Found a really great deal on a Perdomo Havana series (as you may know Nick’s rebranding this series) and so I got one at 30% off the other day in Austin. This is a heckuva cigar, maybe a little bit bigger ring gauge and I care for, but a beautifully constructed stick burning very smoothly. I would readily recommend any of Nick’s cigars; he seems to do just a bang up job. His construction is always spot on and he really knows what he’s doing and lots and lots of flavors. If the smoke is perhaps a bit thin but the flavor of the smoke is worth it it’s just a really quality.

Overall grade 4.5/5 Joe Bob says Check It Out

Near-flawless construction with a very smooth wrapper with only very small veins showing. The bunch felt pleasantly firm. There was a slight bit of tear at the cut, but nowhere near enough to cause any problems.

Curivari makes excellent cigars and this is no exception. Complexity from the beginning, with an agreeable mix of bitterness and sweetness. Almost white ash holding solid with no flaking.

Flavor-wise, this smokes very much like the Buenaventura line, which is probably my favorite Curivari right now.

Solid flavorful cigar. 4/5. Joe Bob says Check it Out.

Nice construction with a pigtail cap, smooth maduro wrapper and rich pre-light aromas. Pre-light draw was perhaps a bit loose, but not airy.

Lit easily and immediately produced strong toasted tobacco flavors with dark chocolate and pepper notes. Lots of smoke too.

Unfortunately, it tasted so good at first that I got in a hurry and it got a little harsh. Slowing down easily solved this issue.

About half-way through the cigar my headphones crapped out on me, and by the time I found another functioning pair, the cigar had gone out. This actually turned out to be a positive thing because it allowed the cigar to cool down from my over-enthusiastic double-clutches early on.

Solid ash, clean burn, complex flavors; safe to say this was a nubber. 4+/5. Joe Bob says Check it Out.

Not even sure how long I’ve had this in the humi (probably bought it in Austin last time I was on 6th, which has been several years). Anyway, rustic-looking but heavenly smelling stick that went perfectly with a nice cup of Honduran coffee. Nice clean pre-light draw with cocoa hints.

Initial draw yields ample smoke with a classic maduro profile. Some pepper in the back of the nose adds to the enjoyment.

Strong flavors that you would expect from a double maduro if a bit one dimensional in the first inch or so.

Had to make some burn adjustment and a tear developed in the wrapper. Wrapper problems I will take responsibility for as I don’t always take “pristine” care of some of my one-offs.

Sweetness developing, and the ash is holding rock-solid, so quality bunching/construction. More pepper picks up as the cigar continues.

Wrapper issues aside (like I said, probably my fault), this was a very enjoyable smoke. I give it a solid 4/5. Joe Bob says Check it Out.

Not, as I first thought, one of the newer OSOK OG Honduran cigars, this is in fact one of the original Nicaraguan EH line that preceded the OSOK range. This 6 1/2″x52 Perfecto is a beauty. Smooth dark wrapper with minor veining and a pronounced box press. 1/4″ clipped at ~30° angle with no problems. Wrapper and foot gave off very rich tobacco and leather aromas. Pre-light draw was even and smooth with hints of bittersweet leather.

This is a full body, full flavor smoke. It is also quite strong. First flavor that jumps out is a bitterness that settles into a good deep leather. The ash is not flaky at all, but not firm enough to resist a gentle tap after about an inch.

The bitterness settles down soon enough into a smooth, leathery tobacco flavor with some undertones that I am not completely familiar with, a slightly odd sweetness that stays mostly in the cheeks.

The burn was perfect except for one very slight canoe that fixed itself rather quickly.

Surprisingly, the overall intensity of the cigar lessend some toward the midway point, although some spiciness developed, especially on the lips and in the nose. It had a somewhat sour, though not unpleasant finish. And it left me a bit “wobbly,” so lots of nicotine in the leaves.

This cigar is good to very good, but honestly it does not bear comparison to the Nicaraguan OSOK line. 3.5/5. Joe Bob says check it out.

Probably my last one of these from the box I got years ago. Yes, forbidden fruit, and well worth the wait. And I must just interject here that the Davidoff “rule of 20” is complete horse dookey.

Cut and lit cleaner than chef’s apron at the start of the shift. Smooth, perfect draw and burn the whole way down without any heat issues.

Mild to medium, but a cacaphony of flavors from first draw to putting it down because I was about to burn my fingers. Leathery, smooth tobacco flavors with vanilla undertones that was one of the things I have missed since the last time I burned one of these.

I am very sorry that it was my last one. I am also very sorry that (to my knowledge) they are all gone from almost any vendor you can dredge up.

Yes, it does not suck to be me, except that I do not have another box of these to savor.

5/5. Joe Bob says check it out if you can find it.

Ran across this one in my box while I was looking for something to smoke today. The thing that caught my attention is that it had been clipped at some point. No idea why or when I would have clipped a cigar without smoking it, but there it was.

Also no idea exactly how old this cigar is. There were signs of mishandling at some point because there were cracks in the wrapper.

The cigar smelled very good and had an almost perfect draw.

Smooth flavors and plentiful smoke were the first things I noticed. There were some bittersweet undertones, but mainly a medium bodied flavor of toasted tobacco. It burned somewhat unevenly, but nothing major and self corrected by the time I finished.

The mottled ash was not flaky, but not extremely firm, also not a problem as it did not drop on me while I was smoking.

This was overall a very nice cigar with solid tobacco flavors and that “little something” that you get from a rosado wrapper.

3.5/5, Joe Bob says check it out (if by some chance you can find one)

Smooth wrapper with two veins, wrapper aroma is almost food-like, foot aroma is lighter with a small amount of ligero present. Somewhat resistant clip (used a Palio). The clip left a loose spot at the top of the cigar, but did not cause any problems. Fairly firm draw with light flavors present. Bunch was a bit firm, but not hard.

Aroma while lighting was very promising. First few puffs were pure tobacco enjoyment with a nice fruity/tannin flavor on the lips. Some light pepper tones in the nose.

Medium body smoke (and plenty of it) with lots of flavor. Predominant flavor was toasted tobacco with some leather tones.

Burn was not perfect, but only required one touch-up at about half way. Firm mottled ash that did not drop off unless the cigar was tapped.

About half way some nutmeg flavors emerged, adding to the enjoyment of the flavor.

Cigar began to heat up in last third, but smoked down to one inch. Clean finish with a nice afterflavor in the mouth. “Finger aroma” confirmed a very nice smoke.

The Mag 46 can be a hit-or-miss cigar in my opinion. I have had them where I would have called it one of the best cigars I have ever smoked. Some just left me wondering what all the fuss was about. This cigar fell firmly in the upper half of that spectrum and was an excellent choice for a warm afternoon smoke with a cup of very good Honduran coffee.

Overall this was a very good smoke. 4/5. Joe Bob says Check it Out.

Another 2015 ICPCR release that I had to chase down.

Very smooth, lightly aromatic wrapper. Good aromas off of the foot. Perfect clip and perfect cold draw.

Mild to medium strength at light with plentiful smoke volume. Strength kicked in to full body after a couple of draws. Initial notes of leather and spices with a solid rich tobacco foundation. Medium spices in the nose.

The cigar seemed hot at first; slowed down and it cooled off.

Like the old Eiroa Camachos, this is a full bodied cigar with spices and meaty flavors. A very satisfying strong cigar to smoke in the evening. 4.5/5, Joe Bob says check it out.

It’s not often that I smoke a cigar that deserves a right panning, but I had one today. And it was disappointing since this cigar came recommended as a good, low to medium price point stick.

Wrapper was pretty veiny, bunch was mushy (it also didn’t clip well) and the pre-light draw was loose. Aromas from the wrapper and the foot were fairly fragrant so I lit it anyway.

In a word, yuck. Bitter, sour and very little flavor beyond that. It also ran badly and resisted my attempts to correct the burn.

At about 1/2 I decided to give the cigar a strong purge. Afterwards the flavors settled a bit and I was able to pick up some ginger, wood and leather tones, but it was still burning very hot and running at a 45 degree angle.

Maybe I got a bad one, but I doubt I’ll give this one another chance. 1.5/5. Joe Bob says skip this one.

I don’t always smoke Churchills, but when I do they are always cigars I can trust to burn and taste as good as this one.

Dark tan, if a bit veiny, the wrapper and the foot smell of pure smoking enjoyment. A nice firm bunch, and a perfect clip add to the anticipation.

Initial inch yielded plenty of smoke and classic sun-grown flavors; well-toasted tobacco, wood and leather notes with a subtle spiciness. Medium gray ash was firm, and there was a nice even burn. I could have pegged this one of Nick Perdomo’s cigars without the band.

Savoring every puff of this cigar and am being rewarded with nice cool smoke. I hope to shake Nick Perdomo’s hand in July at the Vegas IPCPR and thank him for all of the fantastic smokes he produces.

Approaching the end of the first third and the spiciness is picking up, much to my delight. I for one truly love a full-bodied spicy cigar and this one is no exception. And the ash is still holding firm, further testament to the high quality construction. As I just typed that the ash (at about 1″) fell, revealing a slight cone burn.

As I finished my Lobo Midnight Porter, I broke into my Stone Delicious IPA. The cigar changed profile a bit, all to the better. I strongly recommend a good IPA with a sun-grown cigar.

The peppery spiciness mellowed during the second third to more cinnamon and ginger notes, two of my favorite cigar flavor notes.

Nearing the last third of the cigar, the burn is razor-straight with an almost flat burn. Slight hints of cocoa appear to supplement the already outstanding flavors. And the cigar is still smoking cool and smooth, gaining extra points with me.

Considering I smoked one of Hamlet’s outstanding cigars last night, this Perdomo is more than holding its own for flavor and sheer enjoyment.

The last third has developed a light sweetness, continuing to add to my enjoyment. Still copious amounts of smoke that provide sheer enjoyment. Very nice notes of fine prime steak on my lips are going to provide a bit of disappointment when I have to put it down.

A very slight burning on the roof of my mouth is taking none of the pure enjoyment I am experiencing. The smoke remains cool and is in no way getting too hot to hold.

Cigars like this are one of the reasons I have trouble smoking my pipe, which I tend to smoke too fast resulting in the pipe bowl becoming too hot to hold.

I realize I am repeating myself, but the amount of smoke this cigar is producing is sheer joy to a seasoned smoker like me. And the IPA is indeed a perfect match, much like with the Perdomo Craft Series Sun-grown.

Well into the last quarter, the cigar heats up a bit (as do all cigars as they reach the end), but the flavors are enough to offset the growing heat.

I have smoked many Perdomo cigars in the past, and this one ranks very high in my experience. The quality of this cigar rivals most cigars I have ever had the pleasure to smoke.

Smoking the cigar to the one-inch point gave me want I can only describe as pure enjoyment.

I give very few 5/5 ratings to cigars; this is definitely one of them. Joe Bob says check it out, and if you don’t you are depriving yourself.

Looks like a gimmick, but I decided to give one a try, you know, for St. Paddy’s.

Very smooth maduro/candela barber pole wrapper, good bunch, clean clip, perfect draw. Excellent construction with subtle aromas and flavors.

Easy light, immediate green flavors from the candela leaf in the wrapper. Otherwise mostly mild with some sweetness accompanying the vegetal flavor.

Mottled but firm ash and mostly even burn.

Flavors remain vegetal by 1/3 with some bitterness emerging. Hard purge got rid of most of the bitterness and some deeper tobacco flavors emerged, but overall taste remained very vegetal.

Bitterness returns and continues to build and the cigar is now canoeing badly. Very one-dimensional, fairly unpleasant overall and didn’t make it to half before putting it down. Only recommended to fans of candela wrappers.

Perfect wrapper, good bunch and heavenly fragrances from the wrapper and the foot with a generous draw.

Smoked with a Freetail Pinata Protest red wit brewed with ancho chilis, a perfect match for a sungrown wrapper.

This cigar could be a meal. Initial flavors are peppery toasted tobacco with hints of Milanesa. Razor straight burn and no excessive heat. Lots of smoke to complete the experience.

Firm grey ash held past 1″, I almost always knock the ash off at that point to check the burn, which showed slight coning but perfectly even.

Purged at 2/3 point to mute the heat that had built up, cigar cooled back down nicely. This will be a nubber.

The beer/cigar combination was perfect. 5/5. Joe Bob says check it out!

All Esteli Nicaraguan tobacco in a compact perfecto.

Very attractive dark wrapper. Very tight pre-light draw (perhaps should have cut it higher on the end).

A very tight draw that opened up past the foot taper. Good medium to full flavors. The burn became uneven after the foot opened up, but was fixable with minor corrections with the lighter.

Medium grey but very solid ash as the cigar burned, and the burned opened up nicely after the foot burn passed.

Paired well with a Porter.

Pleasant flavor if a bit one dimensional, and got hot rather quickly.

Draw tightened up again as the cigar began to taper towards the head, and the smoke began to heat up as the draw tightened.

At about 1/4 the smoke and the cigar got a bit too hot to handle so I had to put it down.

Still, an overall pleasant, if short, cigar that I would give a solid 3/5 on the CW scale. Expect more and better from Crux in the future.