cigar of the day

Gurkha-Black Ops

photo.PNGGurkha, a name synonymous with the warrior elite. The Black Ops in my opinion fell a little short of this high standard. The Kaizad Hansotia brand is all about luxury and I wonder if the Black Ops is trading off the name a little?
On to the stick.. A Maduro wrapped binder with Cuban seeded long fillers. As it’s lit you’re immediately hit with a huge gust of smoke and a deep hit of dark chocolate. The smoke didn’t let up at all, but for me personally I was disappointed with the lack of other flavours. I’ve heard of espresso, leather and spice, but I struggled to pinpoint these. The ash was perfect, right to the end of this 90 minute stogie.
Have I been spoilt by Gurkhas other brands, Evil, Beast and Red Witch, maybe? Would I try another, absolutely! After all, all Black Op missions can be hit and miss.

Website: GurkhaCigars.com

Article by Distinguished Ruffian member @Ian300

The 5 Vegas-Relic Perfecto 5.75 X 54

photo.PNGA glorious box to match a glorious cigar? Absolutely! 5 Vegas have come up trumps with this special edition. Take one of these Relics out of the box, and it’s like Indiana Jones with the Holy Grail. Except this Relic goes up in smoke. Only comes in one size a very healthy 5.75 X 54 Perfecto.

A dark oily Corojo wrapper envelopes the Dominican blends within. So, let’s light up this bad boy! The aroma is amazing, reminiscent of a deep dark espresso. As you take your first puff you are hit with a subtle mix of flavors, black coffee and raisins with a peppery aftertaste on the palette.

The burn was excellent, even all the way down with a great ash. It took me around 1 1/2 hours to smoke the Relic and it’s a smoke that I would happily try again. Become a Relic hunter, track these down. I guarantee you won’t be disappointed.

 

Article by Distinguished Ruffian Member @ian300

MoyaRuiz’s La Jugada Prieto

IMG_0363It’s no secret that the founders of MoyaRuiz, Danny Moya and Nelson Ruiz, love to play dominos. From that love a cigar line was born. La Jugada “The Play.” MoyaRuiz has put great attention to detail in manufacturing these cigars and has produced an amazing product. The MoyaRuiz cigar line is something that cannot be ignored.

The La Jugada line has two cigar types that are readily available, the Habano and Prieto. While both are outstanding cigars I prefer a darker, fuller flavored cigar so I prefer to smoke the Prieto (meaning “dark” in Spanish) and this review will be on their Robusto 5 X 52.

The construction of The Prieto is wonderful. A dark Mexican San Andre’s wrapper covers the cigar giving it a dark roasted almond to coffee bean color with rich oils. While pressing along the stick I noticed few veins in the wrapper and there appears to be no noticeable imperfections in the body. It feels firm but still pliable to the touch and is clearly well rolled with the perfect amount of tobacco.

The hand selected Nicaraguan long fillers and binders of this cigar have some wonderful aromas. A sniff around the body brings a smell of wet hay, dark chocolate, and a hint of leather. Spending some time around the foot began to show this cigar’s complexity. The smell of licorice, pine, and dried apricot were noticeable making this an appetizing cigar.IMG_0365

It cut easy with no cracking and lit even easier. Because of this cigars excellent construction the draw is smooth and effortless. A fair amount of smoke is created by this cigar and feels light and billowy on the tongue. The initial flavor is of pepper and spice that finishes with a hint of dark chocolate. As the cigar reaches it’s mid-point the spiciness begins to lessen while the chocolate flavor becomes a little more apparent. It also begins having slight coffee and cream notes. The last quarter of the stick is a full of coffee and chocolate with the spices hiding quietly in the background. The cigar burned evenly and was enjoyable the whole way through.

If you are trying to find a new everyday maduro this is the cigar for you. It’s well-constructed body and excellent choices in wrapper, filler, and binder combination makes it a fantastic smoke for anyone with a discerning palate. Next time you’re in your local smoke shop and are wondering what to try… look for a MoyaRuiz.

 

Wrapper – San Andres

Origin – Nicaragua

Shapes – Robusto, Toro, Belicoso, Double Corona, Ancho

Brand: MoyaRuiz

Website: moyaruizcigars.com

Rating: 4.6 out of 5 pints