Nomad Cigars Connecticut Fuerte

Cigar: Nomad Connecticut Fuerte
Size: Robusto 5 x 50
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Connecticut
Binder: Ecuadorian Habano
Filler: Dominican Republic & Nicaragua
Price: $158 for 20 count box
By: Ryan Bloomer




The best way to describe what type of smoker I am would be nomadic.  I find myself aimlessly roaming from cigar to cigar in search of perfection.  When I saw Nomad Cigars I knew that I had to give it a try on my journey.  Today's review brings us to the fourth blend in Fred Rewey"s Nomad collection the Connecticut Fuerte.  Rewey a cigar guy decided to take his hobby and turn it into a business.  Rewey thought to himself "what would I do different"? Rewey decided that he was going to make himself available, which is why he was the first cigar manufacturer to put his twitter accountant (@Godfadr) on the label of his cigars.  Rewey also has a monthly email letter which you can subscribe to.  Rewey believes that with great tobacco, blending, and construction along with his own twist of passion. Nomad Cigars can give you an incredible cigar at a fair price.


Pre-Lit-Appearance:

The Fuerte has a light tan peanut butter in color Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper.  The band is red and black with Nomad in white letters along with the company logo.  On the side of the band is Fred Rewy's Twitter account @Godfadr.  I like how Nomad has decided to open themselves up to the customer with easily making themselves available on social media.  The veins seem to be medium in size and very smooth.  The Ecuadarian Connecticut wrapper gives the cigar a creamy to mild look.  Well as I always say lets toast this cigar and get started.

First Third:

The first few draws are creamy with hints of peanuts and cedar on my palate.  The Fuerte seems to look like a mild to medium body cigar but is slowly picking up some strength as I continue through the first third.  I have detected some hints of pepper and cinnamon that have taken my palate by surprise.  The smoke output is minimal and the construction has been great to this point.  Just something I thought I would point out real quick.  It is always pleasant to have minimal structural issues with your cigar as it leaves an everlasting impression on whether or not you might smoke it again.


Middle Third:

I have reached the middle third and the Fuerte is fighting with me trying to decide if it should be a mild to medium or a full body cigar.  The notes of creamy peanuts, cedar, and cinnamon spice are all still prevalent on my palate.  This is definitely not your usual Connecticut blend of cigar.  The spice and pepper are stronger than the creamy notes of peanuts which has left an unusually good flavor on my palate.  The burn and construction of the Fuerte is still very sharp as we enter into the final third.

Final Third:

I am well into the final third of the Fuerte and the cigar has stayed very consistent with notes of creamy peanuts, cedar, and cinnamon spice.  I am still amazed by the amount of pepper and spice that the Connecticut Fuerte has to offer.  I did finally loose my ash as it broke apart midway through the final third. The Fuerte is definetley a different experience compared to your mild to medium traditional Connecticut blends.


Final Thoughts:

If you are looking for a Connecticut with a punch of spice and pepper that tetters along the line of a strong medium to full bodied cigar than you are going to want to smoke the Nomad Connecticut Fuerte.  The construction of the cigar was flawless and the burn was almost perfectly razor sharp.  I would recommend trying out the Nomad Connecticut Fuerte and sending a tweet to Fred on Twitter to let him know what you think about the Fuerte.

Franklin Cigars Maduro Lancero Review

Cigar: Franklin Maduro Lancero

Size: Lancero

Wrapper: Mexican San Andreas

Price: $8.99 Courtesy of  Underground Cigar Shop

By: Danny Smith

Alright guys, time to review a cigar that has taken the Internet by storm!  If you browse around the Underground Cigar facebook page or CATS you have undoubtedly seen folks posting about Franklin Cigars.  These cigars are rolled by Franklin Pichardo as a house blend for his shop in PA but are also available now outside of PA exclusively at the Underground Cigar Shop in Fort Worth Texas.  Hats off to Don for getting these out to the UG faithful!  Alright, back to Franklin....Franklin rolled the famous Opus X for Fuente for years before setting up shop in the states and his cigars seem to be a hit.  I spoke to the man himself via telephone to get a little insight into the blend.  The cigar features tobaccos from the Dominican, Peru, and Nicaragua tucked into a dark Mexican San Andreas wrapper.

Pre-Light/Appearance:  As mentioned above, the wrapper on this cigar is a chocolaty brown in color with minimal veins.  The cigar is firm to the touch with just enough give....I bet the draw will be nice! 

First Third:

The smell of this baby is intoxicating....time to stop looking at it and light it up!

The smell I mentioned already only gets stronger after you've gotten into this thing.  The burn line is spot on and the draw is just about right...not too loose but you don't have to work for it either.  Flavor wise, I'm picking up a little sweetness and a bit of pepper.  The pepper isn't over powering at all...it's just there as an accent and lingers on the back of the palate a bit.  The smoke production is very nice at this point.

Second Third:

Closing in on the second third the spice fades a bit and the sweetness remains.  Burn line remains fantastic and the smoke production has really picked up.  This thing is really putting out some serious smoke!  I rarely retro hale.  I'm a sissy.  I know.  Anyway, the retro hale wasn't harsh at all and really brought out some complex flavors.  At about the halfway point the strength of this cigar picks up significantly.  Early on we were hovering around medium mark but I'm starting to feel the strength of this little firecracker as it has moved into a fuller smoke. Burn continues to be spot on with plenty of smoke and a bit of white pepper on the palate.

Final Third:

Moving into the final third...life is about to get "gooder" as we say in Kentucky.  Pouring a little Rowan's Creek bourbon to go with the rest of the cigar.  As this thing winds down the burn got a little wavy but corrected itself after a few minutes.  And I've got to say, this thing is smoking like a chimney.  I love it.  The flavors of pepper and salty caramel sweetness are working together.  The pepper lingers slightly on the palate after each puff.  The strength has stayed on the fuller side of medium but this isn't a cigar that will overwhelm you in the strength department.  It has been an enjoyable smoke.

Final Thoughts:

It took me about an hour and ten minutes to get through this and an enjoyable hour and ten minutes it was.  The cigar gets high marks in all categories from draw, burn, flavor, smoke production, etc.  You can and should pick up some of these smokes to try.  They can be ordered from Franklin's shop in PA or from Don at the Underground for around $7.99 per stick.  This is an area where this cigar stands out as well.  At about eight bucks a stick this is a true value and I do believe that this cigar will be a regular in my humidor for the foreseeable future.  Hope you guys enjoyed the review...now go buy some! 

T.L. Johnson Tempio Extreme Box Press Review

Cigar: T.L. Johnson Tempio
Size: Toro
Wrapper: Pennsylvania
Binder: Dominican/Nicaraguan
Filler: Dominican/Nicaraguan
Price: $9.00 to $11.00
By: Ryan Bloomer








Well its safe to say I am a little late to the party when it comes to the Tempio by T.L. Johnson.  I have been slowly watching the Tempio blow up on social media with boasts about its flavor and extreme razor sharp box press.  I thought it's about time for me to get with the program and do a review.   The Tempio was made for Johnson by the work of Luis Sanchez of the La Tradicion Cubana Factory in the Dominican Republic. The La Tradicion Cubana Factory believes in the old traditional Cuban styles, which include aging the cigars in cedar trays for long periods of time. Unfortunately my local shops do not carry the T.L. Johnson line. With that being the case I had to reach out to Don Wiggins at the Underground Cigar Shop who carries the complete T.L. Johnson line.

Appearance/Pre-lit:

The Tempio has an amazing pre lit aroma of cedar and oak.  The cedar is very predominate due to the cigar aging process of Luis Sanchez.  The cap is a pig tail that is well constructed and creates the beginning identity to the Tempio.  The veins of the wrapper are very big which gives the wrapper a rigid looking appearance.  The appearance actually fools you with a soft leathery feel from head to foot.  I have never seen a box press so well defined with sharp edges.  If you look from the foot to the head of the cigar it is in a shape of a well defined rectangle.  The band is very classic which fits well with the tradition of the way the Tempio is produced.  The time has come to toast this cigar and get started.



First Third:

The first few draws I immediately picked up strong hints of cedar, oak, and a slight hint of roasted nuts.  The Tempio does not put out a strong amount of smoke and the ash is very dark.  The burn is very even and the construction of the cigar is very good.  The first third is coming to the end and I started to pick up a sweet taste on my palate that I have not been able to figure out exactly.



Middle Third:

The cigar continues to have a smooth draw with good construction.  The notes of cedar and oak are still very much in play on my palate along with a sweet citrus taste that appeared near the end of the first third.  The hint of citrus plays well with the notes of cedar and oak.  My ash finally fell apart as I made a slight touch up entering the final third of the cigar.



Final Third:

The final third has hit me with an array of notes to go along with the cedar and oak.  I have picked up a taste of sweet and salty that is almost like freshly popped kettle corn.  The draw is still a little loose which is causing the cigar to burn a little quicker than I would like.  The sharp edges of the box press are still holding up strong.  The final third of the Tempio is no doubt the dessert portion of this cigar.



Final Thoughts:

If you love a great earthy cigar with strong hints of cedar, oak, and a dessert ending of freshly popped kettle corn this cigar is definitely for you.  I have decided to give this a cigar a rating of 9.0 out of 10 on the 2 Cigar Guys and a Humidor Rating Scale. The appearance and presentation is just phenomenal and if you haven't tried it you are missing out on a unique experience when it comes to extreme box pressed cigars.

 

  

Room 101 Master Collection Two Review

Cigar: Room 101 Master Collection Two

Size: Mutante (Lancero) 38 x 7

Wrapper: Criollo
Binder and Filler: Honduran and Nicaraguan
Price: $10 per stick

By: Danny Smith

 I had the pleasure of meeting up with Matt Booth of Room 101 at a cigar show at Silo Cigars in Knoxville, TN, a couple of weeks ago and got the chance to chat with him for a few moments regarding his cigars.  I told him that I was going to be reviewing the new Master Collection Two and told him I’d let him pick the size for the review.  He told me that his choice would be the lancero.  This was music to my ears as a fan of the lancero vitola....so the lancero it is!  When asked about the cigar, Matt told me that this cigar is a more “elegant” blend than the previous Master Collection release and that the Master Collection cigars utilize the best tobaccos in his line.  His goal for his cigar line was to have a line that had a smoke for everyone and this cigar fills a void.  Thanks a bunch to Matt for taking a few moments to speak with me during the busy show.  Anyway, lets get on to the review!

Pre-light

 The cigar is medium brown in color with small veins in the wrapper, nothing major though.  The band is a simple all gold version of Master Collection One which shows the Sakura or cherry blossom.  The cigar is firm but has a little give between the fingers.  The look of the cigar echos Matt’s description “elegant”. 

 I cut the cigar with my trusty xikar cutter and the cut was very smooth.  The pre-light draw tasted of finely aged tobacco.  Looking forward to firing it up!

First Third

 From the start this cigar is smoking great.  The draw is perfect and the burn line is on point.  Plenty of smoke bellows out with each puff.  I’m getting hints of nuts and cream with just a faint spice in the background.  Nothing overwhelming, but the flavors are very satisfying and pairing well with my irish coffee.

Second Third

  Into the second third we go....the smoke production picks up slightly and the burn line continues to be excellent.  The spice note fades out and the creamy flavor continues to be in the forefront.  There is a slightly sweet flavor that remains on the lips after each puff....and that is something that I personally enjoy.  The ash at this point has gotten a bit flaky which has caused a bit of a problem with the wind outside today but hey...we can’t control mother nature!   As I get just past the half way point, the spice comes back in.  This isn’t a pepper blast but instead more of a sweet baking type of spice.  I’m digging it!

Final Third

            The cigar continues to burn well and the mild flavors continue with a little bit of sweetness and a hint of what seems to be cedar.  Smoke production continues to be very nice...lots of smoke!  The label came off easily with no damage to the wrapper. 

Final Thoughts

            This was a very enjoyable smoke that took me a little over an hour to get through.  I think Matt was right on when he told me that this was a more elegant blend.  The Master Collection Two was very nuanced with the flavors being not overpowering but strong enough to let you know they’re there.  This would be a great anytime of day smoke and also one that the inexperienced smoker could enjoy.  The construction was great as I didn’t have to touch up the smoke at all throughout.  I think Room 101 has a real winner here and with the price point being at $10 bucks a stick for a “top of the line” cigar...I think it should definitely be considered the next time you want to try a cigar company’s top stick without spending too much cash.  I’ll definitely be picking up a few more to stash away in the humidor! 

La Palina Goldie #2 Review

 

Cigar: La Palina Goldie Laguito No. 2

Wrapper: Ecuador Habano

Binder: Ecuador

Filler: Nicaraguan & Dominican

Size: 6 x 38 Vitola Petit Lancero

By: Underground GoodFellas Member

MSRP: $14.00 Courtesy of the UnderGround Cigar Shop and Lounge

 

The La Palina Goldie Laguito No. 2 is a noticeably well-rolled cigar with a stunning light spice-brown wrapper.  The wrapper does have some light veins present nonetheless they are not too distracting nor do they take away from the appearance of the cigar.  The cigar is topped with a fan cap that adds a bit of character to it.  The Goldie is smooth to the touch with a hint of oil feel to it.  It is not overly tight on its roll, so it has a little give when squeezed.  It seems to be a perfect feel to my fingers.  The aroma is intoxicating.  At first inhale, I immediately sense a sweet fruity smell that reminds me of a combination of honey and banana.  I also sense a bit of wood, hay and cashew in it.  The cut was flawless and it left not a lot of flaking or cracking.  The pre-light draw is effortless.  Prior to the light, I can tell I am in for a fantastic smoke.

The Beginning:

The first third of the Goldie is a flavor blast.  Honey and cashew with a hint of banana are what is most dominant.  On the first two or three draws I start to sense a bit more of light coffee as the other flavors stand strong on my tongue.  The cigar is exceptionally creamy overall and the draw remains effortless.  I have to actually pace myself, as I can’t seem to get enough of it.  It is almost as I want to chew it.  As I move through the first third of this stick, the spice and coffee linger on my tongue.  Strength is a mild to medium cigar and slowly feels like it is gaining a bit stronger.  The burn is perfect.  The draw remains effortless. 

The Middle:

Approaching the second third of the cigar, and the honey and banana notes start to quickly recede a bit.  It still has the smooth pepper spice to it and remains creamy all the way through the mid-point.  The pepper on the draw kicks up a notch which continues all the way through the second third.  I continue to have to keep reminding myself to slow the pace.  With the draw so smooth, and the flavors of this cigar, it is hard to not want to blow right through it.  The burn remains even and it is producing a tightly packed ash.  The strength is slightly stronger into more of a medium bodied cigar, but the creamy taste of the Goldie makes it smooth and flawless. 

 

The End:



The final third of the Goldie No. 2 sees an increase in spice on the palette and a slight decrease in peppery tones.  The creaminess and sweetness remain throughout the stick.  The Goldie does increase slightly in strength to a medium-full bodied cigar toward the last inch.  The ash is still solid and full.  The wrapper and construction remain perfect throughout the entire session.  No peeling or cracking is noted.  The burn is impeccable all the way to the end.  I undoubtedly nubbed this smoke, as I didn’t want it to end. 

 

Final Thoughts:

This cigar is a flavor bomb.  Undeniably one of the best cigars I have had.  While the size of this stick is a bit small for the price tag, the enjoyment of it more than makes up for the pinch in your pocket book.  Once you have the pleasure of relishing one of these bad boys… you will be breaking out the credit card for a box of these beauties.  An overall nice full-bodied, complex cigar that will leave you smiling.  You will not be disappointed!

2 Cigar Guys And A Humidor would like to thank Underground Goodfellas for another great guest review. Don't forget to check out their charity auction on Sunday March 18th at 8:00 pm est on the Underground Group page on facebook.