Surfing the Twittersphere and asking people for suggestions on my next cigar review many gave praises to the La Caridad Del Cobre by Frank Herrera.  This is a new cigar that was introduced at the 2009 IPCPR.

Frank Herrera is a name you might have heard before. He is the intelligent gentleman who runs CigarLaw.com and keeps us informed on the various legal matters that arise in the cigar industry.  Mr. Herrera has tapped the shoulders of master roller Manuel Medina of Cuban Crafters to have the La Caridad Del Cobre created.

Being a new cigar I was unable to locate any locally in Arizona. Coming to our rescue was Brian White (@smokinonthe13th) who graciously provided some of his samples to smoke.  So thanks to Mr. White and the Twitter recommendations we now have the La Caridad Del Cobre cigar review.

Construction: My first thoughts when I take a look at the La Caridad Del Cobre cigar is that it appears dry because the wrapper has zero sheen to it. Aside from the dull appearance the La Caridad Del Cobre has just a few larger veins that can not be felt with the hand. It feels like it has a good amount of tobacco with enough give in the tobacco to give me the impression that it will have an effortless draw.

Draw: Just as I suspected! With just a small end of the cap taken off the La Caridad Del Cobre you will get a plethora of smoke rushing into your palate and nose.

Burn: La Caridad Del Cobre produces a lot of smoke while sitting at rest. The cigar will not burn too fast or hot, so please don’t make that assumption. But it’s almost like the La Caridad Del Cobre is sending out smoke cigars letting everyone around you know that it’s sitting there ready to go.

The real important part about the burn of this cigar is that it will burn perfectly straight, not require any corrections or work and produces a thick gray ash. Maybe the smoke signals are intended to draw attention to its perfect form?

Flavor: La Caridad Del Cobre makes “no apologies for our smooth and gentle smoke” and I couldn’t have said it any better. The La Caridad Del Cobre is a very mild and straight forward cigar that anyone can consume.

From start to finish you get a sense of the mild tobacco that is used in the creation of cigar. The body never leaves the mild range and does a great job of picking up the other flavors you might be introducing with your drink of choice.  I can tell you that in the smoke, more specifically on the finish, you get a ever-so-slight  hint of spice.

Final Verdict: La Caridad Del Cobre retails in the $7.xx range. That being said I have to let you know that I think there are some other mild body cigars that are more complex (better), cheaper and have a better price range (Perdomo Champagne or Camacho Connecticut). However, I also think the La Caridad Del Cobre is a good cigar for what it is. This is something that every mild-medium body cigar smoker should have in their humidor and something that all the full body smokers should keep if they love the taste of raw tobacco. So pick some up, give them a try and let me know what you think about the La Caridad Del Cobre.

Focusing on the boutique Cuban Crafters brand is my attempt in finding you a company with wonderful cigars, top customer service, but doesn’t require you to go broke in the smoking process.

I have reviewed the Cuban Crafters Cameroon, Cuban Crafters Cabinet, Cupido Tuxedo, La Carolina, and now for my favorite cigar from the brand: the Cupido.

To keep with the theme of the cigar reviews I have included the text from the Cuban Crafters website:

“Cupido Criollo Revolucion are box-pressed beauties. They are the original boutique premium cigars that have won so many awards throughout the world. Produced using perfectly aged Cuban-seed habano long leaf binder and filler, Revolucion are wrapped in the best ultra premium Criollo wrappers that feature a dark and smooth silky sheen. Smoking a Cupido Revolucion is an experience not to be missed by any serious cigar lover.”

“All the Cuban seed tobacco used in each cigar is from the Cupido Vegas, a small tobacco field in Esteli, Nicaragua that yields extra rich tobacco. Every cigar is individually rolled by the expert hands of the traditional Torcedores of Tabacalera Esteli.”

Construction: The Cupido is a very well constructed cigar. There were no major veins, the tobacco was firmly packed, and the square press body wrapped in a heart shaped band looks good. The wrapper has an oily sheen that will tempt you to give this cigar a try.

Draw: Perfect. I would go into more detail about each puff producing a cloud of great smoke, and which method I used to get my draw, but it doesn’t matter. Cut, punch, or v-cut will give you a great draw.

Burn: The Cupido burns at a great rate but was a little jagged throughout the entire smoke. It’s not a big deal because the cigar didn’t require any touch-ups.

Taste: The 1/3 of the cigar has a sweet taste but also gives you a real feel for the tobacco in the cigar. I’m drawing out a coffee flavor with a hint of wood. Smoke being produced is very thick and full. It will leave a slight spice on your pallet.

2/3 of the cigar still has the sweet taste, its very pleasant and I am glad it stayed around. The wood flavor is becoming more prominent enhancing the tobacco taste. The sweetness has taken backseat and the smoke continues to remain thick. Burn through the midpoint of the cigar is also jagged but does not need any correction.

Wood, coffee, tobacco, sweetness, and a wonderful thick smoke that coats your pallet all join in to make the final third of the cigar a real enjoyment. The body increases ever so slightly making sure the Cupido does not become boring.

Final Verdict: $85.00 for a box or $3.40 for a single cigar means you should absolutely purchase a box (or at least try a stick). For the money, this is one of the best bangs-for-the-buck value smoke. If price was not a factor I would still suggest you give it a try. The Cupido is complex enough for a seasoned smoker and smooth enough for the new guy (or girl) joining the cigar party.

There are many cigar makers out there who produce and market “Cameroon” cigars. Did you know that to be a true Cameroon cigar the wrapper has to come from Africa?

The cigar makers know this but will continue to produce cigars with wrappers from other countries and label them as Cameroon.

The reasoning? Cost. Cuban Crafters has taken the time to produce a true Cameroon wrapper that is still easy on the wallet.

“In search of the perfect blend, various tribes in Cameroon, Africa were visited by our scouts. After years of searching an ultra premium Cameroon wrapper was located. It blended perfectly with the premium Cuban seed tobacco from Tabacalera Esteli. It is grown by a tribe in a small village on the western edge of Cameroon, close to an active volcano named Mount Cameroon. The country’s most fertile soils are in this region, and the tobacco is among the world’s most expensive. The ultra premium Cameroon wrapper was then fermented to perfection and blended with the best leaves from Tabacalera Esteli.”

“Each toro size cigar combines the finest and most expensive Cameroon cigar wrapper leaves with the best Cuban Seed Habano tobacco from Tabacalera Esteli. The Long-Filler and Binder are virgin sun-grown Cuban-Seed Habano tobacco that has been fermented 5 times before being hand rolled.”

Construction: Dark caramel in color, this Cameroon wrapper is easy on the eyes. You might see a light medium sized vein that runs somewhere on the cigar. Most of the wrapper consists of small veins that can not be felt. This was the first Cuban Crafters cigar that was not firmly packed with tobacco.

Draw: Punch the Cuban Crafters Cameroon. This specific Cameroon cigar has the easiest draw out of all the other Cuban Crafters I tried. Each effortless puff produces mountains of rich smooth smoke.

Burn: Cuban Crafters Cameroon did not give me any real problems while I was smoking. The burn will become a little jagged but it will not require any touch up work.

Taste: Cameroon cigars generally have the same flavor profiles and this cigar is no exception. Throughout the entire smoke you get some consistent wood and floral notes. This cigar is very earthy and leaves your pallet dry. Smoke from this Cuban Crafter has a light spice that is needed to make this cigar interesting.

Final Verdict: Cuban Crafters Cameroon cost $100.00 a box or about $4.00 a stick. If you enjoy Cameroon wrappers, a cigar with an easy draw that produces lots of smoke, or a stick that goes well with your morning coffee: Then give this cigar a shot. There was not enough complexity for me to buy a box – but again I will get a few sticks for a nice morning smoke.

A dark  sultry wrapper embraced by a simple white band and finished with an eye catching pigtail top: This is the Cuban Crafters Cabinet Selection.

“Cabinet Selection Robusto Cigars are handmade by experienced rollers with many years of experience. The Long-Filler is a sun-grown Cuban-Seed Habano. The Binder is an outstanding quality Habano 2000. It’s all covered with a flawless dark Habano Wrapper.”

Cuban Crafters takes great pride in how these box pressed cigars are made:

“They are made the old-fashioned way and taste like the cigars from Cuba used to. As the rest of the Cuban Crafters Cigars, they are TOTALMENTE HECHO A MANO, which means that from start to finish they are completely made by hand. Not just a cigar gift, but a work of art.”

Construction: The first thing you notice on this Cuban Crafters cigar is how dark and oily the wrapper looks against the bright white band. Cuban Crafters Cabinet Selection has prominent veins that you can easily see and feel. Like the other Cuban Crafters cigars the tobacco is firmly packed.

Draw: I cut this pigtail cigar so there are no loose ends from the ripping or punching of the top but I have a feeling you would get a perfect draw either way.

Burn: At the start, the Cuban Crafters Cabinet looks like it’s going to be a champion with a nice white ash. When you really get into smoking, or after the first couple of puffs, the burn starts to travel its own path. I would suggest keeping a lighter near by for some minor corrections. By the end of the cigar the burn actually evens out on its own and finishes with that nice ash.

Taste: Cuban Crafters Cabinet Selection starts off with an explosion of leather and a hint of chocolate. The chocolate is in the background and just strong enough to really compliment the leathery taste. Smoke from the first 1/3 of the cigar is just a tad spicy and a bit light on the pallet.

Body starts to increase as you hit the middle of the cigar. Leather is the primary flavor I can detect and the chocolate has faded a bit more to the background.  A woody flavor comes into play making this cigar interesting. The spice is also stronger, which I love, and the smoke is thicker and is doing a good job at coating my pallet.

Now we are into the medium-full body range of the cigar. Unfortunately the spice has faded but the woodsy flavor has increased. This simple change has made the cigar complex enough to enjoy down to the nub. I only ashed the cigar twice during my session.

Final Verdict: A box from Cuban Crafters is $79.99 or about $3.20 per stick. Keeping that in mind I would suggest you pick up some sticks and give them a try. The tobacco and flavors are great but you will have to correct the Cabinet when you are smoking. If you don’t mind putting in a little bit of work – then go for it and buy these.

La Carolina makes high end, great tasting cigars for anyone on a budget.

From various stories on the internet it appears that the La Carolina got its birth after the original Cupido cigar ceased production, using the same tobacco and blend.

“This is the same great tobacco and blend that was used to make Cupido Cigars by Tabacalera Esteli, and that gained Cupido the distinction of the number 1 rated medium-bodied cigar in America.”

Again the Cuban Crafters website does an excellent job of describing the cigar, so here it goes:

“They are meticulously Box-Pressed. Each cigar is totally hand made with aged long leaf Binder and Fillers, wrapped in extra premium Wrappers. Every hand rolled cigar is made by the expert hands of the traditional Torcedores of Tabacalera Esteli.”

“They have that special naturally fruity tobacco taste and low nicotine content that made Cupido Cigars the top rated medium body cigar in America. Each is handmade under extremely high quality standards and in very limited quantities. Only 7,000 boxes are available yearly.”

Construction: Let me begin by just saying that the overall construction on this “value” cigar is really great.  On average you might see a vein or two but it does not affect the burn.  The box pressed cigar was filled with tobacco and contained not a single soft spot.

Draw:La Carolina and the box pressed shape provided me with a perfect draw. Each puff on the cigar will give you a good amount of flavorful smoke that coats your pallet.

Burn: As you can see from the pictures below the “Taste” section the burn is not obsessively-perfect, however we aren’t too obsessive on a $3 cigar. The La Carolina required no extra work and the ash was nice and white.

Taste: La Carolina cigars have a sweet aroma that seeps through the packaging they arrive in.  To no sunrise- the pre-light smell, taste, and draw test are also very… sweet.

The theme only continues as you being to smoke the box pressed beauty. La Carolina does have a predominantly sweet profile but you can detect a hint of spice. A slight, barley-there, leather finish is in the smoke to help balance out the cigar.

After you hit the midpoint of the La Carolina the sweet profile will finally start to fade. The body of the cigar increases as the spice becomes more prominent. Your smoke will contain the same leather finish but you will get more sense of the true tobacco flavor.

Overall your flavor profiles stay pretty consistent and provide a perfect balance of “taste” and actual tobacco.

Final Verdict: Do you like sweet cigars that you can smoke in the morning and pairs wonderfully with your coffee? What about a cigar that is flavorful enough to smoke mid day while you sit by the pool? Or even at night after that long day of work? Of course you want a cigar like that. Purchase the La Carolina and enjoy its rewards. The cost is only $70.00 a box or about $3 a stick. This is one of the best bang-for-the buck cigars.

I always try to introduce a cigar with some relevant, fun, or even random information. Sometimes, I just simply draw a blank.

Other times I feel like the cigar company, Cuban Crafters in this case, puts out a description/story that I can not compete with.

So here it goes:

“Cupido Tuxedo are dark, rich and flavorful. They are produced in the Dominican Republic with seriously aged Ligero long leaf Filler and Binder.

This fine blend of Nicaragua and Dominican Republic Cuban-seed tobacco is draped in an ultra premium Habano Maduro wrapper that features a silky sheen. Unlike most other Maduro wrappers, this one is naturally cured over many years to preserve the tobacco’s delightful flavors. Each cigar is rolled by the expert hands of traditional Cuban Cigar Torcedores, assuring consistently perfect construction.”

And now let me formally introduce you to the Tuxedo wearing Cupido:

Construction: Staying true to the “Tuxedo” name this cigar has a dark, formal looking wrapper. The semi-oily wrapper of this Cupido is very well constructed and very few light veins can be seen. Using the “touch” test I was unable to locate any soft spots and burned fairly well.

Draw: Due to the firmness of the Cupido Tuxedo I always elected to cut the end. The draw will require a tug but not to the point where the cigar is not enjoyable. Sometimes I wish the Cupido would have produced some more of its creamy smoke.

Burn: Cupido Tuxedo has a slightly uneven burn that starts right after the first 1/3 of the cigar. Fortunately it is very minor, self correcting, and still producing a very firm white ash.

Taste: From the light the Cupido Tuxedo is giving me a nice medium body profile. You will initially get a hint of something sweet in the background that mixes in very well with the prominent tobacco flavor. The finish has a bit of spice that really makes the cigar enjoyable.

The ash at this point is very firm and very white. There are lots of other “premium” (high cost) cigars that do not produce such a great ash.

Starting the 2/3 of cigar and the body is still sitting in a medium range. Sweetness has taken the forefront of the flavor war. You still really get a sense of the tobacco as a prominent taste that hits your pallet. Mocha has started lingering in the background while the spice still rounds everything off.

Completing the Cupido Tuxedo is still as enjoyable as the first two thirds of the cigar. The Cupido has not gotten bitter and has really maintained a great smoke. The body has only slightly increased and the smoke is at the most creamy point.  Flavor profiles have not changed.

Verdict Is: The Cuban Crafters Cupido Tuxedo (that’s a mouth full) is a very good consistant medium bodied cigar. The flavor profiles make it a great cigar to drink with coffee. Purchasing this cigar from Cuban Crafters has a 25 box cost of $169.99 or about $6.80 per stick.  I  have to say because of the price point, quality, and service you will recieve: Give this cigar a chance, it’s worth the try.