Cigars and Whiskey Weekly

  Aficionado Knowledge: Country of Origin: Honduras Company: the General Cigar Company Release Date: 7/--/2017 Production: Regular Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut Binder: Indonesian Filler: Nicaraguan Esteli, Nicaraguan Jalapa, Mexican San Andrean MSRP: $6.99-9.99 A prior caveat:      The Macanudo Inspirado White is my "go to smoke". After a long day in the office, nothing beats sitting down and with this cigar and a double of 101 Wild Turkey. This is the epitome of a solid Connecticut. This cigar has a great balance of sweetness, pepper and bite for a great price point. I find that the mellow to medium body makes this cigar enjoyable with bourbon or coffee and is a great addition to any down time. For the price and the flavor, this cigar is quite hard to beat.       Real time review:     The unlit cigar smells sweetly of cedar, sage and wood. The body is a caramel brown color with visible veins and tight seams. The initial draw is a bal...

Origin: USA, Texas Type: Bourbon Proof: 90 (45% ABV) Age: Undisclosed Mash Bill: Undisclosed Color: Amber MSRP: $24      As a Texan, I always do my best to seek out state products and give them a try. I have tried and reviewed everything from TX Bourbon to Rebecca Creek and Devil's River. I find that in my experience, Texas Whiskey is always a hit or a miss. A substantial amount of Texas sourced bourbon is often overly tannic and heavily grain centered. This might be fine for many people, but I prefer my liquor char and barrel forward and easy on the bitterness. That being said, a good friend of mine in the liquor industry recommended a cheap bottle of Texas Bourbon that he claims is easy on the eyes, and the palette. Out of respect for him, i purchased a bottle and have drunk more than half of it before I sat down to write this review. False Advertising:      The lore behind this liquor is actually quite fascinating. Before I make a review I do my do dilli...

Aficionado Knowledge: Country of Origin: Nicaragua Company: Black Label Trading Company Production: Limited Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano Binder: Nicaraguan Filler: Nicaraguan MSRP: $4.99-6.99 A prior caveat:      The Rorschach was recommended to me by a friend at my local cigar shop. I usually do not smoke Habanos but at his recommendation I figured it would be worth it. After smoking this cigar twice in the short robusto (4 1/2 x 48) and once in the petite pantela size (5 x 38), I have to say, I really enjoyed this cigar despite it not being in my usual repertoire. This cigar is is in limited production and is not available in all the most common gauges, do not let that stop you. This cigar is a great smoke, and phenomenal for the price, even if you need to purchase this cigar in a form you usually do not purchase. Real time review:     This cigar is chocolaty brown in color with a mottled appearance and has dark but tight veins. The patchwork ap...

Aficionado Knowledge: Country of Origin: Dominican Republic Company: Jose "Jochy" Blanco Production: Regular Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut Binder: Dominican Republic  Filler: Dominican Republic MSRP: $4.99-6.99 A prior caveat:      La Galera is a budget brand.  Their cigars are very inexpensive and most of their Robusto sizes can be purchased for under 5 dollars. With this in mind La Galera can have some quality control issues with their wrappers. That being said, La Galera's cigars are still quality smokes, the chance of buying a dud or improperly packed cigar is very low. The biggest downside I have experienced with La Galera's Connecticut lies not with the actual cigar but with the band. Occasionally the amount of glue in the band can touch the wrapper and will damage the wrapper when removing the band.  Real time review:     Like many Connecticuts, La Galera's Connecticut cigar has a light wrapper. The wrapper is...

Aficionado Knowledge: Country of Origin: Honduras Company: JRE Tobacco Farm (founded by Julio R Eiroa) Release Date: 4/22/2019 Production: Regular Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut Binder: Honduras Filler: Honduras MSRP: $7.99-9.99 A prior caveat:      Before I can start this review I have to be candid. The Aladino Connecticut was the first cigar I ever smoked. I absolutely adore this cigar, and I have smoked more Aladino CT in their Robusto size than I would care to count. That being said, I will try to be as objective as possible with this review.       Real time review:     Right off of the bat the Aladino Connecticut has a noticeably light wrapper. The wrapper is a light tan color with tight veins. In my experience this cigar is firm with a nice spring in its give. The unlit foot smells sweetly of vanilla, vegetal earth, toast and a hint of hay. This cigar is very easy to toast and light and holds heat very well. The initial full draw is li...