When most of us hear of a cigar that is coming out of Hawaii we all immediately think of one word – gimmick. But this time a company called Kauai Cigar Company is producing a “real” premium cigar with tobacco grown in Kapaa, HI. Even though I was still a bit skeptical of the cigar, I knew I had to give this a chance and see exactly what was being offered to the cigar community.

It’s amazing how closely you will analyze something that is foreign and new just looking for that one inconsistency so you can run to all your friends and say ‘I TOLD YOU it was a gimmick”. But alas I wasn’t able to do this around my group of friends. The Construction on the cigar was absolutely perfect in every way. The wrapper was very dark with a slight tint of red and the tobacco was stuffed enough to just allow little resistance during the pinch test. A couple of medium sized veins decorated the toothy wrapper but nothing out of the ordinary from a raw natural product.

Any time a cigar passes the pinch test I automatically go for a punch on the top of the cigar. The cold draw had a bit of a resistance to it that had me a bit worried. But once the flame hit the foot and an even light was created – my dry draw was a thing of the past. The resistance is perfectly in the middle and a good amount of unique tasting, and creamy, smoke will coat your palate.

On the first few puffs of the Momona I was taken back by a very unique and interesting earthly flavor that I have never experienced in any other cigar. It actually had me puffing continually so I could try and pinpoint what I was tasting. The smoke being generated, as stated earlier, is creamy and will leave that particular earthy taste with just a lingering of tart.

During the middle segment of my Island Prince “Dark” cigar I would have to note that the unique earthy flavor has subdued into a more typical earthy taste. The body has started to increase into the full range while the smoke and creaminess has increased. Yet for some reason there is something I still can’t put my finger on that makes the overall smoking experience very different from the other cigars I have ever tried.

As I start to wrap things up on the Dark Momona from Kauai Cigar Company I have noticed the body increases again into the full range. Your earthy flavor is now being complimented with a hint of something I can only describe as “toasty” with a hint of spice. The smoke is no longer creamy but turned into something very smooth and enjoyable. However the transition on the Island Prince is very welcomed as it is keeping my palate on its toes and making me anxious to smoke another.

Pick up a sampler of this cigar and give it a shot for yourself. It would be a great addition to any humidor, especially a smoker that likes to step outside of their comfort box. This is a real quality cigar coming out of Hawaii, not another gimmick, that I can totally see some people falling in love with. At this current time you might find it difficult to find a retailer who carries this cigar due to the limited production and high taxes coming out of Hawaii. On average the Dark Momona from Kauai Cigar Company will set you back about $10 a smoke.

If you are located in Arizona you can pick up this unique smoke at Big Sticks Fine Cigars in Mesa, Arizona. They are the ones who were willing to suggest something to help me expand my palate and interest in cigars that are created outside of the “normal” regions.

The cigar that was given to me is entitled the Vartan and it shares the namesake of the stores proprietor and legend Vartan Seferian.  As the story goes it is a blend designed by Vartan himself and then produced by the Davidoff family. The Vartan’s exterior is a smooth Connecticut-Habano hybrid wrapper grown in the ever popular Connecticut growing fields of Ecuador.  Both the binder and filler are comprised of Dominican tobaccos, and fill out the cigar nicely without any noticeable soft spots.

Construction:  As mentioned above the cigar has a smooth texture too it, and has a solid construction value, in that it does not have any soft spots.  I do have to mention for full disclosure sake, that mine had some unraveling issues towards the cap and foot of the cigar.  Thankfully, they were not major issues and could be smoked through without too much difficulty.

Draw: The draw was solid and allowed for some slight resistance in the inhalation.  I cut my cap minimally and was able to achieve an excellent draw, which goes to show the fine construction of this cigar.

Burn: The Vartan Blend burns smoothly throughout, and I was pleased to not have to touch it up at all.  Even with the wrapper issue, I was able to let it naturally burn through the unraveled parts without correcting the burn path, which was nice.  The ash was tight striated grey ash and would remain firmly on the end of the cigar until one was ready to doff it off into the ashtray.

Flavor: The Vartan Blend smokes like a Davidoff to me in the fact of its simplicity of flavor.  Most Davidoff’s tend to pick one creamy flavor note and stick to it from start to finish, so does the Vartan blend.  It starts off with a little hint of bitterness and then builds into a strong leather tone for the rest of the smoke.  It is pleasant and creamy from start to finish, but rarely deviates from the leather notes.  At one point I detected an earthy tone, but it was fleeting.

Final Verdict: As of print this cigar is only available at the Ambassador store and their online website. The Vartan blend is a fine consistent cigar that reflects the Ambassador name well.  It is easy to see how this blend was produced by the Davidoff house because it tends to be consistent in both construction and taste.  While the price point for the robusto is around $14 and probably a bit steep for the average consumer, it does serve as a fine example of a premium smoke.  If you are looking for a complex cigar this would probably not be the stick for you, but if you are looking for a creamy mellow luxurious smoke, then the Vartan Blend is a fine cigar to enjoy on a lazy summer afternoon.

The long awaited Nosotros by Illusione, in conjunction with Drew Estate, is finally on the shelves of your local retailer. Nosotros was introduced at the 2009 IPCPR but was delayed in shipment for various reasons. So in the middle of the 2010 years Dion was finally able to grace up with his new creation.

I found this brief piece of information floating around the internet that I think best describes the cigar I am smoking today:
“The Illusione Nosotros Cigars are rolled by Drew Estates in Nicaragua and are the latest creation from Illusione. Unlike most cigars made by Drew Estates, these cigars are not infused cigars but rather a blend of fine tobaccos from Nicaragua with a Corojo ’99 wrapper, Nicaraguan fillers, and Connecticut Habano binder. Because “Nosotros” means “us” this is symbolic of Illusione and Drew Estates joining forces to produce another fantastic cigar. Dion Giolito of Illusione says that these cigars are best described as. “Spicy and clean on the palate with richness and power that really sneaks up on you. The blend is well out of my comfort zone and very nonpareil to my other lines. As it turned out, the first combination of tobaccos that we experimented with wound up being the final blend.”

And with that lets being the smoking process!

Construction: I have to give credit to Drew Estate, the creators of this cigar, because there is not a single cigar in any of their lines that has any type of construction issues. It has a beautiful wrapper with minimal to no veins, its packed full of tobacco and most importantly it will make you feel like you are spending your hard earned money on something with value and quality.

Draw: Punch it, cut it, bite it, v-cut, use a golf tee – the Nosotros will not care. You will get a perfect draw with medium resistance and plenty of mouth coating smoke.

Burn: You can’t ask for anything more from any cigar. The burn is straight and never requires any sort of touch-ups. I was even able to sit my cigar down for a good 10 minute phone conversation and it picked up right where I left off.

Flavor: Nosotros is going to start off with a big bang. There is an immediate rush of spice in the draw and exhale that will linger on your palate for sometime. Have you ever looked for a cigar to smoke that would produce the thickest amount of smoke possible to practice making smoke rings? Well if so then look no further because the Nosotros smoke is thick, spicy and coats every inch of your palate.

Moving into the second third of the Nosotros doesn’t bring about many, if any, changes to the cigar. The overall flavor profile is that of spice and the smoke is still thick and… spicy. Perhaps the strength of the spice does go down a bit to allow for more of the tobacco flavor to come through. This subtle change is enjoyable and quite welcomed.

You will start to get a subtle sweetness from the cigars finish as you come up to the final 1/3. Your palate is still going to be blasted with spice but with smooth tobacco flavor and new sweetness it becomes an amazing full body cigar. I say this because full body cigars tend to end a bit dull and just full of body, or in other words boring as the complexity dies.

Final Verdict: I’ve never told you to not pick up anything from Illusione and I’m not about to start now. This is a cigar that full body smokers and smokers who enjoy a red pepper type of spice should pick up. Oh – and the smokers who need a cigar that puts an amazing amount of thick smoke for that smoke ring practice. I will warn you to pick up a few sticks before making a purchase due to the price tag of about $12.

Pablo Enchinton, the company founder and president, has spent the last two years developing, blending, and creating his product for the market. At the company launch we at PuffingCigars.com got to sit down with Pablo for a quick 1 on 1 interview to help bring some more insight to his brand and goals his company may hold.

“We started the process about two years ago but this has really been a dream of mine for the past 14years! Our main object is to create fantastic consistent cigars, to share amongst friends and to help create Moments of memories.

Our name came about while looking for a meaning of what I think a cigar symbolizes. The word PANA means friend in my Latin culture and I thought of how perfect it would be to launch a cigar company with the foundation of friendship at its core, in its name! Our mantra is to always smoke with a friend, a PANA Cigar.

Another reason for launching our company is wanting to cultivate something special for our 9week old son Andros Enchinton. The purpose is to create a family tradition for something that is so special to me, the cigar industry. It’s a heritage in the making and a growth for future generations.”

Mr. Enchinton, PANA Cigars, has tapped a cigar manufacturer in the Dominican Republic that would not only give him access to the best tobaccos but also full control of the blending process (many new cigar companies simply buy from a small profile of already made blends). There are two blends currently being produced, a Ligero Maduro and Connecticut Especial.

The Ligero Maduro is A special long filler blend of Ligero Cubano and Ligero Criollo with a Dominican binder packaged in a beautiful Maduro leaf. On the other range of the palate the Connecticut Especial is filled with a generous amount of Corojo and Piloto Dominicano, stored within an Indonesian binder, and packaged in a golden Connecticut shade wrapper. Both are topped off with a pigtail cap for easy removal and retail in the $6 price range (reviews to come shortly).

Distribution will first take place in his home state of Arizona and then move to other states along the Westcoast. PANA Cigars has decided to be a B&M supporter and has, currently, not decided to sell cigars directly or through companies that only operate online. This decision was made knowing the process to expand will be harder but was adamant that we needed to support the “backbone of the cigar industry”.

“We are definitely a boutique cigar and we wouldn’t want it any other way! I believe that this gives us a unique and personal experience to share with our cigar smoking community. Allowing us to meet face to face and share in the moments together.”

After having smoked both cigars produced by PANA Cigars we are confident that they will make quite the splash within the cigar community. Welcome to the cigar world.

Construction: The La Aurora Serie 107 comes in three sizes at the moment, a robusto, toro, and belicoso.  I have smoked both the toro and belicoso sizes, as well as the upcoming lancero and they all have the same consistency when they come to the flavor profile.  Looking at the cigar you will notice that it has a smooth sun grown Ecuadorian wrapper with minimal veins.  The cigar body is firm to the touch and reveals no spongy spots.  As for the binder and filler they are a composite of Dominican and Nicaraguan tobaccos that have been aging for six years.

Draw: The draw was effortless and smooth.  As Goldilocks ventured to find the porridge that was just right, cigar connoisseurs can often come across draws that are too firm or too soft; the perfect balance is a draw that is effortless, but supplies enough resistance to allow the smoker to know that the smoke is moving through the tobacco channels.  And indeed voluminous amounts of aromatic grey smoke come billowing out of the cigar and mouth.

Burn: The burn of the La Aurora 107 is consistent and even.  Of the numerous 107′s I have smoked, I have not once had an uneven burn.  Another element that I like to check when smoking the cigar is the burn line itself.  A burn line is like a ring on a tree trunk, it denotes age.  The wider the burn line, the younger the tobacco; the older the cigar, the thinner the burn line.  The La Aurora serie 107 has a thin consistent line that fact checks the aging of the cigar.

Flavor: The initial aroma before light is that of sweet hay, and upon first light of the cigar it starts of with an initial spice and leather note.  I would say that throughout the first part of the cigar the leather flavor is consistent and reminiscent of the fine leather products that many of men have come to appreciate in life; whether it be fine shoes or the supple touch of contoured leather seats in their automobiles, men tend to associate that fine olfactory smell of leather with the better things in life.  As the cigar continues its journey the flavor profile changes to some sweeter floral notes which remind one of walking through a fresh botanical garden.  The final quarter of the cigar takes one back to the big finish of leather notes that heralded the pleasant aromas of the initial light.

Overall Opinion: From start to finish the La Aurora serie 107 is an absolute treat.  From artisan construction to a clean burn, and an ultra smooth draw, this cigar defines what all cigars should be about.  The taste is complex and savory throughout, and has caused a few of my friends to super-nub the cigar by poking a tooth pick at the end to continue smoking it, when it got past being held by the fingers.  I have taken the time to share this stick with many of my friends and local B&M patrons, and they all concur that this stick is one phenomenal smoke!  So if you are looking for a cigar that represents the apogee of what a cigar can be, then look no further than the 107 by La Aurora!

Allow me to introduce you to what I think will be one of the next hits of the cigar industry: 13th Floor Cigars. This is a new cigar company started by a long time, passionate, cigar smoker named Bryan White.  Early in 2009 Mr. White had set out to create a “unique smoking experience“  knowing cigar smokers currently have a plethora of options. After many meetings and months of talking to various blenders he felt that his vision could be met by having his cigar produced by Willy Herrera of El Titan de Bronze.

After a year of relentless work with blending, re-blending, choosing sizes, artwork and securing distribution 13th Floor Cigars is now ready to enter the cigar world with their very first blend. As usual with most new cigar companies I have included some verbiage from the 13th Floor Cigars website.

From the 13th Floor Cigars Website:
“In 2009 the idea and concept for 13th Floor Cigars was born. Driven by an unrelenting passion to create and deliver a unique and satisfying smoking experience to cigar lovers, we sought out the best factory, most experienced rollers, and one of the most talented up and coming Master Blenders in the industry. All of our cigars are hand crafted in the USA on the famed “Calle Ocho” in Little Havana, Miami by “Level 9″ rollers all of whom have worked for world-renowned factories such as Romeo y JulietaR, CoronaR, and PartagasR. Each cigar is made in the traditional Cuban style of tubing the filler (entubado) and then finished off with a beautiful triple cap. Each “tarea” (days work) is then inspected by another Master Roller/Blender, boxed and dated to ensure the cigar is of the highest standard for the aficionado. Due to the high standards placed upon our rollers our cigars are made in small quantities to ensure quality and consistency that only a boutique manufacturer can produce.”

Construction: The 13th Floor Cigar is very raw and pure looking. It has a light brown color that is very consistent throughout the roll and has very minimal veins. However, you might find 1-2 medium sized veins that can barley be felt with the fingers – this does not cause any concern. 13th Floor Cigars packs in quite a bit of tobacco ensuring the smokers get their money worth; so have confidence that you will not find any soft-spots (or any other imperfections).

Draw: Anytime there is a boutique cigar that likes to brag about limited production, USA (Miami) made, level 9 rollers I like to hold them to a higher standard in the construction and draw categories. 13th Floor Cigars not only meets the standards but exceeds them on all levels. You will have the option to cut, v-cut, punch or bite this Churchill and it will draw with perfection. Each draw will have a slight resistance making sure that you never burn too fast or too hot.

Burn: When you have great construction and draw qualities it’s almost always a given that the burn should be (not always the case) good. So I hope it comes as no surprise that I say the burn on the 13th Floor Cigar is pretty damn good. My 13th Floor Cigars in the Churchill size have always burned slightly jagged but never require any touch-ups. The ash is a bright white and seems like it will never fall off unless you give it a good knock.

Flavor: The 13th Floor Cigars Churchill has a very consistent grouping of flavors that you will enjoy as you smoke this cigar.

Upon first light you will be introduced to a combination of cedar, spice and straight forward tobacco that will defiantly please the palate.  The cedar and spice are very light and intriguing and perfectly compliment the creamy smoke you will get on both the draw and the exhale. It’s just enough of everything that you won’t want to set this stogie down.At this point in the long Churchill I would say the cigar sits in the medium body range.

At the middle you will see a larger introduction of the spice that seems to hit the front of the palate. You still get some hints of cedar that swirl around the smoke with a mixture of chewy leather. You will pick up some hints of what I can best describe as floral – it’s a very unique flavor combination. The smoke is still extremely creamy and delightful on both the draw and the exhale. The body has slightly increased but still remains in the middle of the road (medium).

Finishing this 13th Floor Cigar has got to be my favorite portion of the smoke. This is due to the body slightly increasing to the more fuller range while all the flavors seems to stay consistent and dance around my palate. The smoke from the draw and exhale is still very, very creamy, and it’d been a pure joy from start to finish.

I would like to put a little disclaimer in this flavor section of the 13th Floor Cigar review. While I have described what seems to be a consistent grouping of flavors do not take this as one dimensional and boring. It is actually the complete opposite.  The Churchill is very complex and it is hard to pinpoint what will be thrown at your palate. Just know that once you finish the smoke you will reach for another.

Final Verdict: 13th Floor Cigars retail in the $8 range and will only be available for purchase through a B&M establishment.  I have to urge everyone to pick up a box or two before these creamy, spicy, delightful sticks go on backorder (because they will sell fast). The cigar lingers in the medium body range so it will be delightful for the new smoker yet complex enough for the most seasoned of palates. Plus I am always a fan of supporting new brands that take the time and effort to create a cigar correctly and back the local B&M smoking community/industry.

It’s quite easy for someone to sit down and review or discuss the next cigar of the year. Talking about this type of cigar has no shortage of interesting facts, unique histories, complex tobaccos and especially high price tags. Price points that not every smoker in our community has the luxury of affording, so we have decided to start profiling some of the less expensive cigars that one might find online or through the local B&M.

Many boutique cigar manufactures will create a line that can be distributed online to help bring brand awareness, please the budget conscious shopper but most importantly please the online retailer who can bring in much needed capital due to the high volume of sales. Most of the time the savings will reach the consumer by creating a “sandwich” blend, a short and medium sized filler inside a long filler, or by using a lower grade wrapper (or filler) on the cigar. Up first for review will be the J. Fuego Casa Fuego sold exclusively by Cigars International.

Construction: The J. Fuego Casa Fuego has a beautiful honey or caramel colored wrapper that seems to be slightly spongy. This would indicate to me that the cigar was created in the “sandwich” style but this information was not indicated on the retailers website (and the website is known to be vague on budget lines). You might find one large vein that can be felt with the fingers but this will not effect the way the Casa Fuego burns.

Draw: Perfection. Regardless of what price point J. Fuego is trying to hit he will always ensure his cigars draw (and burn) with absolute perfection. Feel free to punch, cut, bite or poke this cigar – you will get a perfect draw.

Burn: Again, J. Fuego prides himself on the way his cigars burn and this is evident even in the cigars that have a lower MSRP. You can see from the pictures inserted that this cigar burns very evenly, holds an ash and does not require any touch-ups.

Flavor: The J. Fuego Casa Fuego has a pretty consistent flavor from start to finish. It is slightly woody, has a nice amount of like peppery spice and delivers a smooth creamy smoke. The body always maintains in the medium range and will be easy for anyone to smoke. Throughout the Fuego you will notice instances of something sweet, almost caramel like, that keeps your palate entertained and happy.

I would like to note that these cigars are good when smoked young but turn into something … beautiful with just a few months of resting time. So if you order a box (which I will suggest you do in the “Final Verdict” section) set them aside and let the Casa Fuego cigars fully develop.

Final Verdict: You can purchase the J. Fuego Casa Fuego at Cigars International in boxes of 29 (21 + “Freebies“) for 95 dollars – $3.30 a stick. But allow me to give you a savvy shopper tip: Go to the CI auction or offer site and you can pick up a box for about $40 – so everything comes out to just under $2 a stick. So for $40 I suggest that everyone goes out and buys a box. Casa Fuego is a phenomenal budget cigar that will find their way in your regular smoking rotation. And if your still a little hesitant about buying the cigar just know that this is something you wont be ashamed to send in the good ole “cigar bomb“.

“Effective May 10th, 2010, all EO Brands (E.g., 601, Cubao, Murcielago, etc.) will only be available via the Rocky Patel Premium Cigars distribution system. That is, directly and or through our approved sales representatives. All marketing for EO Brands will also be handled by Rocky Patel Premium Cigars.”

Major changes are taking place but the EO Brands cigars are still being produced by Don Pepin Garcia at the My Father factory in Nicaragua. Ortega has also mentioned that this distribution move will enable them to lower the cost of cigars anywhere from $2 to $3 a stick.

Could this be a bad move for the EO Brands Cigars?
It’s very understandable why a cigar company, who might have felt shunned by Miami Cigar Co. (the previous distributor), had to find another outlet to operate. However Rocky Patel is primarily known for making sub-par cigars that are perhaps palatable and easy on the wallet.  Will this type of outlook now be carried over to the EO Brands?

Hopefully Rocky Patel will take a hands-off approach to the managing of the brand to allow the current portfolio, and any future releases, to remain boutique (something that Rocky Patel has long lost). Otherwise we might just be seeing the 601, Cubao, and Murcielago sold for pennies in every online website and mail order catalog (aka – “Rocky Patel Premium Cigars distribution system”) that will shun B&M retailers from supporting the brand.

Today’s cigar up for review is the D’Crossier Diplomacy Series Golden Blend. I have been letting my box rest in the humidor for about 6 months due to the lack of time to really sit down and enjoy the smokes. However it appears like fate wanted me to enjoy these today as PuffingCigars.com received a request to review it just as the weather cooled down, I finally got around to packing the samples for a friend on twitter (jnbcigars) and I received a phone call  from Santana (the owner of the brand) to talk…. cigars. So without further ado let’s talk about the D’Crossier Diplomacy Series Golden Blend torpedo.

From the D’Crossier Website:
“This eloquent and rare pyramid is inviting in its reddish colored wrapper. Enrobed in earthy and hazelnut notes it offers subtle sweetness to the palate with intermittent hints of spice. Typical of this complex and balanced blend, the smoke released is opulent, heady and almost intoxicating. Aromas of toasted chocolate and peppery caramel whisk you away to a majestic place. The nutty and cool finish remains in your memory, along with its tantalizing aroma. The head should be cut with measure to allow for maximum appreciation of the heady flavors.”

Construction: The D’Crossier website describes the cigar best as “inviting” with its “reddish colored wrapper“. Generally you will be able to locate a medium sized vein or two but they will not cause any issues during the burn process. It was a densely packed cigar that allowed just a bit of movement during the standard pinch test. You will not find soft sports or any other inadequacies with the cigar.

Draw: This specific D’ Crossier Golden Blend I was smoking is a torpedo (as you can tell from the size listing and pictures) so you have to use scissors or a regular cutter to get her open. Now that the obvious has been said you can rest assured that there will be a perfect draw. It requires just a bit of a tug and you will be rewarded with impeccable spicy, yet slightly creamy, smoke.

Burn: I always like to point out the pictures, that can be found below the “Final Verdict” section of this cigar review, so that you can get an immediate visual analysis of the burn. I would still like to tell you that the D’Crossier burned creating a slightly jagged edge but required no touch-ups via the lighter. The peppery ash was very thick and held on passed the midpoint of the cigar.

Flavor: I will not break the D’Crossier Diplomacy Series Golden Blend flavor section down to sections because it was so consistent from start to finish. However I do not want you to misinterpret that as the cigar was boring – it was a phenomenal smoke.

What I do mean by consistent is that the cigar had the primary flavors (for lack of better words) of tobacco, a subtle sweetness, a medium body peppery  spice and caramel. All of these flavors seemed to intertwine each taking front stage at different points of the smoke keeping my palate very happy. The smoke delivered was semi-creamy and smooth while the body always stayed in the medium range.

Final Verdict: I wholeheartedly suggest everyone goes out and tries the D’Crossier Diplomacy Series Golden Blend cigar. It has just the right amount of spice, sweetness and tobacco flavors that everyone with palates in the medium to full body will enjoy it. Additionally the flavor is so unique and smooth (all the way down to the nub) you can always go to it for variation in your smoking lineup.

A few months ago I had the opportunity to sit down with Mr. Jesus Fuego over a bottle of wine and discuss anything and everything that was on our mind – just two friends relaxing after a long day of work. Of course our conversations eventually lead to cigars and what Jesus was planning for the next few releases. And with passion, as anyone who has talked to Fuego knows there is no other way, started telling me about the newest size in the Origin line (this cigar is now released) called the “Originals”.

Jesus explained that the Originals cigar was based on a technique that he, his father, grandfather and everyone else in his family has used since they were in (and even before) the tobacco business.  When it was time to test a blend or leaf or any new component they would grab a raw natural leaf and place tobacco in the middle, as this is the only area of the leaf that would actually hold tobacco, and roll it up.  It would create a smoke that was fat in the middle and very thin on both ends. After pinching off the excess ends they would then smoke and evaluate the combination before sending it off to the rollers for the initial test run. Jesus explained it created quite the “ugly little stick” but it got the job done.

Now fast-forward to the end of 2009 and Mr. Fuego has just gotten back from a trip to the farm.  Unable to sleep due to the jet-lag he called up a friend in the cigar industry to have breakfast.  Forgetting to bring any cigars with him Jesus, being the kind gracious host that he is, was embarrassed he didn’t have a smoke to offer his friend.  However he remembered that he still had some of his Origin “ugly sticks” in his shirt pocket he had rolled to test the consistency of his tobacco from previous releases. Hesitantly pulling it out Mr. Fuego apologized for not being prepared and offered it away.

Upon smoking this oddly shaped, smaller, yet very tasty cigar his friend posed the ultimate question of why Fuego just didn’t release this stick as the next size in the Origin line. After all in his mind he thought this was just an absolutely amazing creation (you will find out why once you smoke these) and people would actually enjoy smoking a sort-of raw, undoctored cigar.

Perhaps this is an appropriate time to say “and the rest was history”.

From the Origen Originals Package:
“Our secret revealed. Its shape, draw and unique way of rolling it have made this Vitola my family’s first and favorite tool when evaluating all our tobaccos and blends since 1876. A truly Original smoking experience. Enjoy. Jesus Fuego.”

Construction: These Origen Originals are the “ugly little sticks” – what am I really supposed to say about the construction aspect? They are in-fact ugly little sticks. The wrapper is rough, veins can be seen and it’s not very pretty to look at.

Draw: These cigars already come with a cut end. Actually the only way you can tell the difference between the foot and the head is by a faint little cap line that still resides on the top. Regardless of which way you smoke it (as I am sure someone will smoke the wrong end) you will get the standard J. Fuego perfect draw that create mountains of perfect smoke.

Burn: Are you still seeking perfection from these handy little cigars that are supposed to be rough and raw? Admittingly so was I and the Originals have no problem delivering. You will get a great burn with a very thick peppery ash that only falls off once tapped.

Taste: I don’t want to dwell too much on the flavor of this great stick as this is an experience every smoker should try on their own. However I will mention that this mini cigar is the exact same blend found in the other Origen sizes.

Like the other sizes you will find a good amount of earthy spice, toasty notes and really enjoyable straight forward tobacco. It is very consistent from start to finish and I can guarantee you will light up a second the moment you are done with the first.

Final Verdict: Only a few select retailers (rumored to be around 100) will receive these 5 packs that should sell in the $12.xx price rage. The size of the Originals are perfect for any moment, the flavor is amazing, the price point should just jump out of you – and in other words if you can find these at your local retailer pick up at least 2 packs.