Perdomo Grand Cru Maduro

The other day, I was going through my cigars to find something different than what I had been smoking lately.  I came across a Perdomo Grand Cru Maduro Toro that I picked up about a year ago and thought I'd give it a shot.  I was heading to a club which is cigar friendly and decided to do a review of it there.  So I grabbed my camera and put in some new batteries, and headed downtown.  

When I got to the club I ordered a Crown on the rocks and took out my camera.  Wouldn't you know it, the "fresh" batteries I just put in the camera were dead.  Fortunately my phone has a built in camera, although the flash is a little harsh when used, but it'll do.

The Nicaraguan grown leaves from Cuban seeds made for a nice looking stick.  The chocolate wrapper had few veins, none of which were too large.  It's aroma was that of sweet tobacco and fresh cut hay.  The foot was neatly packed which worked well with the cigar being lit only once.

 

Upon lighting, my initial notes were that of the tobacco and hay that I encountered earlier with its aroma.  There was plenty of smoke with each draw without working hard for it.  As it burned, I noticed it was burning a bit uneven, as you can see below.  The ash held on well, falling about an inch to an inch and a half.

Entering into the 2nd third, the flavors changed a bit. I tasted leather, and a bit of coffee.  The smoke was still plentiful, but the burn still went uneven after a touch up.  Near the end of the 2nd third, I got more of a creamy flavor while the leather notes dissipated.

Into the final third, the creaminess remained strong, the coffee notes returned, and spice made itself known.  I felt this was the best of the entire cigar.  The smoke was still plentiful and the flavors were well balanced. And it paired well with the Crown.

Despite having a couple of minor burn issues with the cigar, the cigar was a good cigar.  It produced proper smoke, had pleasing aromas, and had nice flavors.  For an inexpensive cigar, I'd say it'll definitely be worth picking some up.  I'm rating this as an 88.

Esteban Carreras Habano Maduro Rothman

Although I've known about Esteban Carreras for a while, it wasn't until recently that I tried EC due to being  admonished that I should try their well-rated cigars.  So I figured I'd oblige and pick some up to review.  I grabbed a couple of the Rothman sized Habano Maduro to enjoy while I was with some friends at a local cigar lounge. 

This dark brown, oily, Nicaraguan Puro smelled very earthy with a hint of sweetness.  The veins were consistently small and it was well wrapped with a nice cap and foot.  And unfortunately, this is where all the goodness stopped.  But in all fairness, and with how poorly this thing burned and tasted, I felt this was a bum stick.  I would try another one a couple of days later in the serenity of my backyard for a second opportunity for a good review.

Like the first stick, this second Rothman looked and smelled tantalizing.  Lighting was much easier this time around and the first initial notes were of earth and leather.  The smoke was pretty smooth and plentiful.  Ending the 1st third revealed hints of coffee.

The 2nd third produced more leather while everything else faded away.  The ash would only grow to about an inch and a half before falling.  I needed to touch up a couple of times, but overall the cigar burned pretty evenly.  Going into the last third, the creaminess of the smoke had left, and unfortunately only leather and a bit of bitterness remained.

Overall, I wasn't impressed with this smoke, and less so with the first.  The appearance of the EC Habano Maduro was spot on, and it's smoking characteristics were good as well.  However, it definitely lost points in flavor and in overall impression.  I refuse to rate the first one. The 2nd one I give an 80.

The Crowned Heads of Tobacco

It is old news that former CAO employees left to start a new company after the General Cigar deal.  However, what may not be well known about the top dogs of the new company, Crowned Heads, is that this wasn't a move for fear of losing their jobs, nor because they didn't want to move to a new state.  The team saw the opportunity to start a company and produce products due to their extreme passion for cigars. 

The charismatic leader, Jon Huber, is probably the most recognizable face of Crowned Heads, although he is cautious about being given a title having escaped the shackles that accompanied his previous corporate position.  When introduced to the industry back in the mid 90s, Huber started learning everything about tobacco from the seeds to the final roll of the cigar.  As a student of the leaf, he is conscience of tradition and is wary of trends (e.g. adding coloring to produce black "Maduro" instead of allowing the natural “brownish-to-dark-brown" which happens when the leaf becomes mature).

With high standards for himself and his products, I think it's safe to say that everyone is itching to see what Crowned Heads produce. Working alongside industry veterans who are just as passionate as he is, Huber is definitely sitting pretty for his new release under his new label.  Let's just pray the release is sooner than later!