Great Cigars

Romeo y Julieta House of Capulet

IMG_6714Most times when looking through the shop I tend to skip by Romeo y Julieta sticks. Nothing personal they just never grabbed my attention. Usually they have fairly unassuming bands and nothing flashy to really catch the eye. However I got a chance to try their House of Capulet made and available only through Famous Cigar shop. While this is a lighter cigar than I normally smoke I decided I’d have a couple and see if I liked it.

When I got the cigar the first thing noticed was that while the band was the same there was a new flashier exterior wrapper printed in silver ink on a nice translucent paper to show off the House of Capulet name. The band at the foot and the wrapper come off easily leaving the top band in place. The wrapper leaf is lovely golden Connecticut with very slight veining. The construction was solid but, to the touch the tobacco is soft . Although the tobacco was very yielding to the touch there were no dead spots to be found on any of the ones I tried.

Thee body of the cigar had your usual smells of leather and cedar but also and added smell of fresh mowed grass and a bit of sweetness. From the foot the smells were the same but stronger and a hint of dries apricot in the background.

I was able to cut the cigar without a problem and the construction held together with no problems for the duration of the smoke. It light easily and evenly using just one match and needed no relighting at any point. The draw was smooth and easy. The first third of the cigar was light and reminded me of fresh bread and butter with just a hint of nuttiness. The smoke was also light on the tongue but plentiful and rewarding.

The second third was similar to the first only now a bit of pepper was starting to work its way into flavor. Usually around this time most Connecticut’s start to get a little on the warm side however this one remained the same temperature as when I started.

In the last third most of the bread and butter flavor had dissolved into a fuller more pronounced pepper taste along with a more earthy/nutty tone. It was great to have a Connecticut with as much complexity as this one did.

Over all it was a great smoke and quite enjoyable, solid from the beginning to the end. This cigar could go well as your morning stick or while sitting back watching a movie (which is what I did). I’m a pretty fast smoker and I got well over an hour with each stick so make sure you’re ready to relax when you light one of these guys up.

 

Strength: Medium

Shape: Toro

Size: 6 x 52

Country: Honduras

Wrapper Color: Natural

Wrapper Origin: Ecuadorian

Wrapper Leaf: Connecticut

Website: Famous-Smoke.com

Price: $23.00 – $29.00 a five pack

Rating: 4.7 pints out of 5

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

KFC Chunky MUWAT

photo

KFC Chunky MUWAT

4×46

So, it’s time for a KFC. No, not the greasy chicken meal! A Kentucky Fire Cured by Drew Estate. Slightly larger than it’s Baitfish cousin, the KFC is a decent 4X46. In a mazo of 10, this is a perfect size for a short smoke.
Drew Estate have broken the mould here. By smoking the wrapper over hickory and oak. It infuses the leaf with a scent reminiscent of burning leaves in the autumn.
Nicaraguan long fillers bind this all together and give an extremely pleasant smoke. Not too mild, punchy in places, and never losing that smokey aroma that’s prevalent throughout.
This is a taste sensation, totally different to anything that’s on the market right now. Kudos to Drew Estate for breaking away from the norm, and bringing us something totally unique. There’s no Colonels secret recipe here, just a mighty fine taste that’s more than finger lickin good, it’s broken the mould!

 

From Distinguished Ruffian Member @1an300