Taboo Limited Reserve Havana

Brand: Taboo
Cigar: Limited Reserve Havana
Shape: Figurado
Size: 6.5" x 54
Wrapper: Nicaraguan
Filler: Dominican
Binder: ?
Price: $6.99

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

I picked up a sampler that included the three different wrappers of the new Limited Reserve line from Taboo Cigars -- Connecticut, Havana, and Maduro -- all in the unusual figurado shape. Today I decided to light up the Havana and give it a whirl.

The appearance of the cigar is pretty good with a medium colored wrapper tapering to the ends of the figurado. There was one big vein running down the length of the cigar that was a bit off-putting but all in all it's a nice looking cigar.

Pre-light aroma was leathery and the cigar had a very solid almost heavy feel. It was hard to get it lit as the draw was very tight at first but things loosened up after it got going. There were some major burn issues at the start with the burn line cutting almost a V shape up one side of the cigar. Quite a bit of touching up with the torch was required to get things nice and straight again.

Initial flavors were very mild with leather and smoky wood flavors and aroma. As smoking progressed the faint hint of dried fruit appeared but in general the cigar remained fairly consistent tasting from beginning to end. I detected no spice or pepper flavors and the cigar packed very little kick so I would classify it as a mild smoke.

After the difficulties at the start I was glad to find that the Taboo LR Havana figurado held together nicely right to the nub. The draw remained a bit tight but I had no trouble keeping the cigar lit and the smoke flowing. The smoke that was produced was fairly light and dispersed quickly.

The figurado is a nice fat cigar and I was content to leave it in my mouth most of the time while smoking. It has a real nice feel to it and at no point was I worried that all my chomping would cause it to unravel. This cigar can take some serious abuse it would seem.

One thing of note is that the cigar while being very mild on the palate has a wonderful aftertaste. I can't quite put my finger on what the flavor is but I was in no hurry to rush off to the normal post smoke routine of teeth brushing and mouth rinsing.

The Taboo Limited Reserve Havana figurado is a unique looking cigar and makes for an enjoyable smoke. I can't say that the mild flavor profile is my cup of tea but now I'm eager to try out the Connecticut and Maduro wrappers. I would love to have some of these LR figurados on hand so now I just need to settle on which of the three I like the best.

Just For Him -- Shortcut to Mushrooms

Brand: Just For Him
Blend: Shortcut to Mushrooms
Style: Aromatic
Pipe Used: Savinelli Natural
Price: $31.95/lb

Appearance: 8
Taste: 7
Room Note: 9
Value: 7
Overall: 8

Having just received a new Savinelli Natural pipe that I'm planning to use strictly for aromatics I decided to break it in by trying out this new blend. Shortcut to Mushrooms is available exclusively through the Just For Him website and store.

This blend is the fourth entry in their themed Middle Earth Pipeweed Series and I had heard so many good things about it I decided to give it a try. The tobacco is a very dark black ribbon cut and has a rich, sweet aroma. It was a little wet on arrival but after drying for a bit on the counter it was ready to go.

It packed and lit easily but was still a bit too damp so I had to relight the pipe fairly regularly. Even with the frequent lighting and puffing there was no tongue bite which is great for an aromatic blend. There was a bit of gurgling but that was easily rectified with a few pipe cleaners down the stem. The room note matched the pre-light aroma and left a sweet smell that lingered and never faded into a typical burnt tobacco odor.

The flavor profile was quite complex for an aromatic blend. It started off with a rich, buttery taste that then evolved into burnt caramel with a hint of smoky BBQ (likely due to the liberal use of Latakia). Some say that they actually taste a bit of sauteed mushroom in this blend but I just detected a bit of damp earthiness. Toward the end the tobacco became almost too sweet as the caramel came to the fore and overpowered the other flavors. At no point did the tobacco ever taste artificial like so many aromatics. This blend reminded me of the Frog Morton series in that it's a traditional, Latakia heavy English style blend with a bit of topping added to give it some sweetness.

I rather enjoyed Shortcut to Mushrooms but found it to be a bit too sweet for an everyday smoke. It does make a nice change of pace tobacco and those who enjoy aromatics with unusual flavors are encouraged to give it a try. Fans of "The Lord of the Rings" will want to pack it into a suitably Tolkienesque pipe and evoke memories of hobbits as well.