The KC/DW Review Series

[DeeDubya]

This is the first "Barrel Aged" I have tried. It is not a beautiful cigar nor did it seem to be expertly rolled. It had one obstruction about half way that caused a somewhat uneven burn and slightly hard draw until it had burned past. The wrapper was fairly smooth and toothy but a little dry which is charactistic of some maduros.

It toasted very nicely and hinted of some good flavors and spices. The first half was mellow with a little pepper and sweetness. After burning past the obstruction (tight spot) it began to evolve into a rich and tasty smoke. The aged Dominican fillers produced thick aromatic, white smoke and yielded to full-bodied, well balanced flavors. As far as maduros go I would put this one up in the top third of those I have tried. Toward the end it began to mellow a little with more spices and complexity.

These are aged for 4 years in oak rum barrels. Except for a little woodyness I could not detect oak nor any rum flavors. I'm not sure if these flavors are supposed to be evident or if I just expected it because of the name and band that proudly anounces "Barrel Aged".

Overall, it was pretty darn good. Good aging and earthiness, smooth and mellow yet full-bodied. I'll have to overlook the poor burn and slightly high price to still give it some high marks.

On a scale of 1-10 I rate this cigar 9.

[King Catfish]

Nice reviews, DW. I've been getting crushed at work lately, and I've been trying to break a plateau in my gutar playing, so not much time for full formal reviews lately.

I have a couple of decent sticks coming in; I'll try to post some informal reviews soon.

[DeeDubya]

Georges Reserve are in my opinion one of the best deals going. I had smoked a few singles in the past and finally just knew that I had to have a box. The Robusto is the only vitola I can vouch for but I will indeed do that.

They are considered to be mild to medium bodied but very rich in flavors. The Nicaraguan long fillers are dark, fully aged and very smooth. They are made by the Oliva Family in Esteli, Nicaragua, so if you know Olivas then you might guess they are good quality and well constructed. The binder is African Cameroon that blends well with the filler. The onion skin thin wrapper is Ecuadorian. Very nice but also fragil. Be sure to have the RH balanced or they will easily split.

I smoked one in the morning and one in the evening. I think a mild-medium cigar is good any time of day. They toast well and one can immediately detect the spice and cedar flavors that are present throughout. The draw is easy and the burn is impeccable. Nice white ash that holds firm. The finish has a hint of vanilla. Really just about all you can ask for.

It is an affordably-priced stick at around $3.60. A very good value.

On a scale of 1-10 I rate this cigar 9.2.

[DeeDubya]

Another great tasting Robusto at the heavy end of the flavor spectrum.

There's just something about a slick, oily Habano wrapper that grabs my attention. This cigar was so well compacted that I just knew it would have a hard draw. Not so. It toasted perfectly and with the first puff I had a billowy cloud of creamy white smoke. I was in the process of positioning a soaker hose and of course had wet hands, was stooped over with spit drewling onto the cigar and even had it pop out of my mouth onto the lawn once. After all that abuse it still turned out to be a really good smoke.

The burn was even, the ash held until it hit the lawn and the flavors were consistantly sweet, earthy, medium-bodied and full-flavored. I would closely compare it with a Gran Habano Robusto only maybe a little smoother. These are again a value-priced cigar at around 4 bucks. I would spring for a box of these and never look back.

On a scale of 1-10 I rate this cigar 8.8.

[heftysmokes]

Thanks for providing great reviews. I always enjoy reading them and am quite happy that you're hitting some value sticks. There are so many "cheap" smokes out there, it's hard to seperate the wheat from the chaff. These reviews are a huge help in finding those hidden treasures.

[DeeDubya]

Thanks for providing great reviews. I always enjoy reading them and am quite happy that you're hitting some value sticks. There are so many "cheap" smokes out there, it's hard to seperate the wheat from the chaff. These reviews are a huge help in finding those hidden treasures.

All too true. But I have a habit of posting only those I like. I pass over quite a few that I don't care for because someone else might like them and I wouldn't want to discourage anyone from trying anything. Take the Jameson for example: I didn't like them but others thought they were good. I would not have done that review had I not been asked to.
Try one of the Conuco's. Very tastey.

[DeeDubya]

Considered to be Oliva's most luxurious series, I had to try some when they were first introduced. Although fairly impressed I just couldn't rank them with the V or the Master Blends 3. This evening I got the urge to try another that had been hibernating in my humi for about 18 months.

The special tapered foot made it easy to light and start an even burn but it did have a somewhat hard draw that just wouldn't go away. Finally, after smoking through the first third I gave up, got my cutter and wacked another 1/8" off the head to free it up considerably. The tight spot was right at the slightly tapered head just above the cap.

Things got better and I really started enjoying the spices in the Nicaraguan Habano long-fillers and Cuban-seed binder. Of course the lush Ecuadorian sun-grown (aged 5 years) wrapper contributed as well. Supposedly the leaf is aged in cedar crates which impart the natural richness while maintaining the smoothness desired. Considered to be full-bodied I would call it medium compared to other Habano's I have tried. Very tastey, and true to the high quality that the Oliva's are known for.

Other than just really good tobacco flavors (spicey and earthy) I couldn't detect any pronounced scents or flavors. Maybe some cedar, but then this stogie was aged, wrapped, and stored in cedar it's entire life.

At somewhere around $17 bucks it is not a "value" yard-gar, fish-gar or anything at the top of the charts either, just a very good cigar. One that should be enjoyed to it's fullest in a leisure setting to appreciate the quality rolled into it. There are many to choose from in this price range but I will say that it holds it's own up on the top shelf.

On a scale of 1-10 I rate this cigar 9.4.