Distinguished Ruffians

Guaimaro from Esteban Disla
Guaimaro from Esteban Disla

Good day Ruffian nation, T Money back for another cigar review. Today we’ll be tackling the Guaimaro from Esteban Disla. This name may be somewhat familiar to you. He is the co-owner and factory manager of Nica Sueno. Nica Sueno produces Roma Craft and also Powstanie. Oddly enough, this cigar isn’t sold through Roma Craft. The name Guaimaro comes from a nickname he was given in Cuba by none other than Sergio Cuevas. The name is an affectionate moniker that was given to skinny, dark complexioned boys that worked the farms of Cuba. (Guáimaro is also a town and municipality in the southern part of Camagüey Province in Cuba.) It is located between the cities of Camagüey and Las Tunas.He says he owes all he has to Sergio and couldn’t think of a better way to honor him. Now, let’s get into the nuts and bolts of this cigar. It is a 5×52 soft box-pressed cigar. It has a Mexican San Andres wrapper, Brazilian Arapiraca Castano binder with fillers from Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic. It has a lighter hue to it than most San Andres wrappers and has a bunch of visible veins throughout. This was originally released in November of 2016 with an MSRP of $7.50. This cigar was given to me by El Prez, Mitch, so I’m not sure of the amount of aging this specific cigar has. I used my new cigar scissors to slightly clip the cap off. The cold draw is wide open and has some chocolate sweetness and dark sod right upfront. Without further ado, let’s light this bad boy up.

Guaimaro 5×52 Soft Press

Right off the bat is a huge blast of earth and leather. The earth is so deep that it’s hard to taste anything else. Has a decent smoke output while the retrohale has a sharp horseradish sting that made my eyes water. If this holds through the cigar, it’s going to be a nicotine monster. Some semi-sweet chocolate is starting to show through the earth a bit further into the cigar. Some dried nuts are also lingering, but the earth is definitely the biggest flavor by far. Getting towards the end of the third, it has a wonky burn but nothing that needs to be addressed at the moment. The draw is excellent, while the strength and flavor are around medium.

Getting into the second 3rd, a smoked meat flavor is leaking into the picture. It’s not the greatest flavor, but nothing to dock in points. Slight cinnamon is mingling with the earthy flavor and the retrohale has calmed down to just a small horseradish bite. Not much transition going through the rest of the 3rd. The word of the day is definitely earth! Finishing up, the cigar is still about medium in strength and flavor. Burn has evened out nicely and the draw is still impeccable.

Rolling along into the final 3rd, a floral note comes to the forefront. It’s a welcome change from the earth bomb that was overtaking the cigar from the beginning. Retrohale is more of a white pepper bite than a horseradish bite like most of the cigar. The floral note continues, while the earth hangs on to let you know its never going away. Not much change until I finally nub it and send it to the bottom of the Stinky ashtray. The cigar ended up around med/full in strength and medium in flavor.

Well, truly not much to dissect with this one. Pretty straightforward stick throughout. Tons of earth dominated most of the stick, with some floral notes bringing it to the end. A few notes about the cigar that aren’t taste-related. As with most cigars out of Nica Sueno, the band was impossible to remove and ended up cracking the wrapper trying to get it off. Also, was a really wavy burn that took a couple of relights, but nothing too crazy. Other than that, not much to complain about. T Money score: 3.5 out of 5. Rebuy 5 pack.

If you like a tasty, earthy forward stick without a bunch of frills, this will be right up your alley. It would be a great stick if you’re reading or have something else you’re focused on. There are many still available on the market, so it shouldn’t be an issue getting your hands on a few to enjoy by yourself or with your best friends. I paired the cigar with coffee, but the earthy profile would be great with some scotch or even a floral gin. Until next time, remember to do something nice for someone and treat everyone like you want to be treated. Cheers family!

Wrapper –  Mexican San Andres

Binder – Brazilian Arapiraca Castano

Filler – Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic

Website: None available but you can find these on https://www.famous-smoke.com (DR Members don’t forget we have a 17% discount if your purchase in over $50. Contact Distinguished Ruffian if you need that discount code.)

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 pints.

  • Travis Peterson AKA T Money is the Co-Captain of the Arizona/New Mexico Chapter of Distinguished Ruffians. He started his cigar journey in 2007 and hasn’t looked back. Outside of cigars he has a passion for brewing beer, playing guitar, bowling and golf. He is also a self proclaimed grilling and smoking expert. 

Umbagog From Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust
Umbagog Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust

When this particular cigar entered the market I was working in a cigar shop and remembered when it hit the shelves. I was thinking “Umbagog, what an interesting name”. Even though I had been smoking cigars on and off for 18 years, I just smoked cigars. I didn’t really read or look into a cigar as much as I do now. Friends would share cigars with me, I would purchase one from time to time and if the cigar was good it was good. It wasn’t until a year or two later when I REALLY started to get into cigars; saving labels, writing notes, heck, even when I went to apply at the cigar shop I worked at, my resume was my book full of labels and notes. My foot was in the door and had no idea the exponential growth my journey would take me on. This brings me to this cigar “Umbagog”. 

Going back to when I first smoked it, not knowing anything about the cigar I enjoyed EVERY puff, draw, retro, right down to the nub. What an amazing cigar, sold a lot of them actually because it wasn’t just about how good the cigar was, but the price was phenomenal. In fact I had read that Steve Saka himself had referred Umbagog as his “version of an economy minded cigar”. With a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper and a Nicaraguan binder and filler one might think “How can this cigar be a budget or an economy cigar?” Well, the story with Umbagog goes back to the production of Mi Querida. During the quality control process, Saka felt that some of the Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper he was using was not aesthetically up to the standards of Mi Querida. While the wrapper wasn’t as pretty as Saka would like, the tobacco was still good. Rather then discard the wrapper, Saka decided to use the wrapper for another cigar. He chose to call it “Umbagog” and sell it at a lower price. To offset costs, Saka decided to package the cigars in bundles instead of boxes. 

This is where it really gets exciting to not only know what’s inside this beauty but the meaning of the name. Now, reiterating that when I first smoked this cigar I had zero knowledge of this cigar, yet; now, here I am, feeling blessed and honored to type out a review in hopes that you all enjoy the read, learn as much as I did in regards to “Umbagog”, and perhaps even smoke a Umbagog while reading this article.

Umbagog is a wilderness lake located in Coos County, New Hampshire and Oxford County, Maine. It is one of the most pristine lakes in the state of New Hampshire. The word itself is said to come from the Abenaki Indian Tribe which means “shallow water” and properly pronounced (um-BAY-gog) but as Steve Saka likes to pronounce it (along with most of us out there including myself) “Oom-BAH-gog”. Umbagog Lake is actually one of his favorite fishing lakes. This cigar is meant for the great outdoors; hiking, fishing, camping, whatever you might like to do and as Steve Saka says “This is a cigar that doesn’t pretend to be special or seek to elicit the ‘oohs or aahs’ of the cigar snobs. It is an honest, hardworking cigar that is meant to be smoked, chewed upon, and lit however many times you wish”. Speaking of lit, let’s get into this cigar. 

Before lighting up, as you know, I have to take a couple of dry pulls just to see if this cigar is really going to get me into the “Great Outdoors” mood. Leather, dark chocolate, coffee, earthiness, even a hint of molasses hit’s my palate. Yep, now I’m ready for a campfire right by the lake. Even if you can’t sit next to a lake right now, this cigar will definitely take you there, at least that’s where it took me. Upon light up, copious amounts of earthiness, espresso, oak, toasted almonds, and leather spring into action on my palate. Not really knowing what to expect, yet, if I was to anticipate a certain profile but, THIS is exactly how I would hope it would be. 

Smoking into the first 1/3rd of this cigar the Leather and Oak really stay prominent yet with a tad bit of spice coming through with a layer of cocoa. At this point of the cigar, as I continue to smoke into the second 1/3rd, I start thinking about campfires, the smells, the foods we might eat, the drinks that might be had, or just the essence of being outdoors doing whatever it might be that we love to do. Maybe it’s a psychological thing since “Umbagog” has got me wishing I was by a campfire the taste of s’mores comes to my palate. graham cracker, chocolate, toasted marshmallow and that smell of campfire smoke hit’s my nasal senses while sipping on some coffee. This is really a treat to be experiencing the journey this cigar is sharing with me. The flavor profiles continue to remain the same and to put Steve Saka’s words to the test “ hardworking cigar that is meant to be smoked, chewed upon, and lit however many times you wish” I wanted the cigar to go out a few times just so I can relight and see if I get the same flavor profiles. Steve Saka was NOT wrong. Absolutely positively true in every way, flawless, especially smoking into the last 1/3rd of this wonderful masterpiece! Toasted almonds, oak, leather, milk chocolate, fire toasted marshmallow, like having a creamy mocha, it’s rather unbelievable but oh so true to my palate. At least now I know what cigar I will be sure to have in my travel case the next time I go camping. 

Because “Umbagog” has the less atheistic Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper, the production of this cigar has been somewhat limited. Yet, Umbagog does come in six sizes; Corona Gorda (6×48), Robusto Plus (5×52), Toro Toro (6×52), and Gordo Gordo (6×56), Churchill (7×50), Short and Fat (4 ¾ x 56). Steve Saka wanted to also point out that even though this cigar is made in the NACSA factory in Esteli, Nicaragua, that this cigar blend is not identical to the Mi Querida. Umbagog uses different priming’s and occasional “broken” (long filler with breaks in one half of the leaf). So you know what this means, if you have not tried this cigar then it’s certainly a must try! Because I’m giving this cigar a 5 out of 5!!! Why?? You might ask, smokes well, relight’s good, it is rugged, the flavor profiles are amazing, the experience, AND the price. MSRP for a Corona Gorda is $6.45 (bundle of 10 @ $64.50) up to the Churchill size at $8.95 (bundle of 10 @ $89.50) It’s kind of a no brainer and to leave you with the words from Steve Saka “Cigars without compromise: This is an expression of our closely held ethos and states in just three simple words everything we wish to accomplish here at DTT. Cigars are more than just a passion for us; they are our life.”

Wrapper –  Connecticut Broadleaf

Binder – Nicaraguan

Filler – Nicaraguan

Website: www.dunbartoncigars.com

Rating: 5 out of 5 pints.

Espinosa Cigars Presents Comfortably Numb 2
Espinosa Comfortably Numb 2

Good afternoon Ruffian family and happy National Cigar day. Today we’re going to take a look at the Espinosa Cigars Presents Comfortably Numb 2. I’ll be honest, even being a huge cigar geek, I had not even heard of this cigar until it was sent in the mail to me by the Prez himself. Even that being said, the few hours of surfing the web, not much was available, and what I did find had a lot of contradictions. What I could find was that this had a corojo ligero wrapper with Nicaraguan and Honduran ligero fillers. It was made in just the one size, 6×52 toro and made by Erik Espinosa at La Zona factory. I couldn’t find when this was first released to the market, but all signs point to 2019-2020. This cigar has an MSRP of $8.60 and from what I could find, isn’t too widely available in the present market. Enough with the filler, let’s get to the reason you’re here.

At first glance, this cigar has a dark brown wrapper with a lot of veins that stand out much lighter than the wrapper itself. It almost reminds me of Liga Privada T52 in the way of appearance. I use my Palio straight cut to nip the cap and get a sense of the cold draw. The cold draw has a graham cracker sweetness that I hope comes through when I finally light this bad boy up. The cigar has a perfect resistance in the draw, so let’s set this guy on fire. I use a cedar spill to toast and finally light the cigar fully.

The first thing I get is a crazy smoke output. It’s not quite Nica Rustica level, but it sure is close. There is a lot of caramel right off the bat with a bit of cinnamon that lingers a bit on the tongue. The retrohale has quite a bit of white pepper that makes me sneeze instantly on the first draw. If this is a sign of things to come, this may end up in the full strength range sooner rather than later. Moving further in, it has like a french toast with syrup sweetness that lingers. By the end of the third, it is burning perfectly and is about medium in strength and flavor.

Slowly moving into the 2nd third, a weird soap flavor hits the palate. It’s not pleasant, to say the least. I hope this is because of the tunnel that started up after I ashed it. After a few minutes of letting the cigar sit, I have fixed the issue with the tunnel and the soap flavor has subsided for the time being. A mix of toast and dried cherry are coming to the front now and the white pepper on the retrohale has not calmed down as I get further in. Luckily the soap flavor is completely gone as I moved toward the end of the third. The draw is still good and the burn has not waivered since the beginning. 2nd third ends at a full-strength with a medium flavor.

As we start to wrap up the end of the cigar, the retrohale still stands out as the focus of this cigar. Sharp white pepper is still quite potent with a bit of cinnamon to make it less intense. A nice wheated bourbon flavor is coming through and I was wishing it would

have shown itself earlier. A metallic flavor starts to kick in with about half an inch left, so I decide to pop it into the ashtray and salute the dead soldier. Total smoking time was 1 hours and 30 minutes.

So, quite a lot to dissect with this cigar. A boatload of transitions, which is a great thing in my opinion. However, the changes did not seem to line up with the other flavors, making it kind of like choppy waves on a calm day. I wish the wheated bourbon flavor would have come to light earlier in the cigar, as well as the graham cracker that I got on the cold draw. The soapy flavor that came through in the 2nd third was quite the turnoff, but fortunately, it didn’t last long enough to damper the cigar. With that all being said, the T Money score is 3.5 out of 5, rebuy 5 pack.

For the price, this is a cigar worth seeking out. Tons of flavors with many transitions to keep you on your toes throughout the duration of this cigar. The retrohale packs a punch, so I would not suggest it for the mild to medium cigar smokers and not on an empty stomach if you’re prone to nicotine sickness. With all of that being said, it was a quality stick that if you can find one or 5, give it a shot. Share one with a friend, a family member, or even a stranger. Remember to do something nice for someone and treat everyone like family.

Wrapper –  Nicaraguan

Binder – Nicaraguan

Filler – Honduran and Nicaraguan

Website: www.espinosacigars.com

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 pints.