tobacco

MoyaRuiz’s La Jugada Nunchuck

IMG_0639The La Jugada Nunchuck cigar from MoyaRuiz is their limited edition run to celebrate Cigar Dojo’s Birthday Herf. Although it was not released until later this year it was highly anticipated. Made in the La Zona factory in Nicaragua, like their other two cigars, it is a cigar that is troublesome to compare to anything else.

I got these sticks over a month ago and they felt quite firm to the touch so I decided to give them a little time in my humidor before smoking them. Like I’ve mentioned before, I like my cigars at a slightly higher humidity level (I prefer a constant 74% RH) since I have a tendency to chew the ends of mine and like a softer feel to my tobacco. When I took these out I noticed the feel had remained the same but rather then let it sit any longer I decided to go ahead and light it up.

The feel was firm to the touch and did not give when pressure was applied which worried me at first. I was concerned that the cigar was over filled and would not only be hard to smoke but would also crack and break under the stress of smoking it. I played around with the cigar and was happy to see that, unlike other people have stated, I found no dead spots. The roll was consistent and full through the whole body.

The overall look of the cigar was superb, clearly time had been taking in the production. The Habano wrapper had the color of well-aged leather and had very minimal veining, which was nice given the size of this cigar. The smell from the body was light and had notes of cedar, fruit, well used leather, and tobacco, loads and loads of tobacco. The foot shared the same odor with a slightly heavier fig smell.

It lit easily with a moderate draw. This was surprising given how full this cigar is I expected a much harder pull. Immediately a nice amount of smoke is given off that fills the pallet and rests heavily on the tongue. The taste of black coffee, pepper and tobacco are noticed with a hint of nuttiness. This continued through almost the first third of the cigar. Nearing the midway point the taste begins to mellow, but only for a short time. Once I reached the middle of the stick a large amount of spice could be tasted and everything else takes a back seat, except for the tobacco did I mention the tobacco.

As the cigar heats up the stick becomes more pliable and is easily manipulated between the fingers. With the exception of the moderate midpoint change the flavor holds consistent to the end with only a slight increase in spiciness as what’s left begins to heat up.

La Jugada Nunchuck Comes in one size. A hefty 7×54 and are being released in a limited amounts of 1,000 boxes. Each box has five nunchucks tethered together or a total of ten cigars each. If your looking for a nice full bodied cigar to smoke that will last you around two hours this is your cigar.

Wrapper: Nicaraguan Habano Oscuro

Binder: Nicaraguan

Filler: Nicaraguan

Brand: MoyaRuiz

Website: MoyaRuizcigars.com

Rating: 4.3 out of 5 pints

Drew Estate’s Undercrown

IMG_0151Since our giveaway right now is a six pack of Undercrown figured we should get a review up. By now I think the story is well known how Undercrown came about, but incase you haven’t heard I’ll sum up briefly. Drew Estate allows their rollers to smoke any of their cigars they have in production. The rollers loved the #9 so much that it created a shortage of the cigars. Drew Estate reluctantly told the rollers they had to stop smoking that cigar and instead of whining about it the rollers made a new blend using different priming of the same tobacco. The new blend was so good that Drew Estate decided to market it to the public and that is how we got Undercrown. This doesn’t mean that Drew Estates is saying this can replace No. 9’s just that it is a good alternative.

Today I smoked the Undercrown Gran Toro. It’s size is 152mm and has a 52 ring gauge. The wrapper is a rich dark chocolate color with some visible veins yet it is smooth to the touch.  The construction is solid with a decent amount of filler to make the cigar firm but still flexes nicely when pressure is applied. I store my cigars at 72% humidity, which could account for some of the flexibility in the tobacco however I have picked these up from smoke shops and found them to feel the same. The wrapper and the foot had the smell of leather, old books, and a hint of chicory root.

The cigar lights quickly and evenly. The draw is easy but not loose. Again, a sign that the construction is of quality. The amount of smoke given off by this cigar is extensive. The quality of the smoke is also excellent and full but light on the tongue. The flavor is medium and has spiced notes mixed with a bit of coffee and at the end, cream. The flavor held consistent throughout the majority of the cigar with only a few changes at the end (that aren’t worth mentioning) and was enjoyable all the way through.

In total this is a great cigar that everyone should at least try. The construction and flavor are fantastic the smoke is exponential and the price is great. I give this one four out of five pints.

 

Wrapper: San Andres

Origin: Nicaragua

Shapes: Belicoso, Corona, Double Corona, Gordo, Robusto, Toro

Brand: Drew Estate

 

Rating: 4 out of 5 pints