Tuesday, February 6, 2007

Bolivar Belicosos Finos




Camapana, 5.5" X 52, Habano

More info and alternate reviews of this cigar HERE!

I would like to start this review off with a disclaimer. I am a United States Citizen. And evidently, in the United States, it is not legal to import things from the Island Country of Cuba (I just found out about this SECONDS AGO!). Under some statute called the "Trading With The Enemy Act" The law that gives the President the power to oversee or restrict any and all trade between the U.S. and her enemies in times of war. Which evidently we still are with Cuba. Anyway, in compliance with that law I would like to state that the cigar I reviewed did not come from Cuba. It appeared by magic. I opened my humidor and BAM! it was there. I do not know how, but I figure since it was there, I should smoke it (i mean it would be a shame to throw away a PERFECTLY GOOD CIGAR), and then review it for all you kind folks.

Appearance: this was one sweet looking cigar, firmly packe and wrapper tightly in a nice mocha shaded leaf that save for one small vein, was as smooth as can be. Another thing that struck me was that this cigar was fragrant from the get go, with that barnyard classic cuban smell (that some cuban national must have told me about once, because I HAVE NEVER smoked a cuban cigar before! That would be illegal!) emenating from it.

Pre-Light Draw: the cigar clipped easily, and the draw was firm, but forgiving, with pre light notes of tangyness and more of that beautiful only to a cigar lover barnyard!

Draw/Burn: The drawwas fabulous producing just the right amount of blue grey smoke. the burn was even, and cool and the ash (which had that nice mottled dark light contrast thing going on) held for quite a while before falling, more than on most of the cuban cigars (I clearly imagined that I have) smoked before.


Flavor: This cigar is a textbook excample of how a cigar can be fairly strong ad yet rich and have great depth of flavor at the same time. It definately was built on that barnyard, uniquely Cuban (again, so I am told) taste. But other notes came wafting in and out the whole time. Sweet notes of maple and honey, spicy notes of white pepper and sage, earthy notes of hay and cedar, and the oak smell of a bourbon barrel, even the leather of my old baseball glove from high school (overall more wood and spice than sweet, though, and lots of earthiness). And the notes do not do this cigar justice. If someone hadnt telepathically infused me with the experience of smmoking a Cuban Montecristo #2, this might have been my favorite cuban belicoso type stogie. Recommending this is besides the point. If you find one of them (you know, if you are a foreigner or something, or traveling abroad, because thats the only way you will find one!) savor it.


TomC

H.Upmann Vintage Cameroon Robusto

5 X 52, Cameroon

Wrapper: Well Aged Vintage Cameroon
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Dominican, Nicaraguan, & Peruvian

Pre-Light - A medium mocha brown, kinda toothy wrapper, whrapped nicely around a evenly packed nice looking stogie. No blemishes to speak of. Clipped easy and yielded a prelight draw that was cedary (from the wrap perhaps?) and sweet tobacco. Draw seems good.

Burn - even and medium, producing just enough smoke to feel round and robust in the mouth. Burned razor straight, and the ash held for quite a long time, which helped promote this experience from average to better than. The long ash helped provide a cramy smooth (cool) richness to the smoke I doubt would have been there otherwise. An example of how stellar construction can help elevate and average smoke.



Taste - A pretty simple straightforward cigar, starts off with a burst of black pepper, with notes of spice and cedar in the beginning and a honey like undertone, the cedar stay as it settles in at the halfway point to more pepper, and the tang that I am learning must be associated with Cameroon wrapper. A pretty average tasting cigar.

Overall - This is an above avergae cigar. The pedestrian flavors were clearly helped by the good construction of this stogie, in the first concrete example I can show of form helping function in handade cigars. Because the ash held for so long, the cigar burned cool and smooth giving the smoke a more fufilling body. It also helped me appreciate the flavors of this cigar more, heightening the experience. If all the cigars of this line are constructed this well, I can happily reccomend it.

TomC

La Flor Dominicana Double Ligero DL600


5.75" X 52, NATURAL

Ah, the LFD Double Ligero. Seems to me there are not many cigars as divisive as this one. Those who love this cigars swear by them. Those who do not, arte completely overwhelmed by their strength to the exclusion of all else. I will reserve my prior opinions on this cigar until the end of my review.

Appearance: This was a very pretty cigar. A nicely wrapped slighty toothy mocha stick with nary a vein or flaw. One of the things that astounded me about this stick is its a rock! It was very firm, and tightly packed and rolled. This initially raised concern that the draw may be flawed.

Pre-Light Draw: Thankfully this was not the case. Upon clipping I found a rather nice, almost loose prelight draw that tasted of cedar and light tangyness. Suprising in a decidedly good way.

Draw/Burn: This cigar burned perfectly. Razor straight, nice and slow and cool, producing volumes of coole blue/grey smoke. The draw was no problem at all.

Flavor: Lets get this out of the way from the get go. These cigars are strong. Also, most of the cigars in this line have robust ring guages that do nothing to temper the strength of this stogie. It does have some nice flavors to it, if you can get past the strength. More of the cedar and spice of the pre-light, along with a sweet pruny note, and a lovely tangy note I really enjoyed. I am not going to lie, the final third of this cigar was almost overwhelming to me, and the pure strength of the stogie drowned out most of the nuance. This isnt necessarily bad, but it turned a nuanced smoke into something rather one dimensional.

Okay this wasnt a bad smoke. Actually it was quite tasty, if very strong at the end. This is not a cigar for n00bs, or to be had on an empty stomach, or to be had with a stiff drink. In these situations you will probably make you sick. That said they are pretty good. I like the line, but prefer the smaller/tapered ring guages (like the Chisel, or especially the Chiselito), that focus the intense flavors of the stogie without overwhelming you. Also I will say though I like the tang in this stogie, I also find the maduro interpretation of this line more refined. I wonder what age would do to these cigars, if age would take the edge off, while leaving the tasty undertones. Overall an intriguing smoke, worthy of your time, just know what you are getting in to.

TomC