La Gloria Cubana Artesanos de Miami

Hey, remember this site? Me either. Anyhow, here is a cigar review from a while back that I never typed up. So now I am typing. Wheeeeee!

I got this cigar from fellow Joe Cigar writer Curtis, and since it was an LGC I hadn't had before, I was looking forward to it. But that all changed once the Fire Nation attacked. Oh wait, that didn't happen.

This was a stout little robusto that looked nice, and it lit up easily. (Editor: Nick has also used this phrase to refer to women - yeah they love it if you were wondering) I paired it with a Dogfish Head 90 min IPA, which is my favorite beer. (Editor: I bet fish would be more beloved if they had dog heads. Basically, if were fish were dogs we would probably eat less fish) I usually don't mix it with cigars because I like to enjoy the taste of the beer by itself, but it felt like a beer kinda evening. It probably wasn't the best pairing, but both the cigar and drink were very good separately.

This cigar started off with a spicy wheat flavor, that had a sort of tannic dryness to it. My god that sounds pretentious. But that is what I wrote down and I am sticking to it! About a third of the way through, it started mellowing out, and got sweeter and lost some spice. As it neared the end, it got a lot stronger and added some earthy flavors to the mix. Unfortunately, as it got into that last third it got pretty bitter, and the end was not very enjoyable. (Editor: Just like Nick's one night stand with Mr. Belvedere)

Overall, a decent cigar, and I will never look a gift 'gar in the mouth. Or foot. Or whatever. It was a nice change of pace from both the normal LGC Serie R and the LGC Reserve, but it won't become one of my go-to sticks.

I am going to give it a 6, because it had some nice potential in the front half before it reached the bitter end. So for now, Mr. Belvedere is off to Miami!


La Gloria Cubana Artesanos de Miami
Size: Campana Chica Torpedo (5.5" x 58 ring)
Taste: Medium-Mild
Draw: Good
Burn: Even and consistent
Flavors: Slight nut with a strong pepper near the end.
Overall Rating:

Don "Pepin" Garcia Blue Label Generosos

The last time I gave a cigar a 10 rating, it was the Perdomo Reserve Maduro, and now I kinda regret giving it such a high rating. The first one I ever had was amazing, it just blew me away and I declared it one of my all-time favorites. Sadly, however, I have never had another one as good as that first one. I have talked to several other cigar fans who have had that happen with various sticks - you get a magic one and then spend the rest of your time in that brand trying to chase the white stag. So I would currently revise that Perdomo's rating to a 9. It's good, but on the whole, it's not 10 good - but the first one I had was amazing. (And as to why we have given a 10 to an Acid cigar, you will have to ask Nick L...)

That is why, this time, I have waited until I have had a lot of these DPG Blue Labels before giving it the coveted "Smokey" award, and it has not disappointed me. I have tried many different sizes of the DPG Blue, as well as the Black and Serie JJ lines. The Black and JJ are good smokes, and worthy of your time, but once you've had the blue you'll know where you want to put your money.

I haven't had a poorly constructed DPG Blue yet, in either the lancero, corona, or toro sizes. They have all burned and drawn very well, no complaints. The flavors are strong and exciting, tending towards a spicy cedar which sometimes mellows into a peppery chocolate or cocoa. It is definitely on the stronger side, but I don't find it overpoweringly so. It's got a lot of character, though, which is what I look for.

Overall, I always look forward to the DPG Blues in my humidor, and I know whenever I fire one up, it's gonna be great. If that isn't the basis for a "10" rating, I don't know what is.

Don "Pepin" Garcia Blue Label
Size: Generosos (6" x 50 ring)
Taste: Medium-Wild
Draw: Good
Burn: Even and consistent
Flavors: Spicy, with cedar and cocoa
Overall Rating:
Steal a Trans Am and pack it full of these great cigars.

Ashton Virgin Sun Grown (VSG) Torpedo

We have been having a ridiculous run of warm weather recently, especially for December. So when it came to be Friday night and the thermometer stood at 68 degrees F, even at 9PM, I knew I needed to take advantage of these decidedly un-Christmas temperatures. I grabbed this Ashton VSG, which is a stick I have never tried before, and headed out to the porch in a t-shirt. Not too shabby.

I paired this beautiful-looking cigar with a glass of Johnny Walker Green, which I was introduced to by Lawson at the beach last year. Hmm. Despite how that last sentence sounded, it was a thoroughly un-romantic encounter. Well, mostly.

In any case, the JW Green is a great 15-year blended scotch that has a nice smoky flavor balanced by a great smooth feel. I didn't know if it would pair well with the Ashton, but how can you go wrong with scotch?

The cigar started REALLY strong, to the point where I was worried it would be too strong for me. It was harsh and way too spicy. But it very quickly mellowed out, into a nice mix of coffee, leather, and cedar. The only problem is that after that initial hit of super-strong harshness, the normal flavors seemed pretty bland. But as my tastebuds adjusted I really liked it.

The draw was ridiculously loose, almost too much so. It just billowed smoke, and I could barely feel the smoke as I drew on it. I got used to it, but it was a bit too loose for me. The burn was not great at the beginning, I probably had to touch it up about 5 times. But after the first third it really got better.

As the cigar went on, it got sweeter, and less coffee-tasting. But at the end the spice came back (albeit less), and so did the coffee. And I could actually taste some root beer in there, strangely enough.

Overall, it was a good cigar. Very tasty, good draw, and incredibly well-constructed. The main sticking point is the price, averaging around $8-11 depending on the store. I liked the cigar, but not $10 worth.

So, while I enjoyed it, I have to bump it down a notch to a Boss Hogg.

Ashton Virgin Sun Grown (VSG) Torpedo
Size: Churchill (6.5" x 55 ring)
Taste: Medium-Full
Draw: Ridiculous
Burn: Bad at first, but got better
Flavors: coffee, earth, leather, spice
Overall Rating:
If this were a cheaper cigar it would rate higher, but for the price it Hoggs the wallet.

Rocky Patel Decade 10th Anniversary

This was actually a blind taste test, organized over at Something Awful. I recieved a bandless cigar in the mail, along with an envelope containing the band. The idea was to try the cigar without knowing what it was, then check the band at the end and see how your taste notes paired up with what people generally say about that stick.

Away we go!

I paired my cigar from forum user Restnesizzle with a delicious glass of Balvenie Doublewood 12yr single-malt. A delicious scotch.

The cigar was box-pressed and had a great feel, with a pre-light smell of cocoa and leather. The pre-light draw was great, but I have learned that doesn't always mean a good draw.

Luckily, this one had a great draw. Lots of smoke, easy pull, fantastic burn. At the beginning, it started off with some nice spice, and a little hay or grass flavor that reminded me of a Patel Edge. It was nice and smooth, and pretty strong.

It started to change about a third of the way in, and moved into an earthier flavor with less spice.



Near the halfway mark it started having a distinct cocoa taste, with more earth as it went. For the last third, it became a slightly harsher taste, with the main notes being a spicy sweetness over an earthy base.

Overall, a very enjoyable cigar. Checking the band....It was a Rocky Patel Decade 10th Anniversary! I have never had one of these, and I really enjoyed it. A nice Halloween cigar, full of SPOOKY SURPRISES! Well, it was tasty. Maybe not spooky.

Anyhow, for the nice flavors and changing tastes, along with a great construction, I give it a Hogg. Them Dukes, them Dukes!

Rocky Patel Decade 10th Anniversary
Size: Toro (6.5" x 52 ring)
Taste: Medium
Draw: Great
Burn: Even and consistent
Flavors: Spice, hay, earth, and a little cocoa.
Overall Rating:
Rosco Patel, you're in trouble now!

Fuente Hemingway Best Seller

I have heard a lot of good things about the Hemingway line, but I have never tried one. Until now! Well, until a few days ago.

I actually picked this little guy up in Arizona, where their tobacco taxes are apparently much cheaper. I got a collection of nice sticks there for a much lower price than I could find here in the east.

Anyhow, the Best Seller is a slightly larger version of the popular Short Story, which I had not had before either (I also bought one of those, but I found it very similar to this cigar, so I won't review that separately).

It has a nice perfecto shape which I find creates an even burn, but some people have trouble with it. It is deceptive in its size, since it burns as long as a much bigger cigar. I enjoyed a nice long book-reading evening on the porch with this little guy.

I paired it with a nice Eagle Rare SB bourbon that had a nice bite to it, and they went together pretty well. The cigar tended towards a nice clean tobacco flavor, with some nuts and cedar. It kinda tasted the way a humidor smells. And since I like that smell, it was all good with me.

I didn't notice any distinct taste changes, and the flavor was a bit low-key for me. But it was definitely a solid cigar. So for having a decent flavor, good burn and nice construction, I give it points. The slightly too-high price, the one-note flavor profile, and slightly bland taste knock it down a couple pegs.

In general, I give it a Belvedere.

Fuente Hemingway Best Seller
Size: Perfecto (5" x 55 ring)
Taste: Medium-Mild
Draw: Good
Burn: Even and consistent
Flavors: Cedar and nut, tasty tobacco flavor
Overall Rating:
Fat in the middle like Mr. Belvedere.