Padron 1926 Serie No. 9

I'm in Miami for the next couple of days on business - still full from lunch at a great Cuban place, I decided to be creative with my dining per diem for dinner - I swung by a cigar bar, picked up a few nice cigars, priced more than I would generally pay for such, and a large shot of Colada - a wonderfully sweet Cuban espresso that completely pervades Miami - every gas station you walk into has a commercial espresso machine just to make this stuff for under a buck a shot.

Anyway, my first buy was the Padron 1926 Serie No. 9. I don't give a great deal of credence to Cigar Aficionado's ratings - since we all know there are some pretty terrible cigars out there, and I've never seen a CI review lower than an 80... but this cigar was their top rated smoke for 2007. At 18 dollars a stick, it isn't one I'm likely to pick up again, but I can say I'm glad I tried it.

Let me set the scene - early April, Miami - sitting poolside at my hotel, legs kicked up on a couple of teak chairs, with a nice warm breeze blowing in off the coast.

Add in one of the best cigars I've had in a long time, and it takes the sting out of some of the annoyances of business travel.

The cigar started out smooth - and stayed that way throughout. The draw was nice and clean - and while the flavors were incredibly rich, they were never overpowering, and always smooth. The fact that Padron ages their tobaccos for these cigars for up to 5 or 6 years really shines through in the overall mellowness of this stick. The natural espresso notes of this cigar paired well with the sweet Cuban Colada I opted to drink with it.

When I first started smoking cigars - 10 or more years ago, I had my first Cuban - an old style RyJ which was so mild, so perfectly creamy that I spent the next several years trying to find a (legal) cigar that personified that mellow-but-powerful style. I think eventually I gave up - even later Cubans disappointed, as the cigar industry itself started to uproot itself and leave. My tastes turned toward increasingly potent, full-bodied cigars and I left that search behind.

I'm not sure that this compares to that original - I'm not sure anything ever will - but this cigar is a prime example of how strong and complex a milder cigar can be.

I give this 9 gets a 9, as I'm Walken out the door...


Padron 1926 Serie No. 9
Size: Corona (5 1/4" x 56 ring)
Taste: Mild (Medium)
Draw: Excellent
Burn: Even
Flavors: Rich, earthy, coffee tones.
Overall Rating:

Felipe Dominicana Serie Especial T

I've had this review sitting around for a while so I thought I'd post it. Novel idea, huh?

So, I am reaching the end of my CI sampler that I bought a while back. I have let this Felipe Dominicana sit for a while because, frankly, it looked like crap. The bland band art and the middle-of-the-road wrapper color didn't excite me. It looked like filler, and the last filler stick I had was pretty poor.

But this one surprised me. It had a really pleasant mild sweet flavor, and the burn and construction were top-notch. The flavors tended towards a tangy nut flavor, with a lot of vanilla sweetness. Overall, very pleasant.

This was a nice cigar and paired well with the smoother Woodford Reserve bourbon I was drinking. It wasn't the greatest stick I've ever had, but it was a pleasant surprise and I would not hesitate to have another one if it came as filler in another sampler.

In summary, I give it a solid Belvedere.

Felipe Dominicana Serie Especial T
Size: Torpedo (6" x 54 ring)
Taste: Mild
Draw: Great
Burn: Even and consistent
Flavors: Sweet and tangy
Overall Rating:

Streaks on the china
Never mattered before
Who cared?
When you drop kicked your jacket
As you came through the door
No one glared

Montecristo Platinum Toro

It was a cold night in Louisville. I stepped outside to enjoy a well touted Montecristo Platinum Toro, wondering to myself "Self, I wonder if there's anything to this cigar, or if it's merely the sort of thing that posers pick up because of a certain combination of brand name, and flashy label." (Editor: "Self, review applications more thoroughly in the future, before just hiring any moron with a typing hand who walks through the door. Sincerely, Joe Editor (you)" )

Little did I know that in less than 24 hours, I'd be dead.

Ok, not dead, just stranded in Kentucky with a bad alternator.

Which is pretty much the same thing. (Editor: You jerk, you got my hopes up.)

As I lit the cigar, I wasn't impressed with the draw. It was alright, but nothing to write home about.

In a completely obvious statement, the cigar began with strong tobbacco notes, but a third of the way in, what I could only describe as mulled spices began to take over. Prior to this point, I really wasn't feeling any love for this smoke. It was cold, and at this point (about 30 minutes in) I really considered dousing the thing and heading inside.

As I said, once I hit the 1/3 mark, savory tones began to creep in, with those same mulled spices. Halfway through, it took on an eggy savoriness (a strange description, I'm sure, but it was something that really struck me - it was something akin to well peppered scrambled eggs, and certainly wasn't unpleasant). (Editor: OK, so your cigar tasted like eggs, and you figured - "Hey, what the hell, let's keep it going"? Well let me give you a little hint. If it starts tasting like spoiled milk, just toss it. ) Two-thirds through, nutty tones begin to take over, and remained until the literal bitter end - as enjoying as the ride was, the cigar finished on a terribly bitter note before I pitched it.

Overall I enjoyed the smoke - it was far more complex than I expected, and when it really took off, the flavors and warmth were enough to keep me outside in the cold long enough to see it to the end.

There were some drawbacks - a boring first first third, a very bitter end, and less than ideal draw hold this cigar back from an 8, and firmly plant it as a 7.


Montecristo Platinum Toro
Size: Toro (6" x 50 ring)
Taste: Medium
Draw: Ok
Burn: Fairly Even, minor touchup required.
Flavors: Complex, mulled spices, savory and nutty tones.
Overall Rating:

Fonseca (Dominican) 5-50

I had a long week, so I was looking forward to a cigar-riffic weekend, and it delivered. I won't say why I had such a long week, but I will give you a hint. It involved a rodeo clown, my half-sister's inheritance, and a very confused Mexican politician.

We have been having a nice warm spell here in NC, and it seems like every night of the weekend is a great one for a cigar. So it was time to grab a glass of Bulleit bourbon and a book, and hit the porch.

I have been going through my CI sampler one by one, and I am down to the last couple. So I decided to grab the Fonseca 5-50. To be honest, I wasn't expecting a ton from this cigar, as it just radiated an air of blandness. Well, that initial impression was perfectly correct.

This thing did absolutely NOTHING for me. I couldn't put a name to the taste, other than tobacco. It was boring boring boring, the draw was mediocre, and I put it out halfway through. This cigar is like making out with an ugly girl - it's better than nothing, but you won't feel good about it.

The only big plus I can give this cigar is that it didn't taste bad. It just tasted like air. A pretty weak showing. Take THAT, Fonseca company!

Fonseca (DR) 5-50
Size: Toro (5" x 50 ring)
Taste: Mild
Draw: A little tight
Burn: Decent
Flavors: Nothing.
Overall Rating:
CUT. IT. OUT.