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Flores Y Rodriguez Habano Review

GC — Fri, 04 May 2012 14:24:00 GMT

Pinar Del Rio Flores Y Rodriguez Habano - Genios — (6 x 52)

Appearance / Construction -

The two new lines from Pinar Del Rio that we've received in the past few weeks, the Flores Y Rodriguez line along with the Pinar Del Rio Small Batch are two new Brands that were blended and rolled in the new Pinar Del Rio factory in Santiago, Dominican Republic. The scarce information that we were able to find on the blend was available from our friends at Halfwheel.com (naturally). The cigar is apparently a 100% Dominican Habano Vuelta Abajo blend, available in a Natural and Maduro wrapper, with the two wrappers coming from different crops. I love the band, it's very traditional feeling, and the colors really pop. The Flores Y Rodriguez cigars are packaged without cello, which has its pro's and con's, but opening up a box is quite a sight. The wrapper is a golden brown, very oily, same with the Maduro, oily and real beauties.. they're just begging to be smoked. The cigar is very firmly packed, and rolled very well, great construction on sight. On the cold draw I pickup a slight saltiness, with some woodsy, leathery tobacco flavor. Lets fire this new Pinar Del Rio stick up and see how it smokes.

First Third:

Upon lighting the cigar, all the leathery, salty-sweet tobacco flavors come to life, as if the cold draw was an exact preview of what was to come. Only difference being some nice mild spice through the nose on the retrohale. Again there is a lot of tobacco in this stick, and it's well packed, so the draw is just a tad tight, hopefully it will open up a bit as I smoke on. The cigar starts off medium in body, with some nice balanced flavors so far. I'm glad it's the first cigar of the day for me, it seems to be the perfect time for it, being that I enjoy medium to full to full toward the middle and end of my day. The Flores Y Rodriguez Habano shows it's Dominican puro roots, with a medium strength body and many very subtly interwoven flavors. This is not a Nicaraguan, in your face, power bomb. There is a nice honey and baked bread flavor running throughout so far, with some earthy tobacco, wood and leather to balance the blend. I'm wishing it had a bit more spice, but that's just the full body smoker in me! The draw has opened up to a good place and the burn has been phenomenal so far with a few minor corrections required here and there.

Second Third:

As the giant, almost 2 inch long ash dropped off, I started in on the second third.. The cigar is still around medium in strength, and has quite a Cuban'esque profile. I don't throw that term around much and to be more specific, Pinar Del Rio seems to have focused more on the flavor and balance than the strength. I can't wait to see what aging turns this smoke into. Unfortunately I smoked a few of these basically right off the truck with one day of dry boxing. The Cuban profile I speak of also refers to the "twang" I'm getting from this cigar. Yes ladies and gentlemen, its got Twang! If you smoke Cuban cigars from time to time you know will understand what I mean. The second third remains balanced, with a slight build in body, as well as more of a mineral flavor. The underlying spice of the cigar has picked up a bit and is now noticeable on each puff.

Final Third:

So far this cigar has performed like a champ. Extremely solid ash and near perfect burn. If this Flores Y Rodriguez blend is any indication of what will be coming out of the new PDR Factory, get ready to smoke some great Dominican cigars. I'm very interested to see how the different sizes as well as some more time on the shelf or your humidor changes the blend. As I said above, I think it's going to do wonders, for some reason I feel like this one will age very well. The cigar continued a similar profile in until nubbed, with the spice and body picking up, as well as some more definition in the already identified notes. Overall I must admit this one of the more interesting Pinar Del Rio blends I've smoked in a while.. It's grabbed my attention, I love the balance and Dominican profile, as I've said I can't wait to try this in a few other vitolas as well.

Look for this available at Atlantic Cigar and in our sister retail store, the Cigar Republic very soon!

Thanks for reading!

GC

Los Hermanos Corona Gorda - Coming Soon

GC — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 16:01:00 GMT

Los Hermanos Corona Gorda (5 5/8 x 46) Review

The Corona Gorda is the the first of two new sizes we will be releasing in the Los Hermanos line in the very near future, the other being a Box-Pressed Robusto (5 1/2 x 52). The Corona Gorda that I am smoking today was created by the great people of Casa Fernandez and Tropical Tobacco, at the Raices Cubanas factory in Nicaragua. The Box-Pressed Robusto will come out of Tropical's Miami factory, the release is TBD. I was a big fan of the first run of Los Hermanos, available here, especially the Robusto. I am generally more attracted to smaller rings, and with all the strength and nuances that the larger gauges had, I'm really excited to see how the blend does in a Corona size.

Construction / Pre-light:

This size of the Los Hermanos sports the same reddish hued Nicaraguan Corojo wrapper, the cigar itself has an earthy aroma to it while foot gives off a spicy pepper when inhaled through the nose. The cigar is well packed, with no soft or hard spots to speak of. The pre-light draw is sweet tobacco again with some spice.

First Third:

The Los Hermanos Corona starts off with a peppery blast of spice, an undercurrent of earthiness with an almost creamy bittersweet cocoa flavor. The draw is absolutely spot on perfect, the burn also while a little bit wavy is also very good. As the cigar progresses, there is a bit of a leathery flavor, with the spice still in the mix, with a cedar note on the finish.

Second Third:

The thick, rich smoke is heavy on the palate leaving a long creamy, leathery finish. This may not be to appealing if it wasn't for the sweetness of the tobacco that remains in the background. The cigar is probably medium - full at this point, it does have a bit of a sneaky character to it. It doesn't seem all that full and then all of a sudden you notice the strength creeping up on you. The flakey white ash falls off fairly easily on this sample, while another I smoked was like a rock.. Maybe the humidity of the cigar adjusting. There is a definite new-ness in this blend that has to be taken into account. By the time we make them available to customers, they will have had more time to settle.

Last Third:

In the last third the upfront spice has died down.. The cigar has become medium - full bordering on full.. but hasn't gotten bitter. The flavor nuances are mostly earthy with some sweetness and cedar behind it. A thoroughly enjoyable smoke. Smoke time was a little over an hour, I basically nubbed it.

Overall

The Corona size of the Los Hermanos predictably gives much more attention to the Nicaraguan Cafe Colorado Corojo wrapper. It allows the fillers and binders to play less of a dominant role in the overall profile of the cigar. This ends up working well for this blend, while not ultra complex, the cigar's Nicaraguan profile is packed full of positive flavors. It will satisfy the spice-aholics, and also people looking for a lot of flavor and body in a small package. Like I mentioned these will definitely do well with a few weeks of aging in our warehouse. Another great creation by Paul Palmer, Arsenio Ramos, and the rest of the folks at Casa Fernandez. These guys make great stuff!!

Cheers!

GC

Ortega Cigars Series D No. 12 Review

gc — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 17:37:00 GMT

Ortega Series D - No. 12 (5 x 52)

Background:
In early February Eddie Ortega announced his departure from his partnership with Erik Espinoza in their EO Brands company. Eddie left EO on good terms, and ultimately made the decision to be more independent and create his own brands. Check out full coverage of this news from our good friends at halfwheel.com.

Very shortly after that he released access to his new website ortegacigars.com, which announced his new cigar imprint, Ortega Cigars. The website lists 3 lines that Ortega will be releasing, the Serie "D", the Brotherhood, and the Aftershock. The Series D is the only cigar by Ortega that has been released, today I will be reviewing the No. 12 (5 x 52) size. Rolled at the My Father Cigar factory in Esteli, Nicaragua, the cigar uses a Mexican San Andreas Maduro Wrapper and features Nicaraguan fillers and binders from Jalapa and Esteli. The Series D is available in 5 sizes, all box-pressed.

Eddie's website explains that the Ortega Cigar Co has a deep commitment to quality and that by using the best materials available, and by taking the time to allow the cigar to cure and age to perfection, you will be able to identify a "characteristic personality" within each cigar you smoke. What more can you ask for in a cigar? Atlantic does not currently have the Ortega Series D for sale, but they are coming soon so keep an eye out.

Appearance:
The Ortega Series D is encased in a dark, toothy wrapper, the cigars are box-pressed and very firm and well packed. The scent off the wrapper is very barnyard, the pre-light draw having the same earthiness as well as some sweet tobacco flavor.

First Third:
Upon lighting the Ortega Series D my first few draws give off a very sweet, spicy Nicaraguan flavor. The standing smoke output of the cigar is minimal which I prefer to a cigar that puts off smoke like a campfire. The cigar has a wonderful sweet nutty aroma. Lots of sweet character upfront with the perfect amount of spice through the nose on the retrohale. The body remains in the medium area in the first third, but I can feel it building. Behind the earthy, molasses core is a cashew nuttiness that creates a very nice smooth flavor. The cigar's rich profile also includes some anise or almost a licorice flavor.

Second Third:
The salt and pepper ash has been hanging on in 1 inch segments before dropping off. So far the burn and draw of the Ortega D No. 12 has been great. While the burn is a bit wavy, the draw has the perfect amount of resistance. The peppery spice has fallen into the background and almost disappeared as the cigar hits its midway point. The cigar has hit it's stride and become very smooth, the sweetness has balanced out to produce a very enjoyable creaminess. At this point the body has built to something closer to medium - full.

Last Third:
The last third continued much like on much in the same fashion, with some rich earthy tobacco sweetness. The peppery spice returns, as the body continues to build to medium - full plus. I am very much enjoying this cigar, although the profile is rich, earthy and sweet, it's not super heavy or bowling me over with strength. Even as the Series D gets down to the final few inches, the cigar remains smooth.

Overall:
Although I only smoked a few of these to write this review, I enjoyed everyone individually. Each size brought a different experience to the table. The cigars are a great reference to the rich, flavorful cigars coming out of Nicaragua these days. If someone was to ask me what a Nicaraguan cigar taste like, I would hand them this cigar. I wish Eddie well on his journey, hopefully all that he's learned in his years in the industry will go into creating great product. All indications so far point exactly to that, an awesome first blend for a new Brand from an industry veteran.

*Ortega Cigars are coming soon to Atlantic Cigar, we'll keep you posted!

Atlantic Cigar Company Moving Headquarters

admin — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 13:23:00 GMT

Atlantic Cigar Company Moving Headquarters

With our continued growth over the last few years it has become time once again for us to move our operations into a larger space. We will be moving to a new location just outside Philadelphia, PA in nearby Folcroft, PA. In the past few years we have experienced tremendous growth and would like to thank all of our customers for supporting us over the past 15 years. We will miss our local friends, and also the folks who traveled to stop in to see us however we hope to provide those customers our great Internet / mail order service. We are extremely excited about Philadelphia, it's a great city and we're looking forward to planting our feet there and continue on this journey of providing the best products and service in the industry.

The retail store in Stroudsburg’s last day open will be this Saturday, February 11th. We will be having a going away Party / Sale Saturday, from 12PM to 5PM. Stop by, bid us farewell, and grab some great deals while your at it. As we've mentioned to our regulars, we're only a click of the mouse or a phone call away. Most of our customers will attest to the fact that when you call us, your talking to people that are passionate about cigars and the industry, and we love what we do and it shows. To our national and international mail-order customers, there will be no downtime or interruptions on the website or on the phones. The move will be transparent to you folks, you may hear a little excitement in our voices as we settle into our new surroundings, but that'll be about all.

Regards,

The Atlantic Cigar Family

PDR 1878 Reserva Dominicana Capa Habana Lancero

GC — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 12:55:00 GMT

Background:

2011 has been another great year for Pinar Del Rio with massive growth, many new brands and line extensions. The small batch boutique company has now extended its PDR lines to four different wrappers and blends, the PDR Cubano Especial Maduro (Black), the PDR Reserva Dominicana Oscura (Red), the PDR Reserva Dominicana Capa Habana (Blue) and finally the PDR Liga Especial Reserva Superior (Silver).

Pinar Del Rio has released an onslaught of cigars and sizes this year, and while I haven't been able to try every size of every blend.. One of my favorites this year has been the PDR 1878 Reserva Dominicana Capa Habana Lancero (Blue Label). Medium to full in body, the Dominican Puro blend consists of a Dominican Criollo '98 and Habano seed binders and aged Dominican Corojo, Habano, and Criollo '98 fillers and is finished with an oily golden brown Habano wrapper.

Appearance / Construction:

The Lancero is sized at 7.25 x 38 and finished with a pigtail cap and a closed foot. I can't stress enough how oily this Habano wrapper is; the cigar has a rustic look overall, but it's got that attractive magnetic quality that makes you want to fire it up. The construction quality is very good, although it has a "handmade" look and feel.

*Side note. I've been recently using the Xikar Element lighter with a dual torch flame. I've owned many, many lighters over the years and besides the S. T. Dupont MaxiJet which I place at the top of my list as the absolute best lighter for the money, this Xikar Element is really impressing me! I'm loving the style of the lighter, the amount of fuel it holds, the built in punch and maybe most of all the dual jets are spaced perfectly where they form a sort of flat half-inch flame that's perfect for toasting foots and controlling your flame. Anyway.. back to the PDR!

First Third:

The PDR Blue Lancero starts off with enjoyable spicy, sweet flavors. The aroma is sweet leather, the profile a complex mix of wood, leather and caramel sweetness with some mild spice on the finish. The draw is great, with no resistance giving off large plumes of chewy aromatic smoke on every pull. Only an inch into this lancero and I'm very impressed by the complexity and the balance of all the flavors going on here. The ash, a nice grey and black color, is breaking off about every inch or so. The flavors mentioned above continue to keep my palate entertained for the rest of the first third.

Second Third:

After smoking a third of this cigar the body is picking up a bit. The PDR Capa Habana Blue is supposedly the strongest body-wise of the PDR 1878 cigars. The leathery and sometimes creamy sweetness is still in the forefront paired up with a long enjoyable finish. The smoke production continues to be fairly substantial and aromatic. The peppery spice has all but disappeared in the second third, which allows your palate to focus on the balanced sweet tobacco flavors.

Last Third:

In the last third of the PDR 1878 Capa Habana the peppery spice has picked up along with the leathery finish of the cigar. Although richer and heavier in flavor, the underlying sweetness continues. The phenomenal flavors continue to intermix throughout the rest of the cigar until I nub it. What a great smoke. The entire smoke time was somewhere around 2 hours, smoking at a very slow pace.

Overall:

I've personally been a fan of Pinar Del Rio cigar since they stepped on the cigar scene. When Abe started with the original four blends, I was a fan of the Sun Grown Habano and the Classico Exclusivo for a milder morning smoke. When he put out the Magnums and Double Magnums, although I'm not a huge fan of 60 rings, I smoked them and enjoyed them tremendously. Now with the new PDR line, I've identified the PDR Blue as my personal favorite, and the Lancero is the format that . I've always been able to identify a favorite within Abe's releases and I think really everyone can. He's always created some very unique and interesting blends and I think we will continue to see more great cigars from Abe in the future. Also despite being a boutique producer, he's always kept the price at a very moderate place.

This particular cigar, the PDR 1878 Reserva Dominicana Capa Habana Lancero (mouthful eh?) is a wonderful cigar, packed with balanced flavors of sweet spice, wood, and an aromatic leathery smoke that fills the air. If your a PDR fan, and a Lancero fan, I would definitely recommend checking these out. Check out our PDR 1878 Reserva Dominicana Capa Habana Brand Page for availability and pricing.

Thanks for reading!

Have a Happy New Year!

~GC

What's New This Week - December 26th, 2011

admin — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 12:31:00 GMT

What's New This Week at Atlantic! - December 26th, 2011

Cain Exclusive Collection Lancero Sampler

This extremely limited sampler from Oliva's Studio Tobac contains 9 (nine) limited and hard to find cigars that are have all been well received. Each Cain Collection Lancero Sampler contains four (4) Cain F Lanceros, four (4) Cain Daytona Lanceros and a limited edition Culebra. The Cain F and Daytona Lancero's have only been released so far in an event sampler given out during the Studio Tobac / Cain Event Tour. We only have a few of the Cain Collection Lancero Sampler's so if your interested, don't wait too long, these will be gone soon!

La Aurora Preferidos Gran Reserva 2003 Corojo #1

The La Aurora Preferidos Gran Reserva 2003 cigars are a special release by the La Aurora Cigar Compnay, one of the oldest cigar companies in the Dominican Republic. The La Aurora Preferidos Gran Reserva 2003 was introduced at ay the 2011 IPCPR trade show. The blend is comprised of aged vintage Dominican filler tobaccos and wrapped in a spicy rich Corojo wrapper. The blend delivers rich flavors of spice with hints of pepper and sweetness, a medium to full bodied smoke. The cigars were rolled in 2003 and since then have been aging in La Aurora special aging rooms until now. As expected these are in limited supply so be sure to grab a box today before then are gone.

Illusione Claro in Robusto ~88~ Churchill ~888~ and Lancero ~hl~

We currently have a few boxes of the latest Claro wrapped versions of the Illusione core line. A flavorful Nicaraguan blend combined with the unique flavor of a Candela wrapper gives these popular boutiques a new dimension. Give them a shot, it's definitely something new to keep your palatte guessing. Available in mainly single cigars are the Illusione ~88~ Claro Robusto, Illusione ~888~ Claro Churchill, and ~hl~ Holy Lancero Claro.

All Illusione cigars are made from first generation Corojo ’99, Criollo ’98 seeds, and finished with a triple cap in the premier Raices Cubanas factory. Illusione cigars deliver a taste and a quality of smoke rarely found in today’s market. All of Illusione cigars are made in small-batch quantities to maintain quality and consistency.

ALSO NEW SIZES OF ILLUSIONE EPERNAY INCLUDING: EPERNAY LA VIE & EPERNAY LE TOUREAU

NEW LA FLOR DOMINICANA FACTORY PRESS IV

The latest La Flor Dominicana Limited Edition Factory Press IV is in stock. Available in Singles and in 12-Pack Trays from the master box.

What's New This Week - December 19th 2011

admin — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 16:13:00 GMT

What's New This Week at Atlantic! - December 19th, 2011

*We've decided to create a weekly update on our blog, published every Monday, notifying all our customers and readers of the Blog what new brands, products, or limited items have come in-stock since the last week. We may have some overlap in the e-mails that we send out throughout the week. Now you will have place to visit, updated weekly, to quickly see whats new.

Puros Indios 2012 Cigars

The Reyes Family’s newest limited edition release, the Puros Indios 2012 box-pressed cigar is a medium to full bodied smoke. This blend just may be the cigar to put Puros Indios back on the cigar radar, perhaps a new chapter for Puros Indios cigars. The cigars are made in their Miami factory under the watchful eye of Carlos Diez, the grandson of Rolando Reyes SR. and President of Puros Indios Cigars. The new Puros Indios 2012 box-pressed Limited Edition blend features a Nicaraguan Habano Rosado wrapper, with a Nicaraguan binder, and filler tobacco from both the Dominican Republic and Nicaraguan. *The Churchill size was recently rated 92 by Cigar Aficionado.

Don Pepin Garcia JJ Little Robusto

“Little Robusto” was the affectionate nickname Jerry Cruz gave his son JJ. Sadly, JJ passed away on November 2, 2007 from SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) while at daycare when he was just 3.5 months old. When JJ was born, the first cigar Jerry smoked to celebrate his birth was the Don Pepin Garcia Series JJ. A cigar blended by father (Jose Pepin Garcia) and son (Jaime Garcia) team at My Father Cigars. Even though JJ isn’t with us anymore, Jerry still celebrates his birthday. Every July 22nd, he lights up a Series JJ just like he did when he was born. The Garcia family created the “Little Robusto” a 4.5 x 50 short robusto in memory of Jerry’s son.This limited production cigar features a Broadleaf maduro wrapper with Nicaraguan Corojo and Criollo filler and only 300 (24 count) boxes were made. All proceeds of this cigar will be donated by us to First Candle, which is one of the nation’s leading nonprofit organizations dedicated to safe pregnancies and the survival of babies through the first years of life. Their current priority is to eliminate Stillbirth, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and other Sudden Unexpected Infant Deaths (SUID) with programs of research, education and advocacy. A Great cigar for a Great Cause.

Happy Holidays Jerry and Family from Atlantic Cigar!

Arturo Fuente Hemingway Masterpiece Maduro

The Hemingway Masterpiece Maduro's are released once a year, usually around the holidays. This 9 x 52 Perfecto is an absolute beast! For all fans of the Hemmingway line, and I know your're out there and somewhat rabid, this is a great collectors item. Singles available, if you would like a box of 10, Call or Email Us.

Berger & Argenti Entubar V32 Bruto Belicoso

We just got another delivery of these kick ass Berger & Argenti V32's! I'll admit it, at first I was a little hesitant to smoke the Bruto Belicoso. It's a pretty intimidating smoke, 60 ring, a huge yellow and black advisory.. Anyway I finally grew some cojones, and fired it up. Turned out to be a great smooth, powerful and flavorful smoke. We also have all other sizes available. Checkout the V32 Brand Page for availability.

EP Carrillo Elencos Series Oscuro Elites (Pre-release)

GC — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 12:20:00 GMT

Background:

Today I'm smoking the Elites (Toro 6x54) size of the Pre-release E.P. Carrillo Elencos Oscuro Series. The Carrillo Family has decided to release the Oscuro wrapped version of the Elencos blend in very small numbers at first, just a few boxes per retailer in the Elites size with the full release of the brand planned for late winter 2012. The Maduro Elencos Series sports a Brazilian Habano wrapper and a Nicaraguan / Dominican binder and filler.

Appearance / Construction:

The Elencos Series Oscuro is quite a specimen. The toothy wrapper is not anywhere close to as rough as the wrapper leaf used for the EPC Core Line Maduro. It's so smooth, I can barely see any veins or seams. Heavy in hand, the cigar is well packed.The pre-light draw gives off a nice barnyard aroma with some sweet tobacco flavoring. Lets light this baby up!

First Third:

After toasting the foot, the first few draws give off a substantial blast of pepper, with some nice spice through the nose. The toothy wrapper creates a nice white ash as I smoke through the first half inch. There's a lot going on here, despite the anticipation of a strong body and profile, I'm getting a very smooth, creamy cigar with vanilla sweetness to start. Something I did not expect from a cigar with such a dark wrapper! The cigar is wonderfully balanced and has a very complex flavor profile. Through the balanced strength and creamy finish, I'm also experiencing woodsy, earthy flavors that may be coming from the wrapper leaf? The regular E.P. Carrillo Elencos Series was very complex, very smooth and creamy, and instead of butting heads with the blend, the Oscuro wrapper just seems to add a new dimension. As the first third comes to an end, the strength of the body and the peppery spice is kicking up a bit. Also identifying some espresso or dark cocoa sweetness. The smoothness and balance of all the flavors is excellent, and each can still be identified in the profile. A very complex smoke.

Second Third:

The burn and the draw has been near perfection throughout the cigar so far, just the perfect amount of hesitation on the draw. When I smoke cigars I constantly retrohale, to the point where it's unconscious at this point. While this cigar has a medium to full body, and so many flavors going on the retrohale is amazing. Smooth and creamy smoke flows wonderfully throughout my nose allowing me to take in all this cigar has to offer. Waiting until late winter to try some more of these Toro's and the other sizes of the Elencos Oscuro is going to be tough, I'm really enjoying this cigar. The cigar's profile has shifted more towards the earthy, leathery flavors in the forefront, the sweetness has disappeared a bit, but the long creamy finish remains.

Last Third:

The final third is all leather and dark cocoa, medium to full in body, still an excellent balance in flavor and no bitterness at all. An enjoyable cigar all the way to the finish. I smoked it down as far as I could, until it got a bit too hot to smoke. All I can say is Wow, I know I'm gushing a bit on this one, but I swear Ernesto Carrillo has a gift, and luckily we are all around to enjoy his creations.

Overall:

I feel like every time I smoke or review a new EPC cigar, I'm blown away. Or at least I'm more impressed than the last time I smoked one. The ability to consistently outdo oneself is a true mark of greatness. If you were a fan of the Natural Elencos Series, which stood on its own as an amazing cigar, I promise this one is going to rock your world. Taking the Elencos to the next level by adding an Oscuro wrapper that works perfectly with the blend. Right now, the only way to score this cigar from Atlantic Cigar, is to purchase the Sublime 2012 Sampler. A great sampler for a great price, this cigar absolutely deserves to sit amongst the likes of the Padron No. 9, The OpusX Lost City and the Camacho Liberty 2011. Phenomenal cigar, can't wait for the other sizes and the full release which should be late-winter 2012.

Rocky Patel Winter Collection 2012 Robusto

GC — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 15:57:00 GMT

Background:

The latest in Rocky's Seasonal selections is the Rocky Patel Winter Collection 2012 (also known as the Winter Blend). This year's cigar sports a dark Ecuadorian Habano Wrapper with a dual binder from Costa Rica and Mexico, and fillers from both Panama and Nicaragua. An interesting blend with tobaccos from more than 4 countries. Let's see how it stacks up to the successful 2009 Rocky Winter Blend, and if it feels like a Winter cigar..

Construction / Prelight:

This 5 1/2 " box-pressed Robusto is a very attractive smoke. The aroma that comes off the cigar when you take it out of the cellophane is mouth watering! The dark reddish brown Ecuadorian Habano wrapper is smooth and oily. The construction is great, the cigar is well packed, with no soft spots to speak of. The pre-light draw gives a sweet spice mixed with tobacco profile. Can't wait to fire this one up.

First Third:

Right off the bat, Rocky's New Winter Collection gives a great blast of flavor and a TON of smoke. The cigar starts off with a leathery sweetness with some peppery spice and a nice clean finish. Although well packed the draw is a tad on the loose side, making an average puff fill the air with clouds of aromatic smoke. I've had to touch up the cigar a bit with my lighter to keep it on the straight, I'm attributing the wavering burn to the looser draw. The cigar has a dark chocolate, espresso sweetness reminiscent of the Casa Magna Domus Magnus and a slight cedar or oak profile. These flavors continue on throughout the first third with excellent balance.

Second Third:

Onto the second third, the leather and earthy flavors are in the forefront, mixing well with the rich sweetness of the blend. The body is medium at this point, possibly a little stronger, but nothing too wild yet. The 2012 Winter Blend has a ton of character, a very enjoyable combination of flavors that are bold and mix well. I think the cigar does a good job of being a "winter" batch. Its richness and bold flavor, combined with a long finish gives the Rocky Patel Winter Collection 2012 a true winter feel. I could definitely see myself lighting one of these up after a heavy holiday feast, a perfect topper to a belly warming meal.

Final Third:

All the draw and burn issues I was having at the start of the smoke have worked themselves out. The cigar basically just corrected itself and started to burn near perfectly. The body and spice have picked up in the final third, I'd say the body has easily reached medium - full. The sweetness that was initially in the forefront of the profile has dropped off into the distance. The earthy core of the cigar continued to play out until I nubbed it.

Overall:

I was a big fan of the 2009 Rocky Patel Winter Blend, another bold blend with a PA Broadleaf Maduro wrapper. I think Rocky has succeeded in creating a similar bold and flavorful (heavy) Winter Blend, but with it's own character. What this blend lacks in complexity and elegance it makes up for with a boldness of flavor. A great medium to full cigar loaded with a unique flavor that while not varied, is balanced and very tasty. As all seasonal blends, the Winter Collection is limited, so grab yours while you can! Only 2000 boxes of each size were made this year.

Check out Our Rocky Patel Winter Collection 2012 brand page to see availability or call us 1 (800) 887-7877 to order.

New Products Just In!

admin — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 12:07:00 GMT

Hey everyone,

Hasn't been many reviews lately, chalk it up to general craziness and business around the offices here at Atlantic Cigar.

Lots of new releases have been rolling in recently... always make sure to check the What's New section of the website.

The Carlos Torano Vault Humidor / Corona Gorda Combo -

The Carlos Torano Vault was released a little while back, we tried it and found it to be a great cigar. One of the best from Torano in a long long time! We finally got these beautiful Vault Humidors that come preloaded with a limited Corona Gorda size Torano Vault Humidor.

Curivari Seleccion Privada Maduro -

Curivari Seleccion Privada Maduro Cigars are the latest release from the 2011 IPCPR trade show. The Curivari Cigar Company produces outstanding ultra boutique cigars with Cuban like flavor profiles while using all Nicaragua tobacco. The Curivari Seleccion Privada Maduro blend is a rich Spicy full bodied cigar with loads of flavor. These had a major buzz at the show.. we're all a huge fan of the regular Seleccion Privada, to top it off with a Nicaraguan Habano Maduro wrapper just might bring this cigar to the next level.

New Cigars From Gurkha!

Gurkha Cellar Reserve Cigars

The Gurkha Cellar Reserve Cigars were first released at the 2011 IPCPR trade show as a brick and mortar only cigar. The blend is comprised of the finest quality 15 year-old aged tobacco, finished with an oily Nicaraguan Criollo 1998 wrapper, that combines an aged Dominican, Olor binder holding together 15 year old Nicaraguan Criollo filler. The Gurkha Cellar Reserve cigars are a medium to full bodied smoke with complex rounded flavors that pick up in strength as it smokes down.

Gurkha Royal Challenge Cigars

The Gurkha Royal Challenge is another cigar released at the 2011 IPCPR, which just recently landed in stock. This medium bodied cigar boosts a golden silky Ecuadorian Connecticut shade grown wrapper. The blend is comprised of both Dominican and Nicaraguan fillers bounded together with an Honduran Habano wrapper. The result is an ultra smooth cigar with a nice complex flavor profile.