with that, I threw my own reservations to the side and snagged a Java Mint Robusto for review.

Right out of the cellophane, the Java Robusto Mint cigar let loose a torrent of chocolate, mint, and tobacco aromas. I checked the cigar for soft spots, and while the entire thing was somewhat softer than a normal cigar, it didn’t feel underfilled or hastily-rolled. In fear or ruining the dramatically square-pressed cap, I opted for a punch cut. The draw was easy-as-can-be with just the right amount of resistance to keep it from getting hot, and the pre-light flavors, as you may have guessed, were chocolate, dark tobacco, and sweet mint. This wasn’t the type of mint, though, that you’d get from a swirly peppermint candy or a stick of gum; this legitimately tasted like fresh mint leaves. Anyway, enticed by the dessert-like pre-light flavors, I half-drunkenly staggered out of my front door with a clipboard and a cup of coffee and lit up this cigar.

Once this super-dark, sweet-smelling stogie was lit, it produced some of the thickest smoke I have ever tasted. Initial flavors of the Java Mint Robusto were pepper, coffee, mint, and some nice maduro punch, presumably from the ultra-thick Brazilian wrapper leaf that adorned the cigar. Once the pepper died down, I started tasting the mint, and again, it was the least artificial mint flavor I’d ever tasted. It was as if they steeped the tobacco in freshly-made peppermint tea, which, for all I know, they did, because as you may already know, Drew Estate’s infusion process is a well-kept secret.

Further into the Java Mint Robusto cigar, the pepper subsided almost completely, giving way to flavors of coffee, cocoa, and rich tobacco, all kept cool by the lingering mint flavor. The sweet tip mellowed out about halfway through the cigar, though it never completely lost its sweetness. On the retrohale, the cocoa flavor was a lot stronger, and the peppermint tingled lightly on the sinuses. At this point, and the for the rest of the smoke, no touch-ups were required.

In the final third, the pepper stayed at a consistently manageable level, and the mint flavor got a little bit milder, though it never disappeared completely. The cocoa and coffee mellowed out, allowing for the rich and earthy flavors of the tobacco blend to shine through. I still tasted cocoa and mint on the retrohale, though it was a bit spicier than it had been earlier on. Feeling substantially buzzed from the surprisingly strong nicotine level of the Java Mint Robusto cigar but still wishing there was a bit more to smoke, I put down the Java Mint Robusto with about an inch remaining.

Like I said earlier, flavored cigars aren’t really my thing. But the Java Mint Robusto was by far the most cigar-like infused stogie I’d ever had. While the mint aroma was present for most of the cigar, it didn’t mask the chocolaty, peppery flavors of the tobaccos in the blend; it just complemented them. It was almost as if they rolled peppermint leaves right into the cigar. Anyway, whether you’re a fan of infused cigars or not, I highly recommend trying one of these. When you’re too full for dessert after a huge dinner and a few (too many) drinks, there’s nothing better than a Java Mint Robusto cigar.

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Your review of the Java Robusto Mint is much appreciated, Will!

 

The Dunhill Signed Ranged, A Cigar I Personally Stand Behind

Oh, this cigar gets us very excited! Cigar Aficionado has named the 92-rated Dunhill Signed Range Toro the #19 Top Cigar of 2011 (and the #10 cigar of the year in 2007), and rightfully so!  At the risk of sounding biased, the Dunhill Signed Range is by far one of our favorite cigars and it is certainly a very difficult cigar to acquire any information on and sometimes equally hard to purchase.  We are fortunate enough to carry 3 of the sizes (it comes in at least 6 sizes total when you can find it): Robusto (4 1/2 x 52), Toro (6 x 50) and the Torpedo (5 1/2 x 52T).

Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Flavor: Medium
Wrapper: Nicaragua
Binder: Cameroon
Filler: Nicaragua, Dominican Republic

Dunhill Signed Range Cigars at My Discount Cigars

Dunhill Signed Range Cigars at My Discount CigarsFlavor: Medium

British American Tobacco selected Carlos Torano to take over the production of the Dominican Dunhill Signed Range line and have also launched the newest line of Dunhills, the Nicaraguan Signed Range, which filled the demand for a more fuller-bodied cigar. The Dunhill Nicaraguan Signed Range line was introduced in 2007.

We can’t stress enough how creamy, smooth and flavor-packed the Dunhill Signed Range is! Handmade in Nicaragua under the close supervision of the Torano family the Dunhill Signed Range cigars feature Nicaraguan wrappers, Cameroon binders, and aged Nicaraguan and Dominican filler leaves for a medium to full-bodied creamy smoke bursting with nutty, coffee, dark chocolate, cedar, caramel and slight peppery notes!

Besides the incredible smoothness and most delicious flavor profile of the Dunhill Signed Range, what makes it doubly enticing, especially for collectors, is that each box is individually numbered and features the signatures of the inspectors as well as some of the rollers responsible for that unique batch. The Dunhill Signed Range cigars are definitely not given enough credit or attention and we hope that you take our word for how very special, tasty, and unique these cigars truly are and splurge for a box (if not a full box, then at least try the 5-cigar sampler) of this treasure!

Dunhill Signed Range Cigars at My Discount Cigars

Dunhill Signed Range Cigars at My Discount Cigars

RATED 92 BY CIGAR AFICIONADO AND NAMED THE #19 TOP CIGAR OF 2011!

The Dunhill Signed Range is available for purchase online at MyDiscountCigar.com.

~ Peace, Love, Cigars ~

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Lisa, of Her Humidor Cigar Reviews, Shares Her Experience of the Dunhill Signed Range Short Robusto

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I don’t know if it’s just me but does any one else have a problem with on-line retailers sending you the wrong cigar? Maybe they see the name and think that just because I’m female they think they can get away with it. For example, instead of the Esteban Carreras 1961 corona, I get the Carlos Torano 1916 corona. Now granted they both have Spanish names and dates in their name but still…

Another switcharoo done to me is the Dunhill Signed Range Short Robusto Dominican for the Dunhill Signed Range Nicaraguan. This time I can’t complain because not only was this cigar more expensive (being discontinued), but it also tasted fantastic.

The Dunhill Signed Range cigar line was released first in Great Britain in 2001 then released in the U.S. in 2002. Originally the cigars were manufactured at the Cuevas and Torano factory in Navarette, Dominican Republic. The Dunhill Signed Range cigars were created to cater to the popularity of more fuller bodied cigars compared to the mild blend found in their Dunhill Aged cigars. The tobacco used in the Dominican produced Signed Range is a Connecticut seed Ecuadorean wrapper, Pennsylvania broadleaf seed binder, and a Columbian and Dominican filler. In 2007, production was moved to Nicaragua and the Torano factory based in Esteli. The manufacturer states that this was a “quest to find the best super premium cigar blend”. The Nicaraguan Signed Range contains a Cuban seed Nicaraguan wrapper, African cameroon binder, and Nicaraguan and Dominican long filler tobaccos.

If you buy a box of these Dunhill Signed Range cigars you will notice that they are numbered and feature the signatures of the people responsible for creating the cigars. The torcedor (cigar roller), escogedor (sorter), empacador (packer) and the ultimo control de calidad (quality supervisor) all hand sign each box they are responsible for.

The band on my Dunhill Signed Range cigar gives away the fact that these were produced in the Dominican Republic. In fact, the toro sized Signed Range Nicaraguan that I ordered at the same time shows the correct label. The Dominican band has a more modern simplistic look compared to the Nicaraguan which has the “Dunhill” name in cursive with “since 1907″ underneath it.

The Dunhill Signed Range cigar was well constructed. The wrapping was nice and tight and held on during the entire smoke. The wrapper color I would describe as a smooth “paper bag” brown with some small veins through out. The cigar felt firm and nicely packed. The pre-light draw was free and felt perfect with a very slight minimal resistance. The flavor on the pre-light draw was a creamy sweet tea. The wrapper itself smelled like sweet earthy tobacco and the foot like sweet black tea. The cap was nicely formed with two seams and cut easily with a Palio cutter.

You get a nice volume of smoke with each draw. Immediately you taste nice toasted wood flavors with a slight bitter tinge and warm spices in the background. The flavor starts off mild but tastes very balanced and smooth. You also get a little whisper of cream and vanilla. The burn starts off a little lopsided but nothing too drastic. The burn line is nice and sharp and the ash formed is very compact and light gray in color. Eventually, you taste a more cinnamon on the finish. The mildness makes this cigar seem like an ideal smoke for your morning coffee. The smoke leaves a nice trace of sweetness in the mouth. The resting smoke is very pleasant and exudes warm spiced tobacco.

At the one inch point, the Dunhill Signed Range cigar develops more creaminess like roasted nuts and spice. Plus the flavors become more pronounced and tastier. In the second third, the flavors remain smooth and you get the same toasty wood and spices plus a much longer finish of cedar and light leather along with nuts and vanilla. There is definitely nice complexity in this cigar. At this point the Dunhill Signed Range cigar is solidly medium but beginning to develop into the full range. Still no bitterness or harshness. The flavor is deep and rich at the two inch sweet spot with a nice caramelized vanilla sugar residual finish.

The final third displays an interesting pronounced cedar and leather body which just dominates the palate. I also notice more clove spice which is really nice and some pepper. The back of my throat can feel a little heat as if someone sprinkled pepper on my cigar behind my back. The Dunhill Signed Range cigar is in the full range in the last third. The flavors stay smooth and the finish is now marathon long. It also stays surprisingly cool even though you are down to the nub.

Even though this cigar is a bit pricey at $10.85 for a short robusto (4 and 1/2″ by 52 ring gauge) for which I actually paid $9.75, I would consider buying the Dunhill Signed Range cigar again because of it’s elegant flavors and complexity. I’m interested in tasting the Nicaraguan Dunhill Signed Range to see if it is better or just as complex. I mentioned that I also received the toro sized Signed Range which is Nicaraguan so I should be getting the opportunity to compare these cigars very soon.

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Thanks Lisa B. for your great review! It’s a pleasure getting another woman’s point of view!

 

Pete Johnson Does it Again – A Review of Tatuaje’s Miami Blend

Tatuaje Cabinet at My Discount Cigar

Tatuaje Cabinet Cigars at My Discount Cigar

Tatuaje, which is Spanish for “tattoo”, are a collection of different lines of medium to full-bodied cigars in the true old world, Cuban-style, created in 2003 by Pete Johnson, musician, tattoo buff, and one laid-back and very approachable guy.  The Tatuaje Seleccion de Cazador line (also known as the Brown Label line, or Miami line as well as the Cabinet line) was created by Pete with the help of Jose Don “Pepin” Garcia and are manufactured at the El Rey de los Habanos factory in Miami, Florida, and at Tabacalera Cubana S.A. in Esteli, Nicaragua. While Pete believes that Cuban cigars are the wheel in the cigar world, he points out that he isn’t trying to reinvent the wheel, he’s only trying to create the best copy of the Cuban profile possible.  In each Tatuaje blend and stick you smoke you will note that Pete gives each cigar a personal touch and the time it deserves. Pete values aroma and flavor above all other factors. With the Tatuaje Brown/Miami line Pete describes the blending and rolling process as “It is as if I’m the conductor and Pepin’s the orchestra.”

Rated in the high 90s by Cigar Aficionado, the Tatuaje Seleccion de Cazador cigar is a highly-coveted cigar blended entirely of first generation Cuban-seed tobaccos grown in Nicaragua and cured to perfection, wrapped in a flavorful Ecuadorian Habano wrappers with a lovely Cuban-style triple-cap hand rolled by Master Rollers in Little Havana Miami, Florida. The Tatuaje Seleccion de Cazador cigar will tantalize your taste buds with its robust, medium to full-bodied, leathery character and an abundance of other flavors such as wood, earth and pepper on the finish.

Tatuaje Cabinet, or “Brown Label,” cigars are made in very limited quantities to be able to maintain its top-notch high level of consistency and quality making it one of the most rare cigars on the market. The Tatuaje Seleccion de Cazador is Spanish for “The Hunter’s Selection” and this line was actually named after one of Pete’s dogs, Hunter (the first letter of each vitola’s name spells H-U-N-T-E-R).  We have great respect for Pete and his fine lines of cigars and believe us, after sampling the rich, spicy, earthy and complex Tatuaje Miami cigar you will be a convert as well.

Country of Origin: Miami, USA
Flavor: Medium to Full
Wrapper: Nicaragua Corojo 99
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua

Tatuaje Miami (Cabinet, or Seleccion de Cazador) Cigars are available online here at MyDiscountCigar.com.

Read more about Tatuaje Seleccion de Cazador cigars at TatuajeCigars.com.

 

A REVIEW OF THE TATUAJE SELECCION DE CAZADOR NOELLAS BY ADAM, FROM FIRE UP THAT CIGAR

December 6, 2010 By

Wrapper: Nicaraguan
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Made In: Miami, FL USA – El Rey de los Habanos
Size: Noella, 5 1/8 x 42 Corona

Appearance & Construction: The Tatuaje Seleccion de Cazador Noellas cigar is a spectacular sight. This nice looking corona has a darker brown colored wrapper with nice oils and some smaller veins. The construction is absolutely flawless with this cigar. Clean and even seam, extremely clean looking triple cap, and absolutely no soft or hard spots.

Smoking Characteristics: No surprises here; the Tatuaje Cabinet/Seleccion de Cazador Noellas cigar has a perfect draw that produces a good amount of smoke. The burn is a little off but quickly corrected itself as I smoked. The ash was average but was a little chunky in some areas.

Flavor: The Tatuaje Noellas cigar has nice complex flavors of cedar, coffee, chocolate, leather and a touch of pepper. The foundation of flavors is basic, but they come together so well. Everything is so complex and balanced to absolute perfection. In the second third, the chocolaty notes really took center stage and pushed the coffee to the side just a bit; it was still present but more in the background. At the beginning of the final third I picked up some nice tea-like flavors that took me down to the nub of this cigar. Body on the Tatuaje Noellas is medium to full and the strength is nothing to worry about.

Final Thoughts: The Tatuaje Miami Noellas cigar is not just a home run; it’s a walk off grand slam to win the World Series in game 7. Everything from the construction, to the draw, to the size, to the ash, the flavor – you name it, this cigar is fantastic. For the longest time, the Regios was my favorite size in the Tatuaje Seleccion de Cazador collection. That was until I picked up a few of these to review for the site. This size was never available locally for me and I just skipped this size all together. But the Noellas is the staple of the Tatuaje collection and is defiantly on my list to get a box of. If you are a fan of full flavored cigars, do yourself a favor and seek yourself out some of these. You will not regret it and you may even become a better man for it.

Cigar Rating: Excellent

Adam, thanks for the great review!