Hoyo De Monterrey Dark Sumatra

Brand: Hoyo De Monterrey
Cigar: Dark Sumatra Espresso
Shape: Robusto
Size: 4 1/2" x 50
Wrapper: Ecuador
Filler: Honduran, Nicaraguan, and Dominican
Binder: Honduran, Nicaraguan, and Dominican
Price: $2.25

Appearance: 7
Construction: 7
Taste: 9
Value: 9
Overall: 8


As part of my never ending quest for the perfect maduro I took advantage of JR Cigars big fiver sale last weekend to stock up on some stogies I've been wanting to try. Last night I decided to fire up a Hoyo De Monterrey Dark Sumatra Espresso.

This cigar comes wrapped in a partial cedar sleeve which is a nice touch for a bargain smoke. The dark Ecuadorean wrapper was finely veined and the cigar had a solid feel for such a small vitola. The beautiful appearance was marred a bit by some sloppy rolling which was evident when looking at the cigar's foot. There were a few large air pockets and spots where the tobacco looked pinched.

Once again I used a punch as I usually do with smaller cigars and once again the cap ended up with a small tear in it. It didn't affect the smoking experience in the least but was still a bit annoying. The Espresso lit up right away, burned evenly and fast, and gave off smoke like nobody's business. It was pouring out so much smoke I had to hold it away from my face like I had a skunk in my hand. This cigar would make the perfect mosquito repellent.

Flavors started out with a great unsweetened cocoa and coffee taste (think a mocha without all the sugar) which stayed consistent through the first half of the cigar. At the halfway point a bit of pepper started to kick in but remained firmly in the background. Toward the end the Espresso really kicked into gear with a full-on, well, espresso flavor. This was a great tasting cigar and I only wish the little bugger hadn't burned itself out so fast.

The Hoyo De Monterrey Dark Sumatra Espresso stands as one of my favorite maduros to date and at about two bucks a stick on sale it's certainly easy on the wallet. My few minor quibbles with the appearance aside, the cigar smoked wonderfully -- if not a bit like a beekeeper's smoker -- and tasted great. Since it did smoke so fast I'll probably try out one of the larger sizes after my initial five pack is gone -- which shouldn't take too long at all.

CAO Brazilia

Brand: CAO
Cigar: Brazilia Gol!
Shape: Robusto
Size: 5" x 56
Wrapper: Brazil
Filler: Nicaragua
Binder: Nicaragua
Price: $5.99

Appearance: 9
Construction: 8
Taste: 7
Value: 7
Overall: 8

I had been wanting to try one of these for some time so when I was at a local B&M a few months ago cleaning out their inventory of discontinued Dunhill pipe tobacco tins I grabbed a CAO Brazilia Gol! for $5.99 which is pretty cheap considering the steep Washington state taxes.

The cigar's appearance is top-notch and this has to be one of the best-looking brands currently available. The box and band offer up the colors of the Brazilian national flag and the cigar itself is an ebony delight with its dark Brazilian wrapper.

Construction was solid and the cigar lit easily and burned well. I used a punch on the cap and there was a bit of tearing around the hole after I had been smoking for a while. For such a large ring gauge I probably should have used a cutter instead.

Flavors were about what one would expect from a dark, robust cigar. There was a nice kick of pepper and spice upon the initial light and while it did fade a bit it was still evident at the final draw. The typical maduro tastes of rich leather, dark unsweetened cocoa, and strong coffee were all out in force as well. Toward the end the coffee flavors turned a bit too astringent for my tastes -- kind of like the last inch of a coffee pot that's been sitting on the hot plate for a bit too long.

Overall the CAO Brazilia Gol! was a fine cigar. I very much enjoyed the look of the stick as well as the first two-thirds of the flavor profile. A 56 ring gauge is a bit larger than I like in my robustos so my next order from the Brazilia line will consist of the smaller Piranhas which are 4.5" x 46.

Scotty's Blends -- Butternut Burely

Brand: Scotty's Blends
Blend: Butternut Burely
Style: Aromatic
Pipe Used: Cob
Price: $19.99/lb

Appearance: 8
Taste: 9
Room Note: 9
Value: 9
Overall: 9

Last night I decided to enjoy a bowl of Butternut Burley while watching a Horatio Hornblower movie since seafaring and pipe smoking go hand in hand. This is one of the bulk Scotty's Blends available exclusively through the Habana Premium Cigar Shoppe at PipesandCigars.com.

I loaded up one of my trusty cobs since that's what I usually smoke with aromatic blends. The tobacco was a nice black and tan ribbon-cut blend with a wonderful aroma of butterscotch. The pipe packed easily, stayed lit, and required only the usual amount of tamping to keep things burning smoothly.

The primary flavor was that of hot buttered rum but it wasn't overpowering or too sweet and the fine burley tobacco provided a great counterpoint. Hints of vanilla, honey, and almonds added even more complexity to the blend.

Surprisingly for an aromatic there was no tongue bite and the bowl stayed fairly cool even with heavy puffing. The room note was wonderful and lingered for a long time as did the faint taste of butterscotch left on the palate.

Butternut Burley is a great pipe tobacco and provides wonderfully consistent flavor at a bargain price.

Tatuaje Series P

Brand: Tatuaje
Cigar: Series P
Shape: Robusto
Size: 5" x 50
Wrapper: Cameroon
Filler: Nicaragua
Binder: Nicaragua
Price: $4.75

Appearance: 7
Construction: 6
Taste: 5
Value: 6
Overall: 6



With all the hubbub surrounding Pete Johnson's Tatuaje line I decided to try out one of the more reasonably priced offerings. The Series P SP2 is a natural wrapped robusto that can be found for less than 5 bucks a stick.

The appearance of the cigar was good but nothing special. Construction was about average and there was a strange disconnect between the natural Nicaraguan wrapper and the filler tobacco blend. The wrapper burned unevenly and toward the middle of the cigar it began to swell and separate from the filler. It never came apart but it was a real chore to keep things burning nicely and touch-ups with the torch were frequently required. It seemed like the wrapper was wetter than the filler thus throwing off the connection between the two.

These are advertised as an inexpensive alternative to the pricier Tatuaje Havana VI cigars that still offer up the same medium-bodied, Cuban style flavor. While the SP2 was certainly medium-bodied it featured a fairly flavorless profile that didn't evolve at all as the smoke progressed. There was a bit of spice but overall it tasted like a very young cigar with a grassy, hay-like taste as the dominant factor.

I found myself quite bored with the cigar halfway through and it was a struggle to get down to the nub. There was just nothing interesting about the flavor to keep me engaged.

The Tatuaje Series P SP2 robusto was a fairly disappointing smoke and I hope that my next experience with a Tatuaje is much better. It tasted like a young cigar and maybe a bit of age and even some dry-boxing would help in the flavor and construction department.

Sancho Panza Double Maduro

Brand: Sancho Panza
Cigar: Double Maduro
Shape: Robusto
Size: 4 1/2" x 50
Wrapper: Connecticut
Filler: Honduras
Binder: Connecticut
Price: $1.75

Appearance: 7
Construction: 7
Taste: 8
Value: 10
Overall: 8



The Sancho Panza Double Maduro has got to be one of the greatest values in cigar smoking. A box of 20 will set you back all of $35 which is the same price as four or five average quality sticks at the local cigar store.

I bought a single stick to try out after hearing great things about this cigar. After finishing that inaugural smoke I immediately went online to order a box. If you do wind up with a box on your hands be sure to move the cigars to a humidor and let the box air out for a while as it arrives with a very strong lacquer smell and you don't want that to adversely impact your other cigars.

Construction and appearance are both very good with a thin veined, medium dark maduro wrapper. On occasion you might run into some construction issues so I would recommend the use of a punch or very sharp cutter to avoid having the cap come apart. The cigar lit easily and burned fairly evenly with only a few minor touch-ups required. The ash was a nice light gray and made it to about an inch and a half before a strong gust of wind knocked it off.

Unlike many maduros, the Sancho Panza is a fairly mellow smoke with stunning cocoa and leather overtones. There is little to no spice and none of the astringent, strong coffee taste usually associated with maduros. The flavors were very consistent and remained front and center from beginning to end.

All in all I found the Sancho Panza Double Maduro robusto to be a great everyday type of smoke. It doesn't tax the palate or the wallet and can be enjoyed anytime, anywhere. Sure there are better smokes out there but I haven't found one that costs less than two bucks and provides such great flavor. These have found a permanent place in my humidor.