Oliva Serie G in Toro

This dark brown cigar measures in at 6 X 50 and has a triple cap, as do most of the Oliva lines.  At first light I was met by big blast of smooth black pepper, with a sweet cedar.  The smoke out put was huge, delivering huge blooms of smoke.  Now about a quarter inch in, the cigar has a razor sharp burn and the cedar and sweetness that was present at first light is turning into a roasted coffee flavor which I am enjoying very much.

About two inches in the cedar and spice start to take over, staying very smooth and medium to full in body.  The coffee is still present, becoming more sweet but is being overshadowed by the cedar and spice.  The cigar remains to burn razor sharp.  The ash held on for the first two inches where it fell off into my make shift McDonald's cup ashtray.  The overall construction of this cigar is perfect.  Beautiful draw, and burn continues to be flawless.

Nearing the end with two inches left, the smoke is staying quite cool and is still delivering the core flavors of a sweet coffee, black pepper, and cedar.  The cigar is quite enjoyable and requires no attention. You take a puff, you set it down, you pick it back up and take another puff and the cigar continues burning razor sharp with no issues at all.  This is the one of the most well constructed cigars I have had in a while and the performance and flavor were very enjoyable.  Overall it was a good smoking experience.

Construction: Perfect, flawless
Burn time: 1 hour 22 minutes
Flavors: Coffee, cedar, pepper, natural sweetness
Overall Score from 1-100.....

92

Sam Leccia Robusto: Black Label

This 5 X 52 cigar has a soft oily light brown wrapper.  The cigar smells of a cooking ingredient I quite often use on Steaks called "Liquid Smoke".  This smell is stemming  from the dark fire cured tobacco that is used inside this blend on the cigar.  I am new the dark fire cured tobacco.  Its an ingredient more commonly used in Pipe Tobacco.  I'm excited to get this cigar lit, it smell reminds me so much of a barbecue that I'm having trouble not taking a bite out of this cigar, so I better start toasting.

First light reveals a huge wood and smokey flavor, which was to be expected.  The smoke is smooth and has a oily mouth feel.  The wood is predominately a cedar which is complimented nicely by the smokiness.  The smokiness actually does resemble the smell and taste of the liquid smoke I mentioned earlier.  Its not overwhelming however, as I can still taste a nice core of tobacco, cedar, and a sweetness on the finish. I am also noticing a saltiness on my lips that I can only taste if I lick my lips after the draw, this is unusual as I have never had this type of flavor from other cigars that I've had on my lips.  Its almost got a mineral type quality to it.  As I smoke the cigar down about an inch or so the burn is razor sharp and the cigar is performing beautiful.

As I approach the half way point. The sweetness picks up and the smokiness and cedar start to intermingle with the natural sweetness.  A pepper flavor is starting to kick up and is  leaving a tingle on my tongue and throat. With all these flavors mixing together a flavor of whiskey is starting to come into play.  Now I am a huge bourbon and whiskey fan.  This flavor reminded me exactly of a cheaper, but passable whiskey called "Early Times".  Its a harsh cedar, peppery, sweet, whiskey flavor that the cigar is putting on my palate.  Being that I am a fan of whiskey, I would have thought that I would of liked this flavor more, but as the cigar burned down a little farther it started to get a little harsh and un- appetizing.  It reminded me of a watered down cheap scotch with burned tobacco mixed in,  NOT A FAN of this flavor.  I enjoyed this cigar very much until this flavor came into play.

As I have just under two inches left the cigar is still burning good, but is starting to go out.  It requires a double draw, making the chard scotch and tobacco flavor unbearable, and I let it go out.

Burn Time: 1 hour 2 minutes
Flavor: Good for the first quarter
Construction: Excellent until the last two inches
Overall score from 1-100.....

88

Rocky Patel Vintage 1990 Robusto

This 5 1/2 X 50 cigar has a dark brown maduro wrapper that is very soft and oily to the touch.  The cigar smells of cedar and chocolate.  The first light flavors are a smooth, oily, cedar and butter flavor.  I have never experienced a butter flavor before and it was actually quite nice.  It reminded me of the butter that you get from movie theater popcorn, very nice, very interesting flavor.  The construction of the first inch is perfect with a razor sharp burn and keeps the smooth, oily, cedar and butter flavor.

The Second third finds the butter flavor morphing into a cedar and and oily sweetness.  With these three flavors combining the flavors start to transform  between a light coffee to a caramel and tobacco flavor.  The caramel is not like your average caramel flavor.  the mouth feel is almost what I would compare to a Worther's candy, but not as sweet and not like a caramel nougat.  This flavor stays very strong on the finish and has a medium body.  The flavors are very good and I am thoroughly enjoying the cigar.  The burn stays razor sharp.

The last third of the cigar keeps the coffee and the caramel buttery sweetness is gone, never to return again.  The remaining flavors of coffee and cedar are very enjoyable and the cigar stays cool down to about one and a half inches.

Burn time: 1 hour 2 min

Construction: Perfect

Flavor: Desert like

Overall Score from 1-100.....

92

Arturo Fuente Hemingway Classic

This 7 X 48 cigar is has a light brown wrapper and is a perfecto shape, meaning it has a tapered end.  The Fuente Hemingway classic is one of my favorite cigars and I have never had a bad one.  They're always consistent in their quality and flavor.  This cigar started out with a large pepper blast adding in a mild cedar taste that had syrup like sweetness to it.  It was mild to medium in body and the flavor stayed long into the finish.  The cigar has an even burn line and is burning very slow.
I've had this sample in my humidor for about a year and it shows, the smoke is very smooth and leaves a creamy texture/feel in my mouth.

The second third of the cigar keeps the same flavors of a slight pepper, cedar, and syrupy sweetness.  This cigar isn't know for its complexity but the flavors are extremely delightful.  The mild to medium body has gone up to a solid medium, and every draw produces lots of smoke and delicious but consistent flavors.  The burn line stays razor sharp and requires no attention.  The construction is flawless and really impressed me when I had to let the cigar sit for nearly five minutes when I took my dog outside for a bathroom break. I came back in thinking I would have to relight it, which stinks because in my experience relighting always means bad initial flavors and sometimes the cigar never recovers.  However, the cigar drew perfectly like I had been puffing away at it all along and never faltered all the way to the end!

The last third of the cigar added a earthy aftertaste and kept the pepper, cedar, and sweetness.  The construction stayed perfect and did not get to warm until the final inch and a half where I set it down for the last time.

Construction: Perfect
Burn time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Flavor: Consistent but tasty
Over all score from 1-100......

92

Nica Puro By: Alec Bradley

This cigar measures at 6X52 and has a reddish soft brown wrapper.  I decided to pair this cigar with some rum punch.  After first light the cigar started off with a lot of great flavor.  The first flavors were delicious and obvious to pick out.  A sharp coffee and black pepper spice hit my palette with a punch keeping the same flavor in my mouth all the way into the next draw.  The cigar was very smooth and had creamy feel to the smoke.  It left a coating on my tongue which was enjoyable and unusual as far as cigars go(In my experience).  The cigar burns down about an inch and keeps the same flavors and creaminess and is very complex and tasty.  Its holding a solid medium to full body

Now I'm at the half way point and the flavors have calmed down quite a bit, which I found as a bit of a disappointment as I was really enjoying the previous flavors.  The coffee and spice were met with a dry cedar that eliminated the creamy feeling and sensation on my tongue.  But did go well with the rum punch as apposed to a straight coffee and spice.  The coffee and spice were still present but started not stay as long after the draw and the flavor was no where near as intense. At this point it has drop down to a mild to medium, but staying more medium in body.  The cedar is nice and stays all the way to the last two inches of the cigar.  The burn was not razor-sharp all the way through the experience but didn't require any touch ups or attention.  The smoke stayed quit cool and did not give me the chard tobacco flavor I get from most cigars as they are coming to a close.

Burn/construction: good, not great
Flavor: very enjoyable for the first half.
Burn time: 1 hour 13 minutes.
Overall from 1-100......
93

Liga Undercrown Toro By: Drew Estate

This Cigar measures in at 6X52 and has a oily to the touch dark brown outer wrapper.  The cigar is very pretty and appears to be flawless.  When you think of how a cigar should look this is the kind of cigar that comes to mind.  I lit it up and Immediately was greeted by a strong pepper and earth that was medium in body and keeping long into the after taste.  The spice was a zing sensation on my tongue and down my throat with a spice flavor of black pepper.

As I continued down, the cigar transitioned into a sweet oak mixed with an earthiness, keeping the black pepper zing and flavor.  The cigar stayed at a medium body and did not overpower the palate.  At this point I'm about 18 minutes burn time and an inch and a half down.  The burn is razor sharp and the cigar is pouring off smoke.  It easily filled up my car with smoke five minutes after lighting.  The aroma however is delightful with a burning campfire like smell.

With about two inches left to go the cigar starts to take on a oily chard tobacco flavor still mixing with the earthiness and the black pepper dropping the oak flavor, all though it was still slightly there in the background.  The flavors mixed together well and were not harsh, but enjoyable.  The body stayed a medium all the way down the cigar but the last third did give a good strength punch that made me light headed, as if I was doing some Redman dip.  I put the cigar down with about an inch and a half left quite buzzed from the strengh.  The smoke time was around an hour and fifteen minutes.

Flavor: good
Draw: loose but no issues
Construction: razor sharp burn, perfect.
Strength: from 1-10...7
Burn time: 1hour 15 minutes
Overall score from 1-100.......

93

JD Howard Reserve HR50 by: The Crowned Heads

The HR50  has a reddish rustic looking wrapper that smells of Cedar and Hay.  The dimensions of this cigar are 5 1/2 X 50.  I usually like cigars that have smaller ring gauges because I feel you get more flavor from the wrapper with less filler inside, so I selected the 50 ring gage and usually if a cigar brand has a 46-50 I usually am drawn to those sizes.  This Cigar is made by The Crowned Heads who have been on fire, as far I'm concerned and have put out several good smokes.  This Cigar is named after Jessie James, the outlaw, who lived in Nashville under the assumed name, JD Howard, while hiding from the law.  Crowned Heads headquarters is in Nashville and decided to make this cigar as a tribute to the Outlaw.

The cigar starts out spicy, but yet not overwhelming. The spice is mild but gives excellent flavor.  If I had to narrow down the exact spice I would say its closest to a Jalapeno flavor but not in spice intensity.  After a few puff's the Jalapeno is met by a Cedar that has a flavor that its been in a BBQ pit and has a little char on it.  The finish gives a hint of earth and the cedar.  The construction on the first inch is wonderful, and has a razor sharp burn.

At the half way point the cigar mellows out as far as the Jalapeno is concerned, although its still there in the background. A sweet earthiness and charred cedar have take over.  After a few more draws after the half way point the first ash drops off, after staying on for over two inches.  The next puff gives a musty, sweet earth, followed by more cedar.  The cigar is Delicious, Crowned Heads has another fantastic cigar on their hands.  Its complex with different flavors on each draw but very balanced and even.

The last two inches start to get warm but never drops the flavor.  It adds in a chard tobacco taste but keeps all the cedar, earth, and spice with hints of a natural sweetness.  This is a great combo that I wished would have lasted longer.  I sat the cigar down for the last time at the 1 hour and 8 minute mark.

Price: $8.75
Appearance: 92
Draw: 95
Burn: 95
Flavor: 93
Burn Time: 89

Overall Score: 93

If my top 5 of 2013 list went to ten, this would have been number 6.

L'Atelier LAT 52

The L'Atelier Lat 52 is a beautiful looking cigar with a pig tail cap and a caramel looking wrapper leaf.  it comes in at 4.7 X52. After lighting I get a big kick of spice and a sweetness that developed into what i would call a light caramel.  It was a very good flavor balancing nicely with the spice.  The flavor lasted well into each draw and was a very nice dessert like smoking experience. 

Smoking a little further down the cigar really blossoms into a medium bodied dessert delight.  The burn stays straight and has no waves.  The caramel starts to come to the forefront.  after a few more puffs  the cigar adds a bit of cedary wood.  when the caramel and the wood flavors meet up it starts to come out as a dark chocolate, or a bakers chocolate.  The flavor is subtle but is present.  Nearing the half way point the sweetness is all but gone but the spice and cedar really come up and hit you with flavor.

The last third of the cigar brings out a chard tobacco flavor with more spice.  the sweetness starts to go away and the spice flavor and burning sensation really starts to pick up.

Burn Time: 1 hour.
Construction: Excellent, straight
Flavor: Dessert like and cedary
Rating from 1-100....

94

Binks top 5 cigars of 2013

Bink'sCigar's

of

2013

My top 5 list of 2013 may be a little odd being that I've only been posting for about, oh... a day or so.  But I have been keeping a list of the cigars I have smoked this year, I have taken pictures and kept notes of my Experiences.  This List will consist of My top 5 Cigars that I have smoked in 2013.  Some of them new to 2013 and some of them from years past.  A review of Everyone of these cigars will be coming in the future.


#5 ALEC BRADLEY NICA PURO TORO..Score:93

#4 DREW ESTATE UNDERCROWN TORO...Score:93

#3 THE CROWNED HEADS FOUR KICKS ROBUSTO..Score:94

# 2  L'ATELIER LAT52...Score:94

 

#1 HEADLEY GRANGE ESTUPENDOS BY THE CROWNED   HEADS...Score: 95

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF THE TOP 5 AND TO THE MAKERS OF MY #1 CIGAR: THE CROWNED HEADS FOR MAKING SOME AMAZING SMOKES!!

 

Crowned Heads Headley Grange Estupendos

The Headley Grange Estupendos is a 5 1/2 x 52 cigar that is brown in color.  Its a very attractive looking cigar with a slight pressing to it.

Crowned Heads has so far produced some of my favorite cigars to date and I would say this one may very well be their best.  At first light you are greeted with a creamy coffee and wood flavor that is medium to full in body with a good amount of spice.  The aftertaste is strong and leaves a lot of flavor well after the draw.  These flavors continue to become more prevalent as the cigar is smoked.

Around the half way point the cigar starts to take on a nougat or graham cracker flavor that is very unique. This is a flavor that I have heard a lot about, but have only gotten from this cigar.  Its very delicious and creamy and goes well with the cedar, coffee, and spice that are still present.  The cigar is starting to become very complex where one draw I get the spice and wood, the next draw is the nougat and graham, and then the next will be a creamy coffee and cedar.  Its very nice and keeps your attention on the excellent flavors.

with around an inch and a half to go I started to get a chard tobacco taste mixing in with all of the other flavors adding a scotch like flavor and burning tingle that went down into my throat  I enjoy this particular sensation and rarely have gotten it from other cigars. With one inch to go and at an hour and twenty five minutes in, the flavors start to become washed out and I sat it down for the final time.

The Crowned Heads have a winner with this cigar.  It was named #24 on the top 25 cigars of 2012 by Cigar Aficionado Magazine and in my opinion should have been rated higher.

Price: $ 8.95

Appearance: 10/10

Draw: 20/20

Burn: 19/20

Flavor: 18/20

Complexity: 28/20

Burn Time: 10/10

Overall Score: 95 / Fine Cigar

The Crowned Heads Four Kicks Robusto

This light brown 5X50 cigar has invisible seems and a slightly veiny and toothy wrapper.  The cigar features a beautiful Ecuador habano wrapper and Nicaraguan filler.  At first light a extremely smooth cedar and pepper is present.  Its mild to medium in body and last all the way to the next draw.  The draw is perfect and giving out large plums of smoke.  The burn line isn't prefect after about a quarter inch but doesn't require any touch ups.

An inch and a half have gone by and the flavors start to add a nice Nuttiness and Vanilla flavor. The spice is still present but only gives the warming sensation and not the flavor.  On a pepper/spice scale its at a 2 out of 10.  It's present but barely.  The cigar has also added a nice naturally sweet tobacco on the finish.  It mixes will with the cedar and vanilla and slight spice.  The cigar continues to burn well not requiring any touch ups.

With around two inches left vanilla, cedar and spice have dissipated and have added in a earthiness.  The nuttiness is coming out more so then any of the for mentioned flavors and is mixing with the earthiness.  The sweetness and vanilla is almost completely gone but is in the background faintly.  At around one hour and 5 minutes or so the flavors start to get washed out by a chard tobacco flavor and I set it down for the last time.

Price: $ 7.25

Appearance: 10/10

Draw: 10/20

Burn: 20/20

Flavor: 17/20

Complexity: 15/20

Burn Time: 10/10

Overall Score:  92 / Great Cigar