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'Gars and the Gridiron
You can feel it
inching its way to the surface come August, and by mid-September, it has consumed you completely. The cooler weather has pushed the lazy season from the stage. For this is not time for sitting by the pool as the summer sun pours itself around you or for lounging on the beach and watching the oceans pummel the shore. This isn't a contemplative season. This is the time for tribal warfare. This is a time for baring the colors of your clan and gathering amongst your kin in living rooms and local watering halls. This is football season. This is the time to have a passionate hatred for another city in the United States for no good reason other than their team has the audacity to think they could beat your team this Sunday. Sure, by mid-week, we'll all go back to being friends again. But for today, they are not your fellow countrymen, they are the enemy.
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SMOKE Cigar Ratings |
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| Rating | Quality |
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| 96-100 | Superior |
| 91-95 | Excellent |
| 86-90 | Very Good |
| 80-85 | Good |
| 70-79 | Average |
| 60-69 | Fair |
| Under 59 | Poor |
This football season, Smoke wants to help you make the most of gridiron warfare taking place in your living room. We have cigars to celebrate when your team defies the pigskin pundits and makes a mockery of the spread. We have cigars to console you when that final field goal veers just inches too far to the left. And we have cigars to make peace with your neighbor who holds allegiance to that other team. You may notice something slightly different with this issue's review. We still have the unbiased opinions of everyday cigar consumers and cigar shop owners, but we changed the ratings from a 10-point to a 100-point scale-simply put, the scale is the same, we just dropped that pesky decimal point.
Top score of a superior 96 is awarded to Habanos' Hoyo De Monterrey Double Corona, while newcomer boutique brand Room 101 garnered an impressive 95 with their 404 stick, and Davidoff's diminutive Winston Churchill Spitfire also scored a big 95. We had some strong showings from established brands like The Griffin's (93) and Camacho (94), while some lesser-known labels like Jameson (93), Esencia (95), and Dona Flor (93) tickled our panelists' fancy, and a limited production entry by cigar legend Frank Llaneza (95) proved a crowd pleaser. In all, here are 34 cigars from across the cigar world, reviewed by real smokers like you that will help bring the most out of this season of gridiron warfare.
- E. D.
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Want more? For the full details of each review, including all the panelists views on aesthetics, construction, flavor, and more, subscribe now - or pick up a copy of SMOKE Magazine at a Tobacconist near you!
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 |  | ROOM 101 404 | Country:
Honduras | Manufacturer:
Camacho Cigars | Size:
5 x 50 | Filler:
Hon, DR | Binder:
Hon | Wrapper:
Hon | | Panelist #1 | One of the most satisfying smokes I've had in a long time. This is what real cigar smokers have been waiting for.
97 Superior | | Panelist #2 | This was a great experience from beginning to end. This was definitely a cigar that I would smoke again.
96 Superior | | Panelist #3 | This is not for beginners, but I think most serious smokers will enjoy it. There's a lot going on in this complex cigar.
92 Excellent |
 |  | JAMESON RED LABEL Perfecto | Country:
DR | Manufacturer:
Jameson Cigar Company | Size:
5 x 54 | Filler:
DR | Binder:
Hon | Wrapper:
Ecu | | Panelist #1 | Smooth, builds flavor typical of size and shape. Aroma and flavor develops nicely and it draws well throughout.
91 Excellent | | Panelist #2 | A delicious pairing with a morning coffee. A good, mild cigar for a novice or experienced smoker looking for something light.
94 Excellent | | Panelist #3 | This is a cigar that the beginner will be able to enjoy as well as the longtime smoker. Was light, but had a lot going on.
93 Excellent |
 |  | BUCANERO CAŅON CUBANO NATURAL Robusto | Country:
Nic | Manufacturer:
Bucanero Cigars | Size:
5 1/2 x 60 | Filler:
CR, Hon ,Italy, Nic, Conn | Binder:
CR/Ind | Wrapper:
Nic/Conn | | Panelist #1 | A monster of a cigar that really was a pleasant surprise for someone who is not really a fan of mild cigars.
92 Excellent | | Panelist #2 | Mild body and easy smoking experience. Perfect for a beginner. Good cigar for the golf course or morning coffee.
83 Good | | Panelist #3 | Full of flavor and kept my interest from the first puff. A satisfyingly long smoke but not overpowered by flavor.
88 Very Good |
 |  | OLIVA CONNECTICUT RESERVE Lonsdale | Country:
Nic | Manufacturer:
Oliva Cigars | Size:
6 1/2 x 44 | Filler:
Nic | Binder:
Nic | Wrapper:
Conn | | Panelist #1 | This is a very good mild cigar. The flavors were there but subdued. Would go great with coffee and the morning paper.
92 Excellent | | Panelist #2 | The construction of this cigar was stellar, but unfortunately the non-complex flavor profile did not do it for me.
89 Very Good | | Panelist #3 | All in all a very good smoking cigar, but the presentation left something to be desired. Close your eyes, it's just fine.
94 Excellent |
 | | PARTAGAS BLACK LABEL Gigante | Country:
DR | Manufacturer:
General Cigar Co. | Size:
6 x 60 | Filler:
DR, Nic | Binder:
DR | Wrapper:
Conn | | Panelist #1 | This cigar is a contradiction: beefy looking maduro that starts very mild, and grows into an explosion of a finish.
93 Excellent | | Panelist #2 | This is a wonderful cigar to end the day on because it will keep you interested, and at 6 x 60 it needs to be interesting!
94 Excellent | | Panelist #3 | This cigar is a beast. It smokes wonderfully and great flavors. A wonderful after dinner smoke with a nice glass of port.
92 Excellent |
 |  | CASA GOMEZ Juniors | Country:
DR | Manufacturer:
Inter-American Cigar Co. | Size:
5 3/4 x 52 | Filler:
DR | Binder:
DR | Wrapper:
Ecu | | Panelist #1 | This cigar surprised me. Refreshing and light. I think that this is a wonderful cigar for a hot day with some iced tea.
93 Excellent | | Panelist #2 | I'm not a fan of the light cigars, but I enjoyed this one and would purchase them again. Good summer smoke.
91 Excellent | | Panelist #3 | This cigar was enjoyable, not overly powerful or complex but very consistent. Would be a good morning smoke.
90 Very Good |
 |  | LA PREFERENCIA BY GARO Alegretto | Country:
Nic | Manufacturer:
Garo Fine Cigars | Size:
6 x 58 | Filler:
Nic | Binder:
Hon | Wrapper:
Nic | | Panelist #1 | The flavor was not too bad, but it was not enough to make up for the inconsistencies and poor burn.
84 Good | | Panelist #2 | The best thing about this cigar was its looks. I could have used this in place of a hammer to re-shingle my roof.
80 Good | | Panelist #3 | Matches well with a medium-rare steak and a well-aged bourbon. Great for that late afternoon long road trip.
92 Excellent |
 | | ESENCIA Corona Gorda | Country:
Hon | Manufacturer:
Brother of the Leaf | Size:
5 5/8 x 46 | Filler:
Nic | Binder:
Nic | Wrapper:
Nic | | Panelist #1 | All samples of this cigar were wonderful. This is a perfect smoke at the end of a long day at the office.
98 Superior | | Panelist #2 | The cigar was packed with flavor and had near perfect construction. If I were looking for a new staple, this would be it!
96 Superior | | Panelist #3 | I feel like this cigar was missing something. Possibly a slight touch of sweetness would have helped balance it.
90 Very Good |
 |  | NESTOR MIRANDA SPECIAL SELECTION 20 ANIVERSARIO Danno Dark | Country:
Nic | Manufacturer:
Miami Cigar & Company | Size:
7 x 56 | Filler:
DR, Nic | Binder:
Nic | Wrapper:
Nic | | Panelist #1 | This is a great cigar to enjoy at the end of the day after a big steak dinner! This is a good cigar for the experienced smoker.
96 Superior | | Panelist #2 | This has very rich flavors that take your attention away from whatever you might be doing. There's a lot going on here.
94 Excellent | | Panelist #3 | This is wonderful as the cigar is long and this guy is long lasting. Make sure you set aside enough time to finish this bad boy.
93 Excellent |
 |  | MYSTERIOSO CONNECTICUT Dream | Country:
Hon | Manufacturer:
Battleground Cigar | Size:
6 3/4 x 50 | Filler:
CR, Hon, USA | Binder:
Ecu | Wrapper:
Conn | | Panelist #1 | After smoking this cigar I was sort of disappointed that the end was not the start. The magic was in the first puffs.
88 Very Good | | Panelist #2 | If it didn't have such a harsh beginning, it would have been great, but the harshness ruined the rest of this long cigar.
87 Very Good | | Panelist #3 | Take your time with this stogie, smoking it too fast will produce a bitter flavor, but if you have patience, you will be rewarded.
93 Excellent |
 |  | PANCEA RED Robusto | Country:
DR | Manufacturer:
Flatbed Cigar Company | Size:
5 x 50 | Filler:
DR, Nic | Binder:
DR | Wrapper:
Brazil | | Panelist #1 | A consistent, mild cigar that would be easy on a newbie's palate, but probably not enough for a mature smoker.
88 Very Good | | Panelist #2 | The cigar was a little young to me, but I think should shine with some aging. Would pair well with an espresso.
89 Very Good | | Panelist #3 | The cigar was consistent throughout with no aftertaste. I would pair this before dinner with a champagne.
92 Excellent |
 |  | CAPAFINA Robusto | Country:
Ecuador | Manufacturer:
CapaFina Cigar Co. | Size:
5 1/2 x 50 | Filler:
Ecuador | Binder:
Ecu | Wrapper:
Ecu | | Panelist #1 | The draw problems might get better after some aging. It was hard to get a lot of smoke to judge its flavor.
87 Very Good | | Panelist #2 | Sadly the draw issues prevented me from enjoying this stick that has potential if the construction issues are addressed.
85 Very Good | | Panelist #3 | The samples were inconsistent. It was too difficult to smoke and too strong for my liking. Would not recommend.
80 Good |
 Continued on next page...
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