Monday, May 14, 2012

Gurkha Assassin Robusto Review



Gurkha Assassin Robusto - 4.75 X 50. Wrapper - Brazilian Mata Fina, Binder - Dominican Republic, Filler - Peru and Nicaragua. Full Bodied.

Initial lighting taste - Leather and wood.

First third - Spice followed by leather and cocoa notes.

Second third - Spice, chewy leather, cocoa and some citrus notes.

Last third - Continuation of the spice, chewy leather, cocoa and citrus notes. Long finish of spice and chocolaty leather.

Construction - A nice looking, medium-brown colored wrapper with a silky sheen. No major veins or soft spots. Simple looking cap.

Burn - Straight burn with a semi-solid, salt & pepper colored ash that held on.

Draw - Very good draw with plenty of smoke produced.

A wonderful cigar with plenty of complexity to keep it interesting and great balance to accompany the flavors. The chewy leather was a nice treat as was the cocoa and citrus notes. MSRP for this vitola is $8.90 which I feel this cigar is worth. Another great line from Gurkha which is rapidly becoming one of my favorite cigar companies - definite recommend to try.

Sunday, May 6, 2012

La Aurora Puro Vintage 2004 Salomon Review


La Aurora Puro Vintage 2004 Salomon - 6.25 X 52 (Double Tapered). Wrapper - Ecuadorian Corojo, Binder - Dominican Republic, Filler - Dominican Republic. All of the tobacco used for this cigar was culled from a 2004 harvest. This is the second release of the Puro Vintage since the 2003 edition hit the market in 2009. The 2004 edition, comes packaged in boxes of 8 cigars and only 1,000 boxes were produced. Medium bodied.

Initial Lighting taste - Toasted cedar and spice.

First third - Toasty cinnamon and spice followed by leather and wood.

Second third - Toasted cinnamon, spice, leather and wood. Very smooth.

Last third - Continuation of the toasty cinnamon, spice, leather and woody notes. Very nice long finish of cinnamon spice and leather.

Construction - Attractive light-brown wrapper with a couple of minor veins visible and no soft spots. Nicely constructed.
Burn - Straight burn with a dark-gray colored ash that is solid and holds on until tapped off after about an inch and a half.
Draw - The draw was perfect as I have come to expect from all La Aurora products. Plenty of smoke was produced.

I absolutely enjoyed this cigar. I found the flavor profile to be somewhat unique with the toastiness and the cinnamon being the predominant flavors followed by the spice and leather - this is not the usual order of flavors I get from most cigars I smoke. Excellent complexity and balance make this cigar a great smoke. MSRP for this cigar is $18.70 which makes this cigar a special occasion smoke for most, but one that will truly honor that special occasion. A definite recommend to try.