I’m a little conflicted about this weeks reviews. A week or two ago I received an unsolicited e-mail from the folks at Thompson Cigars offering to send me some samples for review. Thompson has been around for many years, and has a bit of a reputation as an aggressive marketer. I’ve been unfortunate enough to have smoked some of their house brands in the past, but I have taken advantage of the occasional deal advertised in magazines. I have to think that they have been in the business for so long because they do something right, so I gave them the benefit of the doubt. They were kind enough to send me four cigars for review, none of which were house brands.
One of the cigars was an Acid Blondie Belicoso. To their credit, they had this cigar bagged separately from the other three. I’ve become a big fan of Drew Estate’s traditional blends, Liga Privadas are in my top 5, and I even enjoy the occasional coffee infused Tabak Especial, but I never envisioned myself smoking an Acid. Many years ago my wife smoked a Kuba Kuba and I tasted it and cringed. So it was with some hesitation that I lit up this odd smelling Blondie. Now there can be no doubt that they use excellent tobacco in these cigars, and they are expertly crafted. I must admit to rather enjoying this cigar. The saccharin sweetness on the head was a little much, but the flavor wasn’t terrible, mild and nutty. It burned perfectly, was reasonably mild and inoffensive. The next morning my wife mentioned that my jacket smelled like perfumed kitty litter…which I though was pretty funny!
The next cigar I smoked was a Padron Londres. It’s been ages since I smoked one of these, and it’s nice to know they haven’t change. You can always count on the Padrons to make excellent cigars, and this one was no exception. It was a rustic looking cigar, the natural wrapper had seems that were lifted and veins galore. As ugly as it was, it burned and drew right up there with the best of them. It had bold flavors of Nicaraguan tobacco which was neither too strong, or too mild. It was just right. The 5½ x 42 size is among my favorites as well, which was a large part of my decision to grab this one next.
Following the Padron I smoked a Cohiba Lonsdale Grande which measures in at 6¼” x 47, which is a nice size for a cigar. The Cohiba brand as a whole is not one I normally purchase, not sure if it’s due to the perception that I’m not getting the bang for the buck that I’d like, but I generally enjoy them when I’ve smoked them. The Cohiba sports a nice looking and toothy Cameroon wrapper, which is the main flavor I get, which is good since I love a nice Cameroon wrapper. The construction is excellent, as one would expect. Overall I enjoyed this cigar, but, as I said, not one I would generally pick up.
The last cigar in the bunch was an Arturo Fuente Chateau Series King B, saved until last because this was the one I looked forward to the most. This was a beautiful belicoso, measuring 6″ x 55. It has a sun-grown wrapper with a reddish hue. The flavor was fairly delicate and subtle, with some sweetness and cedar. This is one cigar that I will look for in the future as it is definitely a cigar I’d like to smoke again.
All in all, this was a terrific bunch of cigars. I am rethinking my opinion of Thompson Cigar Co. As I said, they have been around a long time and are obviously doing something right. I have purchased cigars from many of the major outlets, and they all write the same silly things in their catalogs, this cigar is better than Cubans, and other embellishments. It’s unfair of me to single one out, especially one that, as far as I can tell, is privately held and not owned by one of the big cigar companies, and has been in business for 85 years. I appreciate them giving me the opportunity to sample these cigars. Please give them the benefit of the doubt as I have.
Don’t forget to enter to win some cool Joya de Nicaragua stuff by leaving a comment on my last post. Contest ends December 19, 2010.
Until the next time,
CigarCraig
