Cigar Reviews

AK-47 Cigar Punch From Hollow Point Gear

Hollow Point Gear Cigar PunchWhen it comes to cigar accessories everybody needs a good reliable cutter. Now I know we all have our favorite one that stay with all of our usual cigar accoutrements, whether it’s a guillotine, scissors or a maybe a V notch. However how many times have you ended up somewhere with your travel kit, pulled out the cigar you’ve been looking forward to smoking all day and your lighter then had that “Where the hell is my cutter moment”? So what do you do then? Well you could break out your knife and hope you remembered to sharpen it recently so it’s sharp enough to cut the cap properly without damaging the whole thing (No comments Fran we all know you sharpen your knives religiously) or you could have the convenient AK47 cigar punch from HollowPointGear.com that slips right onto your keys with the attached grenade ring so you always have a solid back up plan.

I’ve had this little guy now for about two months or so now and have used it on at least 30 cigars and AK47 Cigar Puncheach time I’ve had no problems getting a solid, clean punch. It makes for a good draw on the cigar and most importantly doesn’t cause any damage to the wrapper. My only complaint with this thing is that there is no opening on the back of the shell to clear it so the cut caps do build up inside but this in only a minor issue. The bullet cigar punch is handcrafted with a real once-fired AK47 (7.62 x 39mm) bullet casing, and a real once-used (not sure what they did with the grenade after pulling the pin) grenade pin.

Do yourself a favor and pick up one of these AK47 cigar punches from Hollowpointgear.com. At a cost of $11.99 the first time you need it because you don’t have anything with you to cut that $12.00 stick this guy has already paid for itself. While your on the site be sure to check out their other items as well.

Cost: $11.99

Website: Hollowpointgear.com

Rating: 4.6 out of 5 pints

Southern Draw’s Jacobs Ladder

Souther Draw Jacobs LadderAfter having The Rose of Sharon at Cats Fest in Texas this year I was very excited to try Southern Draw’s Jacobs Ladder and being a fan of full-bodied cigars my anticipation level was very high. The cigar boasts a dark, full flavored maduro broadleaf wrapper from Pennsylvania. Inside is Nicaraguan long filler including Estelí Ligero and an Ecuadorian binder. Like the rest of their cigars the name comes from a flowering plant, Jacobs Ladder was used in ancient Greece for medicinal purposes, of course there’s also the biblical reference as well as the founders son’s middle name also happens to be Jacob.

The wrapper of the cigar is fairly smooth but has some large veining through portions of it. The roll feels tight and solid all the way along the stick but, as it should, gives when pressed between the fingers. The pre-light draw is not as difficult as I would have expected from how tight the roll felt. (Note: This cigar has a covered foot that I removed to inspect the bunching and aroma. If the foot were left covered the draw would feel more difficult.) The smell has a sweetness to it that reminds me of dried fruit and licorice and the pre-light draw is reminiscent of fresh brewed un-sweet tea.

Lighting was easy and the draw was smooth. With the first few pulls there is a large wave of spice and pepper, it’s the kind of flavor you’d expect from a blend like this. It burns evenly, the ash hangs on for easily an inch or so before I decide to knock it off vs. seeing how far I can go then getting upset when it falls in my lap. It produces plenty of nice heavy smoke that you can almost chew on. This flavor profile carries on for about the first half of the cigar.

Entering the second half the pepper and spices take a back seat to a nice punch of rich sweet tobacco and leather flavor. It’s the kind of flavor you would imagine WWII tank drivers must have gotten from their cigars. The burn remains even throughout the last half of this cigar with the pepper coming back in a bit more again towards the last third and continues to produce plenty of rich smoke.

This cigar was an absolute joy to smoke; in fact I took this guy down to a nub, which I rarely do. While it’s being said that it is a complex flavored cigar I think people are over thinking it, to me this is a great straightforward full flavored and full-bodied cigar. It is clearly on the heavier side so I wouldn’t recommend it for the novice smoker but any seasoned smoker that wants to remember what it’s like to taste what you are smoking should pick this guy up.

 

Wrapper: Pennsylvania broad leaf maduro

Filler: Nicaraguan long filler including Estelí Ligero

Binder: Ecuador

Sizes: Gordo (6 1/2 x 60), Robusto (5 1/2 x 54), Toro (6 x 52)

Price: $9.50 – $10.50

Website: Southerdrawcigars.com

Dim Mak From Moya Ruiz

Moya Ruiz Dim MakThe Dim Mak from Moya Ruiz is the third installment in their yearly limited edition line of cigars. While its been almost a year since it’s launch and only 700 boxes of 10 cigars were made, they have been one of my favorites and since there are still a few of these guys floating around figured why not get a review up about them. Like the two limited edition cigars before it, it has an Asian inspired motif and name as a nod to Cigar Dojo for their help in promoting the brand during inception.

Visual inspection of the Ecuadorian Habano wrapper reveals a smooth wrapper with little veining and a milk chocolate color. The construction looks clean and the seams are tight. The roll feels solid all the way down with no apparent dead spots, it feels full but also yields to light pressure.

The body gives a large fragrance that reminds me of an old library, that leather mixed with old books aroma. The cap was removed with a straight cut and came off with no rips or tears to the overall body. The cigar lit easily and the burn started smooth.

The start of the stick offers a good dose of pepper and spice to the flavor profile, with a bit of grassy notes. There was good full medium bodied smoke production and the burn went well and evenly. The ash was a little on the loose side. Not to the point that you had to ash after every draw but you’re not going to win any long ash contests here. This continues through the first half of the smoke.

The second half mellows a bit with the spices calming down and more of a zesty citrus note coming to the front. Smoke production remains constant while the burn gets slightly wavy from time to time but overall mostly even.

Overall this is a great cigar with an excellent construction with great strength and full flavor. In my opinion this is one of Moya Ruiz’s heaviest cigars. If you’re new to the smoking world be prepared for a lot of flavor and strength, if you’re a seasoned smoker you’re in for a treat.

Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano

Binder/Filler: Nicaragua/Dominican

Size: 5” X 54 Robusto

Price: About $10.00