Each Saturday and Sunday we’ll post a Quick Smoke: not quite a full review, just our brief verdict on a single cigar of “buy,” “hold,” or “sell.”

The Alec Bradley Prensado has gotten plenty of buzz lately after being named Cigar Aficionado‘s Cigar of the Year, but I’ve generally preferred the Family Blend, which was released around the same time. This time, I’m smoking the “VR1″ size (5.5 x 50). It’s a medium-bodied cigar with good balance. The flavors are woody and roasted, and the construction is excellent. And yet, this particular cigar was uncharacteristically flat. I’m still a fan of this line (and even this size), but this single cigar just didn’t have the complexity I’ve come to expect from the Family Blend.

Verdict = Hold.

-Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

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Each Saturday and Sunday we’ll post a Quick Smoke: not quite a full review, just our brief verdict on a single cigar of “buy,” “hold,” or “sell.”

I really enjoy the Lonsdale in this blend, which I reviewed back in March 2011. But I continue to find the Robusto (5 x 48) to be less than spectacular. For some reason, this vitola in the Habano Ecuadorian-wrapped line doesn’t have the sweetness or the balance of the Lonsdale, leaving the main profile of dark coffee, pepper, and leather to be too singular and sometimes bitter. I have all the respect in the world for Pete Johnson and Tatuaje, but I don’t consider this El Triunfador to be worth the $7 it retails for.

Verdict = Sell.

-Patrick A

photo credit: N/A

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Each Saturday and Sunday we’ll post a Quick Smoke: not quite a full review, just our brief verdict on a single cigar of “buy,” “hold,” or “sell.”

Every time I light up this Abe Flores creation I find myself wondering why I took so long to come back to it. I may not light up a Cubano Especial Capa Natural Robusto (5 x 52) very often but, when I do, this Ecuadorian Connecticut-wrapped smoke never disappoints. It has a tremendous flavor of dry oak, vanilla, nuts, and cream that’s complemented by some floral notes. And the construction is outstanding. For its sub-$5 retail price, this is a steal.

Verdict = Buy.

-Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

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Each Saturday and Sunday we’ll post a Quick Smoke: not quite a full review, just our brief verdict on a single cigar of “buy,” “hold,” or “sell.”

This lancero is a relatively new and limited cigar from the Liga Privada Unico Series, which is the home of experimental, one-off cigars from Drew Estate including the Dirty Rat and Ferel Flying Pig. The L40 (7 x 40) uses a Connecticut stalk-cut Habano wrapper, Brazilian Mata Fina binder, and Nicaraguan filler. It tastes of earth, dark chocolate, oak, and coffee. It’s medium-bodied and not nearly as spicy or interesting as the Dirty Rat. This is a good smoke, but at $13 each, I prefer almost every other Liga Privada cigar I’ve had.

Verdict = Hold.

-Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

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Each Saturday and Sunday we’ll post a Quick Smoke: not quite a full review, just our brief verdict on a single cigar of “buy,” “hold,” or “sell.”

This Torpedo (6.1 x 52) is more my size than the large Gordo-sized version I reviewed last summer. The Nicaraguan and Honduran cigar has plenty of talent behind it, as La Palina worked with Alec Bradley to develop the cigar, which is made in the Raices Cubana factory in Honduras. The result is an earthy, full-bodied smoke with a bit of spice, black coffee, and bittersweet chocolate. Even at around $11 each, it’s an cigar that’s not hard to appreciate.

Verdict = Buy.

-Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

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Each Saturday and Sunday we’ll post a Quick Smoke: not quite a full review, just our brief verdict on a single cigar of “buy,” “hold,” or “sell.”

Like the Riserva di Famiglia that I reviewed in December, this blend is made for Tennessee’s Bellaterra Ranch by the Toraño family. It features Nicaraguan binder and filler tobaccos wrapped in a golden Ecuadorian wrapper. Italian for “the sweet life,” the blend has a light, sugary profile of honey, oak, and toffee, and the physical properties—despite a somewhat stiff draw—are excellent. This is a good selection if you’re looking for a mild lancero that’s off the beaten path.

Verdict = Buy.

-Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

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Each Saturday and Sunday we’ll post a Quick Smoke: not quite a full review, just our brief verdict on a single cigar of “buy,” “hold,” or “sell.”

My colleague thought well enough of the re-launched, Pepin-made El Tiante Habano Rosado that I thought I better check it out.  This well-made 5 inch by 50 RG robusto, features an oily Ecuadorian Habano wrapper around Nicaraguan binder and filler. Like my colleague, I found a medium-bodied cigar, with classic Pepin spice and woodiness. It features clove, toast and oak with a cinnamon finish, and it’s well constructed. I really enjoyed the pre-Pepin Tiante blend, but this current blend also has a lot to offer. Fans of Pepin’s many cigars (of which I include myself) should definitely seek out this balanced, well-made cigar.

Verdict = Buy.

-Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

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Each Saturday and Sunday we’ll post a Quick Smoke: not quite a full review, just our brief verdict on a single cigar of “buy,” “hold,” or “sell.”

My first impression of this cigar was that the dark wrapper could pass for leather almost as easily as Connecticut broadleaf tobacco. It’s that thick and heavy looking. Not unexpectedly, it took awhile to get the foot fully lit and the burn was slow from start to finish. The 52-ring gauge stick exhibited the deep, rich, and nearly sweet flavors common to well-fermented maduros. Fans of reasonably priced cigars, maduros, or Ernesto Carrillo should pick one up.

Verdict = Buy.

-George E

photo credit: N/A

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Each Saturday and Sunday we’ll post a Quick Smoke: not quite a full review, just our brief verdict on a single cigar of “buy,” “hold,” or “sell.”

La Riqueza isn’t Pete Johnson’s most glamorous blend. However, I think it might be the most underrated. This little (4.4 x 42) cigar demonstrates why La Riqueza always impresses me. It has excellent construction and combustion qualities. The petite corona-sized smoke tastes of dry chocolate, roasted flavors, and woody spice. It’s medium- to full-bodied with excellent balance. Despite being a 30-minute cigar, it still demonstrates ample complexity.

Verdict = Buy.

-Patrick S

photo credit: Stogie Guys

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Each Saturday and Sunday we’ll post a Quick Smoke: not quite a full review, just our brief verdict on a single cigar of “buy,” “hold,” or “sell.”

Released in 2009 by cigar maker Alec Bradley, the Prensado blend sports a box press and a corojo wrapper that’s grown in Trojes, Honduras. I reviewed the Robusto (5 x 50) back in July 2010 and recently decided to spark up another that I had been storing since late 2009, just to see how time had impacted the flavors. What I found was a cigar that has the same basic profile—black pepper, coffee, a chalky texture, some sweetness—but is slightly more toned down. I’m still underwhelmed by this blend, and I think the price point is too high, even though the cost seems to have come down from the original MSRP of $10.

Verdict = Sell.

-Patrick A

photo credit: Stogie Guys

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