Man O' War Armada

MAN O'WAR ARMADA
6.5x56 'Toro Grande'

The MOW Armada seems to be the CI camp's attempt to enter the super-premium cigar market, one that they otherwise don't usually compete with, staying more in the bargain/discount 3-5$ range. At 20$ for a single, or 500$ for a "box" (actually a humidor of 32 sticks), the Armada strays far from the other Man O'War lines. It features an Ecuador Sumatra seed Maduro wrapper, around fillers that I can't find info on anywhere. The Armada is offered in 2 sizes that I know of, a 6.5x56 "toro grande", and a 5x44 petite corona (not on the website, I have only heard about it, and had it offered via emails). The Armada may be available in other sizes in samplers from CI and Cigar.com, but I'm not positive on that.

What I am positive about is how great this massive cigar looks. I'm a devoted fan of tiny ring gauges, so the 56 ring is a bit beyond my comfort zone and preference, but the wrapper leaf, with its reddish dark chocolate color, and heavy tooth, is enough to make me look past the girth. The construction looks good as well, though for 20$/stick, a triple cap would be nice (a complaint I also have with Padron...) The seams look great, though the cap is a bit lopsided. The pack is even, and firm, and looking at the foot, the different leaves are clearly identifiable (lots of ligero...). The aroma from the foot is not overly complex, just a meaty, rich tobacco, with a slightly musty character to it. The cold draw however is awesome. One of the most defined chocolate flavors I have ever gotten. Not a bitter cocoa, but straight milk chocolate. There is also a wet, earthiness to it, that reminds me of really dark, nutrient rich potting soil. Surprisingly, there is just a touch of spice, not the overwhelming heat I expected.

Lit at 1:25pm.

The massive Armada lights easily enough under my torch, but once fully lit, the smoke production is not all that enthusiastic. Kind of disappointed by that. The flavor however, is awesome. I'm getting everything from milk chocolate, to hot peppers, and even a unique smoked pepper flavor, that reminds me of Mexican spices. Very strange, but awesome. About a half inch in, the burn line is a little crazy, but that could either be because of the big ring gauge, or the humidity here near the James River in Virginia in the summer (steamy, swampy, etc.).

The ash is pretty impressive, probably because of the size, and has held so far for almost 2 inches and is a mottled white and gray. The burn line has evened out by the end of the first third. The flavors have also shifted, now producing a more bitter chocolate, rather than the milky character initially present. The spicy heat has also picked up actually, and sticks around for a long time, mingling with some sweetness on the finish, which as I said, is impressive and really long.

Some strength starts to become apparent to me around the halfway mark, which is also about an hour in. It isn't overwhelming, but just enough nicotine to know it is present. The high ligero content, and the fact that (after doing some research while smoking), the wrapper is actually apparently a ligero leaf, is probably the culprit. Not unpleasant, just lets you know it is there. The sweetness remains, mingling well with the spicy finish. The specific flavors I'm picking out at the halfway point still include interesting dried chili peppers, bitter chocolate, and now a bit of coffee bean.

At the band point, the only adjective that immediately springs to mind is wet. The flavor profile, mouth feel, all of it, everything has taken on a wet, dark character. Like when you throw a wet log into the fire. There is a little bit of mushroom character as well becoming apparent. Removing the band (which comes off easily, and cleanly, reveals a small crack in the wrapper, maybe 1/4 inch long. It doesn't seem to be problematic at this point though.

Approaching the end, a big blast of cinnamon comes out of no where. The complexity present here is, I have to admit, a little surprising. For the price, I am glad it is present, but for a brand sold exclusively through... well anyone, it is something special. I know it is produced by AJ Fernandez though, and he has made some awesome cigars (though not everything he has done has been gold, there are some real gems in his portfolio), so I guess I shouldn't be entirely surprised. Great blender using great tobacco... bound to work, right? In this final third a surprisingly hot spice also kicks up through the nose. Up until now, the spice has mostly been the kind that jumps around, mostly in the back of the throat though, while through the nose it has been mellow, smooth... now hot and spicy (significant "burn"). The crack in the wrapper burns through just fine, without a hitch. Actually, the performance has been great, considering that about halfway through, the weather went all fucked up, and it starting storming, raining, the works out here.

Ended at 3:20pm for a total smoke time just shy of 2 hours. I think I pretty much have summarized my feelings already, but for those who skip to the last paragraph... what a great amount of complexity! Also, I will admit to a bit of nicotine sickness for almost 30 minutes after finishing smoking this. The Armada is a strong smoke, no doubt about it... but the flavor and complexity, as well as the great performance make it worth a little suffering after the fact in my opinion.

San Lotano Maduro

SAN LOTANO MADURO
5x52 Box Pressed Robusto

This first thing that anyone is gonna notice about this cigar is the box press. It isn't just a slight press, it isn't just a regular box press... it is REALLY box pressed. Like, this thing has SHARP corners. Anyway, San Lotano is A.J. Fernandez's first brand of his own, having made his name blending and producing cigars for other people (primarily online houses, CI in particular comes to mind). The San Lotano brand is a family brand, going back to his family in Cuba, back in the day, blah blah. Fernandez is a protege of Alejandro Robaina, the master of Cuban tobacco, God rest his soul, and has become known for his full bodied, Habano wrapped blends. The San Lotano brand comes in three wrapper variations, each available in 4 vitolas (Habano, Maduro, Connecticut). The Maduro I will be reviewing today is the robusto, which features a Mexican San Andreas Maduro wrapper, Honduran binder, and a mix of fillers from various countries.

This particular example features a dark chocolate wrapper, with a slightly mottled color to it, and a toothy matte finish. The look of this cigar actually is somewhat reminiscent of the Padron x000 series. The band is something I have to *** about, as an artsy fartsy type myself... It looks like it was designed with MS Paint or something. No graphic designer should or would be proud to be responsible for this band. That said, I don't smoke cigar bands, so aside from looking weak, it doesn't matter... The cold aroma is wet, and earthy, with a touch of musty tobacco. The cold draw is sweet and creamy, and offers primarily a dark chocolate flavor, the source of the sweetness. The draw itself is a bit firm, likely owing to the ridiculous box pressing going on. The wrapper itself looks great, no veins (all smushed in the box pressing process, no doubt), and applied masterfully, with a good enough looking double cap and tight seams. The pack itself is full... this thing feels like a brick, and has almost no give to it when squeezed...

Lit at 7:47pm.

At first light, this is a somewhat lighter, softer smoke than I expected, offering a dry, soft mouthfeel, and a simple, sweet tobacco flavor, with just a touch of spice on the finish, that gradually builds as it moves across the palate. Smoke production is not great at this point, probably as a result of the slightly snug draw. The burn, after just a few draws is already a little wacky, due to the hard edges from the box pressing. Hoping these little nuisances will correct themselves as things progress.

The first third is going well, and the tight draw has actually probably kept my pace slow, which is good. The flavor profile offers a dark chocolate bitterness, and a creamy sweetness, which contrast nicely. The finish has a mild spice to it that moves around the mouth a bit, and lingers for a good length of time. There is a heaviness developing through the mouth-feel of this cigar. The smoke is dense, and oily, where it started much lighter. Burn line has also worked itself out, requiring only a pair of quick touch ups.

Ash falls for the first time just a bit into the second third. The flavor profile continues to contain a great spread of sweet, dark flavors, now with an almost oaky character mingling on on a few draws. This is not an overly strong cigar, like some of those that AJ Fernandez makes, and not as complex as some, but it offers great flavors so far, with no issues, and a balance that is superb on the palate.

Throughout the final third, unfortunately the only further development is a bit more bitterness that eventually becomes hot, and unpleasant... but only really at the end. From start to finish this is a great, inexpensive, sweet, rich, maybe not overly complex, but pleasant cigar that really delivers what I think of as the flavors I look for in a maduro wrapped cigar. Perhaps the only negative thing I could say about this cigar is that the draw remained a bit too tight the whole time, but that is something that can vary a good deal from stick to stick, so I don't put much stock in it. if this is what we can expect from AJ Fernandez in the future, I will certainly continue to pay attention. Lasted a total of 1 hour 35 minutes approximately.

Graycliff G2 Turbo

GRAYCLIFF G2 TURBO
6x60 Torpedo

This big fat torp is a bit of a departure for Graycliff, as it was blended by, and is produced by A.J. Fernandez, and uses Nicaraguan tobacco, unlike the regular lines produced for the Graycliff company at the Graycliff resort in Nassau. The wrapper is billed as a maduro, which is mind boggling, as this cigar looks more like a light colored Cameroon wrapper. Maybe a Colorado Claro shade at most. Very strange... It has no heavy veins to it, and has a slick, velvety feel, that I most often associate with Connecticut Shade wrappers. The foot has a slightly barnyardy aroma, with a touch of cedar on top. The cold draw is slightly firm, and has a dry, woody flavor to it.

Lit at 1am.

The initial flavor is a powerful and very enjoyable cedar. It is fairly light on the palette, with no spice. It is a little on the sweet side. The finish has a slight pepper, red pepper.

In the first third, the burn is wavy, but not uneven on any particular side. The flavor remains woody, with a mild pepper finish. This is a surprisingly mild start for a cigar blended by AJ Fernandez, who tends to have a somewhat heavy handed approach to ligero and heat in his smokes. The mouthfeel is generally smooth, and creamy. There is a slight cream flavor actually becoming apparent about one inch in. Very pleasant. The draw and smoke production aren't great. A little firm, and not a lot of smoke. Ash at this time is firm, solid even, and a bright white in color.

Rolled the ash off in the ashtray a little over an inch in. It stays together in one big chunk. I decided to stick a poker a little way into the head and see if I might open the draw a little bit. Sure enough, between smoking a little way in, and hitting it with a poker, the draw has opened up very well. The smoke production increases a bit, and the draw is well enough loosened that it is much better generally now. The flavor remains creamy, and woody. Cedar flavor has taken a turn for the sweet. What has me most impressed at this point is that fact that despite being a 60 ring gauge cigar, it continues to burn evenly, and without the need of a single touch up or any other maintenance.

A shirt way into the final third there is a sweet spiciness that comes up on the draw following a brief cedar flavor. It is not quite cinnamon, but more like nutmeg with a peppery heat to it. This is definitely a good development on an otherwise less than exciting (but good in its simplicity) cigar.

Starting to get pretty hot and a little bitter with about an inch and a half left. Going to go ahead an end it, because it is sort of becoming unpleasant in its bitterness.

Ended at 2:39am for a total smoke time of one hour 39 minutes. Overall, this was a milder smoke than I expected, and not overly complex, however it has a few favors that are present and deliver in spades. I am shocked that I never felt any strength from this cigar at any point, despite its use of Nicaraguan tobacco, blended by AJ Fernandez. Overall I had a pleasant experience with this cigar, and needed to basically pay it no attention to have it perform perfectly (once the draw opened up). Good smoke!

Diesel Unholy Cocktail

DIESEL UNHOLY COCKTAIL
5x56 Belicoso

This has been one of the most raved about blends from AJ Fernandez since he came into the spotlight recently. It is a strong Nicaraguan blend that focuses on body, and the super toothy, thick, nasty PA Broadleaf wrapper it makes use of. It has a rough, sandpaper look and feel to it, but is a dark chocolate in color, and even (to some extent) in aroma. The seams look great, visible, but tight and straight, and there are only a few small veins visible in this otherwise tooth coated wrapper leaf. The aroma off the foot is sweet and earthy. The pack seems even, and full, giving the stick an overall firm feel. The cold draw is a little firm, but not problematically so. It features a light pepper, and deep earthy tobacco flavor with a touch of sweetness.

Lit at 9:50pm.

Right away there is a great coffee flavor, roasted and nutty. There is a very very slight pepper that moves around on the finish.

In the first third the coffee notes of various types continue to dominate. There is a roasted nuttiness, and even a little bit of a mocha flavor. The finish is earthy and a little peppery. Nothing overpowering yet, just solid. About an inch in, and the ash is holding well. It is thick and white, mottled with black spots, and a lot of visible tooth. The strength has already become apparent, hitting me in the gut just a little. Flavor really does coat the palette, and is well balanced between the sweetness from the wrapper, and the slightly bitter, roasted coffee flavor. It works really well.

Just getting to the start of the second third, and a great chocolate flavor, like sweet milk chocolate (of a high quality) comes on through the nose really well, and it is great mixing with the coffee flavor. The burn line is slightly uneven, and has been off and on since the beginning. It corrects itself well, but as soon as one point straightens out, another point moves. Nothing problematic. Rolled the ash for the first time at about two inches for fear of getting nailed with it if it fell (which it seemed it would soon do) into my lap.

As the final third opens up, the finish has become a little spicier, and leathery. The sweetness has dropped a good deal, leaving everything earthy, rich, and heavy feeling. The mouthfeel has gone from oily and smooth to a little harsh, not unpleasantly so, just a sign of more strength to come. The coffee is still present in a bitter expression, which leaves things a little unbalanced, having lost the sweetness. The overall palette experience at this point of bold enough though that the lack of sweet stimulation isn't really bad, just a change.

Ended at 11:21 for a total smoke time of one hour 31 minutes, which is a perfectly good time for this size cigar. Nothing overly complex going on here, but it is certainly a flavorful, powerful smoke. Oh and did I mention that these run about $3 US in boxes of 30? Can't beat that price! These would make a fantastic every day smoke for fans of fuller bodied cigars, and the flavors present.

Sol Cubano Cuban Cabinet

SOL CUBANO CUBAN CABINET
6 1/2x44 "No. 1"

The Sol Cubano Cuban Cabinet was one of the first blends that Abdel "A.J." Fernandez worked on upon departing Cuba and setting out to create a name for himself as a blender and producer of cigars. The idea (as seems to be a pretty common one these days...) was to mimic the profile of Cuban cigars from the golden age of Habano production. Whether or not this cigar has anything in common with classic Habanos remains to be seen, but it is rolled in quite a few classic vitolas, including the massive 'A' and the squirrely Culebra. The No. 1 is a lonsdale, with a light caramel colored wrapper that has a silky smooth feel to it. The vein structure looks good, with only one good sized vein running the length of the wrapper leaf. Shouldn't be a problem hopefully. The foot has an aroma that I would call cedary, but otherwise is mostly just a medium tobacco smell, with a slight spice to it. The cold draw is spicy and woody, very similar to the aroma (cedar, medium tobacco flavor, and tingly spiciness)

Lit at 10:44pm.

Immediately the flavors are strong and have a kick to them. There is a strong, sweet cedar flavor, followed by a good wash of hot pepper across the palette, finally resting and lingering on the back of the tongue. Lit without a hitch, though the burn line is a little wavy.

Through the majority of the first third, the flavor has remained consistently woody with a mellow pepper finish (after the first few draws, it fell back to a smoother pepper sensation and flavor). The burn line straightened out quickly, and has been pretty much straight ever since. Finish is not particularly long, but is satisfying enough. The draw is just fine, maybe a little tight. Overall, this stick is performing well, but just not blowing me away with flavor or anything. Ash holds just over and inch before falling. It is very tight and firm, and stays together after crashing into the glossy china tray. One interesting, though irrelevant note is that the ash seems to lean to one side as it burns. I'm not sure what causes this phenomenon, but it is certainly very obviously present in this cigar. Cedar flavor has really come up to the front, and has become very sweet just over two inches in.

In the middle of the second third (so I guess the halfway point of the cigar) the cedar flavor takes on a slight floral note through the nose that is very pleasant and adds some welcome complexity to this otherwise good, but not very exciting smoke. This faintly floral perfume continues through the rest of the second third. Cedar and pepper continue unabated.

As the burn approaches the band (which is large, gaudy, and kind of flat out ugly in that it is entirely metallic and glossy) there is a little cinnamon, which is pleasant but not very powerful. The cinnamon flavor fades gradually, and eventually the flavor remaining is simply cedar and pepper, with a little sweet tobacco.

Ended at 12:26am for a total smoke time of one hour forty minutes, which is a perfectly good time for this size. My final thoughts on this cigar as as follows... While lacking in complexity, the flavors here are pleasant, and consistent, and the price is downright piddly, so these would make for an excellent every day, or social smoke. The strength is medium full at most, and in this particular stick, closer to medium. The one real saving grace, and notable plus to this cigar is how flawlessly it performed. I could set it down for two or three minutes, and almost forget about it, and the following draw would still be perfect, which again, is why I think these would make great party smokes, or yard smokes.