u/Dismal-Criticism-713

I had no idea that this thing was made with a special rare tobacco leaf? Want to geek out for a second?

“The rare wrapper leaf used on the My Father Le Bijou 1922 is Pelo de Oro (Spanish for "hair of gold"), an uncommon and notoriously difficult-to-cultivate Cuban-seed tobacco.”

Go down that rabbit hole - very neat.

Anyway… my favorite My Father cigar by a mile. I love a good, dark, spicy Habano wrapper. So much flavor. Try it if you haven’t yet.

Here is a cigar profile that is really hard for me not to love:

Wrapper: Dark, oily Mexican San Andrés Maduro.
Binder: Stalk-cut, sun-cured Connecticut Habano.
Fillers: Aged long-fillers from Brazil (Mata Fina) and Nicaragua.
Strength: Medium to full

So damn good. I’ve fluctuated between favoring Habano and San Andres wrappers for years… with CT Broadleaf nipping at their heels… but I think the last 4-5 sticks I’ve really enjoyed have finally put the battle to rest.

I am a San Andres fan. Something about the floral finish in a SA wrapper makes them really tough to put down.

I love this stick because it combines some of my favorite tobaccos into a sweet, complex, spicy 🤌 great cigar.

I have had this T52 Corona Doble in my Humi for 12 months. Been working on it for a couple hrs almost. It gets better… and better… and then when I think it’s maxed out - it gets better. Fantastic cigar. Can’t put it down.

As I said… hindsight is 20/20.
(Skip the long story below if you want the reviews and the cage match decision.)

Today, I retaught myself one of the primary lessons I first learned while smoking cigars.

After Cigarillo Cage Match 1, my stupid a** thought that it would be brilliant to do a head to head battle. Rillo V. Rillo, smoked at the same time. “I’ll taste them both simultaneously - compare them against each other, one puff at a time,” I said.

“I can probably even do it while I’m picking the rest of the blackberries in the backyard too.” 😐

In my brain it worked somehow… but I tend to bite off more than I can chew.

After lighting both, I decided to space my draw on the next cigarillo out far enough so that I could fully taste each cigarillo. I went nice and slow. I even added a sip of coke before each puff. Slowed down even more by picking a few blackberries in between - trying to really pull apart the flavors. But… by minute 10, they’d both gone out on me twice.

It’s cage match time, biatch. I relit them. One puff every 10 seconds, alternating sticks. Quick swig of coke to cleanse the pallete. Puff. Puff. “Gotta keep these things lit!”. Pick a handful of blackberries.

Midway through at that new pace… and I felt like I was in Operation Hail Mary trying to help Ryan Gossling and a talking rock freaking save our universe from the Astrophage. I was fully committed by then though, no way I was backing down.

And then Nic showed up in a Mac truck, and dropped a full load of buzz on my head. If you ever want to get smacked into deep space by nicotine? Have yourself a little sprint with these two heavy cigarillos. They are not messing around - and the two together at this pace was about all I could take.

I had to sit down and reset. The fuzz helped me chill out and enjoy the second half of each, a little more than the first. Still had to work to keep em burning without turning them to tar.

The lesson I had to learn again? I smoke cigars because I love both the taste and the experience. My brain unwinds. I’m checked out as I focus on only this one little burning fire in my hand for an hour or two. Sometimes I add a drink. Sometimes I smoke with friends… but that’s about as complex as I like it to be. And there’s a reason.

Cage Match 2 was not the normal smoking experience that I love. The loser was me.

But again… hindsight is 20/20. And I did it to myself.

Don’t ever let me do it again.

Drew Estate Undercrown Coronet Maduro
If you didn’t see cage match one with my original Undercrown coronet review… here. https://www.reddit.com/r/cigar/s/EtdXlKKliY

I found this stick slightly less flavorful than my last. I have two batches of these sticks - one that has been around for about 9 months, and another that is newer. I think I accidentally grabbed a new one. Just like the full size sticks, they really shine with age.

It is still a powerhouse maduro blend that I love by all accounts.

One thing that stuck out to me this time (likely due to the format): there is a ton of vegetal, sweet, earthy, vanilla bean, fermented funk in this blend. More than your typical Maduro. It hits different parts of my palette (back of my throat), lingers longer than expected, and leaves me hanging for another draw. Especially on the retrohale.

Drew Estate Liga Privada No. 9 Coronet
This little guy is rich.

Immediately from the first draw, I get leather and chocolate. Almost like a dark chocolate cake. There are spices there - baking spices and pepper that grab you. I say cake because there is sweetness too. It’s barely there, but present. As it continues, it gets more earthy. There is charred wood. And espresso. Full body. Thick smoke. Medium - full strength (unless you’re smoking two at a time… like an idiot).

This cigarillo, just like the other Drew Estate blend, seems to hit the sweet spot on the larger vitolas - about 2/3rds through. It represents well what I consider to be the best part of the cigar.

Just not as well as the Undercrown. It’s missing something, but I can’t put my finger on it.

Decision

This is tough. These two are so close to each other - I’d consider them brothers.

The Undercrown is the less refined, slightly brighter, more exciting of the two. It’s awake, like it wants to carry you off somewhere.

The No.9 is the rich, decadent, more refined and experienced blend. It’s heavier and stronger… like it wants to bury you. It hits that one note and then goes deep.

I love them both…

But I think 7 times out of 10, I’d be reaching for the Undercrown.

By split decision, the winner again is: Undercrown Maduro.

Wife is out. Kids at birthday party. Picked half the blackberries this morning, so backberry gunpowder G&T with a Maestranza it is.

Spent the evening over at the lounge. Appreciate all the interesting people and conversations at the local shop - feel lucky to have one so close.

Walked away with some of my favorites and a couple new to me. 13 total for $144, $11.07 per stick. Not bad for the quality here and supporting my local lounge. From left to right, dark to light:

LFD La Nox - Double Corona 6.5x50 - Brazilian Maduro
9/10

Black Label Last Rites - Lancero 6.5x42 - Ecuadorian Maduro
8.5/10

El Pulpo Eel - Lancero 7x42 - San Andres Maduro
9/10

Warped Corto - Box pressed Corona 4.5x46 - San Andres Maduro
8.5/10

Drew Estate Liga Undercrown - Gran Toro 6x52 - San Andres Maduro
8.5/10

Warped Sarto - Robusto 5x50 - Connecticut Broadleaf Maduro - >!new to me!<
?/10

Roma Craft Maestranza - Petite Robusto 4x50 - San Andres Maduro - >!new to me!<
?/10

Drew Estate Liga Unico Dirty Rat - Corona 5x44 - Connecticut Sun Grown Habano
9.25/10

Roma Craft Aquitaine - Anthropology Gran Corona 5.7x46 - Ecuadorian Habano
9.5/10

Illusione Cigares Privera - Lonsdale 6x44 - Nicaraguan Corojo - >!new to me!<
?/10

Warped Cloud Hopper - Robusto 5x50 - Aganorsa Corojo - >!new to me!<
?/10

Drew Estate Herrera Esteli - Lonsdale 6x44 - Ecuadorian Habano
8.25/10

Warped La Colmena - Amado (Corona) No.44 5.5x44 - Ecuadorian DeFlorada
8/10

Anybody tried the new ones I grabbed? Any favorites?

There have been several posts recently requesting information on cigarillos, or super short 15-30 min smokes. I figured I’d share a few of the cigarillos I keep around, and there isn’t a better format than a cage match. Both of these are done in 15-30 mins and end up being $2 per stick (hmmm, maybe we call them twigs in this format).

Keep in mind - these little things bare it all. Every flaw in construction is tripled. Every lack in the blend is instantly noticed. There are no transitions in these like a good cigar, they’re much too small. So they either hit the best parts of the blend, or they miss.

Arturo Fuente Cubanitos Maduro

These are a mini version of the AF Gran Reserva Maduro - a good full size cigar that is inexpensive and worth a test.

Wrapper is thicker, and dark for Maduro. It’s toothy, and almost looks like it was hard to roll in this format. Like most small vitolas, it is a packed little unit, have to roll the head a bit to loosen it up. But it holds up very well, which is surprising - these cigarillos like to fall apart. Ashed fairly often.

Medium body. Leather, earth, pepper, cedar, dark chocolate, with a small hit of espresso and sugar at the end as the oils build. Those flavors were there, but they didn’t overwhelm - it was more of a dry smoke. Medium smoke production. Medium strength.

Liga Undercrown Maduro Coronets

The full size Undercrown Maduro is an excellent smoke, and held a spot on my list of favorites when I started smoking.

Thinner, milk chocolate colored wrapper. More oily. Little to no tooth. The construction is very good for a cigarillo. Draw is never tight - however I can almost smoke this entire twig without ashing. The whole thing stays together.

Medium - full body. Very smooth, with surprising depth. They got all the flavors of a full size stick into this little thing, which tells me that much of the undercrown flavor is attributed to that San Andres wrapper. There is coffee, vanilla, leather, baking spices, a touch of pepper (but not enough to keep you from retrohaling every time). As the oils build at the end, it is by all accounts excellent. Heavy smoke production. Medium to full strength - get a nice little nicotine hit from this.

Decision?

Undercrown by KO in round 2.

Not even close. I am shocked by how much flavor and nicotine is in this little undercrown format. It takes the best part of the full stick and slams it into a mini package. Laugh all you want at cigarillos - this thing is freaking delicious.

And if you’re curious if I smoked both simultaneously, one in each hand?

No. But freaking hell, if hindsight isn’t 20/20. Looking back, that sounds like a great time and a quick buzz. Next match.

Corona vitola
I have kept this at 65% and 70* for about 6 months.
V-Cut
Paired with Coke - fully leaded.

Wrapper is thin, tight, very dark, and dry with a fine tooth. Well constructed. Crisp burn line with tight ash that broke off in 3 large chunks. I did have to touch up once in the final third but that is most certainly because I was sucking on it like a milkshake.

Pre-light. It is dark chocolate, and leather, with a great little pepper bite and sweet floral notes that leave you curious. Draw is smooth with little resistence. As Richard used to say “Let’s go burn one buddy”…

First third. I am surprised by the initial punch. Chocolate and espresso forward, but also savory depth behind it. Fermented tobacco, cedar, earth, leather in the background. Slight peppery kick and sweetness. It’s a strong Maduro profile, holding zero punches. Reminds me of a Liga.

Second third. Excellent transition - initial flavors are all still there but complexity ramps up considerably. More savory, fermented tobacco flavor pushes in with caramel, spices, and nuttiness. Thick, rich, smooth smoke now. Strength also kicks up very noticeably. Holy &$@! - I can’t put this thing down. Retrohale here brings in strong floral notes and adds leather and pepper.

Final third. Things shift slightly. Lost some of the startstruck feeling and some of the complexity. Still… it is very, very good. There is more chocolate, espresso, oak, leather, and some minerals pushing forward. Strong. I purged, looking again for some of those previous caramelized bread and flowers hits? Instead, pepper comes back full force with dark chocolate and black coffee. Leaning into the Coca-Cola, wishing that second third was the whole damn stick. I set it down, just over halfway through the final third because I’ve loved every second of it so far and don’t want to get beat up this early in the day.

Final score after a 65 minute burn: 9.5/10. Top 5 cigar and box worthy.

This is the Tommy Shelby of cigars. Comes on like a gangster because it is one. With more time, it shows a complexity and refinement that is really hard to match for the $. And then suddenly you’re rigging horse races and embezzling money for the mob with a razor against your jugular. And you like the whole ride. The blend in the second third might be the best tasting smoke I’ve ever experienced, even if it did only last 20-30 mins.

If you like a dark, strong Maduro that will keep your attention, this is it.

Take my money Tommy. Damn it.

… I’m kidding of course. Very interesting band though. I just smoked this today, and it bothered me a little when I took the band off “cold” and the wrapper tore slightly.

I’ll share my notes and thoughts. First, has anyone else tried one of these? What were your thoughts? Are any of the other CAO Arcana series interesting, worthwhile, and (most important) good?

9/10
Medium.
This stick has never let me down. Never harsh, enough of a ride to keep me interested the whole way through. Firm, great draw, slow burning and consistent to the nub. Clean on the palette.

Cold draw: earth, leather, hay.
First third: earth, pepper, little briny, toasted nuts and raisin.
Second third: strong leather.
Last third: oak, chocolate and spices.

This is the stick that sent me down the rabbit hole. It’s what I imagined cigars tasted like before I’d ever lit one. Always come back to it.

What is your “old reliable”?