CAO MX2 Toro

Size : 6 inches x 54 Ring Gauge

  Type : Toro

  Wrapper : Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro

  Binder : Brazilian

  Filler : Nicaraguan, Honduran, Dominican, Peruvian

  Single : $7.20  /  Box of 20 – $95.00

What MX2 stands for ( hence the name ) is it comes with 2 aged maduro wrappers in a blend that combines the best tobaccos from 6 different countries.

The external wrapper is a well fermented connecticut broadleaf maduro. The second wrapper is used as the binder. ( a spicy maduro )
The unique flavor has to do with the four different fillers blended with the maduro wrapper and binder.

This particular cigar comes in a dark chocolate wrapper. It has oily, satin look to it with a toothy texture and prominent veins throughout the stick.
It’s a firmly wrapped, tightly packed cigar, with no soft spots noted anywhere, that I could find.
The intial smell is rich with a barnyard hay, earth and dark chocolate. The kind of smell that made my mouth water. It smells that good!
The intial cold draw was firm, but not tight. Not a perfect draw, but as near as you can get.

First Third :

I was anticipating a nice smoke with this cigar from my intial inspection of it.
On my first two draws upon toasting up this marvelous stick I was bombarded with a strong taste of black pepper. I absolutely loved it!
It starts off as a nice medium bodied cigar with lots of rich, creamy, smooth smoke.
It has a nice, full flavored earthy taste to it. The tobacco tasted rather sweet.
In it, I could taste rich dark chocolate and cocoa with a nice black pepper zing finish that sat on my tounge. I could taste some coffee in the back ground at this point.
Once into it for a good half inch the peepr zing died down considerably, now leaving a mild zing on the finish. Not as overbearing.
The taste remained the same pretty much through the first third. A most pleasureable experience.
The burn went a bit wonky, but required no touch ups and it straightened itself out.
The ash did not fall off… yet.

Second Third :

Spoke too soon… the ash just fell off. The ash fell off without warning.
You could hear the ash thud as it hit the ground. I took one puff and didn’t even make it to the ashtray.
The chocolate and cocoa has subsided and a strong coffee taste has stolen the limelight.
Cigar is still a solid medium body and produces a very smooth and creamy smoke.
An earthy taste remians in the cigar throughout ( which I loved ) in the background as well as a mild black pepper zing at the end of the finish.
The pepper zing never really leaves this cigar. But the duration of zing is short on your palette at this point.

Once it hit the half way point, is abruptly went out.
I could feel a very hard spot just under the ash. Feels like it the cherry carbonized the tobacco. The tobacco was rock hard. I proceeded to take my guillotine cutter and nip out that hard spot.
Needed to go about 1/4 inch down the stick. Once nipped I could see that the cherry was tunneling it’s way through the middle of the cigar.
Still took some coaxing to get it lit and keep it lit. Had a few bad tasting draws, but then the cigar carried on well again like there never was an issue.
Guess I didn’t quite nip it off far enough back. Was trying to save as much of the cigar as possible.
The beautiful tatses of the cigar returned and the taste never changed for the rest of the second third.

Final Third :

Cigar has stepped up to a full body at this point.
Nice blend of coffee and earth. Am not really tasting the dark chocolate and cocoa anymore.
The black pepper finish has increased, putting that pepper zing on the back of my tounge once again.
This flavor profile remains like this til it’s end. I was able to smoke this cigar to it’s nub.
Cigar did not get mushy or hot and I was impressed of this.
This cigar lasted me quite awhile. I was able to pull out 2 hours and 15 minutes of enjoyment.

Final Thoughts :

The CAO MX2 Toro is a hearty cigar. The sweetness of the maduro wrappers can diffinitely be tasted and enjoyed.
This is a cigar that you have in the late afternoon or evening after a hearty meal. I would not suggest it as a morning smoke.
I had mine late afternoon. Expect flavors to be full. Flavors to be had are those of dark chocolate and cocoa with earth and a black pepper finish at the beginning of the smoke.
Later it transitions to a strong coffee in the second third and remains there for a good 1 1/2 inches.
The last third ramps up to a full bodied cigar with a nice blend of coffee and earth. The black pepper zing returns at this point and remains there for the remainder of the cigar.

I found it to be a pleasureable cigar, even with it’s nuances in the middle.
It gave me a very mild nicotine hit by the time I was done. But nothing unpleasant.
It goes well with a black coffee or a Guiness beer. It’s a solid two hour cigar that burns nice and slow and gives off a lot of creamy, smooth smoke output.
I will make sure to have a half dozen in my humidor, as they are best as an occassional cigar for me rather than an everyday stick.

myRating : 93/100

5 Vegas Series A Torpedos Box of 20

I am a cigar enthusiast and smoker and have been smoking cigars for a duration of 1+ years.
Over that time I have purchased a few cigar bundles and many singles.
Experimenting in finding what I like and don’t and sharing with others my take on that.

Over time, experiencing different manufacturer’s cigar and their line(s) of cigars to choose from I have come across a few favorites.
It will take me years to try them all, but as I come across some enjoyable smokes throughout my journey, I buy them by the box.
Also it’s cheaper that way. My latest purchase is the 5 Vegas Series A Alpha Torpedos.
Cigars that I choose most are torpedos, belicosos, churchills and lonsdales. I tend to like 48-52 gauge best for their flavor value.

The taste of these cigars are that of rich choloate ( like Bakers chocolate ) and coffee with a spice finish.
Transitions that normally occur as it’s smoked are said to be roasted nuts, pepper and cherry ( some people say )
It’s a full bodied, full flavor, full strength smoke and is best enjoyed after a meal and compliments a strong coffee.
A nicotine hit can be felt as you smoke this one.

Here’s some pictures of my latest purchase. ( click on picture for a full view )

300 Cigar Humidor

Bought this 300 cigar humidor awhile back as I felt my 50 cigar humidor was just a bit too small.
I read that it’s not a good idea to have your humidor completely full of cigars.
They need some room in the box for them to “breathe”.
I try to keep my small humidor with 25-35 cigars in it and my 300 cigar humidor would be comfortable with 250 cigars.
I have yet to fill the large humidor by any means.
The most I have ever had in it is 100 cigars. Currently there are 62.
I know the selection of cigars is small, but I plan on filling it alot more in the coming months ahead.

A box of 5 Vegas Series A Maduro Torpedos have been ordered and a review will be done on them with pics.
The collection will only grow from there.

Gurkha Park Avenue 44 Churchill

  Size: 7″ x 48 Ring Gauge

Type: Churchill

Wrapper: Connecticut Seed ( grown in Ecuador )

Binder: Nicaraguan and Dominican

Filler: Nicaraguan and Dominican

Price: Single – $3.00 / Box of 20 – $60.00

First off I’ll start this review with the cigar band. The band is pretty distinguished looking, although it doesn’t mention the Gurkha name anywhere, but instead has the founders name imprinted, K. Hansotia.
The cigar is velvet smooth to the touch and hosts a light brown connecticut wrapper. The did look very thin. like the thickness of rice paper. To me it seemed as though this cigar’s wrapper could be easily damaged.
It was pretty much free from veins for the most part, except for one prudent medium vein that ran through the length of the stick and caused the wrapper to wrinkle around it. Felt pretty well rolled. No hard spots noted anywhere, but a few soft spots.
The initial smell was that of barnyard hay with some nuttiness. Very nice. Once I nipped off the end with my trusty Firebird Guillotine cutter, the cold draw was as near perfect as it gets and the taste was nutty as well.

First Third:

The initial light took little to no effort and first few draws were that of pepper/spice. Yum-Yum. It produced alot of smoke. Once it got going, the taste was that of wood ( cedar ) and nuts with a short mild pepper finish. It felt like a mild cigar at this point. I found the ash to be very flakey with a salt and pepper look to it with salt dominating. The Park Avenue is not a complex smoke, but most cheap cigars are that way. The cedar and nut flavor seemed pretty well balanced at this point, with no particular nuances overpowering the other.

Second Third:

The ash held on for about 1/2″ at a time. The ash was so flakey that parts of it were scattered all over my patio table and it wasn’t windy out at all.. Good thing I was outside. Burn and draw is still excellent. It produced a very thick and creamy smoke. The flavor changed ever so slightly. It has become more of a medium bodied smoke the taste of wood just ba touch stronger than the nuttiness. It was most noticeable at the halfway point. The finish is the same as before, short with a mild taste of pepper.

Last Third:

At this point, the flavor changed again. The flavor became that of roasted nuts, still with it’s short duration pepper taste on the finish. Draw and burn remained unchanged. The pepper zing on the end vamped up just a touch. I snubbed it out once I began to taste what I would call an ammonia taste to it. Snubbed it on a good note.

Final Thoughts:

For it’s strength, I think this cigar is best as an afternoon/evening smoke, rather than a morning treat. Best after a meal. It lasted me 2 hours, which is standard for a churchill, so you definitely get your moneys worth. The Park Avenue 44 is a very good bargin at it’s price standpoint. The tastes are balances with wood (cedar) and nuts with a mild pepper finish, which is short in duration. I found the smoke to be thick and satisfying and it burned cleaned and sharp and required no touch ups or relights. i did find the cigar to be rather dry as it gave me cotton mouth somewhat. My coffee was on hot standby to effectively rid myself of that minor nuisance.
I found the cigar to be mild overall, with no nicotine buzz. The flakey ash was bit of a distraction, but could have been because I was outside. Still, it should have clung to the cigar.
I enjoyed this cigar and I am sure you will too. ( once given a try ) Nice stick. requires no attention as it burns on it’s own accord, giving you lots fo time to enjoy a good book or a cup of your favorite joe or drink.

myRating : 67/100

Drew Estate Acid Blondie Belicoso

Size: Length 5″ x 54 Ring Gauge

Type: Belicoso

Wrapper: Connecticut

Flavor: Aromatic

Price: Single $5.75 / Box of 24, $120

First off, this is an infused cigar, meaning it is an aromatic cigar. out of the wrapper it has strong smell of floral potpurii. It’s not a natural tasting tobacco stick that we are all accustom to ( tastes of coffee, earth, nuts, etc. ) The tobacco is infused with a taste of it’s own. I look at it as a dessert cigar. A cigar that is distinct in smell, taste, with a candy coated shell. Upon slipping off it’s protective wrapper, I was suprised at the smell if gave off. It was that of flowers and potpourii is the best I can describe it. Not a smell I am particularly fond of. For this review, I hope it smokes better than it smells. Upon my intial cold draw, I was greeted with a syrupy sweetness as though the cigar was dipped in a candy coating. The overall sweetness, was quite sweet and had a floral, fruity taste to it that clung onto my lips. I knew this was going to produce a unique taste once lit.

The wrapper of this stick is smooth and doesn’t have a toothy texture to it, with average veins. It is rolled tightly, so it is firm throughout. I could not locate a soft spot anywhere in this cigar. Nicely made. It has a double capped end, and once I nipped it off, the cold draw was loose.

First Third:

Upon toasting it, I was greeted with a huge amount of sweetness. I could not taste any tobacco. Just an overwhelming amount of sweetness at this point. The sweetness was that of fruitcake? As I got more into it, the sweetness subsided somewhat, giving me a floral potpourii taste. Suprisingly, it was not offensive. It actually complimented the cigar. The finish is long on the palette and a mild spice was noted. A little zing on the tounge, but not that of white or black pepper. The mixture of all 3 flavors was quite pleasant. I found this stick to be a fast burner. Looked to be a 45 minute – 1 hour smoking experience. The ash was razor sharp and was holding on for the entire first third.

Second Third:

The aromatic, sweet taste has finally begun to die down. I would say 50% less in strength than the first third. In it’s place, the tobacco now emits a medium bodied, earthiness in taste along with the floral, potpourii offerings and it’s mild spice finish. Personally, I love a cigar with either an earthy taste to it or a pepper or spice. I am lucky enough to get both in this Acid Blondie. The smoke output is good and the draw remains loose. I wish it was more firm. I reached the half way point 30 minutes in. The ash was still holding on! I sum the second third as a sweet, earthy, medium bodied stick.

Last Third:

The ash finally fell off just before the starting of the last third. Still has that floral potpourii taste to it, but the earthy richness it is presenting, has kicked itself up a notch. The further I get into it, the more I am loving it. The band on this stick is my only main gripe. Upon trying to remove the band, it tore the paper thin, connecticut wrapper. I was trying to be extra careful in removing it, but not matter how careful I was, it tore. This was due to the glue being careless applied to the cigar more than the wrapper. I was not impressed by this. I recommend you leave the wrapper on until you “have” to take it off. I enjoyed this cigar so much that I smoked it right down to the nub.

Final Thoughts:

Overall, I enjoyed this cigar. Enjoyed it alot more than I initially thought I would. I am not big on aromatic cigars in general, as I enjoy what a regular cigar leaf has to offer ( for the most part ) For an infused cigar, it really is quite good. It’s a smoke best enjoyed when you are in the mood for something different from the norm and something sweet in taste. I would recommend this cigar to anyone who is into this sort of smoke. I liked it very much and wouldn’t hesistate to have a few in my humidor. makes me wonder if there are other infused cigars out there as good as this one, or better…. time will tell.

myRating: 88/100

Toranos_The Brick Churchill

Size:  Length 7″× 56 Ring Gauge

Type: Churchill

Wrapper:  Sumatra

Binder:  Honduran

Filler:  Honduran

Price: Single $3.00 / Box of 25, $70.00

This is a unique cigar due to it’s shape. It’s a box pressed cigar, meaning that it’s shaped like a trapezoid along it’s length. This cigar works great for those who may not have access to an ashtray and may set their cigar on a ledge, rather than hold it all the time. It has a beautiful chocolate Sumatra wrapper which was smooth with small veins throughout. It has a rich barnyard hay aroma to it. A smell I quite enjoy. I could see no flaws in it’s handmade construction and had a nice triple cap on the end. It took well to my cigar cutter and gave me a nice squared off sharp cut. The initial cold draw of this cigar was smooth and easy with no restrictions whatsoever. the taste was rich and earthy. When gently squeezed, it sprang back nicely and had no hard or soft spots to it.

First Third :

Pepper could be tasted on my lips. had a bit of an oily content to it. Ash held on for 3/4″. Nice easy draw. Simple earthy taste makes up this cigar with a pepper taste on the finish would would linger on the palette. The creamy, earthy notes this cigar gave in it’s first third was most enjoyable.

Second Third :

Problems began cropping up at the start of the second third and went downhill from there. The cigar kept going out and was difficult to keep lit. Two or three pulls would be required on a frequent basis to get the smoke back to where it was. Ash would not hang on anymore than a 1/2″ at a time. Cigar developed a bad run in it and canoed. It was so bad, I was forced to snub it out and then re-light it. The canoe effect was 3/4″ in length. I smoke outdoors and it was windy that day, so the weather could of had an adverse effect on the stogie. Once re-lit, the cigar brought on a nasty leather taste to it. The strong leather taste lightened up after 1/4 – 1/2″ and I was able to taste the earthiness once again with hints of coffee and spice in it’s undertones.

Last Third:

The cigars at this point was no longer enjoyable for me. The smoke bcame hot and the wrapper began to unravel. The leather taste returned with a vengence and put a very bad taste in my mouth. I decided at that point to extinguish the smoke.

Final Thoughts :

This cigar is of an earthy nature in taste overall, combined with leather and coffee with a hint of pepper for the first third. A more dominate taste of earthy / coffee taste comes through the second third with spice undertones and leather in the background.. The last third is earthy with leather with ocassional chocolate notes.

As with all my reviews, they are based upon my personal experience with the cigar at hand. I have since then, begun to order in 2 cigars for each review now. Windy weather conditions I feel, played a scenario in this review and I could of very well had a poorly constructed cigar. Upon inspection prior to smoking it, I could not see any visual defects with it. The first third was quite enjoyable until the point where it began canoing and then the cigar went from bad to worse. Once that strong leather taste came into the cigar, I did not enjoy it anymore. As a personal preference, I do not enjoy cigars that exhibit that leather taste in the background. As it stands for this review, there will be no rating of this cigar at this time.

 

A Few Pipes

Here are my pipes.
A small, but sweet collection.
One at a time…. One at a time.
Afterall, you can only smoke them one at a time.

This is my first pipe ( that I kept ). A Peterson 307 XL Standard System P-Lip. It is still my most used pipe to date. I use it for damn near any tobacco I desire ( except latakia blends ). It’s mainly used for Aromatics and Cavendish blends. It’s 6 1/2″ long, 2″ high, with a bowl depth of 1 1/4″ and a bowl diamter of 3/4″.   The rugged build of this pipe makes it a perfect travel companion. The rustic finish is perfect as I don’t have to worry about scuffing and scratching it. I really like the P-Lip design ( hole is at the very top of the stem, rather than the center of the stem ) I like it because the stem end is less wide than a fish tail stem and works well when clenched with your teeth. I do tend to teeth clench a bit. I really like Peterson pipes. I would buy another… wait a minute… I did.

This is my Peterson Bulldog with a straight shank and a P-Lip stem. It’s 6″ long, 2″ high, with a bowl depth of 1 1/2″ and a bowl diamter of 3/4″. It’s about the same weight as my 307. I use this pipe mostly for Virginia tobaccos in particular and Cavendish blends. I find Cavendish tobaccos do not ghost the briar too bad. As I mentioned, it’s mostly for Virginias.

A fitting Peterson pic. 2 Peterson Pipes and a tin of Peterson tobacco.

I picked up a few Corn Cobs. I suggest to only buy USA made Missouri Meerschaum Corn Cobs. They are very cheap and can had under $10 each.  They are a throw away pipe. You literally smoke them until you burn a hole through them over time. That can take anywhere from onths to years ( depending on your smoking habits ) I’m a bit of a power puffer, so if I get a year out of one, I’m doing well. You can smoke them with a filter as mine came with Medico filters inside. You can use balsa wood filters in a pinch, but they are not as good as medico filters. They draw is loose with balsa wood filters. You can choose not to us a filter in it at all, if that’s what you desire, but you’ll probably draw in a bit of ash at the end of your smoke or any goop if your selected tobacco produces any. What I do, is take a pipe cleaner, fold it, and insert it into your pipe in place of a filter. They are a good for a few fills before you need to replace it. I replace them every 3 bowls. Can’t really clean out the bowl of a Corn cob as it’s just a reamed out piece of corn. Doesn’t take long to produce a good cake on the side of the walls of one of these. These pipes are best for Virginia tobaccos and Burley toboaccos. You can smoke anything you want in them really. I have read they don’t suit Latakia blends very well. But who am I to say? I smoke Virginias in one and Burley’s and Capt. Black Royal in the others.

First up is my General bent stem.

Next is my Country Gentleman Straight and bent stem.

And lastly… a Family Portrait.

Stanwell Vanilla

Country – Denmark
Curing – Air Cured
Contents – Burley,Cavendish, Virginia, Turkish
Flavour – Vanilla
Cut – Ribbon
50 Gram Tin – $6.15
Type – Aromatic
Strength – mild
Flavour – mild
Taste – mild-medium

A subtle mix of Danish Cavendish, Burley, and Virginias enriched with mature Samsun from Turkey. Vanilla flavours create the soft sweeteness and fruity character of the blend.

This tobacco is for lovers of aromatic blends and in particular with this blend, Vanilla.
There is no stortage of vanilla taste in this blend. To me, it’s a cased tobacco. Casing requires that the tobacco be soaked, literally, in a “sauce” that may contain sugar, molasses, liquorice, alcohols like rum or whiskey, and various flavourings, natural or otherwise, depending on the manufacturer. The vanilla taste in this tobacco is quite sweet.

All aromatics smell quite yummy to me when the tin is cracked and the vacuum seal is released. Half of them, you want to eat!
My nose was greeted with sweetness and a distict smell of Vanilla from this Stanwell tin. the tobacco is pretty moist and I recommend letting it air dry foar a good hour before loading your pipe. What I normally do with aromatics when drying out my pipe tobacco is check it every 20 minutes or so. I let it dry until the moisture content goes away and it doesn’t feel sticky anymore.

I loaded up my Peterson 307 Standard System pipe for this review.
As soon as you charr this tobacco you are greeted immediately with a sweet vanilla flavour. I settled in for my smoke. During my sitting, I could taste a tangy frutiy characteristic. The virginia leaf is the cause of this flavour and I was glad to taste it, rather than just pure vanilla. I found the harder you pushed the tobacco through puffing, the more the virginia taste would pop through the mix. If you sip this blend gently, the vanilla taste becomes dominate. I would push it a bit, sip it a bit and go back and forth with it. There was no goopiness to be found in my pipe like alot of other aromatics like to leave behind. I smoked it to the end and all that remained was some ash and a little dottle.

My Thoughts:

I like aromatics very much in general. Some I like more than others and some although tastey, burn my gum linings, so I tend not to smoke them very much no matter how good they taste. I have seldom if ever been disappointed on any tin I have opened. They all smell so good! Some I can hardly wait to fill my pipe and start puffin’. This tin was no different. The vanilla aroma that comes from this tin is quite inticing. However, once I got into this tin for a good half dozen pipe loads, I began to tire of this blend. I like Vanilla, but I can’t say I love it. For others, this can be the exact opposite. It’s a mixed bag for me.

This is a dessert smoke and will satisfy your sweet tooth as it were. This is a good smoke to enjoy in the evening. It’s a good nightcap to have after a good meal. This tobacco needs to be sipped to be truely enjoyed. push it too hard ,too fast and it will deliver you some tounge bite. The vanilla flavour never leaves the pipe from the first charr to the dottle and the bottom of your pipe.

When I ordered in this Stanwell blend, I also ordered in a tin of Stanwell Melange. Melange is just a fancy word meaning “mixture”. This melange blend consisted of a mixture of Black Cavendish, toasted Burley, Orientals and Bright Virginia along with some Apricot. Since this review, I decided to blend both of these tobaccos into one. The reason for that was I liked each blend by themselves 50/50. This is not a go to smoke for me, nor is it one of my favorites. I prefer a more subtle aromatic tobacco which is lightly cased. The Vanilla in this blend is a bit too more over the top for my liking. I am ok with the sweet flavours and tastes offered from each blend, but I didn’t like either enough to smoke separately. So I mixed them. Vanilla still dominates this new blend I have conjured up. As a combination, I like it better than I did separately.

I don’t think I will ever buy a Stanwell blend again personally, but it’s not to say this is a bad smoke. If you like Vanilla and if you like your tobacco sweet, this is the blend for you. I still smoke my Stanwell blend from time to time when I am in the mood for a dessert tobacco in the evening after a good meal. And I do enjoy the tastes it offers very much.

Kiki Green Label Churchill

Origin : Nicaragua
Size : Length 7″ x 52 Ring Gauge
Wrapper : Shade Green Brazilian Mata Fina
Binder : Nicaraguan
Filler : Nicaraguan
Price : Single $2.25 / Box of 25 $56.00

This Limited Reserve Green Label Churchill had a barn yard earthy aroma to it when held under my nose. It was that of grass and hay with a hint of pepper. There were minimal veins under the wrapper and the wrapper itself had a smooth texture to it, but it felt lumpy. The cigar consisted of hard and soft spots to it along it’s length when gently squeezed. The hard spots, seemed excessively hard, while the soft spots felt excessively soft. First impression was that this cigar was not rolled well. This cigar had a double cap on the end and looked to be a box pressed cigar, although the square shape was not dominate in shape like other brands. The outer wrapper had signs of cracking throughout the length of the cigar and was prominant at the head. This wrapper looked to be rolling paper thin. Too thin in fact. Once I nipped off the end, the cigar began to unravel where the intial cracks at the head were. I had a feeling this would happen. I ended up tearing off a bit of the wrapper as it could not be fixed.

Initial Light / First Third :

Good start. Lots of smoke billowed forth. The cigar had a nice woody taste to it along with an earthy grass and hay flavor. Minimal resistance in the draw and the cigar burnt nice and sharp. It burned nicely on it’s own accord and required very little attention. The finish had a bit of spice to it. I tasted black pepper and it had a medium length finish on my palette. The taste would linger there for a few minutes. The remainder of the first third was a woody / earthy taste.

Second Third :

It was a pleasant experience until I reached the second third. The smoldering ash came to a halt once it reached a hard spot in the cigar. try as I may, I could not keep this cigar lit and it went out on me. I rolled the cigar around my finger tips to massage that hard spot out of the cigar. I find when a cigar goes out due this condition, upon relighting it, it will produce a rather rude taste of leather until it is able to burn through this hard section. Once I was able to puff my way through this obstacle, the woody / earthy taste returned. Since the cigar was shorter in length, the woodsy / earthy taste was a bit more intensified. This is normal. The hint of pepper taste was still in the finish. The pepper taste was very mild. It’s a shame this woody / earthy taste was short lived. The cigar went out on me again. This time in a very soft spot of the cigar. I managed to get it going again, and get through that section. A hint of sweetness was detected as a mild caramel feel and flavor.  The smoke at this point was nice and creamy.

Last Third :

Once I reached this point, I was losing interest in this cigar. I do not enjoy a cigar where you must tend to it so attentively and tediously just to keep it burning properly and stay lit. The leather taste that comes from it from relighting a cigar is most unpleasant. That taste will stay on your palette for a good amount of time, I might add. I just wasn’t enjoying this smoke, so I decided to end it at this point.

Final Thoughts :

The Kiki Green Label could very well be a decent cigar. The first third dictated that this was going to be a pleasant experience, but as it burned along, it just gave me grief and a poor taste in my mouth. I could very well just of had a bad cigar. I experienced this as well when I reviewed The Alec Bradley Freak cigar. But it always tends to make me weary to try another. Would not want to experience this twice. Also, when I review a cigar, I review the cigar at hand and write my thoughts and observations of that cigar. This Kiki Green Label did not do it for me. Don’t think I will try another for quite a spell. If I do get around to trying one again one day and it’s turns out to burn well and taste relatively decent, I will revise this review. Until such time, my rating stands. Given the taste of first third, I will take it into account for my rating.

myRating: 34/100

Alex Bradley MAXX ” The Freak “

Size : 6 3/8 x 60 Ring Gauge ( 7/8 inch in  diameter )
Wrapper : Nicaraguan
Binder : Costa Rica
Filler : Nicaragua, Mexico, Honduros, Columbia
Price : Single $ 5.25 / Box of 20  $90.00

The Maxx line by Alec Bradley was created for a bolder, bigger taste. The combination of the top fillers complement each other for a complex, full and bold cigar. The Maxx is created from the fertile soils of Honduras and Nicaragua. The creator of the Maxx line is no other than Nestor Plasencia.

The Freak looks to be a superbly constructed cigar. I could note no visual flaws in this cigar at all. When first under my nose, the aroma it gave off was that of chocolate. Dark chocolate perhaps with a rich earthy tone to it.  i will admit, it smalled delicious! It consisted of a smooth, rich chocolately, oily Nicaraguan wrapper. The head looks to be double capped ( perhaps even triple capped ). This cigar was like a pencil in it’s hardness. When gently squeezed and released, there was very minimal return of springiness that most other cigars have. Could this be a bad thing? On a good note, there were no soft spots anywhere in this cigar. This stogie is a beast in it’s sheer size. It is almost an inch in diameter. I am more accustom to 48 to 52 gauge at best. This looks to be a 2 hour smoke easily.

The intial draw prior to toasting and lighting it was an earthy taste combined with chocolate.

Initial Light / First Third :

I took extra time to pre-toast this bad boy, due to it’s large ring gauge. No resistance to the draw of the cigar whatsoever. Ample smoke billowed forth from my pulls. I will note that double / triple pulls were required on a frequent basis to get it smoldering again. Not a good sign as this isn’t natural. It tasted of chocolate, coffee and a hint of nuts with an earthy undertone that lingered for some time on my palette. Stogie seemed medium in strength at this point with a full body. Full strength will come forth on this ride before I am done. Once into the first 1/2 inch of the cigar, problems developed. Seemed as though the cigar was rolled too tight at this point and much effort was needed with flame and lung power to get paste this point. Once I managed to get this cigar to behave proper, an uneven burn developed which required some touch up.

Second Third :

Burn is uneven at the start of the second third. Cigar keeps wanting to go out. have to constantly draw upon it to keep it lit. Ash will not hang onto this cigar for anymore than 1/4 inch tops. At this point, the cigar was becoming a burden for me. Too much attention needed to get it to behave accordingly and too much involved in the thought process to enjoy any flavors this cigar might have been putting out. 1/2 inch into the second third and this cigar went out on me yet again. The cigar burned so poorly, that I needed to completely nip off the rotten section of this cigar and start fresh with a clean cut.

Last Third :

Once I relit the cigar, it smoked normally for a very brief moment in time, then required two / three constant pulls to keep the cigar going. At this point, the cigar was at full strength, so the taste was not all that desirable. The wrapper tried unraveling where the burn was and would continue to do that as the burn continued further down the cigar. At this point, I had enough of this cigar and threw it away.

Final Thoughts :

I had high hopes for this cigar, with it being an Alec Bradley MAXX series. The Fix I had in this series previous, was the bomb! Complex in ever changing flavors, giving me no problems with it whatsoever. This cigar was the totally opposite. Grief from the get go and remained that wat throughout it’s entirety. maybe these cigars are the bomb too, but the one I had was a complete Dud! Not much can be said in my final thoughts that I haven’t already said throughout this review. This stogie turned me right off to want to even try another. For $5.25 a stick, this is unexceptable. I cannot recommend this stick as it put a bad taste in my mouth. ( literally )

myRating: 13/100