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.

Today’s cigar in review is the Carmelo Blue by Honduras Caribbean Tobacco. I was first introduced to this cigar while attending the 2009 IPCPR in New Orleans.

I was out for drinks one evening with a few acquaintances when my cigar supply had somehow dwindled down to zero. A young man noticing my dilemma offered  me the Carmelo Blue cigar and a light. After the first initial puffs I was immediately in love with the cigar and joined in a long “B.S.” conversation the rest of the evening.

While speaking to him I was unable to get more information about the Carmelo Blue. I was just told to enjoy it and seek out the Honduras Caribbean Tobacco booth if it was really something of interest to me. I was able to locate the booth and to my surprise this man, Clayton, was working. It turns out Clayton was actually the owner of the company.

Construction: The Carmelo Blue wrapper has a slightly reddish color that looks amazing against the dark blue/purple band. My eyes can visually see some veins but they can not be felt with my hands. The tobacco is packed in there nice and tight ensuring there are not soft spots.

Draw: Since the tobacco in the Carmelo Blue was densely packed I was a little hesitant to start off my smoke with just a punch. However, to much surprise, the Carmelo was drawing like a champ! Each puff required just a slight tug to pull the right amount of thick spicy smoke.

Burn: You’re not going to hear any complaints from me on the burn of the Carmelo Blue. Every single stick created a nice thick ash that was slightly gray in color. Perhaps the perfectionist might notice that the burn was slightly jagged but it never required any corrections.

Flavor: As I sat down on a nice cool evening just after eating dinner I was in the mood for a specific kind of cigar. I wanted a no-nonsense cigar that would be smooth and spicy – this is exactly what the Carmelo Blue delivered.

The first third of my cigar was medium in body and carried the right amount of spice. It wasn’t a pepper stick that would overkill your palate and keep you sipping on water throughout. It was just a medium spice that complimented a very smooth thick smoke. It was interesting how the smoke also left a different flavor of spice on your palate on the exhale and remained until the next puff.

There are not too many noticeable changes in the middle of the Carmelo Blue. If your sense of taste is sensitive enough you may start to pick up a little bit of cedar lingering in the background. Body may slightly increase to the more full range and the spice is still right in the middle. The smoke is still giving me a different flavor profile of spice on the exhale of the thick smoke.

By the time you get to the final third of the cigar the tobaccos and flavors have all married very well. Changes include a slight introduction of dry coco that can be found in the smoke. The body has increased somewhat but many will still find this in the medium range. A straightforward spice, a hint of cedar and a bit of coco make this a great finish.

Final Verdict: The MSRP on this stick is somewhere in the $6.xx-7.xx range. This is a cigar that always transitions and keeps the palate entertained with spice and subtle flavors. It comes in 8 different sizes that will be sure to please any smoker out there.  Because of this I can do nothing but recommend you give this brand/cigar a shot in your humidor!



Ladies and gentleman, cigar smokers from around the world, allow me to introduce you to the newest Antano cigar. This dark and mean spicy powerhouse is standing at 5 inches tall and packed with 75% Ligero leaf; all components come from the country of Nicaragua – Joya de Nicaragua Antano Dark Corojo.

JDN-ADC, as it was titled during production, was introduced at the 2009 IPCPR. It has five sizes to choose from Azrosa (4.5×52), El Martillo (5.5×54), La Pesadilla (4.75×60), Peligroso (5×44) and the Ponderoso (6×48). The JDN-ADC carries a badge of honor on the footer claiming “Doble Fuerte” or Double Strong after the potency of the cigar. Joya de Nicaragua also claims to use a special kind of Ligero that is thicker than the standard dubbed the “ligeron“.

Today’s cigar review is sponsored by Casa Fuma Fine Cigars in Gilbert, AZ.

Construction: Joya de Nicaragua Antano has a very toothy mean looking wrapper with veins running down all sides. The very dark Nicaraguan Corojo wrapper, grown in the Jalapa region, has a good amount of oils protruding. Tobacco is packed in firmly to eliminate any possibilities of soft spots but allows for a slight pinch.

Draw: Draw is fabulous on this little powerhouse of a cigar. Due to my size (Peligroso) and my lack of a small puch, I opted to cut the cigar to get the perfect amount of smoke that fits my style. For those of you who don’t like mouths full of smoke please invest in a smaller punch as this would be the cigar to use it on.

Burn: Antano Dark Corojo had a very jagged ash that required a couple of touch-ups. However the most troubling characteristic about the burn was the flaky ash that was generated. If you aren’t careful you’ll end up having more ash on your clothes than your ash tray.

Flavor: Initially the Joya de Nicaragua Antano Dark Corojo starts out with a powerful spice that is sure to scare the occasional smoker away. The space is very sharp and is felt both on the draw and exhale of the smoke. In the background I can make out a faint mixture of dry, almost sour, chocolate and coffee. After taste is a full body spice that leaves your palate craving more. At the end of the first segment of the Joya de Nicaragua Antano you will get a better introduction to that coffee/chocolate I was referencing earlier.

When I reached the middle of the cigar that sharp taste has advanced into an enjoyable sour. However the primary flavor is that of the spicy tobacco. The JDN-ADC is very interesting and intriguing at this point where I find myself taking bigger draws just to decipher what I am tasting. Smoke from the draw and exhale is still very sharp and also spicy creating a very unique full body cigar.

At this point this is how the Joya de Nicaragua Antano Dark Corojo is going to finish out. The finish is never bitter and the smoke is spicy and smooth till the very end.

Final Verdict: Joya de Nicaragua Antano Dark Corojo Peligroso retails in the $8.xx range and can be found online in the low $6.xx. The Antano Dark Corojo is priced perfectly for this cigar, it delivers something unique and because of this the Antano should make it into your rotation of cigars. Yet this Dark Corojo is intended for the full body smoker who loves spice and a flavor profile that travels the unbeaten bath.

PuffingCigars.com is not only a B&M supporter but we also a support boutique cigar manufacturers. Today we are happy to introduce you to a great cigar company called Honduras Caribbean. This is a true cigar company that owns their own farms and means of production in the Honduras. Starting in 2005 by a gentleman named Clayton this cigar company strives to “offer an affordable cigar with a premium quality taste and appearance.”

The Maduro by Honduras Caribbean is the cigar we will be reviewing today. The Madruo comes in four sizes: Robusto (5×52), Churchill (7×50), Torpedo (6×54) and the Gordo (6×60). From the website the Maduro is described as “Our first 100% sun-grown cigar from the Honduras Caribbean farms in Trojes.  This natural maduro is a powerful and intoxicating cigar with a complex, rich finish.”

Construction: If there is one thing a boutique manufacturer should be able to do it’s control the construction of their product hitting the market. I am proud to announce that the Maduro by Honduras Caribbean was able to do just that. They provide you with a very dark Sun Grown Honduran wrapper that was grown on their own farm in Trojes. The tobacco, again grown on their own farms, is packed into the cigar giving it a nice weight and feel. Looking at the cigars you might be able to see a single faint vein from the toothy wrapper.

Draw: Feel free to choose whatever method you would like to open the cap on the Honduras Caribbean cigar. Regardless of choice you get the perfect draw with just a slight bit of resistance. Your palate will be greeted with just the right amount of smoke for the perfect smoking experience.

Burn: Slightly jagged from start to finish you will not have any issues smoking the Maduro cigar down to the nub. The ash is gray and perfectly able to hold it’s own until you give it a nice firm tap in the ashtray.

Flavor: Doing a pre-light smell/taste on the Maduro by Honduras Caribbean will give you a really good indication to how the cigar is going to smoke. You can smell and the earthy tobacco and wrapper you will soon be greeted with.

From the get-go the smoke is very smooth and very easy on the palate. The most memorable aspect of the cigar is that it will not deliver the “typical” maduro sweetness your taste buds can easily get bored of. Overall the cigar is just great tasting tobacco many will describe as earthy. On the exhale you will also get a slight spice that can barley be noticed but actually rounds off the flavor profile for a great experience.

Towards the end of the first 1/3 I’m picking of a little dry coffee/chocolate taste, again only strong enough to compliment the tobacco. This is exactly how the middle of the cigar will smoke. However I will say the spice has become a little bit more prominent in the finish.

The spice becomes even stronger yet as you enter the final 1/3 of the cigar. At this is the point of the Maduro by Honduras Caribbean you will officially transitions from the medium to full body range. Flavor is still a dry chocolate/coffee that just pairs well with the tobacco that’s packed inside.

Final Verdict: Retailing in the $6.xx range, and even if this cigar had cost more, it is a great buy. It is too easy to create an “okay” cigar with a typical Maduro taste. However very complicated to great a great cigar that provides you with a real sense of the tobacco as the Maduro by Honduras Caribbean has done. So, if you can look past the glitzy advertising of others and want a very solid cigar that will truly bring you enjoyment at a great price – then buy a box of the Maduro by Honduras Caribbean.

Construction: This toothy wrapper is oily, dark and beautiful to stare at. The tobacco was packed heavy and you will not find any soft spots on the La Flor Dominicana L-200. A single medium sized vein may be found but will not effect the burn.

Draw: The La Flor Dominicana L-200 was smokable with punch but performed perfectly with a cut or a deep v-cut. It had the right amount of resistance to prevent the small cigar from burning hot and the smoke was still plentiful.

Burn: The burn on the La Flor Dominicana L-200 was perfect and created a gray ash.

Flavor: When you are smoking a cigar that is smaller in size you decrease the chances of the filler tobacco playing a major role in the complexity or flavor profile. Generally speaking you then increase the chance of your palate only recognizing the wrapper that is used on the cigar.

This is exactly what happened as we were smoking the La Flor Dominicana L-200. From start to finish you palate will be filled with the aroma and taste of the Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper. Sumatra wrapper, again generally speaking, is going to deliver the same consistent flavor regardless of what cigar your smoking it on.

With a small cigar that has very little tobacco to intrigue your palate some people will find this boring. Granted that the Ecuadorian Sumatra is spicy – this is really all it has going for it.

Final Verdict: La Flor Dominicana L-200 Cabinet Oscuro retails for around $6.25 and can be found online at the $4.50 price mark. This is a cigar one would buy if they like smooth cigars and/or truly enjoy the taste of Ecuadorian Sumatra. Others who strive for something more complex or demand more value for their hard earned dollars should not purchase the stogie. If you really want to try this type of cigar I would suggest getting a larger size for a couple of cents more. The tobacco then might just make this smoke worth it.

Construction: If the wrappers all got together to have a last man standing brawl, I would put two stacks of high society on the El Titan de Bronze Maduro San Andres Wrapper.  This Mexican San Andres  dark beast is toothy, carries some medium sized veins, looks rough, and makes the cigar feel firm.

Draw: The Redemption Maduro has a medium draw that requires just a bit of effort to pull the thick smoke through. It is enough resistance to make sure the cigar doesn’t burn too fast, or too hot, and comfortable enough to fully enjoy the cigar. I would suggest cutting the Redemption wide open.

Burn: The burn on the El Titan de Bronze Redemption Maduro is great and has never required any corrections. The ash is medium pepper gray in color and appears flaky. However while the Redemption Maduro may appear flaky the ash holds quite well and will not fall into your lap.

Flavor: As you hear us rant through the Redemption video you quickly realize that the flavors being produced a very unique to  this cigar. While the components being used to construct the El Titan de Bronze are not unique themselves (many will argue on the wrapper) the blend is very complex and creates quite the buzz on your palate.

Upon initial light you realize that this is not the sweet Maduro you may be used to, you are greeted with an earthly powerful spice.  As you smoke through this segment you may encounter cocoa, coffee, earthiness, and some other unique spices. The smoke is thick and coats your palate but it does not leave the typical Maduro sweetness, again, it has a finish that is a bit earthy.

The middle of the cigar doesn’t loose any complexity. The most notable change is going to come from the finish of each puff. The spice has lessened a bit and you now get a hint of the sweetness a typical maduro will leave. Because the spice has slightly subdued you will experience more of the cocoa flavors.

You get a great, complex, cigar from start to finish. As you end the cigar you seem to experience everything again as if it were reminding you of the enjoyment you had. Or maybe it’s the Redemption Maduro’s way of waiving bye and enticing you to smoke it again.

Final Verdict: The cigar retails for about $7.xx at the B&M and somewhere around $6.xx if you can find it online.  If you like complex cigars, spice, unique wrappers, new cigars, or supporting the small cigar company – then the El Titan de Bronze Redemption Maduro is the cigar for you! We recommend buying two boxes of which one will be used for aging. These Redemption Maduros are fairly new but we believe have great qualities that do even better with a little shelf time.

Construction: Sam Leccia, or we should say Oliva Cigars, have a great reputation for creating high quality products at an amazing low price. Initially hearing this cigar was a “straight Ligero” I figured we were going to be looking at a very dark, rough, sun beaten wrapper. As you can see from the video this was far from the case. The Cain was firm to the touch and the wrapper was very smooth containing minimal veins.

Draw: Let’s chalk another one up for the reputation and quality of Cain Oliva. Punch the cigar, use scissors, bite it – either way you are getting the perfect draw full of thick, butt kicking, smoke.

Burn: Has anyone ever seen the thick white ash a Nub creates? If not, you might have noticed it on the Oliva V, V maduro, or the Master Blend. The Cain cigar follows suit creating the photogenic ash everyone would love to show off. A small 5×50 from Cain took about 1 full hour to smoke.

Taste: With three different type of Ligero composing 82% of this cigar would anyone expect, or even accept, anything less than a blast of spicy power?

Initially your palate will be flooded with a very full bodied cigar producing a black pepper profile. After some initial puffing you may start get a feel for the toasty and leathery notes you will encounter later. Cain is very complex on the profile despite being extremely powerful.

Continuing to be complex and interesting the black pepper blast has finally decreased enough to enhance the overall smoke. The woodsy note will be the most prominent secondary flavor assisted with a bit of earthiness. A sweetness comes through with the thick smoke and remains on the palate until your next draw.

Finishing the cigar is an absolute joy. Much to my surprise the Cain cigar is very creamy and smooth.  You will get an equal mix of black pepper, spice, wood, and earth finished off with just that right amount of sweetness. Cain is a complex smoke that any full body cigar lover will enjoy.

Final Verdict: Price range for the Cain F is about $6 per stick at your local B&M. The F, which stands for Fuerte, is used to designate this specific cigar/package as something different from the Cain line. If you find these boxes or individual sticks online you might be required to make a regular Cain purchase but that’s a good idea anyways. I am interested to see how such a Ligero filled power house cigar will age. Regardless this is a complex and wonderful smoke now and you should go out and pick up a box.

Brazilian Corjo wrapper is making its way into the cigar industry. Development of this wrapper took approximately 3 years before it was deemed worthy enough to introduce. The first wrapper of this type will be used by the masterful J. Fuego.

And why did J. Fuego get this privilege?

Well, his father happens to be the grower of the the Brazilian Corojo. This means it will be exclusive for the first couple of months before the Corojo is then sold to other producers of cigars.

Have you ever wondered if you were really getting a good value on your cigars? Let me give you another tidbit of cool information:

Jesus Fuego requires all of his cigars to be fully packed with tobacco. Take a 777 (or anything in his line) and, with sizes being equal, you will almost always find that the Fuego cigar weighs more than the other stick your comparing it to.

Try this little test at home and let me know what kind of results you come up with.

Now enjoy a brief introduction from Dean Laffey, representative to J. Fuego cigars at Casa Fuma cigar lounge:

Construction: The Brazilian Corjo wrapper makes a mouth dropping cinnamon brown wrapper with a red tint. It appeared to be a little toothy with very minimal veins. You will never find a cigar from J. Fuego that has soft spots, it just wont happen.

Draw: J. Fuego cigars typically have a medium draw that require just a little tug to pull the smoke through due to the amount of tobacco used in sticks. That being said, I would recommend cutting the Brazilian Corjo and everything will be downright perfect.

Burn: PuffingCigars.com should make a standard canned response for some of these cigar makers, J. Fuego being one, that tells you just now perfect the burn is. Since I don’t have one just yet so let me give you these words: “perfect“, “straight“, “amazing ash“, and “great smoke“.

Taste: Light this stogie up and get ready for the Brazilian spice. There is a bit of earthiness that I can just make out over the spice and it’s a great flavor combination. But quickly into the first 1/3 of the J. Fuego the spice settles down and that earthy flavor makes more of a pairing instead of just being an undertone. The Brazilian Corojo is leaving my palate dry.

At the midpoint of the cigar the spice is settling in the back of my throat. Earthiness seems to be the main profile my palate is picking up. There is a sweetness you can also sense (maybe depending on how sensitive your palate is). The J. Fuego is really, really, starting to mellow out now.

Welcome spicy cedar. I thought I was picking this up at the end of the middle and I’m glad it’s here. Earthiness is the major flavor profile still, an interesting earthiness I contribute to the Corojo wrapper. The body has increased and still remains in the top end of the medium or the low end of the full spectrum.

Final Verdict: J. Fuego 777 Brazilian Corojo will have a low $5.xx price range. With a great price point, a dynamite blender, and a really unique Brazilian Corjo wrapper backing this cigar you must absolutely give it a try. It’s interesting, it’s complex, and all around great so I won’t blame you for buying a box (I did).

Are you a serious smoker? The kind of cigar aficionado who can conquer the strongest, meanest, cigar on the market without blinking an eye? Or maybe you just enjoy a full bodied cigar with a great blend that you can enjoy after a big full dinner?

Well allow me to introduce you the a cigar by EO cigars, made for their 601 line, blended by the famous Don Pepin Garcia: 601 Green Label Habano Oscuro.

I always allow the marketing gurus at the cigar companies tell their own stories before giving my own opinion. The United Tobacco (EO brands) website has the following information about the Green 601:

“It is handmade in Esteli, Nicaragua, exclusively for United Tobacco, by Pepin Garcia. This version of the 601 is an exquisite blend of aged Nicaraguan tobaccos wrapped in exquisite, oily Nicaraguan Habano Oscuro. This green labeled cigar is by far the fullest and strongest of the 601 Serie, if you enjoy a full bodied smoke, this is it. The 601 Green is a full bodied cigar which has been perfectly blended to exude a superb taste, flavour and aroma while maintaining it’s strength.”

Construction: 601 Green label is a very dark, oily, and intimidating cigar. The wrapper had some minor veins that you really can’t see due to the overall color of the stick. It had the usual “perfect Pepin” construction and was really full of tobacco.

Draw: Perfect. There isn’t a single cigar from the 601 group, or even the EO cigar family, that comes to mind with anything less then the perfect draw. You have to give them credit for the quality control.

Burn: I always feel like the more you have to pay for a single cigar ($9.00) the more perfect it should burn. The 601 Green was a bit jagged in its burn but never required me to touch it up. The solid ash is peppery in color and each puff produces thick creamy smoke.

Taste: Please fasten your seat belt prior to takeoff – the 601 Green label is a full bodied cigar from first puff. A familiar Don Pepin black pepper seems to be the primary flavor while accompanied by a nice coffee profile. The smoke is thick and creamy and coats your pallet with ease.

At the mid point of the 601 Green label I would say the flavor profiles switched roles. A nice coffee was the primary and a black pepper lingered in the background. There was an introduction of something sweet, something that really had my peaked the interest of my pallet. It’s really unique, and interesting ,to have such a full strong cigar introduce a sweet calm flavor.

Closing this full bodied cigar down in the final third was a perfect mixture of a sweet coffee, pepper, and creamy smoke. When reflecting on the cigar I realized that all flavors are similar but slightly different to make this a complex smoke.

Final Verdict: The local lounge should have these in the $8.xx-$9.xx range and online around $6.00. 601 Green label is a great deal either way. If you are a full bodied smoker – look no further – 601 is a must have cigar for your humidor. While you are purchasing this 601 Green label you might also want to pick up the other lines of the 601 . They are all great and it’s impossible to say which one is best.

Siglo Limited Reserve is the new line of cigars being introduced by the Altadis U.S.A. cigar company. The Siglo Limited Reserve cigar line is a prime example of just how Altadis has put forth zero effort to be different in the cigar world.

They took the opportunity to name the cigar line after another cigar in Cuba called the…Siglo. Altadis was even kind enough to give it the same numbering structure using roman numerals. Making this cigar a complete knockoff is the band which happens to be the same layout/design and more importantly using the same symbolic colors.

Did you pay Cohiba for their ideas? Maybe just send a thank you card?

I wasn’t able to dig up too much information on this, surprisingly, really good smoke. The only lounge, retailer, or website that seemed to have any information was this short story I found about the new Siglo Limited Resrves.

“This is the first time they are making an exceptional Nicaraguan Cigar, handcrafted under the guidance of celebrated master blender Frank Llaneza. This cigar, characterized by it’s extraordinary boldness, complexity and a rich, fuller body. Siglo Limited Reserve’s bold flavor is derived from the finest Broadleaf binder and hand-selected Dominican and Nicaraguan long filler tobaccos, highlighted by a robust Ecuadorian Cubano wrapper.”

Construction: Your eyes will focus on nothing but the bright yellow shiny (and impossible to photograph) band. Shortly after you will say “Wow, that’s a rough looking cigar.” At least that’s how my first impression went on the Siglo Limited. The wrapper is semi-oily with a nice medium color. Veins can be seen and felt around the wrapper along with the wrap lines created by the rollers. It’s rough.

Draw: The Siglo Limited Reserve X has the perfect draw. Each puff will create lots of smooth slightly peppery smoke.

Burn: I don’t know why but I expected a Cuban wannabe  cigar to have a really ugly burn. Maybe it’s the memories of friends smoking fake Cuban cigars from Mexico. Either way this was not the case. You get a nice, even, perfect burn with a peppery colored solid ash.

Taste: As soon as your remove the cellophane wrapper from the Siglo Limited your nostrils will flare and a raw tobacco smell will enter your nose.

So let me just cut to the chase: The Altadis knockoff creation is a consistently good smoke that just delivers the flavors of cured tobacco leafs. It’s the no BS, give me what I want, keep it simple, don’t forget the silky-smooth smoke type of cigar that everyone can enjoy from time to time.

For everyone who wants some more specifics on the Siglo: A light spice will sit in the back of your throat until you finally put the nub down. At the midpoint you have a slight woody flavor that is quite enjoyable. The ending will deliver a nice leather flavor that barely increases the body.

Final Verdict: Siglo Limited Reserve can be had online and at the local B&M in the $5.xx-7.xx price range. Get over the rip-off design, forget the attempt to reference Cuban cigars, just ignore everything that is annoying and smoke this stick. Pick up the Siglo for your humidor and enjoy this good creation from Altadis. I also want to make note that the Siglo Limited and the “raw tobacco taste” does really well with some age.