Erez Cigars Habano

Next one in the Erez line is their Habano edition.

This cigar is wrapped in a Criollo 98, has a binder of Olor Dominicano, and has filler of Cubano San Vicente, Olor Dominicano and Criollo 98.

This cigar started off with a smokey oak flavor and just your average woody notes. A short while in hint of leather and bitter cream added to it, along with a very subtle spice similar to paprika. Getting closer to the end I got more leather and cream, with the spice getting less. At the final moments, the oak flavor came back and dominated the pallet. The aroma for this smoke was mildly sweet.

The construction on this smoke was pretty good. Produced a good smoke and had a fair draw. It burned uneven but corrected itself each time. I noticed to splitting a little, but it burn right past it with no problems and it did not get larger.

This Robusto will run around $7-$8, maybe as high as $9 depending on where you go, which is pretty good for something this complex. The only thing that brought this down was the splitting. Granted, it did not cause an issue, but it is still unpleasant when it happens. I would say this is a good smoke and it should be tried at least once, if not twice, by those who see it on the shelves. Thank you to Erez for sending this in for review.

Final Grade: A

Vegas de Santiago D8

I had one of these and decided to have another and write up a review for it.

This cigar is made with Habano 2000 wrapper from Ecuador, a bind from Ecuador, and filler from the Caribbean.

This cigar started out with a light chocolate flavor, mixed with some black pepper and a straw/leaf type flavor. After the first quarter the pepper dropped and notes of tea and pecans entered the mix, which blended very well with the chocolate. At the end there were notes of fruit, adding a little sweetness. The aroma was a sweeter aroma. I know those around me really liked it.

The construction on this was very good. Even feel and even wrap. The draw was a little firm, but the smoke was still good. The burn on this cigar was razor sharp.

I had this cigar in the Emperador size (6x60) and it would run around $10, probably closer to $13 here in Minnesota, which is still a great price for a smoke that lasts over an hour. I would say give this cigar a go. It is unique and there are flavors that I could not quite describe. This cigar has a great price point and is very well made.

Final Grade: A+