Cigar Review

Flor De Selva Maduro

Flor De Selva 25 years ago Maya Selva started Maya Selva Cigars with the Flor de Selva in France. Since then the brand has grown and several lines have been added to her portfolio along with distribution to over 30 countries including the US. About a year ago I was gifted a some of her cigars and having smoked a few, and liked them, I thought it was about time to write about the smoking experience I had with them.

The wrapper is the color of roasted coffee beans. It has a nice oily sheen to it and is a but toothy. There is noticeable veining and the seems are tight, the body of the cigar feels full and well rolled. It has the smell of raisins, coffee and cedar. The cap cuts leaving no damage to the cigar and the cold draw has a prominent cinnamon flavor.

In the first half I enjoyed flavors of spice, coffee, and damp earth. The draw was easy but not loose, it produced a fair amount of medium weight smoke and burned evenly.

In the second half the the peppery spice remained but now had the addition of a wood flavor along with bitter dark chocolate that lasted for the remainder of the cigar. Smoke production remained consistent with the first half and the burn stayed sharp.

Knowing how long this company has been around and now knowing how good the cigar is I wish I had heard of them sooner. For those of you who normally shy away from maduros don’t be on this one, it does not have the heavy strength people generally associate with a maduro. To me it lands right around medium so this cigar is accessible to everyones profile. If you see them in your local shop make sure you pick up a few.

Year Of The Rat (2020) Liga Privada Unico Serie

Year Of the Rat Unico SerieThe Unico Serie, we all know it, we all like it, and we all try to get our hands on them. While the original 2016 release of Year of the Rat was challenging (to say the least) to get a hold of, Drew Estate’s launch of the Liga Privada Unico Year of the Rat 2020 will be available at upcoming Drew Diplomat events to coincide with the Chinese New Year.

Now, normally I don’t waste time talking about the labels or packaging, you have eyes, you can see what it looks like, I don’t need to describe it to you. However in this case it bears mentioning. While the bands are your classic style DE Unico bands the gold foil really makes this cigar stand out and makes you feel a bit like Charlie unwrapping his Wonka Bar to find the Golden Ticket underneath.  Once the foil is removed the wrapper underneath has the color of dark aged rawhide. While the seams are nice and tight, there is some veining noticed giving it a great rustic look and feel. The cigar feels well rolled and full but complies when pressure is applied with the fingers.

The smell from the body is earthy with notes of fresh cut wood and a chocolate sweetness, the sweetness is more prominent from the foot. The cap cuts with no issues and from the cold draw flavors of rich tobacco and chocolate are present.

The first half starts with the taste of red pepper and earth with a good meatiness to it. There is loads of smoke production that’s nearly heavy enough to chew on. The draw is easy and it burns evenly.

In the second half the flavor becomes even greater. A rich mocha coffee flavor comes to the front with pepper kicking its way in on the finish. It ended with a soft creamy finish, similar to reaching the bottom of a latte with a splash of licorice on the finish. The burn remained even and only had to be re-touched with the flame once due to operator error. The smoke production remained full and heavy for the duration of the cigar.

While each article is summed up by saying I enjoyed the cigar (this is because I choose to only write about cigars I like, who wants to waste their time reading, or writing, about a bad cigar) this was really a lot of fun to smoke. The flavor was very rich and complex combined with impeccable craftsmanship, this is one I smoked down until my fingers burned because I didn’t want it to end. The Year Of The Rat 2020 is only available for purchase at Drew Diplomat Retail events. Each store hosting a Drew Diplomat event will be able to purchase up to four boxes that will be made available for sale to us consumers. So while it might be a little difficult to find its worth searching out a DDRP event and pick up as many as you can get your hands on.

Wrapper: Connecticut Broadleaf
Binder: Brazilian
Filler: Nicaraguan and Honduran
Price: Around $16.00 – $18.00 a stick, of course you know there always discounts on box purchases at events so grab a box.
Rating: 4.9 out of 5 pints

 

Archetype Axis Mundi

Axis MundiVentura Cigar’s Archetype series is inspired by the work of psychologist Dr. Carl Jung and mythographer Joseph Campbell who defined ‘archetypes’ as the constantly repeating characters who occur in the dreams of all people and the myths of all cultures. Campbell discovered through his study of world myths that the ‘Hero’s Journey’ is a common storytelling arc that has been retold in infinite variations since time began. The Axis Mundi cigar received a 93 rating from Cigar Aficionado (in 2017) so while deciding what to write about next, I decided it was time to give it a try.

The cigar is covered in dark brown slightly toothy Maduro Habano Ecuadorian wrapper. On the wrapper there are some light but noticeable veins and a nice oily finish to it. Seams are tight, the construction feels firm to the touch and no dead spots could be found. The body gives aromas of dried fruit, citrus, hay and a bit of cedar. The cold draw has the flavor or raisin and tobacco.

The first half provides the taste of roasted nuts, spices and a touch of sweatiness I can not place. The burn is even and the ash holds easily to over an inch in length. It produces a medium amount of good weighted smoke with a pleasant aroma.

The second half relaxes into some new flavors. The creaminess of this cigar comes to the forefront along with earthiness, there is the sweetness of dried fruit accompanied with spices on the finish. Reaching the end large amounts of cedar can be noticed and the flavor, in general, is what I would describe as a full. By the midpoint, smoke production has increased to larger amount, the burn remains even for the duration of the cigar and the ash continues to hold tight until knocked free.

“Heaven meets earth” in this collaboration between Ventura Cigar and Drew Estate. This sublimely balanced Nicaraguan powerhouse “delivers rich, complex layers of spice, [dried fruit], maple syrup and charred oak”.

Wrapper: Maduro Habano Ecuador
Binder: Indonesia Sumatra
Filler: Habano Nicaragua
Price: Around $9.00 – $11.00 a stick depending on where you find them.
Rating: 4.7 out of 5 pints