Tag Archives: Corojo

by | December 1, 2024 · 10:27 am

Foxtail Cigars from Fox Cigars

As you can see by the graphic on the left side of my page, Fox Cigar has an exclusive series of cigars in the “economy” space, the Foxtail.  I’ve been working with the folks at Fox for several years, and have featured a few of their exclusives, notably the Araposa Negra and Blanca made by Black Label Trading Co.  These were exceptional, I especially liked the Negra, which, sadly, doesn’t appear to be available any more.  I should pick up some Blancas, if I do, I’ll add another Foxtail sampler.  The Foxtail comes in five varieties, and all of them have a shaggy foot and a foxtail shaped flag on the head.  They come in three sizes, although I have to wonder a little about who came up with the names.  They are Robusto, Toro and Gordo.  I know, you’re thinking “they sound like perfectly reasonable names!”, but the Robusto is 6″x50, the Toro is 7″ x 54 and the Gordo is 7″ x 60. Perhaps they are measuring from where the wrapper starts, as they all have a 1″ unfinished foot.  No problem, I rarely smoke anything shorter than six inches.  Here are some short recaps on each one:

 

I started with the Corojo Toro (the sampler is only offered in the 7″ x 54 “Toro”). This has a Sungrown Nicaraguan Corojo wrapper, over a Nicaraguan binder with Nicaraguan, Costa Rican and Colombian fillers. Where these are made, nor whether these are long or mixed fill was shared with me.  At this price, they almost have to be mixed, but they all burned properly like a long fill cigar.  This Corojo has the hint of white sugar I find lately in cigars tagged as Corojo.  It wasn’t bad, decent tobacco flavor with a bit of a spice.

 

Next up was the Maduro Toro (I know, I usually lead with the maduro, I changed it up this time. Also worth mentioning that I smoked these on different days. Those of you who follow on IG or Facebook will already know this.). This one also has the Sungrown Nicaraguan Corojo wrapper, with a Nicaraguan binder and Nicaraguan and Costa Rican fillers. This one had some subtle cocoa and spice with some tobacco, nothing overpowering, just a nice cigar and a good value.

 

I followed with the Barber Pole, which is, I believe both fermentations of the aforementioned Corojo and Maduro wrappers. Sungrown Nicaraguan Corojo wrapper, with a Nicaraguan binder and Nicaraguan and Costa Rican fillers. Honestly, I don’t know if in a blindfolded scenario I could choose between this and the Corojo, they were remarkably similar.  The aesthetics of the dual wrappers is nice, and doesn’t take anything away from the burn and draw. It lacks the Columbian tobacco that’s in the Corojo, maybe that’s what adds the subtle spice that I didn’t get in this one.

 

I went into the Sweet Tip with some concerns, which ended up to be unfounded. This has an Ecuador Connecticut wrapper, Nicaraguan  binder and Nicaraguan and Columbian fillers. The wrapper is a darker shade than the Connecticut.The sweetness on the cap was minimal, it added nicely to the flavor of the cigar.  Some sweet capped cigars can be too much, not this one. It had the approximate sweetness on the lips as a Sobremesa Brulee.  I say that to be funny, but I hardly noticed that it was there. This might actually be my favorite of the quintet.  It has some bready bakery notes, some spice and that subtle sweetness.  I liked this one.

 

Finally I smoked the Connecticut, which has the exact same makeup as the Sweet Tip. This might be my second favorite of the bunch for me, which is weird if you’ve followed me for any stretch of time and see a pattern of what I like.  It was smooth, with the same bakery, spice and less of the sweetness of the Sweet Tip.  All in all, this is a nice line of cigars. The tail on the head (mine were all lying flat,  looked like a messy cap job until further inspection), the shaggy foot that doesn’t burn holes in your shirt, and all five having different bands to differentiate between them in cases where it’s not fairly evident, sets these apart from other similarly priced offerings. Thanks to the folks at Fox Cigar for sending these, like I said, I have no problem adding some on to my next order. I really need to get to Arizona to visit one of their lounges one of these days.  

 

That’s all for now. I hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving.  Now it’s time to get ready for Christmas. There’s still time to get in on the CigarCraig.com Secret Santa!  Maybe next week I’ll feature some new lighters that have come into my possession. Until the next time, 

 

CigarCraig

 

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by | June 9, 2024 · 10:21 am

Some Wise Man Cigars, a Conspiracy and a Panacea

Last week I dropped by the Wooden Indian in Havertown, PA and picked up a couple of new cigars.  I was actually looking for something else, which they had sold out of, so I had to pivot.  I got some of the new Foundation Cigar Co. Wise Man cigars.  The original El Güegüense and Wise Man Maduro cigars have been retired, and replaced by two new ones, both carrying the Wise Man name.  These are being made by My Father Cigars.  I started with the Wise Man Corojo in Toro size.  This is a 6″ x 52 cigar with a Nicaraguan Corojo wrapper, Estelí & Jalapa binders and fillers from Esteli, Condega, and Jalapa. I really liked this cigar!  It had what seems to me was a confectioners sugar sweetness. It had bright flavors, some light spices and really appealed to me.  I was surprised and looked forward to the Maduro.

 

The following night I smoked the Wise Man Maduro, also in the 6″ x 52 Toro.  This is the same blend as the Corojo: Estelí & Jalapa binders and fillers from Esteli, Condega, and Jalapa, but with a San Andrés Maduro wrapper.  I expected to like this more than the Corojo, oddly, I was mistaken.  This started out spicy and remained so through the cigar.  I wanted some earthy, chocolaty coffee, but it was more like spicy burnt dark roast.  It wasn’t completely off-putting, but I have to say that I liked the old blend better.  Heck, I loved the Corojo, probably more than the original El Güegüense.  Perhaps some aga will help the Maduro, but it didn’t appeal to me, I’m afraid.  It’s very unusual that I don’t like a Maduro over something else, but it seems to be happening more and more lately.  Is this a reflection of the maduro cigars or of my palate?  

 

When I was at the Smoke-onos event, I talked to my old friend Michael Giannini, who was manning the Quality Importers booth with Alex Goldman.  He showed off some of their newest accessories, and some of the things they can customize in their “Swag Bunker”.  He also handed me a cigar with a plain white band (pre-production, I assume) that said Conspiracy (with a backwards N that I can’t manage to pull off with a standard keyboard). This cigar was shown at the PCA show, and was a collaboration between Alex Goldman (House of Oxford, Royal Gold Cigars), Michael (La Gloria Cubana, Foundry Cigars, Ventura) and Ernesto Carrillo (EPC, La Gloria, Etc.), made at the Casa Carrillo factory.  I had the Ecuador Connecticut in the 6″ x 60 size because that’s what Michael handed me. I’d love to try the San Andrés version. Both of these have undisclosed binder and fillers, except that the tobaccos are from Ernesto’s factory.  This was a decent cigar, with a darker shade wrapper.  I  enjoyed it while watching the Phillies play in London. If I’m honest, like it was hard to differentiate the baseball game being played in another country from one played here, the cigar was good, but not remarkably so.  Both were a good product.  Bring on the Maduro.

 

I pre-gamed game one of the NHL Stanley Cup Finals with a Flatbed Tobacco Co. Panacea Green 560 from the Grande line.  Speaking of Panacea, please take note of their Daily Deal on my left sidebar. You can get some great deals on some great cigars.  I’ve taken a shine to the Green Label, it has a Pennsylvania Broadleaf wrapper, Dominican Habano binder and Piloto Cubano, Olor Dominicano, and Nicaragua ligeros in the filler.  This is a reasonably strong cigar, but not overwhelming. It has the flavors I look for in a cigar like this, some cocoa and coffee, with some spice.  I rather enjoyed the 5″ x 60 format, it fit well into the time I had for a cigar, a little over an hour.  It looks like today’s (Sunday, June 9), deal of the day is a 560 sampler, which would be a great way to try the Panacea offerings.  I just might bite.  Great line of cigars from a small, family company right here in PA.

 

That’s about all for today, until the next time, 

CigarCraig

 

 

 

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by | January 14, 2024 · 9:41 am

Belvedere Cigar Lounge Some Epic Cigars, and a Trinidad Espiritu No. 3

Thursday evening my wife had a thing she wanted to go to in New Jersey, and she found a cigar lounge three miles away I could visit! It turned out that Belvedere Cigar Lounge in Lawnside, New Jersey, was hosting Irving Rodriguez of Epic Cigars doing a cut and light event.  I know Irv, and I love Epic Cigars, so it was a no brainer. Honestly, it wouldn’t have mattered, the lounge is really nice.  It’s 1300 square feet, has seating for a little over 40, and has some massive TVs and a sound system. It has 24 hour member access, with a BYO bar. I would have been happy to buy a couple cigars from their modest, but well curated, retail selection and enjoyed one there.  As is was, I spent the better part of an hour enjoying a delicious Epic Habano and talking with Irv.  I’ve known about Epic cigars for the better part of ten years, and been a fan of them. They are made in the same factory that Kristoff cigars are made in, are really tasty, and always well made.  Dean, who sold the brand to Nat Cicco Cigars a few years back, is a cool dude who I like to call a friend.  The Habano should be first on your list of Epic cigars to try, it’s got a nice sweetness I like. It has an Ecuador Habano wrapper, a Cameroon binder (this might be the seced sauce!), and Dominican and Nicaraguan fillers. I had the 5½ x 52 Robusto. I love maduro cigars, but the Habano might be my favorite in the line.  

 

Of course, I bought a handful of cigars while I was there, why wouldn’t I? I was rather hoping they would have the tenth anniversary, but that wasn’t available, so I bought some Habanos and Corojos.  Friday I smoked an Epic Corojo in the toro size. The Corojo has an Ecuador Corojo wrapper, Dominican binder and Dominican and Nicaraguan fillers. They call the 6″ x 54 toro a Double Corona for some reason.  Great cigar, although on the leathery side of the spectrum to my palate. It was much more savory than the Habano, it really lacked any sweetness at all. I enjoyed it before heading in to watch a Flyers game.  on a side note, last week’s weather took out our power for 14 hours overnight, and in the process somehow damaged our Verizon set top box. After the customer experience I’ve had trying to get the situation resolved, I think this might be the impetus to “cut the cable” finally, and ditch the TV service.  I’ve been hanging on mostly for access to the Flyers games, but I  think there’s enough alternatives available now that we can ditch the $100 a month.  That’s today’s project.

 

Yesterday I picked up a couple cigars that I hadn’t smoked before, one of which was the Trinidad Espiritu No. 3. I was really looking forward to trying this one, I loved the No. 2, and the No. 1 was pretty good too.  The No. 3 is a tribute to Mexico, with a San Andrés wrapper, Nicaraguan binder and fillers, made by AJ Fernandez in Nicaragua.  This was very different from the No.2, now that I’m thinking of it, I’d have swapped the two based on flavor. I thought the 2 tasted more typical of a San Andrés than the 3. There’s an interesting exotic spice flavor present, with an overall savory base flavor.  I thought it was really interesting, far more interesting than the La Gloria Cubana TAA 2023 cigar I bought and was severely disappointed by. I love La Glorias, but this one had nothing going for it. It didn’t draw well, it didn’t have much flavor, and just wasn’t good. I thought TAA cigars should be a good representation of a brand?  The LGC is a pass for me, but the Trinidad Espiritu line is a winner, and there are not a lot of Altadis cigars that I can say that about (ironically, almost all the Altadis cigars I like are made in one factory). 

 

That’s all for today, until the next time, 

 

CigarCraig

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by | April 30, 2023 · 9:44 am

Nomad, Cert Maith Bruscar, La Gloria Cubana and Macanudo Cigars

This week was challenging.  I had a tooth pulled on Monday, and I’m not altogether sure that one or more of the medications I’m taking isn’t affecting my palate.  Let’s start out with my pre-procedure cigar, a Nomad SA-17 Shorty, which is 4″ x 56.  I’m unsure of the provenance of these cigars, they were a generous gift from a friend, and I want to say that they are pre-Ezra Zion because they have Fred’s twitter name on the band, but anecdotal evidence would suggest that they were recently purchased.  If I recall, these were made at A.J. Fernandez’ factory, and has a San Andrés wrapper over Nicaraguan guts. Perhaps it’s a bit uncool to smoke a cigar right before going to the oral surgeon, like eating Oreos before going in for a cleaning, but it is what it is.  I knew I was going to be taking a few days off from cigars, nobody wants dry socket!  This is a great cigar, loads of earthy, coffee and cocoa flavors.  Burn was perfect, and this little cigar lasts almost an hour.  Many thanks to Phil for sharing these with me! 

 

On to some new stuff!  Like I said, after a couple days off cigars, and between an antibiotic and a rinse, my palate may be off, or maybe not!  I tested this theory by smoking a cigar from Kevin at Trash Panda Cigars, the Cert Maith Bruscar.  I hope Kevin made sure this name wasn’t already trademarked before using it!  Cert Maith Bruscar is Gaelic for “Real Good Trash”, in keeping with the Trash Panda theme, and is an homage to Kevin’s probably 8th or 9th great grandfather, who came to the US in 1679 from Ireland, around the same time my ancestor came from The Netherlands.  This is a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper cigar that has a Cameroon binder and fillers from Nicaragua, Dominican Republic and US.  I typically like the combination of Broadleaf and Cameroon, this is an interesting blend. The first time I smoked this my wife commented on the aroma, which she characterized as fruity.  This is consistent with what I perceived as the dominant flavor, which I called citrus.  I struggled to gut much else around the citric tang, it was a good cigar, performed well, and certainly was unique. I smoked a couple of these (before and after dental work) and had the same experience.  On paper I’d expect this to be a cigar for me, in practice, while it was a good cigar, I’m just not sure about the dominant citrus flavor. This just might be me, as Kevin said he didn’t get that from this cigar.

 

New from Forged Cigars is the La Gloria Cubana Corojo de Oro.   Last year they had the Criollo de Oro, with a hybrid of Criollo and Pelo de Oro tobaccos. This has a hybrid of Corojo and Pelo de Oro (I think that means “golden hair”, it’s a narrow leaf if I remember correctly from my visit to the Garcia’s farm in 2011).  I’m much more a fan of Corojo than Criollo, and I liked the Corojo de Oro much more than the Criollo de Oro.  This was a 6″ x 50 toro, with a Ecuador Habano wrapper, the hybrid tobacco as the binder, and Brazilian Mata Fina, Dominican Piloto and Nicaraguan Ometepe in the filler blend. I found this to be a well balanced cigar, with some sweet earth, and some spice.  I’m not sure how many La Gloria Cubana marques there are now, I like a lot of them (the Serie S was a miss for me, and I love San Andrés), but it just seems like I don’t see many of them in stores. 

 

Finally, I tried a new Macanudo Inspirado, the Tercio-aged.  Tercio refers to the practice of wrapping the bales in palm bark to age as opposed to burlap.  In this case, the Dominican Piloto Cubano filler component is aged in Tercio, while (because they mention that specifically and omit the rest), the San Andrés wrapper, Indonesian binder and Columbian fillers are aged in burlap bales. For me, this cigar was a great representation of the concept of body vs. strength. The flavors were very interesting, some baking spice, sweet earth (again) and some pepper spice.  The smoke was very thin, not a lot of body, but the flavor was there.  It was a little strange, and I’ll have to revisit this again. Maybe it was just me.  I liked the cigar overall, might me my 4th favorite Inspirado (another line with a lot of extensions!). 

 

That’s more than enough for me today. Next Sunday may be tricky, as we are taking a weekend road trip. Until the next time, 

 

CigarCraig

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by | April 3, 2022 · 10:41 am

Aging Room Quattro Nicaragua, Aladino Vintage and Punch Rare Corojo Cigars

I had an interesting week, so I smoked some interesting cigars, at least to me. I had a situation which required fasting, so I smoked a Perla Del Mar Connecticut which was really quite good, and after breaking the fast, I had a Diamond Crown, keeping it in the family, and also fairly mild! But let’s start with the Aging Room Quattro Nicaragua in the Vibrato size. This is a 6″ x 54 box pressed toro with a dark Nicaraguan Sumatra wrapper. It’s a puro, all Nicaraguan. This cigar was in a sampler I received at the TPE show from the Altadis USA booth. There were some Upmann and Romeo cigars in there too. I think it’s weird that this size isn’t lists on the Altadis website, so maybe it’s new.  As folks who have followed along may recall, my preferences don’t generally favor Altadis products, with some exceptions, notably the cigars made by A.J. Fernandez, and the occasional Montecristo here and there. I’m not entirely sure why this is, it just is. Different strokes, I guess. Anyway, this one was exceptional. It was CA’s cigar of the year in 2019, I guess, and I remember smoking it back then, but this one was much better, darker, more rich and dense. There was a sweetness, which I attribute to the Sumatra. I enjoyed this cigar so much more than I remember liking the cigar of the year when I smoking it in early 2020. The size was to my liking as well.

 

Friday evening one of the cigars I smoked while working at Son’s was an Aladino Vintage Selection Elegante, which is the 7″ x 38 lancero. For some reason I was in a Lancero mood. It seems that the interruptions, interactions, et cetera, involved in smoking while working retail lend themselves nicely to the pacing required to the enjoyment of a lancero. At least for me. This cigar has a Habano wrapper, and, unlike the next cigar I’m going to talk about, has Corojo binder and fillers. Of course, the Eiroa family is well known for Corojo tobacco. I can’t tell you how many Camacho Corojos I smoked back in the early 2000’s. This was a very good smoke, again with a hint of sweetness, but overall just good, clean tobacco goodness. Even after having smoked a very good Oliva Masterblend 3, not nearly as good as they used to be, by the way, the Aladino Lancero was excellent. I think it smoked for nearly 2 hours. 

 

Yesterday I smoked the new Punch Rare Corojo Aristocrat. The funny thing about this cigar has always been, despite the name, it has never had any Corojo tobacco in the blend. It has an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper, Connecticut Broadleaf binder and Nicaraguan, Honduran and Dominican fillers. I never could figure out why they called it Rare Corojo, obviously the Corojo is so rare in this cigar that it’s non-existent! Let’s talk about the size of this cigar for a minute. It’s a 6 1/8” x 40/54 figurado. The press release says “This special size was originally made at the Villazon factory, commissioned by Frank Llaneza who founded Punch in Honduras. Frank made what he referred to as a baseball bat-size cigar for Red Auerbach and Art Rooney, two sports legends.” It reminds me of the Cuban Partagas Presidente, but I looked it up and that’s only a 47 ring gauge, and an eighth of an inch longer. I love the size and shape. I also love the flavor, and always have enjoyed the Rare Corojos, despite the name thing. That hint of sweetness from the Sumatra that I love, and it builds in strength. I dig it.

 

That’s all for today, until the next time. 

 

CigarCraig

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