Cuvee Rouge - Robusto

Size: 5x50 Robusto
Wrapper: Sun-Grown Dominican
Binder: Dominican
Filler: Dominican
Body: Medium-Full
Strength: Medium
Humidor time: 1 Month


I went ahead and continued on my Cuvee tour with the Rouge after trying the 151 and giving my throat some time to heal. I got this cigar with my purchase of the 151, it too had one month of time in my humidor resting away. This cigar is also beautiful, the wrapper holds a red hue to it that is quite inviting. This particular stick did have a minor triangle shaped tear at the foot, but it never split and become worse. The cigar is firm, the wrapper is spicy like many others.

The cigar lit up with lots of toasty smoke. It was not pleasant, the flavor was ashy with a tinge of ammonia. The ashy ammonia was prevalent throughout the cigar as it burned down. It was unpleasant to say the least.

The ash was white, but flakey, causing concern to make sure it dropped in the ashtray instead of on me. I do ash more often then some, so it bothers me that I have to keep my eye on the ash to make sure I do not end up with a hole in my pants. The burn was nothing exciting.

During the smoke I noticed a tingling feeling, some may call it a tang, but it was different than I am used to. I picked up a good amount of cocoa, coffee flavors and cinnamon. During the smoke I tried to discern if the tingle feeling I got was the cinnamon or not, but it was a bit of work to figure it out and I never did.

During the smoke I had written in my notes several times the ammonia I would get as the cigar burned. This cigar turned out to be another disappointment for me. I am wondering if the tobacco is too young, the amount of ammonia I got during the smoke was way too much. The tobacco certainly was used too soon and should have been fermented longer, unless strong ammonia is what Cusano was hoping to accomplish with this cigar.

I am certainly going to give my other Cuvee Rouges a long time to rest before lighting up again. I cannot recommend this cigar unless you enjoy ammonia.

Appearance 2-I Liked It
Construction 3- Good
Burn 1- Okay
Ash 1- Flaky
Flavor 1- Great smoke, lots of flavor
Smoke Profile 1.5- Perfect, no harsh spots at all, smooth and nice
Aroma 1- Enjoyable fragrance, but stinks up the skin

=10.5 Points

Tatuaje Havana VI - Verocu Exclusivo Lado Occidental

(Exclusive to the Western Side)



Size: 6 ¼ x 52 No. 1
Wrapper: Nicaragua
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Body: Full
Strength: Full
Humidor Time: 3 months


I have had Tatuaje cigars in the past, all of them have been an experience on a good level. When the Havana VI came landed in my local B&M, they did not last long, within one month they were gone. I was fortunate enough to snag one for myself and after three months of rest I was ready to light it up.

This is a big stick, the wrapper was spicy and the draw was tighter then I prefer, it did not get in the way. The first flavors to emerge from the start was cocoa, coffee and almonds. I need to point out how smooth the smoke texture was. Tatuaje cigars, I have notice, produce very smooth smoke. Pete Johnson really did a great job with Don Pepin Garcia blending these smoke.

As the cigar burned, the white ash grew longer, the hold was strong, never needing to worry about it falling before expected, burning a straight line the whole way. The smoke volume continued to be light, that was until I was half way into the cigar. This is when it opened up for me. I was greeted with lots of smooth creamy smoke.

The flavors intensified, the coffee became more sumatra like and the cocoa became darker. This cigar performed well, in fact it was almost as expected. The only problem that occurred was the tight draw through the first half of the cigar.

I am not a huge Tatuaje fan, I do not get excited when I see them nor do I anticipate the moment fire touches the foot of my Tatuaje cigars. The flavors were prominent and one must not like strong cigars or have bad taste buds to not like any blend that comes from Tatuaje. These are quality smokes, but to me they are overpriced. The marketing seems opposite of CAO. Tatuaje has great cigars all around, but do not put the time and money into the displays and bands that CAO does. The one thing the two companies do have in common is the hefty change needed to purchase one of their products.

This is a recommended cigar.

Appearance 2-I Liked It
Construction 2.5- Good, but tight draw through first half
Burn 2- Perfect
Ash 2- Wow
Flavor 3- Great smoke, lots of flavor
Smoke Profile 2- Perfect, no harsh spots at all, smooth and nice
Aroma 2- Enjoyable fragrance, but stinks up the skin

=15.5 Points

Punch Gran Puro - Sierra

Size: 6.5 x 48 Sierra (Toro)
Wrapper: Honduras
Binder: Honduras
Filler: Honduras
Body: Medium- Full
Strength: Medium-Full
Humidor time: 3 Months

This firm cigar is covered with a veiny wrapper and has a good draw. From what I have had with Punch cigars, quality seems to be good every time. I noticed from the start that this cigar was made of quality. This cigar started off with a lot of pepper encompassing the coffee and almond flavors. These flavors were enjoyable.

The gray ash was solid dropping when I wanted it to. The burn was even and stayed so burning the duration of the smoke. Once into the body of the cigar the coffee and almonds were abundant when I picked up a bitter flavor with a sweetness in it like truffles. I think I am tasting truffles recently because we have been getting a lot of them at work from our clients. There was a lot of smoke that was chewy and smooth. The aroma was of a floral fragrant that was pleasing to those around me.

I have been told that these are powerful cigars in both strength and body. I was told that it carries an abundance of spice and pepper. I am am thinking that the reason others find these strong is due to being smoked fresh from the box. I did not rest this one for very long, three months is not a lot but if I were to have waited, I am sure these would smooth out even more. The price is right on these too, on sale one could pick these up for just under $3 a stick, otherwise they are under $5 a piece.

I can recommend these cigars to about anyone, but there is something about this cigar which keeps me from returning to them. The smell left on the skin, it is quite putrid, it smells like something the ashtray threw up. You have been warned.

Appearance 2-I Liked It
Construction 2- Good
Burn 2- Perfect
Ash 2- Wow
Flavor 3- Great smoke, lots of flavor
Smoke Profile 2- Perfect, no harsh spots at all, smooth and nice
Aroma 1.5- Enjoyable fragrance, but stinks up the skin

=14.5 Points

Cuvee No. 151

Size: 5x50 Robusto
Wrapper: Costa Rican Corojo
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaraguan and Costa Rican
Body: Full
Strength: Medium
Humidor time: 1 Month

Every now and again a cigar comes along that begs to be enjoyed, it wants to be one of the best out there, but there is only one way to find out. This Cuvee 151 came into my humidor with a passion. it sat there along with my other cigars almost taunting them because of how great the corojo wrapper looks. I purchased a couple of these and had to keep away from them, so I tucked them under other cigars so I would forget about them. Unfortunately I saw one after a month of resting and figured enough time has passed to let one acclimate to my humidor, it was time to light at least one up.

Did I mention how beautiful this oily dark firm cigar looks? The Corojo is amazing. It is a cigar that must be seen in person to truly appreciate. Even if one does not care for corojo cigars, one would admit to its beauty.

The cap cut cleanly and the pre-light draw was loose giving flavors of cocoa and strong spice threatening to ravage harm to the back of the throat. I am not kidding about the spice, it was wicked. I do not remember much about the aroma as I was worried about the injury I was causing my throat, as such I am not going to give it a bad rating, if the aroma was bad I would have noted it.

The stick lit up nicely and quickly, the smoke volume was thick and tasted of strong rich cocoa. The smoke was smooth and creamy, but harsh on the back of the throat. The ash was bright white and held strong to the cigar, dropping only upon command in the ashtray. The burn was even all the way around.

I was given flavors of cocoa and nuts with that spice in the background causing harm. The complexities were okay, but with age they might be better. I am hoping the sandpaper effect I was getting on my throat will also fade with age. I am going to return to this cigar, but it will not be for a year. I was disappointed by this cigar, having a rough smoke is never fun and wanting to write up this review I went ahead and smoked the cigar down to one and a half inches, I could not nub this one even if I wanted to. I am only glad I got a robusto rather than anything larger. I would not recommend this cigar out of the box, if you have one with age, good luck. I would like to know what others think of this cigar.

This cigar gets a descent rating due to everything but the smoke profile, if I was not having such a hard time with my throat I probably would have picked up a lot more flavors. This was a huge disappointment for me.

Appearance 2-I Liked It
Construction 2- Good
Burn 2- Perfect
Ash 2- Wow
Flavor 2.5- Had good flavor, but masked by pain, real bummer
Smoke Profile 0.5- Ouch, oh but smooth and creamy, ouch!!
Aroma 2- Nice and not overpowering, Aromatic, enjoyable fragrance

=13 Points

Savinelli Nicaraguan Reserve

Size: 6.5 x 54 Torpedo
Wrapper: Nicaragua
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Body: Medium
Strength: Mild-Medium
Humidor time: 1 month

By request I bring you this Savinelli Nicaraguan Reserve. I am well aware of Savinelli pipes, they are some of the most beautiful and best smoking pipes out there and even better they are affordable, I even know that their seconds smoke just as great as their firsts. What I did not know is that they have their own line of cigars. This all Nicaraguan cigar caught my eye quickly. It holds an interesting looking wrapper, it has a reddish hue in it that was blotchy, in a good way that caused this cigar to look attractive. This cigar is firm with an easy bounce when pinched. The draw was a little firmer then I prefer but otherwise not bad. Torpedo's are not an easy cigar to construct with a loose draw.

This cigar was easy to light, it started off with strong coffee and a touch of spice. The smoke was smooth with some roughness in it and light in body. The ash on this cigar was white and held very strong, I had to tap it off a bit harder then I am used to on most cigars. The burn was a bit uneven but did not cause any problems.

Once into the body of the cigar the spice faded and a strong bitter coffee took over. It was really a robust cigar. Not complex in any way, it burned with a strong coffee all the way through. This did not take a lot of work to enjoy, it is straight forward and great for those days you want to sit back and smoke a cigar without having to think about it. The aroma was not bad, I never really thought about it while smoking this one.

The price is about right for this cigar. I do recommend this to anyone who is looking for something easy or for those looking to step up to something with a bit more body and strength than they are used to.

Appearance 2-I Liked It
Construction 2- Good
Burn 1-Uneven, No Touch up Needed
Ash 2- Wow
Flavor 2.5- Poker smoke, even flavor, not distracting, no thinking required to enjoy this one
Smoke Profile 1- Smokeable, maybe a harsh spot or two, but not distracting
Aroma 2- Nice and not overpowering, Aromatic, enjoyable fragrance

=11.5 Points