Drew Estate Undercrown Shade Corona (5.6"x46)

Shape Corona

Wrapper Ecuador Connecticut

Origin Nicaragua

Binder Sumatra

Available at Famous Smoke (18% off right now)

Filler Dominican, NicaraguaI've really been enjoying these morning cigar and coffee sessions and today I reached for this Undercrown Shade Connecticut that I picked up at Famous Smoke a couple of years ago.  The Foot smells of hay and raisins. Some white pepper on the pre light draw.  

The first impression is that this is a very mild stick.  There is a creaminess to the finish that I don't remember from last time I smoked it.  I want to call it a butter cream almost and it is very delectable. 

There is not much else going on with this cigar so far with the exception of very mild cedar notes and a wonky split ash; it's burning fine though. 

As I get deeper into the first third some spice starts to introduce itself on the tongue and for a brief moment I tasted a zest of lemon.  This is a first but maybe just an anomaly.   The cream is falling to the background as notes of cedar come to the front. I'm really starting to enjoy this mild cigar and the ash is holding nicely. 

The ash finally fell off after about two inches but it was very entertaining while it lasted.  I wanted to get up for more coffee but w as mesmerized. The pepper spice is finally picking up here a bit especially through the retro hale.  Not overpowering at all but just right. Some nuttiness has made an appearance on the finish as well. This is shaping up to be a fine morning smoke. 

Wow as I finish up the final third and walk inside to grab another cup of coffee my palette is greeted with a taste of cinnamon and graham cracker.    I didn't expect much more change in this one but what a nice surprise.  

Summary

Great mild morning smoke, good construction.  Cream, cedar, white pepper, cinnamon, Graham cracker.  Paired nicely with coffee ☕ 

La Gloria Cubana Médaille d'Or No. 4

Country of Origin: Cuba

Factory: Fernando Perez German

Wrapper: Cuba

Binder: Cuba

Filler: Cuba

Size: 6 Inches

Ring Gauge: 32

Vitola: Slim Panetela

Est. Price: $7.00 (Boxes of 25, $175)

Release Date: October 2008

This cigar has some really nice tasting notes but is quite delicate.  When smoked slowly I get great notes of Creamy, buttery, cedar goodness but it has a tendency to go out so I smoke it faster and it can overheat. Probably just a user error and my lack of experience with this vitola.  It's also burning a little wonky.  I will have to revisit it when I have more time and patience. 

Update 12/13/2021

Smoked another one of these cigars at our christmas party on Saturday and it was plugged.  Disappointint to say the least!

VEGUEROS ENTRETIEMPOS

Length 4 1/3

Ring Gauge 52

Shape Petit Robusto

Taste Vegetal

Strength Full

Savoring the sun rise this morning in the Southwest Suburbs of Chicago and enjoying what is probably one of my favorite but lesser known Cuban cigars;  the Vegueros Entretiempo. Please find my tasing notes below and let me know if you have smoked one of these fine cigars and what you thought of it.  

Pre-light

I didn't get mutch off the pre light draw or the foot other than a light cocoa, some hay, and I want to say manure but more like a barnyard.

First Third

It's a chile morning so I fire her up inside while a grab a cup of coffee so I can enjoy this fine smoke on my southern facing deck while the sun rises.  Immediately upon first puff I can taste the infamous cubenesque twang and vegetal notes I love about this cigar.  It's mild to medium at this point in the game to me with notes of coffee and milk chocolate coming through.  The burn is razor sharp but the ash does fall after only a quarter inch. 

Second Third

Getting deep into the second third the flavors haven't changed muched but I kind of enjoy the consistency in a morning smoke with a cup of Joe.  I'm getting some cedar or other woodsy notes along with the milk chocolate fading into more of that cocoa and the coffee notes aren't really around anymore.  The burn got a little wonky as I was distracted but it corrected itself swiftly. 

Final Third

In the final third I would say the strength has definitely ramped up to a medium, maybe even medium full.  The smoke is still cool and the burn is nice.  Not razor sharp but self correcting which is nice. Some pepper spice through the retrohale has made an appearance in a very subtle yet enticing way.  I find it hard not to puff on this fine cigar at to quick of a pace. 

Tasting notes:  Cuban twang, vegetal, coffee, milk chocolate, wood, cocoa, pepper

Final thoughts and rating:

If you like Cuban cigars and value you cannot beat this stick.  It's a great morning morning smoke.  Not a ton of complexity but enough for me to process in the morning with a cup of coffee.  

Any cigar that is nub worthy and makes me want to get out the roach clips to finish is worthy of a 96 I'd say.  Have a glorious day and celebrate life. 

Leccia Tobacco White Little Guy

This is another one that's been in my humidor for a few years and it was a great little lunch time smoke. Medium to full strength, flavor didn't change much throughout with the exception of an interesting tang halfway through which I couldn't put my finger on. For a second I tasted barbeque or a grilled steak. I know it doesn't have fire cured tobacco like the Leccia Black so it was a different flavor than that but definitely something I haven't tasted typically in a cigar. The cigar had a nice creamy, smoky, cedar flavor that interchanged between puffs which was nice. There was always a nice white pepper flavor on the long finish.

E.P. Carrillo New Wave Reserva Connecticut Stella

 

Asylum 2012 4 X 44

Pepper Bomb

So it's lunch time and I had a nice healthy meal of baked chicken, rice and vegetables and I wanted something for dessert. Of course being on a diet a nice cigar is the obvious choice so I went digging in my humidor to find a quick smoke since I need to get back to work afterwards.

What do I find? 

A nine year old Asylum 4x44 cigar that's been in my humidor since 2012 peeks my interest. Wow, I love finding these old cigars and revisiting them. The bad part is it was my last one so I had the internal battle of whether to smoke it now or save it. Well it's a beautiful and sunny 65 degree autumn day here in the Chicago suburbs and you only live once so I decided to fire it up.

First third

At first light I got a blast of pepper, I would call it ceyanne pepper and it was strong but very pleasant at the same time. You know on the next puff I had to retro hale immediately and I could already feel the nicotine and a rather inense tingling in my nose holes. After I got into the first third a little bit the pepper lightened up and turned into a more black pepper on the front and a lingering white pepper along with some leather and chocolate notes.

The Rest

Well it's a quick smoke so I take a few sips of my Coke zero in between puffs to cleanse the pallet. From here on out the smoke didn't change too much. In the middle of the cigar the pepper sort of faded away and I mostly got a leathery woodsy taste (maybe cedar) with some chocolate in the background.

The stick stayed pretty cool throughout the smoke and the pepper blast did make a return in the final third. I was finished after about 30 minutes and very satisfied with the flavors and the nicotine buzz.

If you have any suggestions for other great lunch time quick smokes please let me know as I am running out of my favorites that have some age on them.