Liga Privada No.9 Robusto

Size: 5 X 52

 

Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf

 

Binder: Brazilian

 

Filler: Honduran and Dominican

 

Yesterday, I received my order of cigars from my friends at Tampa Humidor which included the Liga Privada #9 Robustos. I been hearing many good things about these cigars and will finally be able to put one to the test.

I set up shop in the carport section of the apartment building I reside, set my camera on video so I can video this review and turn on the jazzradio app on my smartphone and click on the Paris Cafe tab to get the tunes going. On this 60 degree overcast evening, I pour some Talisker Distillers Edition single malt scotch into a glass neat to accompany this cigar event.

 

This dark chocolate cigar with minimal veinage comes bareback. I smell cocoa from the foot and chocolate from body of this stick. The construction is very nice on this cigar. It has a humble white band and the name looks hand written on it. There is a small section on the band with the logo and number nine in silver against a black background. The logo reminds me of the Lowenbrau beer logo.

 

 

I clip the cap with my cutter and take a dry draw of cocoa and a bit of spice. The draw is a bit tighter then I’m use to but not bad. I toast the foot and get wood notes and pepper spice. The smoke is full. I taste toast, nutmeg and leather notes in this first third.

 

 

The second third and the grey ash with streaks of black is holding onto its form and even burn. The smoke is still full and creamy. I taste notes of wood, pepper, sweetness and salt. Hints of cocoa also pop in around the halfway point. The draw opened up in this section and was very smooth.

 

The long ash fell after almost making it to the band.

The last section and the burn remains even, the smoke is still kicking full and creamy and the flavor notes I experience are roasted coffee and cocoa.

 

This was a very enjoyable smoke and it does live up to the hype in my opinion. I have a couple more in my humidor and will be enjoying the next one without my pad and camera.

 

 

Robert Anthony Meyers

robert@cigarassessor.com

 

 

The video review.

 

Drew Estate Undercrown Gran Toro

Size: 6 X 52

Wrapper: San Andres Maduro

Binder: Nicaraguan T52 Stalk Cut & Habano

Filler: Brazilian Mata Fina and Nicaraguan Habano

 

I been hearing many good things about Drew Estate cigars and after a good friend recently handed me an Undercrown Gran Habano, I was ready to give it a try. I drove over to the smoking room at my lodge to smoke this stick and write the review. I also wanted to video the review but due to uncontrolled circumstances, I couldn’t.

 

 

 

I got to the smoke room, prepare the tunes, Theolonious Monk- Brilliant Corners and Ray Charles Collection and sat back and pushed out this chocolate brown cigar with minimal veinage from its cellophane casing. I smell the foot and I smell a strong chocolate aroma. The stick also gives off a chocolate aroma along with some barnyard smell. The blue, gold band with its logo reminded me of the Lowenbrau lion. I pour a neat glass of McCallans 12 year old single malt scotch to accompany this cigar.

 

I clip the cap with my cutter and it unravels a bit. I moisten it down and get pepper and cocoa from the dry draw. I toast the foot and taste notes of cedar and then cocoa from the first few smooth open draws full of thick creamy smoke. At this point I notice cracks appearing in the wrapper and the foot starts to unwrap. I give this stick a touch up.

 

I get past the first third and the grey ash with black spots fell from the cigar as it was still pushing smoke that is thick and creamy. More cracks appear and smoke is leaking from them. The burn is uneven. I taste salt, cocoa and nutty notes in this section. Though this cigar’s wrapper is falling apart the smoke is still enjoyable. It requires another touch up.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Around the last third of this smoke, I first taste sweet and salty caramel and then hints of nuts. The smoke is still kicking in high gear and the burn remains uneven and needed a third touch up. The flavor changes to a spicy pepper note and then cedar toward the end. I put the cigar down for the last time when I feel the heat on my lips.

 

Overall, this bold cigar was a very nice smoke. The flavors and smoke were full throughout. The draw was smooth and open. The biggest problem with this stick was the wrapper. I only wonder how much nicer this smoke could have been if the wrapper didn’t crack and fall apart from the get go.

 

                                                          Robert Anthony Meyers

                                                        robert@cigarassessor.com

Estilo Cubano Robusto Gordo

 

Size: 4 ¾ X 52

Wrapper: Viso Habano (Nicaragua)

Binder: Nicaraguan

Filler: Seco Habano Jamastran (Honduras), Ligero Habano (Esteli and Costa Rica)

This afternoon I decided to make homemade tomato gravy and meatballs so the family could have a nice macaroni dinner. Popped some brownies in the oven an all was complete. Now I could enjoy my desert, an Estilo Cubano Robusto, sent to me from the nice people at Ventura Cigar Company and a bottle of Virgil’s Micro Brewed Root beer.

Off to the my side stoop while the weather was fine and the light was bright. I to decided to set up the camera to video record this review. This will be my first video cigar review of hopefully many.

I pinch this dark chocolate cigar from its cellophane sheath and smell sweet hay from the foot and barnyard from the stick. It has a pigtail at the cap, very tiny minimal veins and a light sheen. The band is humble and to the point.

I cut off the pigtail and take a smooth dry draw of sweetness, hay and cocoa. I toast the foot with my lotus cutter and the cigar emits a medium smoke. The first flavors I taste are hints of cedar, wood and citrus. Later in this section I experience hints of roasted coffee. The smoke gets fuller after about a quarter of the way in.

The second third and I taste notes of cocoa, leather, cedar and once a smooth buttery note. The draw is still smooth and open, and the smoke kicked up a bit. The burn is even and the grey ash is with its internal orange amber glow was holding strong to it's form until around the halfway mark where it fell.

The last third and the burn is still even. The smoke is pumping out medium to full. The cigar gets mildly spicy with notes of pepper as hints of cedar and cocoa pop in with the flavor notes.

I learned about the Ventura Cigar Company (founded in 2006) and their cigars through Facebook. You should check them out. This was a very nice cigar smoking experience and if you get a chance to smoke one I suggest you give one a try. -March 26, 2013

Robert Anthony Meyers

robert@cigarassessor.com

The video review.

Camacho Corojo Limited 8/22 Torpedo

 

 Size: 6.1 x 54

Wrapper: Honduran Sungrown Corojo

Binder: Honduran Corojo

Filler: Honduran Corojo

 

This cigar was given to me by a friend who purchased a few and wanted my opinion on it. I haven’t smoked many Camacho cigars in recent times so it will be nice to revisit the brand. I took the opportunity to smoke it during a party at my building. So I drank a few different red wines during this smoking event.

 

I take this milk chocolate colored torpedo with tiny veins out from its wrapper and sniff the foot. I smell nutmeg from the foot and barnyard from the stick. I clip off the pointy tip on this cigar and the dry draw is an easy draw of nutmeg and cocoa. I find the brown, black and gold band on this stick to be a little overbearing.

 

 

I slip off the band wrapped around the foot and toast the foot with my Lotus Torch. The stick ignites easily pushing out a nice light white smoke. The first flavor I taste is mocha. As I smoke on I taste hints of nuts and vanilla stick. The grey ash falls around a quarter of the way in.

 

The second third of this smoke produces hints of caramel, leather and cedar in flavor. The burn remains even and the smoke continues to kick on full.

 

The cedar and leather flavors continue during the last third of this cigar and then it loses all flavors toward the end and all I taste is flavorless smoke. The burn line has remained mostly even throughout this smoke and the smoke never let up its fullness.

 


When I took of the band on this stick, the glue was stuck to the wrapper and pulled it back a little, creating a little damage but not enough to matter.

 

 

 

From what I can remember, in the past I was never a big fan of Camacho cigars or Honduran tobacco. This was a nice smoke but I had trouble finding information for this cigar on the Internet. I even tried the Camacho site and could find it. That aside, after this recent smoking experience, I could be persuaded to venture back and try a few other Camacho cigars.
-March 25, 2013

Robert Anthony Meyers

robert@cigarassessor.com