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Autumn is here, and with it comes an annual event fans of brown spirits look forward to all year: the release of the Pappy Van Winkle distillery's bourbon and rye. Of course, the best of those are nearly impossible to get. In fact, here in Pennsylvania, the state liquor monopoly awards them by lottery. Prospective purchasers pre-pay and hold their breaths until they are notified--or not--by the state bureaucracy of when and where to collect their bottles. Backward? Sure, but probably more fair than stores in other states simply selling the bottles at outrageous markup.
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When Drew Estate arrived on the scene, the cigar world was crying out for innovation. It was the 1990s and back then, a line extension from Don Diego would have made headline news. (Which didn’t happen, because it would have been way too edgy.) As the cigar boom exploded, there were plenty of new brands, but very few that took a unique approach…mostly copycats looking to cash in on the craze.
CAO has always been one of those brands that's all over the place. Even before it was acquired by big-ass conglomerate (which in turn was absorbed by the even bigger-assed General Cigar Co.), the company was obsessed with gimmicks. Remember the ridiculous CAO Vision that came in a neon-lit translucent box? Or The Sopranos, which was packaged in a reproduction of a classic car's trunk? But hey, gotta give 'em points for creativity. That doesn't mean the cigars weren't good. Thanks probably in large part to then-marketing director Jon Huber (who has moved on to better things), the products largely lived up to the hype though most weren't quite 'boutique' enough on their own to please the true cigar lunatics. Strangely, some of the best cigars the company has released came after their acquisition. La Traviata is an excellent medium-bodied cigar at a nice price. CAO OSA is also a genuinely distinctive and wonderful line. Someone recently had the good sense to bring back the Sopranos blend, now renamed Consigliere, and it's good as ever. And that brings us to the Pilon. The gimmick here is that some of the tobacco is fermented using a slower and more expensive method in which the leaves are arranged in circular stacks ("pilons") which supposedly results in more intense flavor. We wouldn't know a pilon from a pylon but we'll take their word for it. Aside from sporting a very oily and attractively hued wrapper, the cigar itself is no looker. It's kind of rustic, with bumps and veins galore and a cap that looks like it was applied by a habitual drunkard. That's not a put down necessarily, because it appears as if the final product was dictated by the leaves themselves, which are rather thick and substantial. Still, in its own way, this is a chunky and appealing corona that's heavy in the hand. The packaging, as you can see, is simple and tasteful—not always a CAO hallmark. You'd think something like this would be tough to fire up and keep lit, but no. The Pilon lights pretty easily, and burns and draws well. The smoke is chewy, with earth and wood as a counterpoint for a nougat-like combination of baking spices, cake and confectionery. While it's more medium- than full-bodied, toward the end it does lean more towards full. Still, it's not strong, and even though it's better suited as an after-dinner cigar, a seasoned smoker could easily handle this midday. We also tried the 7x48 churchill, but found the draw a little tight, which kept the flavors muted until it opened up after the first third. The 5x52 robusto would be a good choice for those who wish for something a little lusher and more mellow than the corona owing to it having more filler tobacco. This is a fun and entertaining cigar that manages to pack loads of flavor into a small format—without excess strength. That's not always an easy trick. It verges on excellent, but the cigar's appearance is just a little too down home to make it into that category. Officially, we're rating it Very Good, but unofficially it's Very Very Good. It's worth noting that, like the aforementioned La Traviata and OSA SOL, here we have anther CAO that's a good value. The corona is $6.15, while the entire range hovers right around that $7 mark. We think it nails the sweet spot for this particular line. Whoever is in charge of the CAO brand these days is aces in our book. Oh, and THANK YOU whoever you are for even offering this as a corona! It's a welcome respite from a market packed 6x60s.
If ever a cigar needed a re-branding, it's this one. Temple Hall Estates was sort of Macanudo's redheaded stepchild in the General Cigar family for years and years. Like Macanudo, it was once made in Jamaica before production shifted to the Domincan Republic. Due to either limited distribution or limited retailer/consumer interest, Temple Hall Estates lived in the shadow if its big brother Mac—despite being a slightly better smoke, and at a noticeably lower price. It was a treat to find a box of these back in the day. On paper, it's basically the same cigar as the old one. Temple Hall still sports a Connecticut Shade wrapper that's a little darker and slightly rougher than Macanudos. A Mexican binder hugs a blend of mostly Dominican filler, though it seems a teeny bit of Mexican tobacco now replaces the teeny bit of Jamaican tobacco in the old blend, which was there mostly for old time's sake anyway. Packaging is attractive and up to date. Since this was basically a forgotten niche brand to begin with, most folks will probably think it's entirely new. Branding aside, it doesn't look that much different than the old line either. However, construction is a little sloppier than what we've seen in the publicity photos. Check out that cap in the photo above...sure it does it's job, but oy vey is it slapped on without much finesse. The sizes have been tweaked to better match today's tastes. They also don't have names, at least not yet. There's a 5.5x49 robusto, 6x50 toro, 5.5x54 toro extra and a nice traditional 7.5x49 double corona that should interest fans of the Macanudo Prince Phillip. Unfortunately, these cigars are no longer bargains, coming in just a nickle or dime less than their Macanudo counterparts at between $6.99-$8.49 each. Oh well. As for the cigar itself...it's nice. We didn't see much point in comparing the old version to the new, but going strictly from memory, the new blend seems just a teeny bit zingier, earthier and sweeter. This is basically just another rendition of a classic formula called The Standard Mild Cigar. Whether it's an Ashton or a Macanudo or a Royal Jamaica or Dunhill or whatever, it's been around since the 1960s and it's still kicking today because it's laid back, easygoing, smooth and, for occasional smokers or those lacking adventurous palettes, satisfying. Here's all you need to know. The pre-light aroma is mostly hay. The cigar fires up easily and burns very well requiring little in the way of touch ups. There's just a quick hint of muted zest up front but it immediately settles down to a woody, creamy, buttery smoothness with a slight hint of nuts and a little bit of earth. It's on the mild side of medium, and it's the perfect next step for those looking to baby step from Macanudo to something just a bit more interesting. A bit. If you want something in the same ballpark for 1/3rd the price, try these. If you want to spend twice as much, hit up your local Davidoff store. As mild cigars go, this is a nice one. Little wonder. General Cigar invented the formula decades ago and is still applying it well to this day. This is a pleasant new take on a classic, if neglected, old brand that has been brought right up to date under the auspices of General's Foundry umbrella.
Here's a case of potential confusion. Above is the new La Antiguedad from My Father Cigars. Below is La Flor de Las Antillas, which is also from My Father, also box pressed, also sports an ornate and similarly colored band, and looks almost identical from a few feet away—right down to the red band adorning the foot. No wonder I passed La Antiguedad by multiple times before my tobacconist pointed it out to me as being new. It's frustrating to see such a lack of thought, especially since we see so many good cigars die by the wayside due to inept branding, poor marketing, and/or a lack of differentiation. In fact, according to their website, this seems to be a line extension of sorts: La Antiguedad (The Antiquity) is the Garcia's second project to be developed after the mega success of Flor de las Antillas, in which they will once again embrace the authenticity and historic value of the original Cuban art. Which makes us wonder why they didn't just call it the La Flor de las Antillas La Antiguedad. Add a second band to accommodate the La Antiguedad name, make the box distinctive, and sell them side by side. We're not trying to be crotchety here. We just like to see good cigars succeed, and this one seems destined to get lost in the shuffle. Okay, enough of that, on to the cigar... It's from My Father, so you know it's going to be, at a bare minimum, good. The wrapper is rich and chocolatey-looking. Thanks to the box press, it's also smooth to the touch and virtually veinless. According to My Father Cigars: The filler tobacco for La Antiguedad is cultivated entirely in Nicaragua on the farms of San Rafael, Las Quebradas, and San Jose, all privately owned and operated properties of My Father Cigars. These tobaccos undergo a very strict and rigorous curing process of no less than three and a half years to guarantee exceptional quality. The Garcia family classifies the exquisite blend found in La Antiguedad as medium to full in strength, which offers complex yet balanced flavors. Finished with a Habano Ecuador rosado oscuro wrapper, La Antiguedad will be released in boxes of 20, in 5 different box pressed sizes. Robusto - 5 1/4 X 52, Toro - 5 5/8 X 55, Corona Grande - 6 3/8 X 47, Super Toro - 7 X 56 and Toro Gordo - 6 X 60. We interpret that to mean this is supposed to be a richer, fuller-bodied smoke than Flor de las Antillas. Certainly the available sizes are chunkier, going all the way up to our least favorite ring gauge, 6x60. Yet the box press means the cigars look and feel smaller than they would in the round, and they are also more manageable to handle. Even though My Father has been kind enough to remember those of us with normal size oral cavities by including a 52-ring robusto and a 47-ring corona grande, we chose to review the Super Toro instead. Mainly because right now it's summertime, and the only thing better than a quick smoke in the great outdoors is a long one. Warm weather season is veeerrry short in the northeast U.S. Despite the Super Toro's girth, it's light in the hand. As anticipated, it had an airy draw—and that means be careful not to smoke this too hard and fast, or it will heat up on you and ruin the flavor. Lighting it with a torch (which we generally don't recommend, but remember, we were smoking outside in a breeze) tended to char the cigar and make it tough to keep lit. Relighting it the same way only made things worse. Our best results came from dry boxing the cigar a few hours prior to smoking it and lighting it gently indoors with a soft flame before venturing outside. As expected, this is a slightly bolder cigar than La Flor de las Antillas. Rather than being smooth and creamy, this is the proverbial iron fist in a velvet glove. Not too long ago, a cigar like this would have been a once-a-year indulgence to be savored after a rare and very hearty meal. The tobaccos taste well-aged and married. Yes, it's heavy on Nicaraguan leaf so there's an initial blast of pepper and earth and spice upon lighting, but it quickly settles down. As the cigar got going, there was a grainy initial sweetness, like cotton candy, and a nut brownie-like character which finished more as a milky, cinnamony hot cocoa. There's also some pepperiness that sticks around and mingles with baking spices. This is a delicious cigar that cries out for a bracing counterpoint. Smoking it with a coffee or cola would be redundant. Perhaps something rich yet sour, like certain dark beers, might work on the lighter end of the spectrum, while on the heavier side we think a bright and/or woody scotch whisky might do the trick. La Antiguedad is another really nice smoke from the good folks at My Father Cigars. We hope tobacconists will take the time to point it out to customers, because it doesn't distinguish itself based on appearance alone. Certainly it will be easy to recommend to anyone who enjoys La Flor de las Antillas, but wants something with a bit more oomph. It also fits nicely between their fullest-bodied offerings, like My Father Le Bijou 1922, and comparably priced but less subtle cigars like the Jaime Garcia Reserva Especial.
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About Our RatingsCLASSIC means that a cigar is the very best example of its type. |