Cigar Review: Why You'll Fall In Love With The Mi Amor By La Aroma DeCuba

How do I love you, let me count the ways, and the Mi Amor from La Aroma De Cuba will have you counting! This divine little cigar treats you like a good lover should! Easy on the eyes in its near ebony perfection, it starts gentle and then gets a little rough.

This beauty features a Mexican wrapper, not known for fantastic leaf, which is an unusual selection for such an important portion of the cigar. Rumor around the blogosphere is that this increase in Mexican tobacco popularity is isolated to the San Andreas tobacco. However, Ashton and Pepin remain hush on the topic revealing only that it is a Mexican Cuban seed Maduro.

Things you should concern yourself with:

• Mexican Cuban seed Maduro wrapper
• Nicaraguan binder
• Nicaraguan filler
• 5X50 Robusto
• Gentle box press design

Looking at this cigar before cutting and lighting is enough to bring awe to the smoker. The Cuban seed Mexican Maduro leaf is a gorgeous chocolatey exterior, with one of La Aroma de Cuba's ever detailed and exquisite labels, that wraps this cigars overall package. Its just a little bit soft which indicates to me it's healthy and should be a good draw which is confirmed after cutting and doing a pre-light draw. Before lighting I also get the flavor of cocoa coming from the cigar.

Once lit, I was greeted with a full on cocoa flavor with a cedar undertone. The smoke gained complexity later by adding the most subtle hints of earth and leather. However, for me, the best part comes from the beginning of the second third. As repeated in the multiple sticks I have had the Mi Amore, once you hit the second third the strength of the cigar increases exponentially! With this also come caramel and bit of spice clinging onto the chocolate flavor's coat-tails! Finally coming to the final third, the chocolate is still present but begins to take a backseat to the wood and the now present gentle pepper. It isn't until the cigar has burned long enough to get into finger toasting range that it gives your tongue that bite.

All throughout this smoke it produced a very nice, slightly layered light grey ash that could cling for close to two inches before dropping. The cigar also burned impressively straight which is a good feat for a box pressed cigar. With a good price ranging around the $6.50-$7.00 mark, a well dressed exterior, and a complex flavor, the Mi Amor by La Aroma de Cuba will have you feeling a little flutter in your heart too!

Cigar Review: Why CAO's La Triviata Maduro Is An Opera For Your Mouth

The stage is dark, you're sitting in your seat waiting in anticipation for the show to start, just as you would have the playbill clutched in your hands, CAO's La Triviata Maduro cigar is clutched in mine. Like the orchestra warming up, I begin to get the subtle hints of a gently spiced leather from this divine, chocolate wrapped, cigar. The lights begin to rise and a very large and well-dressed man, accompanied by a women of equal stature, comes to the center of the stage the same way the match begins to toast my well-dressed cigar. Then, the man center stage, clears his throat as I bring my lips to the cigar. Taking my first few puffs, you could almost hear the orchestra playing its first few harmonies as the man's voice first sings a dulcet tune, then, once lit, both tunes become a bellowing, booming duet of oak and leather with just the ever so slightest hint of spice and cocoa, like the orchestras gentle and playful tune.

CAO's La Triviata Maduro cigar, I chose the 5.5X52 torpedo, is constructed well with a sleek and oily Ecuadorean Habano wrapper, a Cameroon binder, and long filler from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic. It's draw is as effortless as the rapture of the music it plays on your tongue. While smoking, the ash of this cigar, which is off-white and striped with grey and dark grey streaks, clings like the woman's crescendo voice which seems to last for minutes!


Moving into the second act, the oak and leather duet sing beautifully with one another, while the spice becomes mellow and softer. As the ash drops for the first time, the flavor profile changes and drops into a musical melancholy for several minutes, before picking you back up onto its harmonies and carrying you triumphantly into the third act. The cigar's third act produces a floral hint, that can also be found in the cigars aroma, as though the cigar is preparing the flowers to be thrown at the end while our Prima Divo and Prima Donna reach the final chorus. When that time comes, that fat lady does indeed arrive with bellicose bluster, and with another clinging crescendo, holds you till you can no longer hold the cigar. By the end, you're left wanting to jump out of your seat and applaud CAO's La Triviata Maduro, not for the cigars complexity, but for it's simplistic beauty.

Cigar Preview: The Football Cigar!

Cigar fans, today, just in time for Cigar Sunday, I have the pleasure of revealing to you a new cigar that is trying to get itself some legs: The Football Cigar. The Football Cigar comes into two types, the lighter version entitled the "First Down," and the darker version entitled the "Touchdown."

The Football Cigar comes in their own box or in a three pack box. The "First Down" cigar has a Connecticut Shade Grown and Arapiraca wrapper (used as the laces on the lighter version), the binder of the cigar is Dominican de Olor, and this cigars filler is a blend of four long filler tobaccos from the Dominican de Olor and Piloto Cubano from the Cibao Valley in the Dominican Republic. According to Football Cigar creator, Gunner Heilmann, says that the "First Down" is a mild-bodied cigar "with character."

The maduro version of the Football Cigar is called the "Touchdown." This cigar is a full-bodied smoke that is constructed from a series of tobaccos. The wrapper is Brazilian Arapirica and U.S. Connecticut Shade Grown (used for the laces on the maduro, the binder is Dominican de Olor, and again a blend of four tobaccos from the Dominican de Olor and Piloto Cubano from the Cibao Valley including Nicaraguan Esteli.

Now, the concept of a football-based cigar is not completely unique. Arturo Fuente's Opus X footballs were originally rolled as a present to Dan Marino in 2003. According to Socialcigar.com, "Carlito Fuente gave Dan Marino a box of 13 Opus X Footballs at a charity event. The box was then auctioned off for a reputed $13,000." After this only about 30 of these cigars have been made, including the 13 originally made for Dam Marino.

I have been in communication with creator Gunner Heilmann to receive a sample for review within a month or so. Stay tuned to see how these cigars stack up for those fun occasions like Superbowl Sunday!

Selecting the Right Cigar

So for those who have never smoked a cigar before but are curious in figuring out the right cigar for you, there are a few things we can focus on to help you find the right cigar for you. A novice cigar smoker is faced with a great deal of questions regarding color of the cigar, brand of cigar, shape of the cigar, origin or origins of the leaf in the cigar, cost of cigar, the flavor, and ultimately, how will this enhance the overall enjoyment of the cigar? However, one need not fret. Cigars come in different shapes and range in flavor and strength to cater to the taste of different people who love the pleasure of a cigar. So rest assured there is a cigar out there for you. Here are some of the tips which can help you to pick the right cigar for you:

First, I recommend one of two methods to further explore your taste in cigars. The first option is if you have internet available. Utilizing one of the many online stores such as Thompson & Co. (thompsoncigar.com)is a great tool for novice cigar smokers! These companies are great for experimenting beginners because they have the ability to bundle great sampling packages together at prices that are nearly a steal! Bundles such as five random well known cigars, or company specific bundles like the Padron Aniversario Serie bundles, or fun ones like Rocky Patel v. the World bundles. These cigar bundles are priced anywhere between $20 and $50 typically which is well below what you would spend individually for such quality cigars. This allows you the ability to smoke a variety of cigars at a reasonable cost. The other alternative is go into a local, respectable, tobacconist and discuss with them what kind of flavors and strengths there are and what kind of tastes you might have. They may ask you what kinds of things you do while smoking your cigar, what you eat and drink while smoking your cigar, and what type of cigar you might prefer. Plus, these gentlemen are fantastic sources for teaching you how to handle, properly light, and smoke your cigar along with other elements of 'cigar etiquette.'

Some things to take into account when selecting your cigar is whether or not you want hand-made cigars or machine-rolled cigars. I prefer the former as greater flavor and subtly are derived from these cigars. Also greater "ingredients" go into hand-made cigars versus machine-rolled. An individual cigar roller will hand pick whole leaves and roll them into your stunning cigar; whereas, most machine-rolled cigars are made using short filler--fragments of tobacco leaves after processing--which tends to burn quicker and harsher with less flavor.

Another thing to consider when selecting your cigar is the size and shape of the cigar. When considering size, there are a few things you should think about; is time going to be a factor, what feels comfortable both in your hand and in your mouth, and what kind of activities you'll be doing while smoking? A term you may come across when looking at cigars is ring gaugeWhat is ring gauge? It is the thickness of the cigar around. It is based on 64ths of an inch, so, if you have a cigar which has a ring gauge of 50, it is 50/64ths of an inch. Length also plays a factor as the longer the cigar, obviously, the longer it burns.

The color of the cigar is also important while picking a good cigar. The color ranges from what is called claro to oscuro (or double maduro). Generally, claro is the light brown cigar and oscuro is almost black. A lighter colored cigar, such as Rocky Petal's Connecticut Vintage, will be lighter and spicier in flavor and have a more clean, less veiny wrapper. The darker the cigar, such as CAO's MX2, the more full bodied and sweeter it will be and the wrapper will be some what veiny with subtle lumps. The darker cigar is also considered more mature than its lighter cigar counter-part. There is also candela which is not really in the spectrum of brown but is still important to know. Candela cigars, suchas Camacho's candela, are cigars who have a greenish looking wrapper where the leaf for the wrapper was less ripe and remained greenish in color after the cigar was made, these also tend to have quite the spicy bite to them.

Keeping these few things in mind, a novice cigar smoker can now have the confidence to ask the right questions to help them determine which cigar they may enjoy. And remember,as with most things in life, this will be a journey, which is almost as fun as the destination itself. Happy smoking from the Cigar Czar!

Cigar Review: Solid Staple Cigar

So, this week I have had the pleasure of enjoying two of these completely affordable, yet tasty gems; the Rocky Patel Edge (Maduro). A little history, this cigar was released in 2004 with no advertisement and little fanfare. I was introduced to it as a giant box of a hundred and they, at the time had no label. But within one week of my local tobbaconist having them in stock, they were gone. They have grown in popularity since.

A simple light tan band for the where you light the cigar denotes this to be the the Rocky Patel Edge Maduro. Don't let the generic look of these fool you, it is a fantastic smoke for the price per stick, which is about $7.50 to $8.00. These can be found at your local tobacconist's in large wooden crates, usually number around a hundred sticks in each crate. They come in a variety of Maduro, Natural and Lite. Now, I personally am I fan of Maduro's period, but this is definitely a must.

With a rich and robust wooded flavor that subtly tingles your taste buds with a smooth finish, and a nice, even gray ash that hangs for some time. Its is well made and feels firm, with a good draw, in fact, I've not run across a problem yet. I find it to be affordable enough to fill your humidor as a great everyday smoke. Though this is a medium cigar, this should not be enjoyed on an empty stomach. Pair this up with a bold coffee, I personally recommend the seasonal 'Brazilian-Ipanema Bourbon' as an excellent selection.