Tag Archives: Firecracker

September 14, 2025 · 8:33 am

El Baton Cameroon, El Mago El Cubano and El Whippoorwill Cigars

I selected an interesting batch of cigars to feature this week. The first two I bought from 2 Guys Cigars, who held their 40th anniversary festivities this weekend. One of these days I’ll make it back up there for a visit. I actually had a bad dream last night about moving to New Hampshire, we bought a run down house and I was against moving north, if I ever move, it won’t be north! Anyway, I picked up some of the newly released El Baton Cameroon Firecrackers by J.C. Newman and United Cigars. This branding confuses me. El Baton isn’t a budget brand, but it’s not on the Diamond Crown level, it’s a mid-line brand I guess. I love them, they are really tasty smokes (I smoked a belicoso after smoking the Firecracker). To my knowledge, it’s never had a Cameroon wrapper, where as they have made a Cuesta Rey with Cameroon. Is Cuesta Rey not a strong enough brand to carry the firecracker? Not sure what the thinking here was. Anyway, the Firecracker is 3½” x 50 with a fuse cap, and aren’t inexpensive at $9.29 each. It started on the bitter side, then the nutty Camerooniness© kicked in, just in time for it to be done. It’s too short. Like I said, I followed it with the El Baton Belicoso, and I can see where it’s in the same family. Fun smoke, happy to have added some to my firecracker collection.

When I ordered the Firecrackahs, I added on a few of the El Mago El Cubano toros, as I’ve been having good luck with the El Magos and wanted to try more. Seems like I’m doing a lot of complaining today. Neither the tube, which is very nice, nor the bands, also nice, say El Mago on them anywhere. This confuses me. This is a new brand that needs all the exposure it can get, because, in my limited experience, they are making great cigars. They can’t rely on imagery to identify the brand just yet. I’d like to see “El Mago” on the packaging somewhere. I’ll admit when I ordered these I didn’t even look at the blend, I may not have ordered them had I known they were shade wrapped cigars. But I did, so I smoked it. It was very heavy on the citrus tang, made it on the sharp side in flavor. Like other cigars in the brand, it burned very well and I enjoyed it for what it was, but it wouldn’t be my first pick. I may take one out of the tube and see if some age smoothes it out. I’ll continue sampling through the El Mago line as I come across them.

Finally, Flatbed Cigar Co. rarely has a new release. Their Panacea line is very good, please check out the daily deals on the left side of my page. You can get some great cigars at a good price. Paul announced a new line last week, the Whippoorwill, so I bought a pack to try. Despite the title of this post, it’s just Whippoorwill, not El Whippoorwill! This falls in the Homestead line, and has a Habano Oscuro wrapper, at least on most of it. The first half inch is just binder, which is Nicaraguan, and the fillers are Nicaraguan and Dominican. Once the burn reaches the wrapper, this is a really good cigar! I say that because I thought it started out a little harsh, but when that wrapper kicked in it was terrific. It smoothed out to a spicy, sweet treat, had a perfect burn and draw, and it’s 6″ x 52, my favorite size. It lasted all the way through the Thunderbolts movie, which I found entertaining (the Red Guardian cracks me up!). Good smoke, keep the great cigars coming Paul!

That’s all for today! Until the next time,

CigarCraig

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Tagged as 2 Guys, Cameroon, cigar, cigars, EL Baton, El Cubano, El Mago, Firecracker, Flatbed Cigar Co., J.C.Newman, Panacea, United Cigars, Whippoorwill

June 22, 2025 · 6:00 am

Camacho, Plasencia and Micallef Cigars

I saw Jack Heyer at the Camacho booth at the Smoke-Onos event last month, and, funny enough, I received some samples of the new Camacho Limited Edition 2025 last week. I’ve smoked a lot of Camacho cigars over the years, going back to the ’90s when Christian Eiroa owned the company. I even went through a box of the Camacho Candela Monarcas. This new cigar has a San Andrés wrapper, Honduran binder and Honduran and Dominican fillers. It’s offered in a 6″ x 52 Toro and they come in tins of 20 priced at $17.50 each. I smoked a couple of these, it’s unusual for me to smoke the same cigar over a week’s time, but the first one I smoked was so good, I had to smoke another one. These suit my palate ( but not necessarily my wallet!). It’s a really good cigar, loads of espresso, with some spice. This is an excellent cigar.

My youngest son has taken to getting me a couple cigars for Father’s Day the last couple years. He stops in CIgar Mojo in King Of Prussia, PA and they have done and excellent job of recommending cigars that I haven’t had before. This year one of the cigars was the new Plasencia Alma De Cielo Amancer, the Hexagon pressed 6″ x 60. The press isn’t as the Alma Fuerte Sixto, which has sharper corners. This isn’t a surprise, given that the wrapper appears to be quite thin. It looks like a shade wrapper, but it’s actually a Nicaraguan wrapper from Condega, which they say is grown at 1300 meters above sea level. They say it’s the highest Elevation cigar on the market. The rest of the cigar is Nicaraguan as well, binder and filler, obviously made at the Plasencia factory. This is on the milder side, which starts out a little drying on the palate. There’s a sweet cream sort of thing going on. As it heats, it rounds out, losing the press. I’m always embarrassed when my kids give me cigars, especially when they spend so much, it was a very generous gift. A great gift is something I wouldn’t buy for myself.

A cigar on the opposite end of the spectrum in several ways is the Micallef Black Firecracker. Like the Camacho, it has a San Andrés maduro wrapper, with an Ecuador binder and Nicaraguan fillers. The format is 3½” x 50 with a fuse pigtail cap. I’ve smoked many of the seasonal Firecracker releases, I try to buy them from Two Guys Cigars when they come out, I think I missed a couple here and there. The most memorable was probably the Fratello that I smoked on the Spanish Steps in Rome. I keep a bunch around for those times when I don’t have a lot of time. I also like the Micallef Black blend, I’m a fan. This was a strong little cigar. It started out with a blast of pepper, the mellowed slightly, although never dropping below strong. The burn was perfect, and it was a very enjoyable cigar. The only problem is that it’s priced a touch higher than the toro (and the box pressed toro that’s a Smoke Inn exclusive, also excellent), but it’s a different cigar, and requires a bit more work to make.

That’s all for today, until the next time,

CigarCraig

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Tagged as Alma Del Cielo, Amamcer, Black, Camacho, cigar, cigars, Firecracker, Hexagon, Limited Edition 2025, Micallef, Plasencia

June 23, 2024 · 9:47 am

La Union, Cro Magnon, EP Carrillo and JFR Lunatic Cigars

My week started with a really nice Father’s Day with all my kids and grandkids visiting. My youngest stopped at CigarMojo and asked for a recommendation, and, once again, they sold him a very expensive cigar. I’m never super happy about him spending his hard earned cash, and part of me feels like the guys at the shop take advantage, but he does make a good point: it’s not something I would buy for myself. He picked up the new(ish) My Father La Union Black para Tatuaje .This is certainly a cigar that piqued my interest, but there was never any way I was shelling out for it. I’m a cheap bastard, my sphincter tightens when I look at a cigar over $15. This is a 100% improvement over 12 or so years ago. So, it being Father’s Day, and having this wonderful gift, I had to smoke it. The cigar is 7¼” x 50 with a 109 head, the head is slightly tapered and rounded. It has an Ecuador Habano wrapper and Nicaraguan fillers, including Pelo de Oro. I’ve walked through the Pelo de Oro fields, although it’s been 13 years, so probably not the same stuff. This was blended by the Garcias for Pete Johnson’s palate, I almost expected it to be heavier. It wasn’t. It had a very delicate, nuanced flavor, started with an interesting mintiness, some woodyness and some spice. It almost reminded me of a Havana, but loads better. This was a brilliant cigar, I greatly appreciate the opportunity to try it. Later I smoked the now 25 year old Esperanza para los Niños, which has held up well!

I’d been itching to try the new Pennsylvania Broadleaf wrapped variant of the RoMaCraft CroMagnon which came out recently, so I had added a couple of the 4½ x 60 Mandibles on to a recent order. I haven’t seen these locally, although I haven’t been out shopping much lately. This version uses a Pennsylvania broadleaf wrapper, Sumatra hybrid binder and fillers from the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua. The original CroMagnon didn’t have any Dominican leaf in the blend. I was hoping to try the Cranium (toro) size, but this was what was available. I thought this was spicier than the original, and it wasn’t for the faint of heart. I thought I got some grilled steak, but that might have been a neighbor cooking. I’ll be on the look out for other sizes, but this one hit the spot, although I’ll always have a soft spot for the original.

E.P. Carrillo is launching a line called the Essence series, the Sumatra and Maduro should be on shelves, with more wrapper variations on the horizon. I smoked the Maduro Friday evening on a drive north. My wife offered to drive the first leg so I could enjoy my cigar. I actually don’t like to smoke while driving my car because it’s a manual and it just isn’t relaxing. Fortunately, we were in her car. Ain’t she the greatest? The E.P. Carirllo Maduro has a San Andrés wrapper, Honduran binder and Nicaraguan fillers. While it’s made in the D.R., note that there is no Dominican leaf. I couldn’t help but remember my first La Gloria Cubana Maduro back in the ’90s. This cigar had some spice with espresso and cocoa, it was right up my alley. Burn and draw were perfect (which is nice in the car) and it smoked for about an hour and a half. I’m excited to try the Sumatra, and add some more of the Maduro to my humidor.

Finally, when we got home last night fairly late, I sat down with the newest Firecracker offering from United Cigars. This year it is the JFR Lunatic Firecracker, Made by Aganorsa Leaf. I’m hit of miss on the Aganorsa cigars, but the JFR Lunatic is a good one, although I haven’t smoked any of the obscenely large sizes (there’s only a few 60 ring and under). This has what they are calling a shade grown Corojo maduro wrapper, and I assume Aganorsa Nicaraguan fillers and binder. It’s 3½” x 50 with the signature “fuse”, which I get rid of right away. Smoking time was the better part of an hour, which is good for a little guy. It had that cane sugar sweetness that I like, and was quite tasty, one of the better Firecracker treatments in my mind. Not that any are bad, this one distinguished itself. Super-tasty and it looks like it might still be available. Grab some to try if you see them!

That’s all for today, until the next time,

CigarCraig

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Tagged as Aganorsa, Aganorsa Leaf, cigar, cigars, CroMagnon, E.P. Carrillo, Essence, Firecracker, JFR, La Union, Lunatic, My Father Cigars, RoMaCraft, tatuaje, United Cigars

July 9, 2023 · 9:12 am

Some Fourth of July Cigars, and Another Rebellion Cigar

While many of my brethren are toiling away in Las Vegas at the PCA show, I’m hanging out here at home happily smoking cigars. I decided to free myself of the stress and expense of travel and some of the expectations set by others in the “cigar media”. Short rant: I’m irritated by some bloggers/podcasters who take themselves quite seriously. I’ve heard comments like people who use cell phones to shoot their content shouldn’t be taken seriously as cigar media, or people should cover certain booths. When I have attended the show it’s been on my time and at my expense, so I’m doing it my way. Do my video interviews look any different than those done by people using more expensive or professional looking rigs? Do people care that much? Whatever. From the beginning I said I was going to do things my way and I have. I recently thought to myself that maybe I’m being a sucker for not asking for sponsorship to go to the show, but, ya know, that would interfere with me doing things my way. So I’ll keep doing what I do, the way I want to do it. If you don’t like it, nobody is forcing you to read! That wasn’t as short a rant as I’d have liked, on to some cigars!

Of course on the Fourth of July I smoked a United Cigars Firecracker, the newest one from E.P. Carrillo, the Pledge Firecracker. This might be hard to find, but if you run across them anywhere, buy as many as you can manage. This might be a bold statement, but I think this is my favorite Firecracker to date. Considering some of the exceptional Firecrackers that have come before it, the Mi Querida (which is the only one to my knowledge that spun off it own line, the Triqui Traca) is exceptional, the CroMagnon was exceptional, the Fratello was an under-rated treat, but the Pledge takes it up a notch. It’s funny, because I don’t remember enjoying the regular Pledge line as much,

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perhaps whatever Ernesto did to punch this one up made the difference for me. The Connecticut Habano wrapper is dark and oily (what made me think it was grown in Massachusetts?), rich and full of flavor. It’s meaty and sweet and I really dug it. It’s my custom to buy five of the firecrackers, I should have sprung for a box, had I known. Super-yummy.

After a heavy lunch and a nap, I treated myself to an American by J.C. Newman. This was a special size, a Lonsdale, that Drew Newman handed out when I toured the factory last December. It’s not a regular production, I don’t think there were more than a few hundred in existence, so it was a special cigar. Of course, the American is 100% American tobaccos, rolled at the El Reloj factory in Tampa, everything that touches the cigar is made in the USA (except, ironically, the folks who roll them maybe!). This is a tasty cigar, it has a unique bready, spicy flavor that’s unlike any other cigar out there. It was a special cigar, in a spe

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cial size. It was very good. I’ve only smoked a few of the Americans in the larger ring gauges, and the smaller size definitely makes a big difference, as in any smaller ring, it’s a little sharper because it burns a little hotter.

Finally, I’m still working through the Rebellion samples, and smoked the Ace of Spades in the Toro size. This is one of the Maduro offerings in the Rockstar Range, taking its name from the Motörhead song. The wrapper is Honduran, binder is Indonesian with fillers from Jamastran in Honduras and Condega and Jalapa in Nicaragua. My plan was to smoke this while watching a movie on the porch. Big mistake updating the Firestick first, which took nearly half the cigar. Oh well, I had a good tasting cigar to keep me company. This is a pretty full bodied smoke, as one would imagine a cigar named after a Motörhead some would be. It had some earthiness and spice and a different sort of sweet taste, very intriguing. This company is making cigars that aren’t like a lot of other cigars on the market. I hope they are having success at the PCA show, from what I’ve read, they seem to be drawing some attention with the pink branding.

That’s all for today, until the next time,

CigarCraig

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Tagged as Ace of Spades, cigar, cigars, E.P. Carrillo, Firecracker, J.C.Newman, Pledge, Rebellion Cigars, The American

March 19, 2023 · 10:12 am

Fratello, All Saints, Casino Real and Yaya Cigars

I’m running low on new stuff to smoke, in a few years I’ll be scraping the bottom of the barrel! Seems like there’s always something new, it’s just a matter of getting my hands on stuff. A few weeks after my aborted attempt to be among the first to smoke the new Fratello Vice Versa with Omar when he released it in Virginia, I picked a couple up at a local shop. I would have gotten more, but these are no cheap date. I get it, they are expensive to make, they are bunched in a very specific way, and capped on both ends. Not begrudging Omar the price, just saying I’m a cheap prick and don’t buy more than a couple $15 cigars at a whack. I smoked prototypes last May, they were good. I smoked a Vice Versa this week and started with the strong end. This is an interesting cigar that smokes mild from one end and strong from the other. Seems like I should have gotten a third one, because the one I smoked, unfortunately, had a void in the first half and tunneled. After struggling with it for a while, it eventually corrected itself. I kinda missed the strong part, but it was a tasty cigar. This isn’t a small cigar at 7″ x 52, and it has a six country blend: Ecuador, Indonesia, Pennsylvania (USA) , the Dominican Republic, Peru and Nicaragua. Peruvian tobacco is a in almost all of Omar’s blends. I wonder if I would feel better about cutting this cigar in half, although if I think a $15 7″ cigar is expensive, two $7.50 3½” cigars actually seems pricier. I have one left, I’ll need to get a couple more eventually, I enjoyed the flavor.

Friday was Saint Patrick’s Day, so I smoked the new Firecracker cigar from United Cigars, the All Saints St. Patrick. This is a 3½” x 50 based on the St. Francis blend, which I really like. They accented the oscuro wrapper with a Candela, making a barber pole. It seemed to me to be stronger than the St. Francis, which is kinda the point. I didn’t taste much of the candela, to be honest. A lot of the candela barber pole cigars have that grassy candela flavor present, this wasn’t apparent except it might have contributed to some of the bite. It was good, I liked it. I typically only buy from 3 to 5 Firecrackers, maybe I should have gotten 5. It’s been a few years since I’ve gotten any, the last few didn’t capture my interest. If you find these, buy some, I bet they go fast. I wonder if All Saints will do a St. Bernard one day? It would have to be a large format.

Yesterday I did a little test of a platform that will let me do interviews remotely. Hopefully that is something that interests my readers. It’s something I’ve been wanting to do but finally got around to it. So I tested it yesterday with a couple of friends and smoked a Casino Real Double Toro (6″ x 60) which I think I got at the 2022 TPE show. This is a brand which is, from what I can tell, is distributed by Zander Greg/Nat Cicco. This is a Ecuador Habano wrapped cigar with Nicaraguan binder and fillers. It was a tasty cigar with some woody and coffee type flavors. The burn and draw were perfect. I have no idea what these cost but it was a solid smoke.

I got home from going out to dinner a bit late and decided it was a great time to smoke a short cigar. I said before that my go to is a 6″ cigar, I don’t mind bigger cigars, although I don’t often go over a 60 ring. So shorter cigars end up spending some time in the humidor often. I had a Yaya Short Robusto, which is a 2022 PCA exclusive, which I got from the United Cigars booth at the 2022 PCA show. I like the fact that this had the date on the band, it makes it harder for me to forget where it came from and when. Not impossible, just harder. I’ve heard good things about this cigar, so I was anxious to try it. It’s 4″ x 54, with an Ecuador Habano wrapper over Dominican fillers. These are made in Jose Dominguez’ Magia Cubana factory in the DR. I’ll be honest, there’s not a lot of cigar from this factory that have thrilled me. This one was the exception. It started out with a little bite, which I liked, and had some nice spice notes. It’s a tasty smoke!