Adampc22 gave me this cigar when he came to Amsterdam to herf because he knew that I liked the ManOWar but never had a Ruination. The cigar he brought me came from the original Ruination release with the normal ManOWar band, the newer releases have an slightly different band.



This 6 x 60 monster has a nice dark and oily wrapper with a few big veins that make it look rough and tough. The cigar has a strong barnyard aroma and the construction feels good. I can taste raisin at the predraw.



The first flavor I recognize is coffee with a hint of creamy chocolate, but the chocolate disappears straightaway. I also taste some pepper and a flavor I don't recognize. After an inch the creamy chocolate returns with some pepper while all the other flavors fade away.

After 2 inches the pepper disappears and the chocolate becomes milder. I can also taste an ashy flavor. At the 2/3rd mark I taste some wood with a mild creamy chocolate far on the background.



I get plenty of smoke, but it's quite thin. The burn is great, sharp as a razorblade, no burn issues whatsoever and the cigar doesn't burn to hot or quick. This medium flavored full bodied cigar lasted me 90 minutes. It gave me a bit of a nicotine rush.



Would I buy this cigar again? No. I was unimpressed my it. I do like the normal ManOWar though..

Appearance: 7 / 10
Construction: 7 / 10
Draw: 7 / 10
Burn: 8 / 10
Smoke & ash: 7 / 10
Aroma first part: 6 / 10
Aroma second part: 6 / 10
Aroma third part: 7 / 10

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These Ambos Mundos are the budget line of Tatuaje and they are only available as a 5x50 robusto and a 6x50 toro. They are available with two different wrappers, one is a Habano and the other is a Ecuadorian Sumatra. The binder and filler are from Nicaragua. The tobacco used is B and C grade, that means that the tobacco didn't make the cut for regular production due to color differences of because it needed extra fermentation, but it doesn't mean that it's bad tobacco, as it is the same tobacco used for regular production Tatuaje. Now it's no secret that I like Tatuaje a lot, so I looked forward to smoking this cigar. I had a robusto with the Habano wrapper.



The wrapper is dark, shiny and oily with a few veins. The construction feels good and the cigar has a firm barnyard smell. The predraw is fine and has a peppery flavor mixed with dry tobacco.



I taste coffee which is replaced by wood pretty quickly. The wood is a little sweet.



Halfway the flavors get a little nutty, also with the same sweetness.



The smoke time of this cigar is an hour and a half. I got a decent amount of smoke, that starts out thin but gets thicker along the way. The draw is good and I had some issues with the burn. The firm ash is light colored, almost white. The purge is phenomenal, I don't think I have ever seen a bigger flame. I would call this cigar medium bodied and medium flavored.



Would I buy this cigar again? I might, I mean, this is a nice cigar, a bit flat but easy on the palate, no depth but still very enjoyable.

Appearance: 7 / 10
Construction: 7 / 10
Draw: 7 / 10
Burn: 6 / 10
Smoke & ash: 7 / 10
Aroma first part: 7 / 10
Aroma second part: 7 / 10
Aroma third part: 7 / 10

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A friend gave me this Don Pepin Garcia My Father Le Bijou 1922 petit robusto after I told him that I didn't care for the churchill I smoked from the same blend. He said he didn't like the blend at all and gave me this petite robusto from his collection, as he would never smoke it.



The wrapper is nice, dark, and oily but mat. It has some veins that give the cigar character. The band is detailed but beautiful. The construction feels good. The predraw is a bit on the loose side, even though I punched it instead of using my palio. I can't get any flavor from the predraw. The cigar is only 4½ inch long and has a 50 ring.



Bitter coffee and a full earth flavor is what I get after lighting the cigar. The bitterness quickly disappears and after half an inch I get a hint of chocolate. After an inch the chocolate gets sweeter and the coffee and earth flavors have turned into wood.



Halfway the sweetness disappears too and all I taste is a very nice wood flavor. Near the end that wood gets company from some herbs.



Even though this is a small stick, it lasted me for 75 minutes. It gave me a lot of smoke. The draw is good but I had to correct the burn a few times. The light gray ash is firm. This cigar is full flavored and medium bodied.



Would I buy this cigar again? Yes!

Appearance: 8 / 10
Construction: 7 / 10
Draw: 7 / 10
Burn: 7 / 10
Smoke & ash: 8 / 10
Aroma first part: 7 / 10
Aroma second part: 8 / 10
Aroma third part: 8 / 10

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I know, I know, I reviewed this 5x48 cigar not too long ago but The Longfiller Company, who imports these great cigars in The Netherlands asked me to revisit these box pressed cigars as they recently came available on the Dutch market with a price tag of € 9.00. It is made by Don Pepin at the Tabacalera Cubana factory. The Connecticut broadleaf wrapper comes from the Oliva farm while the filler and binder are from Nicaragua.



I like the simple band and the fleur de lis gives away that this cigar is part of the Pete Johnson empire. The wrapper is dark, oily, leathery and only has a few minor veins, just a few thin ones. I don't smell anything when I sniff the cigar. The construction feels good, and the triple cap always looks good. The predraw is good and I get a little pepper on the tongue.



I taste a spicy coffee flavor with some sweetness and a peppery aftertaste. After an inch these flavors have transformed into a mild and sweet dry leather flavor with a spicy aftertaste. The feeling in my mouth is dry.



Halfway I taste a lot of spicy herbs with some cedar wood. The flavors are sweet and spicy. Near the end I taste a spicy leather with herbal flavors again, the cedar has disappeared.



This cigar lasted me for 50 minutes and gave me a lot of thick smoke. The draw and burn were good and the white colored ash is firm. I would call this cigar full flavored and full bodied. I love this cigar, the only downside is the short smoke time.



Would I buy this cigar again? Damn sure I will

Appearance: 8 / 10
Construction: 8 / 10
Draw: 8 / 10
Burn: 7 / 10
Smoke & ash: 8 / 10
Aroma first part: 8 / 10
Aroma second part: 8 / 10
Aroma third part: 8 / 10

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“Le Comptoir du Tabac des Gaves et de l’Adour” is a French tobacco company that grows quality tobacco in the south west of France near the Spanish border. With help from a Cuban tobacco grower from the Pinar del Rio region they created a French puro, Navarre, of which I reviewed the Double Corona a few years ago. A few weeks ago I visited Huis Verloo in Antwerp and noticed that there is a limited edition maduro robusto out and I just had to try it.



The 5 x 50 cigar looks pretty with the tasteful band and the extra "limitee maduro" band. The wrapper is nice and dark, oily and smooth with one big vein running over it. The top is triple capped and the construction feels great. The cigar has a peppery barnyard aroma.



The first thing I taste is a full earthy coffee flavor with a mild sugary sweetness on the background. The flavors are a bit burned. After a few puffs I can also taste some sweet chocolate. After an inch the sweetness tones down a bit.



Halfway I taste a sharp pepper with the previous flavors, but the pepper is the dominant flavor. The earthy coffee disappears and is replaced with a nut flavor, macadamia, toast and chocolate. Near the end the pepper fades a bit while the toast gets stronger.



In the beginning I had a bit of a crooked burn but it corrects itself and doesn't give me problems during the rest of the smoke. The smoke is medium thick and I get just enough. The ash is pepper and salt colored. This cigar is full flavored and medium bodied. I purged it and didn't get a flame at all. It lasted me 75 minutes.



Would I buy this cigar again? Hell yes. Not often, as they are pricey, but I need to get a few for special occasions.

Appearance: 7 / 10
Construction: 7 / 10
Draw: 7 / 10
Burn: 7 / 10
Smoke & ash: 7 / 10
Aroma first part: 7 / 10
Aroma second part: 9 / 10
Aroma third part: 8 / 10

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