The KC/DW Review Series

[King Catfish]

This was a very small (3.7 x 48), hard-packed perfecto, with a robust, dark aroma. I enjoyed it with a glass of water after lunch. The band was the classic Oliva cream-and-gold. I took a diamond file to my cutter to make sure it was sharp enough for the task; this cigar was so attractive that I did not want to screw it up. I have found Cameroon wrappers to be fragile, but this cigar did not show any fragility.

I toasted the tiny foot briefly, and upon lighting it, the wrapper was immediately assertive and somewhat sweet on the lips (this sweetness disappeared quickly); the smoke came out of the gate civilized and immediately gave the impression of complexity. The aftertaste at first was shallow and shy, but it seemed to hint at more to come; I felt as if I were tasting several things at once and could not immediately identify them all.

Smoke volume was low at first, which is understandable for such a tiny cigar; however, it continued to increase, and became quite impressive. The taste was subtly leathery and peppery; the body definitely mild (increasing to medium later). When lit the aroma was perhaps woody and, again, civilized.

When the cigar hit the widest part (at the end of the first third), the flavor started to explode, and the taste got strongly and pleasantly leathery, with a bit of a peppery, alkaline finish. Well into the second third a nutty flavor was starting to add to the mix. Pepper was ascendant in the middle third; however, no single taste predominated, and the flavor remained extremely well balanced. The aftertaste remained unobtrusive, but did increase enough to become notable in the last third.

In the final third it did not change so much as it became more completely itself, and I stuck with it until my fingers were burning. The ash was admirable throughout, and lay in the ashtray in two cylinders when I was done. If I did not handle my cigars so much, I suspect it would have been one long ash. I think the most telling aspect of this cigar was that instead of trying to find its best qualities, I had to search for something not to love about it.

Score: 19.05 (x5) = 95.25

An emphatic “Thank you!” to DeeDubya for this one. Part of my next paycheck is already earmarked for a few of these.

[DeeDubya]

Holy cigar smoke. I bet I have smoked 100 of these and never knew they had so much complexity. I usually smoke one of these or a Short Story in the morning. I do know they pack a punch for such a small cigar.
Great review. Thanks for your respected opinion.
I've been busy today. I hope I can relax and enjoy something different tomorrow and write a review. Have a good weekend.

[DeeDubya]

Thanks to KC I enjoyed a very mellow Gurkha Robusto #4 (6x50).
It had a very light, nearly creamy color wrapper, hinting at a mild cigar. Very smooth, hardly noticeable veins and a light sheen. The classic ornate Gurkha band had a second silver band denoting it as a "Silver Anniversary Edition". There for a minute I thought about getting some white gloves before lighting up.
Toasting (as usual) indicated a very pleasant hour ahead.
The draw was medium with plenty smoke and a subtle hint of single roast columbian coffee.
The ash was impeccably sharp, nearly perfect white and held through the first third.
Around mid way I began to detect a little earthiness characteristic of the aging process.
Last third, still very mellow, nearly delicious with the same razor sharp burn and perfect ash.
The finish brought no surprises but then certainly no dissapointments either. I smoked this sucker to the very end because I could. It was still burning perfect and not to the inside like a lot of cigars do at the very end.
Mild cigars are not my favorites, I prefer a little more kick, but I will give this one some high marks because it was one of the best I've had.
On a scale of 1-10 I will rate this Gurkha 9.4.

[King Catfish]

Nice review. The Gurkha Symphony is certainly one of my favorites, too. I'm glad you liked it.

[King Catfish]

Rocky Patel Olde World Reserve Maduro Robusto (6x52)

This was an attractive, sharply box-pressed cigar (not quite as sharply as the Gran Habano), with a cream-colored band and a paper sleeve where some cigars have cedar. The sleeve color and texture appeared to be an attempt to imitate the maduro leaf that wrapped the cigar, and was a nice addition to this cigar’s presentation. Aroma before lighting heralded a peppery experience. The wrapper was a deep dark-chocolate brown, with a definite oily sheen. Color and construction were very even. I enjoyed this stick with a glass of water and a piano concerto (Joachim Raff, if you’re curious).

I muffed the cut, and lost the cap. Nonetheless, the cigar did not unravel at all. This cigar was aces in construction. Upon lighting, the smoke was very voluminous, but the taste started out very weak in intensity. The pepper aroma did not break its promise, at least in the first third. The aroma wafting from the cigar, once lit, was subtle and lovely, better than any other cigar I have had.

The first third opened with a light, peppery taste, with a mild bite on the tongue, perhaps a bit of sweetness on the lips. Soon, a leatheriness started to develop. The ash, (streaked light and medium gray) was firm and fell off after about an inch, perhaps a little more. By the end of the first third, the aftertaste got steadily nicer, if perhaps remaining a bit thin. The pepperiness of the very start faded fairly rapidly; the cigar evolved little after this point, and a lack of complexity was becoming evident.

In the second third, this cigar made a top-notch presentation of what I call a leathery taste, but offered little added dimension. The final third increased the intensity in an impressive fashion, and perhaps started to hint at chocolate.

Smoke volume remained enormous throughout the smoking experience. My only reservations with this cigar were its lack of depth and its weak start (but this latter tends to be a common criticism of mine; it might just be me). The burn was nice and slow, taking an hour and a half to smoke.

The Rocky Patel Olde World Reserve Maduro is a pleasant, friendly, uncomplicated cigar that falls just short of spectacular. I would wager that this cigar would be a very good pairing with a meal of steak and red wine, which it would complement very well, but not overpower.

Score 16.65 (x5) = 83.25; I gave it an extra 0.75 for excellent aroma, and another half point for a very slow burn that made for an unhurried experience, for a final score of 84.5. I plan to get myself another one and give it another chance after the aforementioned pairing with a meal and a drink.

I looked up this cigar after I finished it, and read about how chocolatey it is supposed to be, but I was underwhelmed by its “chocolatiness” (which is neither good nor bad); I also discovered its price, and I was a bit taken aback. A very nice cigar, but I’m not sure it’s quite worth its retail price. At half the price, I would certainly make sure I had a few on hand.

Many thanks to D.W. for another great smoke, and one I probably would not have tried on my own anytime soon. I have to say right here that I would have a very hard time matching his generosity.

[DeeDubya]

Glad you enjoyed it KC. Very thorough review. I must say that RP carries a pretty good line. I usually smoke the 1990/1992 which are always good. I still have a couple of the sticks you sent to review but for the last several evenings have been trying out the Diablo Caliente. Very inexpensive yet a pretty darn good smoke for an everyday.
Have a good day.

[King Catfish]

Glad you enjoyed it KC. Very thorough review. I must say that RP carries a pretty good line. I usually smoke the 1990/1992 which are always good. I still have a couple of the sticks you sent to review but for the last several evenings have been trying out the Diablo Caliente. Very inexpensive yet a pretty darn good smoke for an everyday.
Have a good day.

No hurry on the reviews. Best to do them when you're into it rather than rush it.

Diablo Caliente, huh? I'll have to look into those.

[King Catfish]

OK, Let's see, I followed through with the Black Puro this evening, along with 2 fingers of MaCallan. I finished the Black Puro but am on the second 2 fingers of MaCallan. I'll try to be cordial but at the same time bluntly honest.
I am not impressed with the Gurkha Black Puro. I have had lesser cigars but cannot bring myself to brag about this one.
Wrapper (dark and no veins but a little lumpy)
Toasted (no special aroma).
Draw (heavy to medium but I didn't re-cut)
Burn (somewhat uneven but not at all unmanageable)
First half (some spicyness but not impressive)
Second half (flavors emerged progressively, none pronounced)
Finish (better than I was anticipating but still not impressed)

On a scale of 1-10 I would give this cigar a 7

IMO the Gurkha Black Puro does not live up to it's name.

I decided to have another one of the Black Puros this evening, and I am smoking it now. It is much less good than I remember the last one being. I agree on all points you mention above, except that I would say the burn was very even, the draw horrible, and the taste disappointingly flat.

I wonder why I remember this one as being pretty good....

[King Catfish]

King Catfish,
<snip>
Let me know if you try another one of the Gurhka "rejects". I held a few back for the goats but if you find a way to smoke them, I'll give them another try.

OK, having had a couple of beers in me, I tried another one of the Gurkha Master Select Perfectos you sent, the third one I tried. The first two completely unraveled, as I mentioned previously.

This third one is now half-smoked, and it is keeping completely together, and doing quite nicely. I cut this one at the "overlap/cap" end, and lit the other end. I'm not sure why this one is showing no sign at all of unraveling, but I am enjoying the hell out of it.

The only thing I did differently this time is to leave the band on. The way the cigar is smoking, that does not seem to be making a difference (ie, the cigar is not unraveling up to the band and pressing against it).

Not sure what's going on here, but I'm liking it. :)

Thanks again, DW. One home run of three at-bats, so far.

OK, it's now done, and did not unravel at all. I took the band off a little past the halfway-point. Nice stick. I wish I could definitively say why this one held together and the previous two did not.

[DeeDubya]

Well, strangely enough I too decided to have a Gurkha Perfecto tonight. I believe I had 3 beers though before I smoked it. Likewise it did not unwrap but was hard to draw. I had removed the band and double checked the direction of the wrap. It burned uneven and I noticed a consideable one-sided obstruction that was most likely the reason for the hard draw. I finished it, finally, still convinced that these are poorly rolled, low quality and would not recommend them. Unfortunately I still have a few left but the goats like them.
I think I will disect one just to see how they are constructed. I'll bet a trainee rolled these and they got mixed in with the #1's. What else? They're crap. No more for me, I'll smoke a Dutch Masters before I waste my time on another.
Tomorrow I think I'll have a God of Fire to make up for lost time.
Have a good weekend.

[DeeDubya]

Having now smoked 5 of the Diablo's I agree with others that it is a pretty darn good stick. For an inexpensive cigar, it has a lot of robust, spicy flavour in a well constructed package. Dark Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper, with an even burn, firm salt/pepper ash. I haven't tried the other sizes but can vouch for the Caliente. This one makes for a very good "everyday" smoke at a price that anyone can afford.

I was at first confused about the labeling. This Diablo line is called Picantes. However, one of the Picantes is also a Picantes (Diablo Picantes Picante) which I have not tried.
They are: Diablo Picantes Caliente, Picantes Gran Fuego, Picantes Picante and Picantes Pimiento.

Anyway, good stick for a good price.
On a scale of 1-10 I will give the Caliente 8.5.

[King Catfish]

Deedubya’s post above inspired me to have another go at this reviewing thing. Hopefully I’m doing a decent job at it.

This is a firmly packed robusto with a light brown wrapper of medium texture with some noticeable veins. I enjoyed it today after lunch with a glass of water, listening to talk radio. This cigar comes from DW, and I thank him again for the opportunity to experience a new cigar.

Prelit aroma was faint and unremarkable. Not much of an oily sheen. Construction and color were very even. I managed to cut it perfectly. After toasting the foot, upon lighting the cigar I was greeted with a voluminous cloud of tasty smoke. The taste was a bit woody and certainly mild. A leatheriness started to assert itself almost immediately, with a spiciness following. A very eventful first few puffs.

The first third saw the leatheriness start to fade almost as soon as it arrived, and the woodiness reigned. Smoke volume stayed solid. A spiciness was deep in the background, the spice taste reminding me more of cinnamon rather than black pepper. The draw remained pleasantly easy throughout. The wrapper tasted lovely on the lips, moreso than any cigar I have had in recent memory. Usually the taste of the wrapper on the lips fades before the increasing press of the smoke itself, but not so with this cigar. Near the end of the first third a nice sensation in the upper soft palate was developing, perhaps vanilla? I’m not sure how to describe it, but it was very pleasant. The aroma of the smoke filling the room was soft and creamy and very nice.

As the cigar progressed into the second third I was beginning to be very glad I decided to have a glass of water with this cigar rather than whiskey or coffee. Coffee probably would have been a good pairing, but this cigar carries enough with it that it deserves the palate’s full attention. The second third presented a waltz between leather and wood, with spice fading into the background in envy at their dancing prowess. The last third was largely a continuation of the second third.

A most lovely cigar. I smoked it right down to the point at which it started to burn my fingers, and I was sorry to see it end.

Score 19.1 (x5) = 95.5

EDITED TO ADD: The cigar was a nice slow smoke, too. Lasted for about 1.5 hours.

[ashauler]

Having now smoked 5 of the Diablo's I agree with others that it is a pretty darn good stick. For an inexpensive cigar, it has a lot of robust, spicy flavour in a well constructed package. Dark Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper, with an even burn, firm salt/pepper ash. I haven't tried the other sizes but can vouch for the Caliente. This one makes for a very good "everyday" smoke at a price that anyone can afford.

I was at first confused about the labeling. This Diablo line is called Picantes. However, one of the Picantes is also a Picantes (Diablo Picantes Picante) which I have not tried.
They are: Diablo Picantes Caliente, Picantes Gran Fuego, Picantes Picante and Picantes Pimiento.

Anyway, good stick for a good price.
On a scale of 1-10 I will give the Caliente 8.5.

The Picante size is one of my daily's. Good short PC smoke and there is not much drop off in flavor from the bigger rg's, imho.

[DeeDubya]

Deedubya’s post above inspired me to have another go at this reviewing thing. Hopefully I’m doing a decent job at it.

This is a firmly packed robusto with a light brown wrapper of medium texture with some noticeable veins. I enjoyed it today after lunch with a glass of water, listening to talk radio. This cigar comes from DW, and I thank him again for the opportunity to experience a new cigar.

Prelit aroma was faint and unremarkable. Not much of an oily sheen. Construction and color were very even. I managed to cut it perfectly. After toasting the foot, upon lighting the cigar I was greeted with a voluminous cloud of tasty smoke. The taste was a bit woody and certainly mild. A leatheriness started to assert itself almost immediately, with a spiciness following. A very eventful first few puffs.

The first third saw the leatheriness start to fade almost as soon as it arrived, and the woodiness reigned. Smoke volume stayed solid. A spiciness was deep in the background, the spice taste reminding me more of cinnamon rather than black pepper. The draw remained pleasantly easy throughout. The wrapper tasted lovely on the lips, moreso than any cigar I have had in recent memory. Usually the taste of the wrapper on the lips fades before the increasing press of the smoke itself, but not so with this cigar. Near the end of the first third a nice sensation in the upper soft palate was developing, perhaps vanilla? I’m not sure how to describe it, but it was very pleasant. The aroma of the smoke filling the room was soft and creamy and very nice.

As the cigar progressed into the second third I was beginning to be very glad I decided to have a glass of water with this cigar rather than whiskey or coffee. Coffee probably would have been a good pairing, but this cigar carries enough with it that it deserves the palate’s full attention. The second third presented a waltz between leather and wood, with spice fading into the background in envy at their dancing prowess. The last third was largely a continuation of the second third.

A most lovely cigar. I smoked it right down to the point at which it started to burn my fingers, and I was sorry to see it end.

Score 19.1 (x5) = 95.5

EDITED TO ADD: The cigar was a nice slow smoke, too. Lasted for about 1.5 hours.

A decent job? I would say that even had I not smoked an Aurora, your colorful discription would make me want one right now.

Which I might add is exactly how it smoked for me. Great cigar. I believe the La Aurora line was awarded "Cigar of the Year" in Aficionado a few years back. I'm going to try the Brazil this evening. I fully expect a little more body so I think I'll have a small glass of Dow's 10 Tawny Porto.

[King Catfish]

A decent job? I would say that even had I not smoked an Aurora, your colorful discription would make me want one right now.

Which I might add is exactly how it smoked for me. Great cigar. I believe the La Aurora line was awarded "Cigar of the Year" in Aficionado a few years back. I'm going to try the Brazil this evening. I fully expect a little more body so I think I'll have a small glass of Dow's 10 Tawny Porto.

Nice. I would love to read a review of it, if you're willing.

About the Diablos, they are discontinued, yes? I would like to get some (waiting for the funds)... I'll need to move on them soon, correct?

[DeeDubya]

KC,
I don't think so. Famous still has their 2-fer deal going plus free freight. I just got 2 boxes yesterday and sent one to my son. Find an bud and split an order.

[DeeDubya]

This evening I smoked the Aurora Brazil. Toasting produced a pleasurable hint of salty "Old World" flavour with a subtle note of roasting nuts.
The dark sun grown Sumatra wrapper was not as smooth or oily as one might expect, and had a couple pronounced veins but certainly were not unfavorable. Old World cigar with an Old World appearance. Why not?
I immediately tasted the saltiness on the wrapper that I noticed when toasting. Not too much, maybe just right (matter of opinion). Maybe the person rolling this cigar was eating Doritos and licked the wrapper to stick it down. I'll never know.
The draw was close to perfect. The burn not so great. It burned uneven most way through and the ash was far less than perfect, flaking and black in places.
However, the taste never let me down. Start to finish, it had a somewhat spicy, peppery, a little woody, and most delicious flavour. One could be hungry and enjoy this cigar.
And, it was a finger burner. I smoked that little puppy till I could no longer hold it.
Finally, I would give this Aurora Brazil a 9 on a scale of 1-10.
I look forward to the Camaroon, Corojo and Connecticut.
At around 6 bucks a very good value.

[King Catfish]

Nice review, DW.

Not exactly a review, but I had a Fonseca 5 x 50 with my morning coffee today and I was very pleased. Construction was aces, draw nice, burned so slow I could not finish it in my 45-minute drive. Nice mellow taste and big smoke.

[King Catfish]

Today I decided to review the Gurkha Louis XIII, sent from the generous DeeDubya. This was the first “flavored” cigar I have tried.

I presume this is a cigar more suited to the evening and accompanied by a glass of Cognac, but one only lives once; I had it after a pasta lunch with a glass of Coke. The cigar sports a Connecticut wrapper over Dominican binder and filler tobacco.

It is a Churchill-sized cigar that comes in a glass tube sealed with a plastic cork covered with a bronze-colored wax. Immediately upon pulling the little tape strip that cut the wax, I was greeted with a sweet, candy-like smell which of course must be from the cognac. I pulled the cork and smelled the cigar, which did not smell as strongly as that first whiff implied it would. It did smell lovely and brandy-sweet, and this aroma, although not strong or cloying, seemed to fill the room a bit. The cigar wore a red band identical to that of the Master Select Series.



The Connecticut wrapper was a medium to light brown and fine with very minimal veins. Construction was good, firm with no lumps or irregularities. The cigar felt solid in the hand but not heavy. There was a small crack in the wrapper near the cap and a couple of tiny cracks at the foot, as if the cigar had suffered a bit in transit. The latter disappeared (burned away) after the first few puffs, and the crack near the cap never presented any problems or grew in any way until I took the band off in the last third.

The first third started very mild, with the sweet Cognac taste present but more subdued than was the aroma. There was perhaps a bit of woodiness at the start. Smoke volume started respectably and stayed solid. The aftertaste seemed to me to imitate pretty well the taste one’s mouth would be experiencing a minute or so after a sip of brandy or cognac. Thus far, I was beginning to feel as if this cigar was much too mild for me; however, if it were stronger, it might overpower the cognac taste, so I understood why it would be this mild. The mostly white ash fell off after about an inch and a half, revealing a cone-shaped coal. The burn was even with a very minor bit of tunneling that resolved itself without any assistance. The burn remained perfectly even throughout the rest of the cigar.

In the second third, the woody flavor was starting to assert itself a bit, and a nuttiness was rising; these complimented the cognac taste rather than competed with it. The aftertaste was starting to increase in prominence (Becoming almost creamy? Hard to describe), and the cigar as a whole was showing itself to be very civilized on the tongue and throat.

In the first third I was starting to feel as if the cigar was going to turn out a bit one-dimensional, but the second third gave the lie to that. Interestingly, as the drawn smoke’s flavor was becoming more complex, so was the aftertaste: cognac/sweet brandy only at first, then an unexpected creaminess. In the middle of the second third it really started to come out of its shell.

In the final third the crack in the wrapper expanded after I took off the band, which was unfortunate but inevitable, I think. Also, the cognac sweetness had faded into the distance by the time the last third was well underway. The final third completed the evolution from a candy-sweet, one-dimensional but pleasant stick to its final stop… which tasted exactly like a Master Select that had been locked up with an open bottle of cognac for a long time… which, I think, was the intent of the makers, and thus a smashing success in that respect. I have always expected flavored cigars to be overpowering and obnoxious (just an assumption; I have never had one before), but this cigar is well done, and avoids overpowering the palate.

18.95 (x5) = 94.75, losing half a point for the weak start, a full point for construction issues, and a quarter point for fading of flavor at the end for a final score of 93. This cigar is too expensive for a regular smoke, but I would be willing to procure myself some for special occasions. It certainly was a unique smoking experience. Many thanks to DeeDubya.

[King Catfish]

BTW, I am adding a review index to the first post in this thread.