Top 15 cigars smoked in 2012

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These may not have all been released in 2012 but I smoked and enjoyed them all for the first time in 2012.

If you have not tried any of these I think you are missing out!

Cuban Stock Extra Bomba
Cuban Stock Extra Torpedo
CroMagnon Mandible
AKA Respect Anchors Away
AKA Solace
Alec Bradley MAXX -The Culture
Cuban Stock 231 Rockhill – D.Robusto
Grimalkin Robusto by Emilio Cigars
Cuban Stock Cigars Exquisito Double Capa
Cuban Stock Triumph – Torpedo
Cuban Stock Royal Selection Box-pressed Robusto #4
Gurkha Black Dragon Fury Nublizer
Padilla Miami Oscuro Limitado Robusto
Warlock Robusto
AKA Hybrid – Advanced Brain Stimulation – Corona

I know 2013 will be an even better year! I also have some exciting stuff in the works and it should be unfolding soon.

Stay tuned…..

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AKA Solace

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 A few weeks ago AKA Cigars released their newest blend the “Solace”.  This cigar features all aged tobaccos and a Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper and my friend Jay at AKA sent me a few sticks to review. Since the Hybrid and Respect are two of the finest cigars made, why would the Solace be any different. I know first hand that if you look at the picture below and see the smooth shade-grown Connecticut wrapper you want to think this is just another top-shelf Connecticut cigar, but that’s not the case at all. This definitely isn’t your mama’s Connecticut! So, lets see how the Solace pans out.

Quick Details

  • Cigar Size: Elation 6×60
  • Wrapper: 4 Year Aged Ecuadorian Connecticut
  • Binder:  4 Year Aged Honduran Criollo from the Eiroa Family
  • Filler: 4 and 5 Year Aged Triple Filler of Dominican and Honduran Tobaccos from the Kelner and Eiroa Families
  • Price: $8.30 in boxes of 18

 

AKA SolaceOnce this cigar was unwrapped and in-hand it did look like any other top-shelf Connecticut wrapped cigar, but from that point on nothing was ordinary about the Solace. This stick was packed well and the cold aroma had a slight floral aroma with hints of honey and toast mixed in. Once the end was clipped the cold draw was free and even with notes of toast, tobacco and a touch of earth. Nice!

Once the Solace was lit, I knew I was in for a treat. The first puffs were pure sweet cream then about 1/4″ into the stick hints of white pepper joined in along with a ceder like spice and then a touch of earth. By the mid-point  the white pepper had transformed into black pepper adding a bit more kick to the strenght. In the final third the cream came back along with some toast and some white sugar giving the Solace a long and tasty finish right down to the nub.

Overall this was a great cigar and is now on my “to buy” list. It had all the creamy goodness of a traditional Connecticut cigar, but it had an added kick from the spice. AKA did it again with this one!  If you are looking to depart from the norm, this just may be your cigar.

Appearance and construction: 19
Flavor: 19
Smoking characteristics: 19
Overall experience: 19
Purchase Price: 18
Total: 94

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Cuban Stock 231 Rockhill D.Robusto

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 In 2011, Cuban Stock Cigar Company moved into a new warehouse at 231 Rock Hill Road. To celebrate this event they created a new, budget conscience  blend with a rare Ecuadorian Corojo wrapper and named it the 231 Rockhill.

 Quick Details

  • Cigar Size: D.Robusto 5.5×56
  • Origin: Dominican Republic
  • Wrapper: Ecuadorian rare Corojo
  • Binder: Dominican
  • Filler: Dominican
  • Price: $4.25 in boxes of 20

 Cuban Stock Cigar 231 RockhillThe 231 is another top of the line cigar from Cuban Stock Cigar.  It has a medium thickness wrapper with a nice amount of tooth, very fine veins and you can tell just from looking that this one will develop a nice oily sheen once it’s going. The cold draw was perfect and had nice tobacco flavor notes and the wrapper left a nice aftertaste on my lips.

Once it was burning the real fun began. I found this cigar to  have a very complex flavor profile that included notes of sweet red wine, toast, roasted nuts, sweet cream, tobacco and a bit of earth and it kept me on my toes guessing which flavor might develop next. But for me the long sweet cream finish was the icing on the cake!

 The burn line was razor sharp the entire length of the stick and it left behind a tight white ash that held on until the mid point.

This is another top of the line cigar from Cuban Stock Cigar.  Give it a try I am sure you won’t be disappointed.

Appearance and construction: 19
Flavor: 19
Smoking characteristics: 19
Overall experience: 19
Purchased Price: 18
Total: 94

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Cuban Stock Cigars Exquisito Double Capa – Perfecto Long & Exquisito Mini

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No Peaches, but loads of cream!

 I have wanted to smoke a “barber pole” wrapped cigar for ages but hadn’t had the chance until last week and let me tell you, it was a real treat. These Equisto Double Capa’s From Cuban Stock Cigar were fantastic! Today I want to try something a bit unique so I will combine the reviews for these two cigars.

 Quick Details

  • Cigar Size: Perfecto Long 7×48 – Exquisito Short 4.5×48
  • Origin: Dominican Republic
  • Wrapper: Maduro – Connecticut
  • Binder: Dominican
  • Filler: Dominican 8 years old aged in a coffee factory.
  • Price: around $5.00 online

I smoked the short last week and the long today. The flavor profile on both cigars was fantastic, but at the same time both they were very different. From the first puff the short offered a steady steam of nuts and sweet cream while the long offered a mix of earth, mild chocolate and sweet cream. I would rate both cigars as medium bodied and full flavor with consistently good flavor from start to finish.

Construction on both cigars, as with all Cuban Stock Cigars, was top notch. Both stick contained only veins on the smaller end of the scale, the draw was perfect and the wrappers left a nice sweet aftertaste on my lips. The burn was dead-on for both cigars full length and I smoked them both down to a half inch nub.

 Once again this is another top-notch, top drawer line of cigars from Cuban Stock Cigar and being my first barber pole wrapped cigars, I was very impressed!

Appearance and construction: 19
Flavor: 19
Smoking characteristics: 19
Overall experience: 19
Purchased Price: 18
Total 94

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