Casa Magna Domus Magnus Limitada Optimus

Size: 5.75 x 52

Wrapper: Nicaraguan Sun Grown

Binder: Nicaragua

Filler: Nicaragua

Picked this stick up at a local cigar shop while I was hanging with friends. I have smoked a few Casa Magna Colorado's in the past and remember enjoying them. Got home threw this cigar in my humidor and a few weeks later pulled it out to review it. I will be pairing this cigar with a nice port given to me by my friend, writer and scholar Philip Bloom. Porto Vintage 1995 Quinta Do Infantado.

This box pressed chocolate brown cigar was a well constructed cigar with minimal veins and a slight oily sheen. The cap has a nipple type pig tail. It is double banded with the second band around the foot. I smelled chocolate gingerbread at the foot and chocolate on the stick. After clipping the cap I take a open dry draw of spice. I toasted the foot and taste cedar and toast in my first few draws of full smoke. Later on, I taste notes of cocoa and a tanginess. The burn was uneven and the grey dense ash fells about a third of the way in.

The second third and the smoke was still full and the burn was still uneven. Wood, leather, ginger and bitterness were the notes of flavors I tasted. About halfway in and the bitterness started taking over. Good thing I was drinking this Porto Vintage 1995. I could get the bitterness out of my mouth with the flavors of sweet berries, raisin and apricot. The ash fell again in this section.

The last section and all I tasted was bitterness. A harsh citrus and pepper bitterness. The burn remained uneven and the band came off without incident of tearing, defects or glue blobs. The smoke was still full. I finally placed this cigar down early because it was getting hot in my mouth. This cigar was tasting decent until halfway. After that all I began to taste was a bitterness. I cannot recommend this cigar.

I read somewhere that this cigar was a limited run of 100,000 sticks and sold out quickly after receiving mostly good reviews. Than they made some more cigars and released them recently. This cigar must be from the new batch. They should have quit when they ran out the first time. -June 31, 2013

Robert Anthony Meyers

robert@cigarassessor.com

Video Review

Kafie 1901 Don Fernando Maduro Collection Toro

Size: 6 X 54

Wrapper: Nicaraguan

Binder: Honduras

Filler: Nicaraguan/Dominican Republic

Gaby Kafie sent me two of his new 1901 Don Fernando cigars and I was excited to receive them. Today I sat down by the pool with this cigar, a capt' Eli's Root Beer and some Trader Joe's Triple Ginger Cookie Thins.

This chocolate colored cigar is well constructed with minimal veins running through it. The band is simple elegance and the foot has a piece of red ribbon wrapped around it. The stick had a light sheen to it. I took off the ribbon and sniffed the foot and a strong chocolate smell is filling my nose. I smelled a sweaty barnyard from the stick. I clipped the cap and took a dry draw of hay and a spice. I toasted the foot and tasted cedar and coffee from the first few draws of full creamy smoke. I also tasted hints of citrus and nuttiness later in the first third.

The nice grey dense ash held on until the second third and fell. The smoke was still kicking full and the burn was slightly uneven and needed a touch up. The flavors I tasted were citrus, leather, salt and nuts.

The ash fell again as the burn evened out it the third section. The draw remained nice and open as the smoke was still white, full and creamy. A mild sweetness flavor along with coffee and pepper filled out the flavors of the last third of this cigar.

This cigar was a very nice smoking experience and if you can get your hands on a few, I would. The Kafie 1901 Don Fernando Maduro Toro is a Cigar Assessor Approved Cigar.
- June 27, 2013

Robert Anthony Meyers

 robert@cigarassessor.com

Video Review

Pura Sangre Churchill

Size: 7 X 52

Wrapper:  Nicaraguan Viso Habano Colorado

Binder:  Nicaraguan Viso Habano Colorado

Filler:  Nicaraguan Viso Habano Colorado

The people at the Ventura Cigar Company sent me over some samples a few months ago and I reviewed their cigar, Estilo and placed the Pura Sangre in my humidor. After smoking a couple, I decided today was the day to review my last one. I will be paring this bold cigar up with a Virgil's Micro Brewed Cream Soda and some Trade Joe's Dark Chocolate Mint Creams.

This well-constructed dark chocolate stick had minimal veins. The band is of a tribal image in gold surrounded by black. The name Pura Sangre is written underneath in white letters. I sniffed the foot and smelled sweet hay. The stick smelled like mushrooms. I clipped the cap and took a dry draw of mild cocoa. I toasted the foot and tasted hints of cedar. Later a citrus tang and leather note joined the cedar flavor. The nice grey ash held on for the first third and the smoke was full. The burn was uneven and needed to be touched up. This could be attributed to a mild breeze blowing.

A little into the second third and the dense ash fell. The burn was still uneven and the smoke kicking full. The flavors I tasted in this section were hints of ginger, leather, cocoa and nutty. Flavor filled in this third. The ash fell again at the end of this section.

The last third and leather, sweetness and honey were prevalent flavors. The burn evened out and the smoke was still pumping out full. I smoked this cigar until I couldn't hold it anymore.

I enjoyed this smoking experience. The people over at Ventura Cigar Company make a nice cigar and I give it the Cigar Assessor Approval. If you see it grab one or two and give it a try. - June 19, 2013

Robert Anthony Meyers

   robert@cigarassessor.com

Video Review

When I finished recording this review the news about James Gandolfini's death was just surfacing. I love watching the Sopranos and was sadden to hear of this. A man who loved his cigars.

Soft and safe to thy resting place.

Drew Estate Herrera Esteli Toro

Size: 6 1/4 X 54

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano

Binder: Honduras

Filler: Nicaraguan

The cigar I reviewed today was a recommendation by Michael Howe owner of Tampa Humidor. The Drew Estate Herrera Esteli has been receiving a lot of buzz in the cigar world so I decided to review the toro stick. I paired this cigar up with some Sumatra iced coffee with beans roasted from Coast2Coast Roasters in Arcadia, CA.

This well constructed, nice honey/nut brown cigar had minimal veins and felt good in my hand. The band is humble and retro in style.  I took a sniff of the foot and smelled mild cocoa and hay and an aroma of sweat and barnyard from the stick.  I clipped the cap and took a dry draw of hay. I lit the foot and tasted cedar at first and then nuts in the first few puffs of full white smoke. The draw was nice and open. Later in this first third I tasted notes of sweetness and salt adding to the cedar and nutty flavors. The dense ash was a nice grey in color with a few streaks of black. The burn was even.

The nice dense ash fell around a third of the way in and the burn was even. The smoke continued to pump out full and the flavors I tasted were leather, wood, spice and nutty. The ash fell again before the last third.

The last third and I tasted hints of cedar, wood, honey and a mild pepper flavor. I was able to take off the band without incident. The burn was a little uneven and the smoke was kicking full. I was surprised to see that the cigar's wrapper cracked and split in this section toward the end of the smoking experience. It didn't affect anything but the appearance.

Overall this was a very nice smoking experience and a great cigar. I can say without  doubt, this is a Cigar Assessor Approved Cigar. (CAAC)

Robert Anthony Meyers

robert@cigarassessor.com

Video Review