This gently box-pressed Candela wrapped edition is an “out of the box” stick that deserves your attention. I can only think of two other grass colored cigars that I’ve enjoyed. This one is my favorite. Topped with a dark brown head cap, the undisclosed fillers and binder clearly produce a powerful combination of sweetness and spice resulting in a medium to full-bodied stick that gains strength and intensity as you move along. Buckle up!!
Origin – Nicaragua
Filler – Nicaraguan
Binder – Nicaraguan
Wrapper Type – Candela
Warped La Hacienda and La Hacienda First Growth are two very popular blends from this amazing cigar maker.
First off, La Hacienda is a Nicaraguan puro featuring a Corojo wrapper. This blend comes in two sizes – Superiores (a 5 5/8 x 46 Corona Gorda) and a Gran Robusto (5 1/2 x 52). Making this cigar such a hit is its appeal to such a wide range of smokers. Starting off on a mild note then soon evolving into a smooth, balanced and slightly sweet medium bodied smoking experience. Cigar Coop is quite impressed with the La Hacienda line rating it a respectable 90.
Moving on to the First Growth blend, everything amps up. Here, the aged vintage blend of Nicaraguan leaves adds more flavor, body and strength across the board. For the record, with a Cigar Dojo score of 90 , Cigar Coop at 91 and the Cigar Authority with a 92……You know its a winner as well.
Either one you choose is a top pick for sure!
La Hacienda Superiores & Gran Robusto
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Corojo
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Country of Origin: Nicaragua (TABSA)
Blender: Kyle Gellis
La Hacienda First Growth:
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Corojo ’99
Binder: Nicaraguan Corojo ’99
Filler: Nicaraguan Corojo ’99 and Criollo ’98
Factory: TABSA
Blender: Kyle Gellis
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This is a strong, robust, full bodied, Cuban style cigar. Buckle Up!
Wrapper: Nicaraguan Habano
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua Corojo ’99 and Criollo ’98
EP Carrillo’s Inch series was specifically designed for smokers that prefer larger ring sizes. As each edition’s blend was formulated, the level of strength and overall character changed. The Ecuadorian Colorado wrapper encasing this stick results in an earthy tasting full bodied, fairly strong smoke not found in it’s Natural and Maduro counterparts.
Origin – Dominican Republic
Filler – Dominican – Nicaraguan
Binder – Nicaraguan
Wrapper Type – Ecuador Habano
RoMa Craft Neanderthal is unquestionably one of this company’s great creations.
Neanderthal consists of 6 different filler tobaccos including an exceptionally strong variant of Double Ligero from Pennsylvania known as Green River Valley. With a mix like this, there is absolutely no question this is a very robust smoke. But don’t take our word for it. The verdict is unanimous.
Cigar Authority quickly scores it a 93. They think….”The cigar was like dining on a steak.” Noted reviewer KATMAN ups the score to 94. He loves it and thoroughly enjoys the full body yet smooth strength. Developing Palates heartily believes Neanderthal is a big win for the company. Simply Stogies rates it a 93, they describe it perfectly. “Puff by puff, this cigar is evolving into a wonderful smoke.” Cigar Dojo thinks it’s a 91 declaring this cigar makes for a unique smoking experience with great flavor transitions. Leaf Enthusiast tells us if you love a strong cigar that tastes great, too, you surely can’t go wrong with this one. Their rating of 95 backs it up for sure!
Enough said!
Wrapper: San Andres (Mexico)
Binder: Broadleaf (Connecticut)
Filler: Condega, Jalapa, Pueblo Nuevo, Estelí (Nicaragua); Olor (Dominican Republic) and Green River Valley Sucker One Double Ligero (Pennsylvania)
See all the Roma Craft cigars available on The Cigar Thief HERE
No one disputes that Rocky Patel is one of the few Titans of the Premium Cigar Industry. Over 20 years ago as he began his quest to get a foothold in the marketplace he actually got in his car and traveled the country visiting high volume Tobacconists unannounced! When he wound up in my store to sell his first entry, I hesitantly took a chance on him. Actually, he was such a nice and appreciative person I couldn’t resist! The rest is cigar history!
This cigar is a masterpiece. Not only did it rank #2 of the top 25 cigars in 2016, it garnered a 95 rating beating out many of its Cuban competitors! Make no mistake, this dark cigar is a very complex extra full bodied smoke. While the Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper gives this box pressed stick a bit of sweetness along the way, the bold, robust taste is smooth to the finish.
Origin – Nicaragua
Filler – Nicaraguan
Binder – Nicaraguan
Wrapper Type – Connecticut Broadleaf
La Opulencia received a 95-rating and was named the #2 Cigar of 2018. Make no mistake, this box pressed beauty is a full bodied smoke. However, it’s unusually creamy and smooth along the way without harshness.
Origin – Nicaragua
Fillers – Nicaraguan [Cuban seed tobaccos grown by the Garcia family]
Binders – Nicaraguan [one Corojo and one Criollo]
Wrapper Type – San Andres Oscuro
This Nicaraguan puro JJ edition is a collaboration of Garcia and his son. In order to make them exactly the way they wanted, production is tightly supervised at their Miami facility. The vintage Corojo and Criollo tobaccos yield a full body flavored cigar with a distinct mix of sweet and spicy tastes.
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Factory: My Father Cigars S.A.
Wrapper: Nicaragua
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua (Corojo & Criollo)
Everyone knows that if you occasionally enjoy a full bodied Cuban style smoke, Macanudo isn’t your first choice. That was then and Red is now! Macanudo Inspirado Red is another of the company’s hugely successful boutique entries.
For the record, Macanudo claims this Inspirado is the boldest of the line. With attention to detail, this box pressed Red blend uses an Ecuadoran Habano ligero wrapper blended with Nicaraguan fillers including twelve-year aged Nicaraguan Ometepe, ten-year aged Honduran Jamastran and five-year-aged Nicaraguan Esteli, and a Jalapa binder. To say this is a very complex blend is an understatement!
Cigar Coop rates the Red a respectable 90. The description is spot on on all fronts. “This was an excellent offering. While it’s not a cigar that will knock you down with strength, it is a cigar that delivers on a fuller-bodied experience. I found the flavor profile to be quite enjoyable and things worked nicely in the box-press format. While it is fuller, it’s a great cigar for a novice to graduate to something fuller – and will appeal to the more seasoned cigar enthusiast.”
Needless to say, this four country blend will gently push you back in your seat! If your a fan of robust and flavorful cigars, look no further. This box pressed beauty will satisfy every full bodied smoker’s palate.
Country of Origin: Honduras
Wrapper: Honduras/Olancho San Agustin
Binder: Honduras
Filler: Dominican, Honduran, Nicaraguan
Factory: HATSA
Blender: Jhonys Diaz
Looking for more Macanudo products available on The Cigar Thief? Click HERE
Macanudo Cafe
Origin – Dominican Republic
Filler – Dominican-Mexican
Binder – Dominican-Mexican
Wrapper Type – Connecticut
You know the name. When this Nicaraguan Cohiba came to market it received a 91 rating for starters. When Cuban Cohiba smokers tried it they did a double take! When I was given a small corona to try, I couldn’t believe the robust yet smooth full bodied taste of this little guy! If you’re a mild to medium guy, move away from this one unless you’re game for an eye opening experience and introduction to a whole new level of taste. Buckle Up!
Wrapper: Honduran Sun Grown Colorado Oscuro
Binder: Nicaraguan (Jalapa)
Filler: Nicaraguan (Esteli & Jalapa)
CAO Classic: Pilon continues to be one of this company’s best sellers for almost a decade.
Pilon gets its name from the fermentation technique that goes back to 1800s Cuba. Skilled workers called piloneros used a slow, 18-month fermentation technique using smaller round pilons instead of today’s huge square ones. The result is an enjoyable smoke producing a complex medium to full bodied flavor with a great blend of sweetness and spice. In fact, when Blind Man’s Puff recently revisited this cigar, their rating went from 91 to 93!
Country of Origin: Nicaragua
Wrapper: Ecuadorian Habano
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Factory: STG Estelí
Blender: Rick Rodriguez
See all the CAO Cigars available on The Cigar Thief HERE
