Blue Mountain El Threesome

OK, this review is going to be a little different. This cigar is a triple wrap, and it is sectioned off into thirds. I will write about each section as their own smoke. Please note that this cigar is only available at Little Havana Tobacco in Anoka, if you live in Minnesota. Other states you will have to check with the company. They are not sold online either, last I checked

Now, to make this easy, all of the tobacco is from Nicaragua. Easy part of describing it. The first section is a Connecticut shade wrapper, while the second is Habano, and the third is Maduro. Each section has a different blend of ligero filler.

This cigar looked well made. It felt like it had a very nice and even wrap. The sections looked a little separated, but that could be due to different wrappers.

This cigar starts off with a nice creamy flavor with hints of butter. About one-sixth into it you start getting some cedar in there. There is a subtle spice throughout this section. The aftertaste was a spice with a mild cream.

The next section has leather notes too it and a nice toasty flavor. The spice from before is more pronounced in the Habano section. The aftertaste on this one was mainly toasty with a little pepper. This section was a little tart for two to three puffs, but that disappeared.

The last section kept the toasty notes but instead of leather the flavor was earthy. The spice became more like a light black pepper in flavor about halfway through this section. The aftertaste was earthy.

This cigar had a good draw and was well constructed. No issue producing a good smoke. It needed two corrections in the Habano section.

This Double Toro runs for around $9, which is a great price. The flavors are pretty standard, and nothing to write home about. What gives this cigar marks is how good it is for price, and the uniqueness of the smoke itself. Three wrappers with three different blends is something you do not see often, and the skill to make that is impressive. This is a great cigar to try if you are curious about different strengths, or if you cannot choose what kind to have. The tart area and corrections knock it off the top bracket, but not too far due to value.

Final Grade: A

JD Cigars Temptation Lancero

After a long day I decided to go up to my local smoke shop and have a cigar. I found a JD Cigars Temptation Lancero and decided to give that a go.

This cigar is made with a Habano Claro (Connecticut shade) wrapper from Ecuador. The filler and binder are Nicaraguan.

This cigar started out rather simple. The flavor was that of a heavy cream and a light butter. About a third of the way through there was a straw type flavor, and some leaf tones. It had a subtle earth flavor similar to some teas. The aftertaste produces hints of pepper, while the main flavors were that of butter and almonds.

This cigar was well made. The wrapper was even which made this cigar nice to look at. The roll was tight and even, but that caused no issue with the draw or smoke for both were very good. This smoke never got hot. The burn on this was consistent and even, requiring no corrections.

This Lancero (7 1/2 x 38) was a very good smoke. Usually I do not like this shape for you have to puff extra slow and it can become hot or tart very easily. I did not have an issue with this at all. For $7, this is a very good smoke.

Final Grade: A+

Alec Bradley MAXX Connecticut

So, I met up with my friend Mike, who also runs a review site called Old Cigar Box, and we decided to review a cigar together. We had some differences, but our final take is not too far off. Let's get to this review.

This cigar is made with a Connecticut wrapper leaf grown in Ecuador, a binder from Costa Rica, and filler from Nicaragua, Colombia, Mexico, and Honduras.

This cigar started out with a creamy flavor, hints of spice, cedar, and butter. The butter flavor made the cream slightly bitter, but not bad. The aftertaste was of cedar, spice, and cream. About halfway through the cedar flavor left the taste and it became toasty in flavor. This also goes for the aftertaste. Shortly after that it became tart, and I set it down to see if it would come back. Needless to say, it didn't. The taste, and aftertaste, became very tart for the last fourth.

The construction looked good, with a slight veiny appearance. It had a good draw to it throughout. Towards the end the draw became hot, the cigar was splitting, and it was unraveling. The burn started uneven and corrected itself, then went uneven, the corrected, and so on.

The size of the cigar was The Freak which is just a little bigger than a Double Toro. The cost was $11 and it was not worth it. This cigar, no matter how it was smoked, was terrible. It turned and never came back. Also with this one, when I thought it couldn't get worse, it managed to find a way.

Final Grade: F

Blue Mountain Connecticut

When I had this cigar, I thought about Little Havana Tobacco. They have this nice poker table, and this made me think of a poker type cigar.

Note: I got it at the only shop in MN that sells these cigars. As far as I know, no other shop sells Blue Mountain. Also, they are not sold online last I checked.

This is a Connecticut shade, Nicaraguan puro.

It felt a little soft and the wrap was even. There were a few veins here and there, but nothing that made you think it would burn badly.

Lighting this cigar, the flavor came off very generic. A few puffs in and I got a bitter cream flavor. A little further and some cedar and light tobacco flavors came in. Also, the aroma was a light sweet tobacco, which would balance out the bitter if it was just as strong. It didn't. This cigar had a small bite too. I could feel the edges of my tongue tingle from this smoke.

The burn on this was good. I had to even it out once. The draw was really good. No trouble getting a good smoke.

This cigar runs about $9. Not bad for a double toro. The only downside was with the flavor. To get anything other than the bitter cream and the bite, you really had to pay attention. Not much popped out at you. That is why this is a good poker game type smoke. The burn and draw is good, so you do not have to worry, and the flavor simple, so you do not miss anything. For the average cigar smoker, it is just that: average.

Final Grade: C+

Oliva Connecticut Reserve

This is the lightest of the Oliva line, and it was time to give it a shot.

This cigar had a nice, smooth, soft Connecticut wrapper with Nicaraguan long filler. A very simple cigar.

The first puff was one of a strong creamy flavor. During with it gave a hint of sweetness. It was almost like creamy coffee. It had a slight buttery flavor. The aftertaste was a light cream and a lingering sweet, like after having a cookie or piece of cake. Underneath was a hint of wood flavor. Hard to describe that one. I must be honest, saying it tastes like wood is not what I want to say (no, it is not a dirty joke), but it is tough to describe. A good flavor though.

The issue with this cigar in flavor is the strength. The creamy comes out easily, but the other flavors are a little difficult to notice.

The construction is very well done. Good draw, and good burn. No uneven burn at all. The only issue was how fast it burned. Seemed to shorten the smoke.

A robusto is $7.25 and the Churchill is $11.75. So the price is very reasonable. In fact, the price is good.

The robusto lasted about 25-30 minutes, when it should have been 35-40 minutes. So, that brings it down. Also, getting some of the flavors out. Still a great buy though which puts this one at a good grade.

Final Grade: B+/A-

Rocky Patel Connecticut Vintage 1999

With a 7 year old Connecticut wrapper, Nicaraguan binder and 5 year old filler (Dominican and Nicaraguan), I decided to try this particular Rocky Patel. Now, most of the time the reviews are wonderful for Rocky cigars, but this one get mixed ones.

The look and construction of this cigar was a good one. I wouldn't expect less from a Rocky.

The flavor was creamy with a nice sweet aftertaste. It was almost like butter at some points. Unlike other Rocky Patel cigars, you have to go slow. Others, no matter how you smoke it, it tastes good. This one has a turn if puffed fast. It can go sour. Staying at a steady pace you get a creamy flavor with a hint of butter, and a creamy aftertaste. There lacked a balance to this cigar though. Almost like you needed a little bitter flavor to even it out. The butter flavor was also overshadowed by the creamy flavor. Seemed to be one sided much of the time.

The draw was just fine. A little more firm than other Rocky Patel's. The burn was even as well.

The price of a Churchill size is $12.50, which is over the top for this one. But for a creamy cigar, there are better. Rocky seems good at darker wraps. Even with that said, this cigar is well constructed and well smoked for the most part. Disappointing for a Rocky Patel though. Mostly a one note act, and thus not worth the price.

Final Grade: C-