State of the Humidor - Jan 3, 2014 

I have shamelessly let this cigar blog lapse since last August.  It's going to bite me in the butt, too, because I've smoked a lot of good cigars and now I can't remember what they were. 

Here's the 2014 State of the Humidor:

New cigars to try in 2014:

1. E.P. Carillos Predelictos
2. Pinar Del Rio Small Batch Black Corojo Torpedo

Last cigar of 2013:

• Arturo Fuente Hemingway Short Story, while watching a Bears-Packers game with my brothers-in-law

First cigar of 2014:

• El Credito from the LGC factory in Miami, while watching Fiesta Bowl at Steve Laster's house

New cigars I tried in 2013, that I would purchase again in the future:

• Padilla Reserva Maduro Toro
• EP Carillo Core Natural
• Joya de Nicragua Antano 1970
• Dunhill Aged
• Cusano Habano LXI Sun Grown
• Pinar Del Rio Habano Sun Grown
• Casa de Fernandez Miami Toro
• Beale Street Maduro
• "My Uzi Weighs A Ton" Bait Fish
• Gran Habano Corojo Vintage 2002 (although I prefer the "non-vintage" version)
• Maria Guerrero Robusto
• Alec Bradley MAXX Brazil
• Cupido Criollo (but not the perfecto, due to persistent construction issues)
• Nat Sherman Timeless Collection #556

New cigars I tried in 2013, that I would not purchase again:  

• La Traviata by CAO
• Zino Platinum
• Gurkha Ghost
• Rocky Patel Private Cellar
• Dona Flor Robusto
• CAO Concert Churchill
• CLE Corojo

I'm running 3 humidors, and here is an approximate listing of their contents from memory:

• 5 Vegas Limitada 2011 Belicoso
• La Perla Habana Morado Toro
• La Habana Rojo Toro
• Famous Nicaraguan 3000 Torpedo
• 5 Vegas High Primings Double Corona
• 5 Vegas Miami Churchill
• Pinar del Rio (sampler of various blends)
• Oliveros Sun Grown Churchill
• Pinar Del Rio Small Batch Black Corojo Torpedo
• Legends Series - Camacho
• La Perla Habana Morado Belicoso
• Man O War seconds
• Pinar del Rio Sun Grown Dbl Corona (half box)
• E.P. Carillos Predelictos (5)
• Excalibur Legend Challengers (2)
• Padilla Achilles Toro (2)
• 5 Vegas Cask Strength Toro (single)
• Perdomo Patriarch Corojo (single)
• Perdomo Grand Cru Corojo (single)
• Perdomo 2 Limited Edition (single)
• Perdomo Lot 23 (single)

This doesn't count the Lost Sticks Cemetary, the top tray of my large humidor. I save the last cigar from each box and put it in this tray for long-term aging, just to see how some sticks will hold up for 3-5 years.

 Here are more short reviews of cigars I got at the Big Smoke in Las Vegas last year:

Cusano Habano LXI Sun Grown

Size: Gordo (6.2 x 54)

Price: $6.89

I remember smoking an inexpensive sandwich cigar by Cusano several years back, but to date that was the extent of my experience with this brand.  The LXI Sun Grown is a higher-end offering, although not as lauded as the Cusano 18. 

It featured a camel-brown wrapper (a hybrid of Ecuadorian and Domincan seeds) with some tooth beginning to bud near the foot.  Prelight aroma was light and earthy.  The first few puffs were spicy but the cigar didn't have any lasting bite.  It fell to the upper range of Medium in both body and taste.  The finish was acceptable. 

Overall verdict: This was a solid cigar with a touch of spice.  Good to pair with a glass of strong bourbon (Willet's) or a light single malt scotch (Aberlour).  I would certainly purchase or try again, but it was not any more memorable than other cigars in the same range.

Dona Flor

Size: Robusto

Price: $4-5

Dona Flor is a puro made exclusively of Brazilian tobacco.  The brand was first introduced in the U.S. in 2005, then pulled from the market due to extensive trademark lawsuits over the brand name.  It was finally reintroduced on July 4, 2012. Brazilian tobacco is thought to be less earthy than Nicaraguan tobacco, and less spicy than Dominican.  It is smoother, sweeter, and usually medium-body and medium-strength.  

The cigars given out at the Las Vegas Big Smoke were from the Tradicional Blend line, featuring a Mata Fina binder and wrapper, and filler that is a mixture of Mata Fina and Mata Norte.  These two sun grown leafs from the Recôncavo Basin are "Brazil's Dark Treasure", according to the Dona Flor USA website.

With such a unique background and pedigree, I hate to say:  I intensely disliked this cigar.  Maybe it was the Brazilian tobacco, I don't know. The construction was good, but the cigar was mild, bland, grassy, and had a bad aftertaste.  I remarked when I was smoking that it was no better than a $1 Boardwalk cigar, which is really only acceptable if you don't care whether you finish.  

Cusano P1
Size: 6" x 52
Origin: Dominican Republic
MSRP: $2 (single), $20 (bundle)

I really, really wanted a stogie on the way home from work (since I'd be babysitting tonight and wouldn't get any "back porch time"), and I didn't have anything on hand, so I stopped by a brick-and-mortor looking for something cheap (I can't afford another run of $5 cigars) but reputable. I recognized the Cusano name, because they make some popular premiums like Cusano 18 (which is made exclusively of 18-year-old leaf and scored a 91 by Cigar Afficionado) and Corojo 1997 (also scored 91).

Despite the lineage, this cigar was not in that league. It was just another mild-to-medium mixed filler bundle cigar with a too tight draw and sweetish overtones. Yes, it made the ride home in traffic a little more bearable, but that's about all I'll ever remember it for.