Cigar Reviews
Basic Premise
I love cigars and smoke at least one hand rolled cigar every day - most days 2 or 3. For starters, forget ratings and what other people say, the best cigar is the one you like to smoke. If you like the cigar then it's a good cigar. If you don't like it then it's not good. I may love a big full bodied Cuban Churchill and you may like the Macanudo Petit Corona that you can buy in a tin at the drug store. That's ok. Remember taste is in the eye of the smoker. Only smoke what you like.
Humidifying
I have 2 restaurant humidors - one's a very expensive Davidoff.And when it's all said and done the best humidor I've ever seen is…an M-9 ammo box lined with Spanish Cedar. To keep it moist I use the plastic gel bottles (I think either polymers or silicone) that I fill up with tap water. Don't get me wrong, the Davidoff Humidor is beautiful and does work (especially after my son made it airtight). But, the best one I've got or have seen is the ammo box. If you don't have a humidor what can you
do? Get a gel bottle and put it in a sealable plastic container or even in an emergency in a locking plastic bag. In a pinch you can cut a piece from a plain non-soaped (I know that's a word) sponge and use that instead of the plastic gel bottle.
Aging
Cigars taste best and are most enjoyable to smoke when they are properly aged. If you look at the end of a cigar and the color of all the tobacco is a lighter tan color then it's well aged. If most of the tobacco is dark and only some is a lighter tan color then it needs more aging. How can you tell when it's "green" and shouldn't be smoked for awhile?
About halfway down if you start getting a "heartburn" feeling then it's probably not even aged enough to smoke at that time. In terms of regular aging, when a cigar ages in your humidor then it's flavors mellow and blend together for a really smooth smoke. A great example of this is one time I left my M-9 ammo box at our beach house in September and we didn't come back for more than 8 weeks. Those cigars were incredible.
Buying Cigars
I usually buy cigars by the box - it's much cheaper. I only buy individual sticks if I'm out somewhere and am stuck without any cigars. I usually buy from The JR Cigar Store in Washington DC but also buy from JR's online store as well. Other online sellers are Thompson's, Mike's Cigars, PipesandCigars.com, TopCubans.com, Cigarsclub.com, cigaraficionado.com etc.
Cuban Cigars
Many times I've heard people say "Cubans are overrated. A good Dominican is just as good as a Cuban." Let me set the record straight…that is just not true. I've smoked actual Cuban Cigars in Europe many times and here in the US as well. In my humble opinion…Real Cubans are better. They also have a different inherent flavor.
That doesn't mean I dislike Hondurans or Dominicans or blends of those with Nicaraguan and Mexican as well. My favorite non - Cubans are Hondurans. I personally like their full strong flavor the best. I think the problem with most people opining on Cuban Cigars is that most people have never smoked a real Cuban. There are so many counterfeit Cubans out there that most folks have just never actually smoked a real Cuban.
Even when someone brings a Cuban box from Cuba (ie "diplomatic pouch" etc) many times that box is not the advertised label on the box. I've gotten "Cuban Cigars" in this manner and while I could tell by the taste they were in fact Cuban tobacco it wasn't what was advertised on the label. Now, with all that being said, you may try a real Cuban and not like it as much as a Dominican Davidoff.
Rating System
The ratings are based on a 1 - 5 Cigar system.
5 Cigars is the highest.
REVIEW: Cigar: Bolivar Cofradia Belicoso Fino
Ring Guage: 6.25 x 50
Wrapper: Dark English Market
Price: $99.95 for 25 Cigars - purchased from JR
Rated On: July 29, 2006
My Comments: I've been smoking this cigar for years. It's a Torpedo Shape, which traditionally is rolled by the factory's best rollers. Very smooth but full of flavor and body. No bite. Good draw. Halfway down it opens up and gets even better. Great finish - so good you will smoke it down to the end and burn your fingers. Forget whether it has coffee or chocolate notes like you see in magazine ratings…this cigar just plain tastes good.
My Rating: 4 Cigars