JD Cigars Habano Claro

This is the second post I am making for this company.

This from what I know is a Nicaraguan Puro. This cigar had not soft spots and the wrap was like soft leather.

This cigar gave a nice creamy flavor with some cedar thrown in. It was a mildly bitter flavor though. With this was almost what seemed to be an almond and oak mix. The almond flavor came out in the aroma a lot more than the smoke itself. The aftertaste was that of a mild cream. The flavor is very even throughout the whole smoke.

The draw was really good. Seemed to have trouble at times keeping a smoke, but that passed after about the first half an inch to an inch in. The flavor was not effected by this, just so you know. I had to correct this cigar a few times as well. Nothing huge, and only happened about three to four times in the span of an hour. The ash got about halfway through, and was very white and fine. I ashed it out of fear of having it drop on the floor, so it could have gone longer.

This cigar would run about $7 and for a double toro, that is not bad. The only hassle is keeping it lit in the beginning and the minor corrections. This was a pretty good cigar. The flaws make it have a hit, mainly because to correct a cigar of this size you almost have to have a torch lighter. If you have those tools, it is not an issue.

Final Grade: A-

Puros Indios

This was sent by the company for a review. Now, I did a cigar of their before (the Miami), so I was looking forward to this.

The cigar is made from an Ecuador Sumatra wrapper and binder, and filler from the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Brazil, and Nicaragua.

This cigar was evenly constructed, and there was little in the way of veins. The wrapper was tight and even. It felt like a fine, little bit rough, velvet.

The first draw tasted the same as the tobacco on my lips, woody. There was a strong wood flavor and a hit of bitter earth. Over the whole thing was a peppery flavor. Now, this cigar had bitter flavors, but not in a bad way. It mainly held a strong woody flavor though. The aroma was mildly toasty.

This cigar had a very, very good draw. The burn was very even and had no issues. The only correction I had to do was when I had one outside, and that is not the fault of the cigar.

I had the Piramide #2 and Gordo sizes, which can range from $6-$8, depending on the area. Now, for the price, this is not too bad. It is kind of a one note act, which is disappointing, and people say the aroma is best left outside. I found this cigar to be a good one of reasonable price that is good in a setting of golf or poker. This is not one to sit and soak in, for it is not overly complex, but you can still get the main good flavor while doing other things. So, I think since it is a one note, grade goes down, but quality and price bring it up.

Final Grade: B+

Note: The manufacturer states that retail price should be $5 for a Gordo size. Now, I am including tax and mark up. Without any markup, it would be around that. If they did no markup, their profit would be nil in the state of Minnesota.

I would also like the thank Reyes Family Cigars for sending me a sample.

JD Cigars Maduro Perfecto

This is a new company, and they sent me a few smokes to try. I am a Maduro fan, so this is the first review I have to write.

This shape I have seen been called a perfecto or diademas.

This cigar is a Nicaraguan Puro.

The construction on this one felt a little soft, but I think it was a little more moist than it should have been. When I received this cigar there was a cold snap and the wrapper had a crack. The binder was fine though, so I took that into consideration.

The flavors on this were nice and mellow, but not subtle. You knew they were there. It started off with a rich earthy and chocolate flavor, mixing into what seems like a dark roast coffee. Over it all was a nice pepper note to it. The aftertaste was a nice earthy tone with some pepper in it.

This cigar had a firm draw for a perfecto, but not a problem. Still got a great smoke. There was a large vein in this one, but that did not cause a problem with the burn. The crack in the wrapper did not even cause an issue, which is saying something. The ash on this was a perfect white and it got about a third of the way down before falling off.

They say this cigar will be around $7. That is a darn good price for this smoke (perfecto or diademas shape, 6x52). Other than the firm draw, there was nothing wrong. Also, that price is not set in stone since it is not out, which makes grading difficult. But, the range it is in remains the same.

Final Grade: A

Marco V Platnium Label

They have three cigars in this size (60 x 5" V. Gigante), so I am doing the third one.

The wrapper is a rare Arapiraca, Brazilian Maduro,the binder is De Olor, which is Dominican and the filler is a blend of four tobaccos: Piloto Cubano from the Cibao Valley, Dominican Republic and Esteli, Nicaraguan Ligero. Information can be found at http://www.marcovcigars.com. That is where I pulled this info from.

This cigar is well made. No soft spots whatsoever. Even wrap, and a nice feel. On the lips it felt a little thin though. Also, there was a vein along one side. That is not always a problem, but I had to see what it would do.

This cigar starts off with a rich spice. Holding the smoke in your mouth you get a nice roasted flavor, hints of nuts, wood, and very mild hints of earth. The aftertaste is nice and simple. The spice stay with you, but you get a nice nutty flavor with it. A nice mix.

The draw was great. Nice, cool, and produced a wonderful smoke. The burn became a little uneven, but I took a lighter to it and had no more issues. Oddly enough it wasn't where there were any veins. The ash got far, very far. To the label, which shows this is a very well made cigar. It burned very slowly, which brought my smoke time to just over an hour.

The only issue lies in the flavors. The spice can overshadow some of the other flavors at times, but it is by no means overwhelming, and quiet pleasant in and of itself. That overshadowing will lower the grade a bit, but not much. For $8, this is a good smoke.

Final Grade: A-

Note: This picture is of me enjoying this smoke at Little Havana in Anoka, MN. All the cigars had an ash this size or greater. This is not the largest ash, but it is up because I am the one smoking.

Cuba Aliados Miami Edition

I saw this company on Facebook, but never saw their cigars much. So, I decided to try them out.

This cigar is made with a Habano wrapper, Dominican Republic binder, and Nicaraguan filler. The wrapper was like a fine velvet and there were no soft spots. This cigar was made in Miami, Florida as well.

This cigar had a nice cedar flavor to it, accompanied with a nice spicy walnut flavor. A nice nutty flavor came into play as well. These flavors were very consistent and balanced. All of them had a nice peppery undertone to them, and hints of leather, and cocoa. At times you could get hints of a light coffee flavor. The aftertaste is nutty as well. It stays very even, and it just has a nice mild tone to it.

The burn was decent. Had to correct it a few times, but I was outside and the wind picked up, so I will let that one slide. The thing that bothered me was the ash. It looked terrible and all split up. The draw was a little firm, but you could still get a nice smoke.

This cigar (I had the robusto) runs about $7. It is $8 for a toro and $9 for a Churchill. For a nice 30 minute smoke, that is not bad. This cigar did not pop out as anything special, but it is unique in the flavoring and how even it stays. I would say give this one a try. Goes great with a nice cup of tea (heavier teas may overpower it, so keep it more medium strength), or a nice medium blend cup of coffee.

Final Grade: A-

Thank you to Reyes Family Cigars for sending me a sample.