Por Larranaga Belicoso Extra Asia Pacifico Regional Edition

Todays review is the Cuban Por Larranaga Belicoso Extra 2008 Regional Edition from Asia Pacific. Por Larranaga is a very overlooked Cuban brand that i havent smoked too many of actually. The brand is best known for the Petite Corona, which is a very tasty little cigar! This cigar measures in at 5.5 inches X 52 ring gauge.

The wrapper has a slightly uneven coloring to it, and is nice and oily. It feels a little soft, but not squishy. It is probably a little on the wet side and should have been dry boxed for a day, but i didnt think about it yesterday so oh well. The cap isnt the prettiest, and is a little sloppy, but held together fine. The bunching at the foot shows a very nicely rolled cigar.

The predraw is a little loose, but not a wind tunnel, and shows nice flavors of citrus, caramel, and a little bit of earthyness. Starting off this is a medium bodied cigar and a bit of a slow starter. The dominant flavors are a creamy caramel and citrus zest with a tiny amount of earthy flavor as well. The burn wasnt as even as i would have liked, which is probably due to a combination of the cigar being slightly wet and the breeze out on my balcony.

At the halfway point i touched up the burn a bit which stayed pretty even after that. A cinnamon like spice flavor showed up with the citrus and was a great adition to the flavor profile. Unfortunately, a bit of gooey tar showed up at the head of the cigar at this point, but a little trim with my Palio cutter got rid of that and it didnt show up again thankfully. In the final third of this smoke, a really pleasant graham cracker like flavor presented itself, with the citrus notes toning down quite a bit. The last inch or so became a bit acrid, probably due to the looser draw and youth of this particular cigar.

I enjoyed this cigar with a Fat Tire Amber Ale, but in the future i think a Hefeweizen would do really well this blend and would really make the citrus flavors pop even more.

Overall, i enjoyed this cigar, but i think if i had more of them i would let them sit for at least another year. More age would probably help round out the flavors towards the end of the smoke and due away with the harshness of the final third of this cigar. I love the belicoso vitola so it was nice to see the Por Larranaga blend in this size. If you are a fan of the Por Larranaga flavor profile, i think you would enjoy this cigar immensely, especially with another year or 2 on it. These have a ton of potential to become a very good cigar!

Arturo Fuente Anejo no.50

Todays cigar is one of the more rare non Cuban cigars on the market. The Anejo is right up there with the Opus X as far as hard to get cigars, and is usually released twice a year, fathers day and Christmas. This cigar has a Dominican binder and filler, with a Connecticut broadleaf maduro wrapper that is aged in Cognac barrels, giving the wrapper a very distinctive flavor. The cigar is enveloped in a cedar sheath, which tends to add a bit more cedar flavor to the cigar, and just looks nice. The wrapper is jet black, with plenty of oils and really toothy.
The predraw flavor is rich and sweet and definitely tastes like nicely aged tobacco. The initial flavors are rich, much like the predraw, with cedar, dark chocolate, and a very nice sweetness, almost like molasses. The woody sweetness is probably from the wrapper leaf aging in Cognac barrels. This is starting out as a nice medium bodied cigar, and very smooth. The smoke is silky and really coats the palate with its rich sweet flavors. The ash is really hanging on, showing how nicely this cigar is constructed. The burn line is very even, which is always a plus. This is a very consistent cigar flavorwise, remaining very rich and sweet, but not overly sweet. This cigar isnt nearly as strong as the Opus X, its a solid medium bodied smoke with a very different flavor profile. Ive heard that it has a very similar blend to the Opus, but im certainly not tasting it. I think that the wrapper is what really makes this cigar unique and is the main contributor to the rich flavor profile.

Much like the Opus X, there is a lot of hype around the Anejo line. They are made and released very seldomly, which really drives up the price and collectability aspect for this cigar. The retail cost for this cigars is around $8, but the cheapest ive seen them is for around $15, and for as much as $35 a piece. Ive smoked a few Anejos before, and enjoyed them all, but i think if i am going to buy a high end Fuente product, its going to be an Opus X. I find the Opus spicier and more intriguing flavorwise. The Anejo is a very tasty cigar, but personally i prefer more spice over sweetness. If you are a fan of maduro wrappers and Dominican Tobacco, then the Anejo is a must try, especially if you can find them for a reasonable price. Are they worth the high price tags that most shops sell them for? Thats a personal decision ,but for me, there are other cigars i would buy if im going to spend over $10 bucks per cigar.

Im drinking a Fat Tire ale with this cigar, but i think next time i would go with something like a Mojito. The fresh sweetness of the mojito would work really well the the burnt sweetness of this cigar. Sometimes a sweet cigar needs something to balance out the sweetness, and having a sweet drink like a Mojito seems like it would be too much sugar, but its a different kind of sweetness. This cigar has a very dark and rich sweet flavor, like molasses, kind of burnt. A Mojito has the very bright minty sweetness and tangyness of the lime and for me, would work really great with this kind of cigar.

Bolivar Gold Medal

It finally stopped raining today, so i decided to do this review out on the deck. The Bolivar Gold Medal is a Lonsdale and measures in at 6.5 inches x 42 ring gauge, and is definitely a favorite size of mine. The presentation is really nice, with the gold foil and La Casa Del Habano band under the classic bolivar band. The wrapper is very supple and oily, with a nice reddish hue. It was applied with great care and topped with the triple cap you should see on all Cubans. These come in boxes of 10 for about $130 bucks.

The draw on this cigar is impeccable, with a very earthy flavor that i have come to expect and love of Bolivars. There is also a slight cocoa flavor on the lips, but its very subtle.
The first third of this cigar is classic Bolivar, with a dank, earthy flavor profile that is very enjoyable. This is a creamy cigar that really coats the palate. This had a slightly youthful characteristic, but was still very enjoyable. The burn is a little uneven, but that could be due to the breeze out here on the deck.

The second third of this cigar still had that great earthyness, but with the cocoa flavor showing itself a bit more with a bit of leather in there as well. This cigar really settled down and became very enjoyable in this second third. There is also a slight toasted bread flavor that is very nice! The burn evened out nicely. This is a solid medium bodied cigar at this point.

The final third of this cigar was very rich with a long finish. A bit of cedar flavor showed up towards the end of this cigar and the body moved into the medium/ full range.

Overall, i loved this cigar, it just puts a smile on my face! The size really worked with the Bolivar flavor profile and the presentation is one of the nicest out there. Any fan of Cuban Bolivars should enjoy this cigar and its dank earthy qualities. While i enjoyed this cigar now, i can see where some would want at least another year or 2 of age on it. This will definitely get even better the longer its in your humidor.

Illusione ECCJ

Todays cigar is the Illusione ECCJ. This cigar was commissioned by European Cigar Cult Journal to commerorate their 15th anniversary. The blend is supposed to be different from the normal Illusione line, with a corojo wrapper over a blend supposedly tempered for the European palate. They were released in boxes of 15 in very limited quantities, and luckily i have a friend who picked up a box and sent me one to try! The cigar is a corona gorda, measuring in at 5 5/8 X 46 ring gauge.

You can tell that they took their time when rolling these, the construction and wrapper are flawless. It is topped off with a triple cap, which more and more Non Cuban companies are using now. This shows that extra care was taken when rolling these because this style of cap takes a bit more skill and time.

The predraw on this has a ton of flavor even before lighting of nicely aged Nicaraguan tobacco. The first few draws after lighting show a very dense, woody flavor with a slight bit of leather in there as well. The finish is very crisp and clean. I reviewed the regular Illusione corona gorda back in December and really enjoyed it, and this has similarities but you can tell it is definitely its own blend. This cigar has a slightly bitter characteristic to it that i have found in most Illusiones. It is not a bad bitter flavor, just different.
As i get further into this cigar, the bitterness is toned down a bit with a little sweetness showing up to balance out the bitterness. I passed a bit of smoke through my sinuses (which i dont enjoy doing that much) and was greeted with a bit of pepper i wasnt getting before. This is a solid medium body cigar with a very full complex flavor. Im thinking i might have to start keeping some more Illusiones in my humidor, i really enjoy Dion's cigars.

Overall i would definitely recommend this cigar, and if you can actually find them, buy them! These are not going to be easy to come by so if you get the chance i would jump on it. Anyone who enjoys a full flavored Nicaraguan cigar will not be disappointed with anything by Illusione.

On a side note, i noticed the guys over at Stogie review (one of the larger review blogs out there) did a review on this cigar recently to check it out if you want to here what someone else has to say about this cigar! http://www.stogiereview.com/2009/04/19/illusione-eccj/