Four Kicks

 

6-1-12 been in humidor since 2-27-12

Crowned Heads Four Kicks Robusto (5 x 50)

Wrapper: Habano Ecuador

Binder: Nicaragua

Filler: Nicaragua

Blender: Ernesto Perez-Carrillo

 

 

Thanks to Zack for getting this to my front door.

 

Crowned Heads, as a company, was born from the sale of CAO International inc. to Swedish Match Group (better known as General Cigar co.). Any time there is a corporate takeover/buyout, things change. Sometime for the better, sometimes… lets just focus on the good to come out of this.

 

Jon Huber (one time CAO Director of Lifestyle Marketing ) saw the impact of the CAO sale first hand. He saw his [cigar] family breaking down. He saw his work from the last 15 years being sold. As the story goes, he was filled with a range of emotions and the anger, rebellion, confidence, and determination that Huber felt was mirrored in the song “Four Kicks”  by Kings of Leon. He formed the Crowned Heads company and used the song to inspire their first release.

 

Ernesto Perez-Carrillo, a cigar veteran of E.P. Carrillo and La Gloria Cubana fame, is the blender for this inaugural cigar for Crowned Heads. This is a first for him as this is the first cigar that he has blended under contract for another company. After leaving General, Ernesto Perez-Carrillo’s goal was to only contract himself out to other companies to blend. That did not happen. His children joined him in his cigar venture and the E.P. Carrillo brand was born.

 

This cigar has a simple gold and red band with the words “Four Kicks” on it. There is no mention of “Crowned Heads” anywhere on the band. That name will probably never be on any cigar that the company puts out. Crowned Heads is the holding company. The cigar is a medium brown in color and has an oily feel to it. At first glance it looks seamless and it has minimal veins that stand out.

The smell on this cigar before the light is mild with a woody feel to it. The lick on the cap has a light flavor. It is so light that I have a difficult time pinning it down. There may be a slight sour on it but I hesitate to say that. After a cut with my double guillotine, the cigar finally begins to give up some of its flavor. There is a sweeter earth taste that has a cedar undertone.

 

The light is done with a soft flame.

The opening puffs are woody and have a bit of a sour/citrus note. There is a spice on the finish from the get go. As the cigar settles in, the sour note is gone and there is a subtle sweetness especially on the initial part of the draw. This sweetness is immediately followed by a cedar note. The middle flavor is difficult to name but it is somewhere between coffee and earth. Through he nose there is a spice and wood like many cigars with Nicaraguan tobacco. Late on the finish more spice comes out. It is nice and soft and ends at the exact moment I want it to.

 

The first ash falls early at about half an inch. However, only half of it fell. The cigar is left with a quarter inch of ash. This leads me to believe that there was some damage near the foot of this cigar at some point. The burn is not perfect but it seems to correct itself constantly.

 

The middle third of the cigar are much woodier and sweeter. The cedar notes have crept into the finish and the spice has fallen away for the most part; it only exists now through the nose. This is a very unique woody flavor. It is unique mostly because this is the most cedar cigar I have ever smoked. The flavor is intense and I notice that the power is already starting to be felt. The body, or mouth-feel, is rich and has a slightly pulpy texture, probably from the Nicaraguan tobacco. This texture is not something that I am usually a big fan of but because of the over the top cedar flavor, works very well.

 

 

The final third is an extension of the middle third with a slow build up of spice. The spice that shows up is never overpowering. Its just a complement to the rich woody notes. Other than that the flavor stays the same, and I’m glad it does. Any change would be for the worse given what has come before. The burn has started to veer off course but still no actual touch ups are needed.

 

Burn to the burn

time: 1 hour 50 minutes

 

 

Burn: 9

Draw: 10

Taste: 9

Aftertaste: 9

Construction: 9

Balance: 9

Feel: 8

Overall: 9.0 of 10

Micro Review: LFD Corajo maduro

Micro Review: LFD Corajo.

Pre light smell is light and classic maduro. The draw is slightly tight with a great licorice/spice taste. The first third is dominated by a heavy spice, light sweet and some leather. Middle brings on more spice but slightly softer and woodier. The end of the cigar is still spicy but brings on a cinnamon-like sweet. Great little firecracker of a cigar.

Cigar.com 2009 Forum Blend Sumatra

5-21-12 been in humidor since: 8-22-09
Cigar.com 2009 Forum Blend Sumatra
Toro 6 x 50
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sumatra
Binder: Habano Jamastran Honduras
Filler: Nicaraguan Condega viso, Ometepe Nicaragua Ligero, San Andrew Mexico Seco
Blender: Cigar.com forum at large.

April third 2009 a thread was posted in the Fledgling cigar.com forum. At this time the forum was just over a year old (forum birthday is 1-15-08) and Vulchor had joined two days before. My most recent review at that point was on 3-31-09 where I reviewed the Camacho SLR Maduro (it got a 8.9). This thread would change the way the forum worked forever. It would solidify the relationship between the forum members and Cigar.com. It opened the eyes to many about the process that is cigar manufacturing. This thread is made of legend. What made the thread so special? Cigar.com was blending a  forum blend. It seemed so innocent at the beginning. But it grew. People got involved. This is the thread that made this place a true community. There are forum members that showed up long after the cigars were gone that wish they could get some. A few of the lucky ones have a few left. I will do my best to be objective even though my hand was in this (though it was a very limited basis). It will be hard to be subjective. I have a lot of love for this cigar, mainly for what it represents for this community.

The cigar is fairly dark and it feels firm and heavy in the hand. There is no “real” band on this cigar just a plain white band with “AAA” printed on it. There is a small crack on the cigar about half way through that I hope will not influence the experience. Other than that the wrapper is smooth and silky in texture with a slightly oily feel as well.

The smell is a heavy barnyard. A lick on the cap is slightly sour and spicy. Once cut with my trusty Xi2 the draw has rich flavors to it. There is quite a bit of spice on the cold draw. There is also an underlying sweetness with an almost clove feel. The draw is firm but not bad.

Lit with my usual Xikar EX soft flame. The first few puffs have the classic woody spice and pulp texture that tells me that it has Nicaraguan tobacco. Through the nose there is a musty oak. As the cigar settles in the spice dies down but the texture stays pulpy. The oak becomes the dominant flavor. There is also a leathery note on the finish. The first ash holds on for well over an inch. Its about this point where I notice a vegetable-like sweetness.

The middle third is very much like the first third but the crack has made the burn fairly ugly. The flavor does not seem to have taken a turn for the worse. That is good because I here for the flavor. The crack seems to be acting like the cigar is slightly over stuffed. As the cigar gets to the end of the middle third a nutty undertone develops and the oak dissipates.

The final third is past all burn and wrapper issues. The cigar has seemed to settle down quite a bit and is now mostly cinnamon, pepper, and oak. i feel that this is how the cigar should have been but the other problems along the way hurt its performance.

Burn time: 2 hours

Burn: 7
Draw: 9
Taste: 8
Aftertaste: 8
Construction: 7
Balance: 9
Feel: 10
Overall: 8.3 of 10

There is a maduro version as well. I remember that I liked that one a little more.
review on that soon

Micro Review: Joya de Nicaragua Celebracion Toro

Micro Review:

Joya de Nicaragua Celebracion Toro

Wrapper: Nicaraguan Habana seed criollo

Binder: Nicaraguan Habano

Filler: Nicaraguan Habano

Unlit it has a bouquet is a barnyard smell and there is a draw that has notes of coco and spice.  The first third has flavors of leather, earth and black pepper. The middle third transitions to a sweeter creamier version. The black pepper is consistent. The final third is stronger but overall the same. Very well balanced. Burn time 2 hours flat.

There is a reason this is one of my go-to cigars.

Room 101 Namakubi Tiburon

5-15-12 been in my humidor since 8-27-11
Room 101 Namakubi Tiburon: (6 x44)
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano
Binder: Honduran Generoso seed
Filler: Dominican and Honduran “Vuelta Abajo”
Blender: Matt Booth, Christian Eiroa

I’ve seen a few reviews of this cigar. It seems like it is mandatory for the reviewer to give a long detailed history of the name of this cigar. I will not do that. If you want that info it is readily available HERE to anybody who wants to read it.

I would much rather talk about the tobacco itself. The binder on the Namakubi is the same leaf that is used on the Camacho Super Limitado as a wrapper leaf. This Leaf was developed by Christian Eiroa’s father and named after his grandfather. It was an experimental leaf that had limitations. The flavor and color were good but the yield for wrapper leaf was not as high as hoped. As a wrapper leaf it was very limited and made for an expensive cigar with a short run. Fortunately for Matt Booth, this leaf still made good binder leaf. The inconsistencies in the overall look make less of a difference when there is a wrapper leaf to be placed over it.

The filler leaves contain a Honduran “Vuelta Abajo” leaf. Vuelta Abajo is a district of the Pinar del Rio Provence in Cuba. This region is considered one of the best regions to grow tobacco in the world and where much of the tobacco from the world class Cuban cigars is grown. The tobacco industry in this region can be traced back to the 1830′s. The Honduran “Vuelta Abajo” is seed specifically from this region grown in Honduras.

The cigar has a great presentation. I wouldn’t expect anything less than that from an artist. The red and black band is striking in and of itself and it is a perfect compliment to the cigar that has a reddish hue to it. The wrapper is far from flawless but the ruggedness of it is not distracting in any way. The only problem I see is self inflicted where at some point I chipped the wrapper right on the foot. I should smoke past that within the first 3 minutes.

the smell of the cigar is nothing remarkable, just light tobacco notes that are boarder-line hay. The lick on the cap is incredibly mild. There is not enough there to even make an assessment, but once I cut off the head I am presented with a gift of flavors including a spice and licorice note. I did win.

A soft flame lights the Namakubi gently. The first few draws are a bit lighter in flavor than I thought they would be. There is a musk note on this cigar that is actually a dominant flavor. It is in the initial flavor and through the nose. Most cigars that have a musk seem to only have it through the nose. As it gets going there is a leather note on the finish along with a soft spice. The flavor of each puff seems to fade in as to not overwhelm the palate. The spice comes on slowly and hangs on well through the finish. There is a strange sweetness that is very hit or miss in this first third. It is on the initial part of the draw and is very light. It almost catches you off guard.
The ash is a bit flaky and falls earlier than I am used to for a cigar this size at less than a half an inch.

The middle third seems to have a transition from musk over to a slightly more woody flavor. There are elements that are reminiscent of the 101 Connecticut. This is of course stronger and spicier. I do feel it is a very different cigar and the similar elements can be chalked up to blending style. The intermittent sweet note has developed into a sweeter nutty note that reminds me why I love Honduran tobacco so much. The burn is not even but it seems to always correct itself. By the end of the middle third the cigar has thinned out some with a cinnamon like spice being a dominant flavor and most everything else falling to the back. There are still some nutty notes and it is still quite enjoyable.

The final third brings on more toasty notes and a vanilla note. The cinnamon is still there and this makes a wonderful combo. The cigar ends on a more pepper note. I can now feel that this is a full bodied smoke.

Burn to the burn
time 1 hour 50 minutes

Burn: 9
Draw: 10
Taste: 8
Aftertaste: 8
Construction: 10
Balance: 9
Feel: 9
Overall: 9.0 of 10

Even though i gave this the same rating as the 101 Connecticut I would choose the Connecticut over this one, mainly because I enjoy a milder cigar to a full bodied one.

Alec Bradley Family Blend VR1

5-10-12 been in humi since 9-29-11

Alec Bradley Family Blend VR1 (5.5 x 50)

Wrapper: Las Trojes Honduras

Binder: Indonesian

Filler: Honduran, Nicaraguan

Blender: Arsenio Ramos

Las Trojes in Honduras is to the east of Danli, Honduras and North and east of Estali Nicaragua. It is very close to Nicaragua and, in theory, should share some similar attributes. Las Trojes is actually closer to the Jalapa Growing region in Nicaragua than it is to Dani Honduras. Though this region is not as famous as other regions in Honduras such as the Jamastran,  it is a favorite of Arsenio Ramos, the blender of many Alec Bradley Cigars and several other popular blends (Padilla 1932, Padilla 1948, Viaje, and Illusione to name a few). Las Trojes has become the go-to growing region for Alec Bradley since the release of the Tempus blend back in 2008. AB has gone so far as to trademark the name “Trojes” to protect the goodness they have going on. This Growing region, the trademark, and the up and coming popularity of AB leads me to believe that this growing region will soon be as familiar as Jamastran.

Alec Bradley Family Blend cigars were made for the fathers of the company’s three principal executives, Alan Rubin (President), Ralph Montero (Vice President), and George Sosa (National Sales Director). They were so good that they decided to smoke them around the office. Then they decided to make a few to hand out at events. Then the general public started to demand them. There was hesitation to make them as an actual line because the intent was a special cigar for their fathers to exclusively have. Yet here we are.

They were originally released in 2009 in one size: 5.5 x 50. with a pigtail cap. The line was extended to 5 sizes in 2010.

• VR1 – 5½” x 50
• BX2 – 6″ x 54
• M23 – 7″ x 50
• T11 – 6 1/8″ x 52
• D3 – 4½” x 58

The names of the vitolas are references to names and dates within the family. Nobody but the family knows exactly what those dates and names are, and thats the way they like it.

The wrapper on this cigar is dark and has a good sheen to it. It feels solid and even. There is a light tooth to it and the seems show off how thick the wrapper is. The band is a red black, gold and white square that is fairly simple in design. The classic pigtail is the only thing that seems to stand out.

The lick on the cap has a moist earth taste to it. It reminds me of the smell I get when I open a fresh bag of high quality top soil. The scent is slightly barnyard but fairly unremarkable. A cut with my Xi2 and I now have a perfect draw. There are flavors of a very light sweet licorice.

My usual soft flame is used.

The first few puffs bring out a leathery with a slight bitter bite on the end. Through the nose there is an earthy musk that I enjoy quite a bit. As the cigar settles in the leather flavor tones down. In its place a light coffee note comes out. The finish has picked up a very light pepper. The musk through the nose is still there but there is more of a peper taste as well. The ash falls early as the cigar is sitting in the ashtray. It is at best half an inch. The burn is perfect so far. The best part of the opening third is the smoke through the nose. Even early in the cigar it is dynamic.

The middle third has a bit of a woody note showing up. The smoke through the nose is transitioning to a more woody-spice with the musk completely leaving the scene. There is a nice roundness that has a slight nutty note to it. That note is what I usually associate with Honduran tobacco. There is very little sweetness to it and for some reason it works very well with this blend. Usually, “dry” (as in “not sweet” in wine terms) tobacco has a strange texture but this does not. The smoke has a “dry” (not the tobacco itself but the smoke) feel to it but somehow my mouth is watering.

The final third of this cigar does not develop much further. The dry aspects of the smoke seem to become more prominent and the woody notes are slightly stronger. There are a few minor burn issues in the last third in the usual places ( about where the band was) but nothing that a quick touch up cant fix.

All in all this ends up being a damn decent smoke.

This makes me want to try more AB cigars. I have to admit that this is a brand that has flown under my radar for quite some time.

Burn to the burn

Burn time: just over 2 hours 10 minutes

Burn: 8

Draw: 10

Taste: 8

Aftertaste: 9

Construction: 9

Balance: 9

Feel: 9

Overall: 8.8 of 10

Micro Review: 5 Vegas Triple A Corona

Micro Review: 5 Vegas Triple A Corona (5 x 42)

 

prelight oily and slightly sour on the lips. Draw is earth and maybe licorice.

Once lit the cigar is spicy and has a cedar note. There is a soft warmth on the finish. A subtle underlying sweetness develops by the end of the first third. The middle third has more pepper than the first third but also more balance. The final portion of the cigar brings on softer cinnamon notes and a more woody overall feel.

It is almost exactly like its big brother, just a shorter smoke time and less overall power.