Tag Archives: cigars

March 1, 2026 · 9:28 am

The Casa Carrillo Social Media Collector’s Box Cigars

This week I smoked my way through the Casa Carrillo Social Media Three Blend Collectors Box, which was generously provided to me by the company. This is an interesting project. These are only going to be available from the company. They will be having sweepstakes and social media engagements where people will have an opportunity to get this collectors box. I remember when Ernesto first launched the website for what was then E.P. Carrillo, it was basically just a map that popped up tweets that tagged the company. It was pretty cutting edge for a traditional cigar guy. I have been a fan of Ernesto for many years, going back to La Gloria Cubana when one had to fax their order to the factory in Little Havana, and when people would request Miami made Wavells over one’s made in the new Dominican factory. I have also enjoyed the recent stuff. After smoking the three cigars in the Collectors Box, I have some comments.

I started with either number 1 or number 3, I honestly am not sure which. Perhaps it would have been better to differentiate these better. Both are 6″ x 52 toros. To the eye the wrappers are nearly the exact same color. Based on flavor, I’m going to say I smoked the No. 3, which has an Ecuador Habano wrapper, Mexican binder and Nicaraguan and Dominican fillers. it starts out with a sweet spice, with the spice picking up quite a bit in the second half. I didn’t get a Ecuador Connecticut vibe at all, which leads me to my conclusion. I quite enjoyed this one.

I went into the second toro, which we’ll assume was No.1, thinking I’d definitely know it was the Ecuador Connecticut wrapped one, but when I lit it, I still had doubts. Maybe the Connecticut broadleaf binder threw it off, I can see the broadleaf overpowering the shade. This also has Dominican and Nicaraguan fillers. Like I said, side by side the wrappers were virtually the same color, and vein structure. Before I read the literature, which I almost always smoke things like this before learning about them, I thought maybe they had the same wrapper with different fillers. Naturally, I was wrong. This did have some acidity, which moved more to a distinct citrus. It wasn’t the sort of cigar I gravitate towards, which makes me think even more that this was the no. 1 cigar.

I figured I was saving the best for last, cigar number 2, the dark torpedo, or piramides, In my mind, it might have been a better idea to make the Habano a figurado, and the Mexican and Shade toros, so that yutzes like me can make a clear distinction. I’m neither a cigar maker, nor a marketer, what do I know. I found this guy to be earthy, no doubt about the Mexican wrapper. I would have thought the Habano binder might add some sweetness, but it didn’t really come through. The filler is Nicaraguan and Dominican, one must assume it’s different varietals in the three as there wasn’t much I found similar between them. I had to cut the pointed head a few times to get the draw close to right. I liked the first toro I smoked the best. These are three distinctly different cigars, and it’s a neat idea from a company that’s had a big social media presence since the beginning. Considering Social Media isn’t exactly cigar friendly, this seems to be a reasonably safe promotion, meaning that it isn’t going to cost them a lot and stands to give more positives than anything else. It’s pretty cool. Maybe with some age the cigars would suit my palate more, but I’m never going to know, am I? I will certainly continute to support Ernesto and smoke his cigars whenever I can.

That’s all for today. I’m happy that March is here, I’m looking forward to being able to get out and about a little more after my winter hibernation. I have a brand new scooter that I want to put some miles on! Anyway, until the next time,

CigarCraig

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Tagged as Casa Carrillo, cigar, cigars, E.P. Carrillo, Ernesto Carrillo, Social Media

February 22, 2026 · 9:20 am

La Sirena, Punch and Oz Family Cigars and a New CigarProp

I write this as I await yet another snowstorm, which I don’t look forward to at all. Sure, it’s pretty, for a minute, but the aftermath is really bothersome. I’ll be happy when this winter has passed us by! I’ll take sweat over snow any day of the week. Anyway, It’s been a while since I’ve featured one of my favorite lines over the last dozen or so years, La Sirena. Those who follow on Instagram or Facebook will frequently see me lighting up a La Sirena, whether it’s the Original, Mexican Mermaid, or the LT, I’m a big fan of the line. Here’s a video from way back in 2012 from the trade show:

This is number three on my most watched videos on my Youtube channel, by the way. Anyway, a lot has changed with La Sirena over the years. Arielle has stepped back and is raising a bunch of children, and her father, Danny is steering the ship now. Merlion and Oceano are discontinued, and the classic La Sirena line is on it’s third factory. It started out being made at My Father, then at La Zona for a long time. Recently production has shifted to Tabacalera La Isla, which is the same factory that makes the Mexican Mermaid (the LT is still made by Plasencia). I’ve smoked loads of the La Sirena Original, and I was very interested in sampling the new iteration. I believe my favorite size, the Trident (Churchill) has been replaced by a Toro, so, obviously I went with the 6″ x 60 King Poseidon size first. I have no reason to believe the blend has changed, Nicaraguan Habano Oscuro wrapper, Nicaraguan Criollo binder and Nicaraguan Jalapa & Condega fillers. I was concerned that my favorite cigar had changed, but it hadn’t! It still has the sourdough flavor that I really like in this cigar. It’s perfectly constructed and delicious! I’m very happy that Hostos at La Isla was able to maintain the signature flavor that I like in that cigar! If you have an opportunity to smoke any of the line, take it, you won’t be disappointed. I noticed that the latest version no longer has the thn band under the large band. If you come across La Sirenas where you can see the thin band under the large band, grab them, they are the original My Father version.

I probably should have smoked this next cigar earlier in the week, as the 17th was the lunar new year and the start of the Year of the Horse. While not technically a “Year of” cigar, Punch generally releases their line of Chinese food themed cigars about this time. This yeor it is the Egg Roll XL. The original Egg Roll was 4½” x 50, with the same unfinished foot that the 6″ x 60 XL has. It has a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper, Ecuador Sumatra binder and Columbian, Dominican, Mexican and US fillers. That’s a heck of a blend for an $8 cigar. I have historically liked this line of cigars, even though I think the branding is a little cheesy. What does Chinese food have to do with cigars? I guess it makes as much sense as anything else. I’ve smoked Chinese cigars, and just about anything is better than they are. This XL starts out with a leathery flavor, mind you, the first ¾” of the cigar is just binder, once the burn reaches the wrapper things round out a little and some sweetness comes in. Burn was good, I think it only need a slight correction once. This is another winner in this series, however was satisfied with this one, I didn’t crave another a half hour later. I like it, thank you to the folks at STG for sending samples.

I’ve mentioned before that Smoke Inn has been putting some ridiculous offers out there every week. I picked up a five pack of the new(ish) Oz Family Cigars Karatoba Robustos. Before I talk about the cigar, I want to highlight something new from my friend CigarProp, a set of four 3-D printed props. These are reminiscent of the plastic model kits we assembled as kids. I like these, maybe Kevin will make a mop bucket ashtray to go with them! CigarProp usually posts the Smoke Inn weekly specials, watch for them on his feed. The Karatoba is made at NACSA, which wasn’t a surprise to me when I looked up the specs after smoking it. It has a Sumatra wrapper, Nicaraguan binder an Nicaraguan and Dominican fillers. The Robusto sells for $12, and I got the five pack for $20 delivered. I’m going to be sorry I bought all these five packs from them when they go bankrupt! I feel like I’m stealing. The Karatoba has a very strong flavor, but it’s not a really strong cigar. It’s pungent, almost cloying, and I loved it. I’m interested in trying it in a larger size. I had an hour to kill and this 5″ x 52 square pressed cigar fit the bill perfectly. One down, four to go. I’ve smoked a bunch of cigars from NACSA, and this is definitely one of them!

That’s all for today, I’m going to watch this morning hockey game with Gold medals on the line. I expect a great game! Until the next time,

CigarCraig

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Trinidad x Tommy Bahama, CAO Speed Shop and Recluse Draconian Cigars

The snow is very slowly melting off, VERY slowly! It’s been three weeks since we’ve seen the lawn. I definitely need to be on a warm beach smoking cigars this time of year. Since that isn’t in the books, we decided to go have lunch last Sunday at the Tommy Bahama Marlin Bar in the King of Prussia (PA) Mall. I have been itching to get my paws on the Trinidad x Tommy Bahama Island Collection cigars that came out late last year. I did some asking around and found out that Black Cat Cigar Co, down the road from the mall had these in stock, so I stopped in there and picked some up. I got the toro, which they call the Breeze, which is 6″ x 54. It was pricier than I prefer, but I was (or should be) committed at this point. I went home and promptly lit one up. This is a really nice cigar. It’s a Nicaraguan Puro that starts out with some wood, then the citrus kicks in. I classify this as a bright flavor profile, it’s got a lot of flavor, is fairly light and refreshing, and was really enjoyable. While I would have prefered being on a tropical beach while smoking this, it made my day a little bit better. Like most of the Altadis cigars I like, this one is a collaboration with not only Tommy Bahama, but A.J. Fernandez.

Another cigar I picked up at Black Cat was the new CAO Flathead Speed Shop in the 6″ x 60 Carb size. I grabbed a couple of these because I wanted to try it, of course. General Cigars usually sends me new stuff, and, of course, a five pack of them showed up this week. I was impatient, but I spent some money with a local small business, so I ain’t complaining. I’m also glad it a really good cigar. This has an Ecuador Habano wrapper, San Andrés binder, and Nicaraguan and Dominican fillers. Like the rest of the Flathead line, it’s severely box pressed with a flat head, which is tricky to cut if you don’t have the right tools. I have an Adorini punch that has two sizes, 9mm and 13mm, the later is perfect for these. This reminds me of what I remember the Apehanger being. This was the round version of the Flathead with a Habano wrapper. I liked that cigar too. This one has a bit of a citrus twang also, along with some nutty earthiness. I dig it. It’s been a while since they put out anything new in the Flathead line, this one is a nice addition.

Somewhere along the line I got a sampler of cigars that included a Recluse Draconian toro. I’ve known Scott Weekes from Iconic Leaf for a long time. If you’ve had any interactions with Scott, you’ll know he’s the king of the simile. He can turn a phase quicker than a fat kid on a snickers bar. Anyway, I’ve always enjoyed the Recluse line, glad to see it’s still in the mix. I actually have a few floating around. This one looked delicious, so I lit it up. The Draconian has an Ecuador Maduro wrapper, a proprietary binder of some sort, and Brazilian Braziado, Piloto Cubano and two Dominican ligeros, one of which is called Iconic Ligero, another proprietary leaf. Maybe it’s just me with the citrus thing lately, but this had it. I rather expected a darker, heavier flavor, but I was pleased. This also has a flat head, fortunately I had failed to put my punch away, although the 6½” x 50 shape would easily have fit in a cutter. Another good cigar this week, breaking my two out of three streak!

That’s about all I have for today, until the next time,

CigarCraig

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Tagged as Altadis USA, CAO, cigar, cigars, Draconian, Iconic Leaf, Island Collection, Recluse, Tommy Bahama, trinidad

February 8, 2026 · 10:06 am

Avo, Adventura and Montecristo Cigars

I seem to be going two for three in my luck with cigars over the last few weeks. I like to try new things, whether I personally like them or not isn’t the issue. Poor construction or materials is a problem. More on that later. I grabbed some Avo Syncro Caribe Special Toros at one of the local shops recently in my effort to smoke more of the Davidoff family of brands. The Syncro line is mostly, if not all, box pressed, and the Caribe has a Dominican wrapper, Ecuadoran binder and Dominican and Nicaraguan fillers. This Special Toro is 6″ x 60. It’s made in the DR at Davidoff’s OK Cigars factory, which seems to be a pretty modest name. I have a feeling it’s a shortened form of Occidental Kelner, but that’s just a guess. I think the factory is more than just OK, it’s pretty darned good. I digress. Smoking this Avo Syncro Caribe was perfection. It starts with a heavy citrus tang, which continued throughout. It’s very different from what I usually go to, and was really refreshing. I found myself thinking that I’d like to share this with a friend who I generally share dark, heavy cigars with to show how different cigars can be. It was very good and I plan to pick up some more.

I’ve heard a lot about this ADVentura Blue Eyed Jack’s Revenge over the last year or so, and saw it in a local shop a week or so ago and picked one up. This has a loose connection with Davidoff, I guess. ADVentura is made by Henderson Ventura, and I think his father, William, worked for Davidoff. Between the William Ventura cigars, and what I’ve smoked from Tabacalera Mina del Rey, Henderson’s factory, nothing has really hit my palate right. It’s a me thing, not a them thing. This was a 6″x 54 toro, with a San Andrés wrapper and Dominican binder and fillers. It had a bit of a floral profile, until it didn’t. This example perplexed me. It smoked very poorly, there seemed to be components in the blend that burned differently than the surrounding tobaccos, leaving almost a charcoal like ash, very dark grey and dense. Obviously, this negatively affected the flavor. I may grab another to see what’s up, I may cut my losses. I have heard great things about this one, but there haven’t been a great many ADVentura cigars that have appealed to me. This is the miss I alluded to in the first sentence, in case that wasn’t obvious!

A while back I wrote a post about this next cigar in the Robusto size. I was surprised to see that it was a year and a half ago. The Montecristo Crafted by A.J. Fernandez is a JR Cigars (and their partners, Cas de Montecristo and Cigars.com) exclusive. I recently came by a great deal on the Gordos and followed through on my promise to try these in other sizes. I should have gotten more. This has a Ecuadorian Sumatra Oscuro wrapper, Mexican San Andrés binder, and aged long filler tobaccos from Nicaragua, and Honduras. The wrapper is dark and oily, really too nice to cover with the oversized sleeve. Like the Avo, this is box pressed, and 6″, but with a 58 ring, not 60. That’s where the comparison ends. This is my kind of smoke, rich, dark coffee and dried dark fruits, perfect burn and draw and the box press makes it seem slimmer than the 58 ring would be. I’m a big fan of this one, it remains my favorite Montecristo. The link above is an affiliate link, if you feel compelled to use it, I might get a few pennies.

That’s all for today. The high here today is supposed to crack double digits, it was 4 this morning. Brrr. Propane is my friend, but I may venture to a shop one of these days. Until the next time,

CigarCraig

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Colonel E.H. Taylor, Camacho and Maestranza Cigars

We are saddened here this week by the passing of our beloved dog, Macha. Many have met Macha over the years, she even made an appearance on the Cigar Authority once, and she was a large part of our household. We suspect she was 14 or 15 years old, so she lived a long life, especially since the last 12 were with three legs. We adored here and she leaves a hole on our hearts. I appreciate everyone’s condolences. I smoked a Padron 1964 Anniversary that I got in 2014, the year we adopted Macha, in her honor.

A few weeks back I walked into a local shop that I haven’t been to in a while, and asked the owner what was new and exciting. He said that they just got the Colonel E.H. Taylor San Andrés and it was selling well. I don’t know anything about this brand, I suspect it’s a Meier and Dutch (CI) creation. It, obviously, has a San Andrés wrapper, Criollo binder and Nicaraguan fillers and is made in the Dominican Republic (La Isla, I generally like their stuff). It isn’t really budget priced, I think it was around $12. I smoked it, and my first thought was that I should have asked Jeff what was good, not what was new. It was OK. I would think it would be better at half the price. I know E.H. Taylor is a bourbon brand, and I didn’t get any boozy flavors, but I really wouldn’t know one if I tripped over one. It was a typical dry cocoa, San Andrés cigar. Nothing special. My notes say that the E.H. is for eh…

For obvious reasons (welcome Davidoff to the CigarCraig family! thanks for the support!), I feel the need to get back into some of their lines, such as Camacho and Avo. This week I revisited the Camacho Triple Maduro in the gordo size. This 6″ x 60 has a Honduran wrapper, Mexican binder, with a filler blend from Brazil, Honduras and the DR. The website is a little out of date, it says it’s the only all maduro cigar, a category which now includes the Drew Estate Blackened. Fun fact: Abe Dababneh, owner of Smoke Inn, coined the term Triple Maduro and licensed it to Christian Eiroa when he owned Camacho. Davidoff bought the brand and I want to say they paid Abe off. (Edit: Abe tells the whole story on the latest Prime Time show with Cigar-Coop, which I listed to a whole 24 hours after writing this post.) I remember smoking this a long time ago. This was a really good cigar. It’s heavy and rich, with a load of cocoa and some sweet earth. I enjoyed this and will pick up some more.

Finally, I was in yet another store nearby and picked up a couple of the RomaCraft Maestranzas Caballería Valencia (6 x 52). These were very reasonably priced, around $10 I think. This is a core line cigar that’s been out for a year or two and this is the first I’ve come across them in the wild (granted, I don’t get out much). This is another San Andrés wrapper cigar, with a Brazilian binder and fillers from the Dominican Republic, Honduras and Nicaragua. It’s made at the Nica Sueńo factory. I’ve been a fan of the Nica Sueno output going back to 2011 or thereabouts. Fortunately the new ownership of the local CigarCigars stores brought in RomaCraft stuff, so I have a local source now. I enjoyed this 6″ x 52 cigar quite a bit, although it didn’t have the intensity that I find in most of their stuff. Again I got a dry cocoa predominantly. I’ll be grabbing more of these, as well as the Cromagnons, next visit.