Winter Cigar Stick Reviews

Winter Cigar Stick Reviews
8 years ago 2 comments

What are the best cigars to smoke in the winter?

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Winter can be a rough time for cigar smokers. For most of us, every passing year means fewer and fewer suitable locales, public or otherwise, where we can indulge in our passion. Cigar lounges and bars, which, thanks to the cigar boom of the late Nineties were seemingly everywhere just a few short years ago, are becoming golden age relics in even the most smoking-tolerant of towns and cities.

What this means is that back porches or balconies or decks have increasingly become our only refuge where we can fire up a finely crafted and aged cigar to puff away a day's troubles. Then cold winds blow from the North, driving you and your buddies into garages or workshops to reminisce of warm breezes and sunshine out on the lake or the golf course. Sure, some folks are free to light up indoors, but there are few among us who wouldn't smoke outside more often during the shorter days if we could still feel our fingers by the end of it.

Such an opportunity presented itself to me recently where the weather was remarkably mild and warm. Living in the South makes this not entirely uncommon, but at the same time winter here is frequently rainy for extended periods of time, which doesn't make for the best smoking weather either. So, for this review, I'm going to present two cigars that can be enjoyed in less than an hour. One is a stout and chewy beast, for when you can stand the cold for a while, and the second a quick peek at a smaller yet tasty treat perfect for when the temperature drops to where you can only brave a quick break outside before lunging back towards the furnace.

Here's the scoop:

Cigar numero uno: JFR Lunatic El Chiquito (4 ¾ x 70)
Details: Rolled at Casa Fernandez' Esteli-based Tabacos Valle de Jalapa factory using Nicaraguan filler and binder beneath a Mexican San Andres wrapper.

 JFR Lunatic El Chiquito cigar

Pre-light impressions: Great looking ultra-large ring cigar, with some nice tooth and a pigtail cap. So yeah, my Xikar cutter couldn't come anywhere near handling this beast. But it tried its best, and I was left with enough of an opening to obtain full access to a draw which was surprisingly open and free despite the amount of tobacco stuffed inside. This is usually a good sign for cigars of this size because it indicates good construction techniques.

 JFR Lunatic El Chiquito cigar

Smoking experience: I gotta confess that I really love Nicaraguan tobacco. There's this particular flavor it has that just gets me going as soon as I light up, a mixture between chalk and clay that's a little dry at the back of the throat while being mouthwateringly succulent at the same time. The Lunatic presents this flavor right away, not as an overpowering one-note type of thing, but neatly tucked into a more standard dark roast coffee bean and leather. A touch of sweet cocoa as I worked into the second third surprised me for a moment, but then I remembered the San Andres wrapper. This is one of the most popular wrappers right now and it's easy to see why. It mellows harsher tobacco without diluting any of the boldness. Plus it adds its own chocolatey goodness that plays well with most any leaf from medium up to knock-your-socks-off full strength.

 JFR Lunatic El Chiquito cigar

Speaking of which, the Lunatic started out and remained medium-full with boatloads of creamy smoke to enjoy. The flavors didn't shift around all that much during the hour-long burn but I was totally OK with that because I liked what I was getting, especially because I paired this cigar with a brilliant St Lucian rum which complemented and contrasted beautifully. The last pic below was taken just after the ash had fallen off. As fortune would have it, I got caught up in grilling some kebabs and didn't get any more shots before the light faded. No matter, the ash line stayed pretty close to as you see it, plus it never got hot despite the relatively quick burn rate. Fully satisfied, I ended up setting it down with an inch and a half left.

 JFR Lunatic El Chiquito cigar

Final impressions

I was a big fan of JFR's back when they were unbanded and rumored to have been blended by Don 'Pepin' Garcia himself, so I was curious and a little concerned how this new smoke from Casa Fernandez would hold up. Turns out my fears were unfounded because it's a really solid stick that deserves a place in my main humidor. When the sweltering Southern summer rolls around, I'm going to have to get one of the really gigantic Lunatics and settle in the shade for a long dream about cooler days.

Cigar numero dos: La Flor Dominicana 1994 Conga (5 x 52)

Details: No revelation that it's rolled at LFD's Tabacalera La Flor factory and, as usual, contains Dominican tobacco from the La Canela farm. The wrapper being a Mexican San Andres, like the JFR above is a nice coincidence.

La Flor Dominicana 1994 Conga  cigar

Pre-light impression: Due to the fact that I smoked this one a day after the LFD, I had to double check that it was indeed a Robusto-sized cigar instead of a Corona. It seemed so small in comparison, but looks can be deceiving. What many smokers don't realize is that to maintain the same flavor profile despite a variety of vitolas within a line, torcedors must overload their smaller cigars with a relatively larger portion of the primary flavor-producing tobaccos. When you're dealing with a company like LFD, well-known and respected for their skill at utilizing potent ligeros, a Robusto can really make a statement. And so it is with the 1994.

Smoking experience: I'll get this out of the way. The burn was pretty poor during the first inch or so, going wonky almost immediately and continuing even past a correction with the torch. I was about to get frustrated, but then by some miracle it straightened itself out. You can see in the picture below the remnants of the first correction down near the foot where it's a little whiter and not as flaky. The black area further in is the last remaining piece to be charred during the self-correction, where the cherry burst through at the proper line and then preceded to annihilate the offending spot. I was impressed by this bit of good luck.

La Flor Dominicana 1994 Conga  cigar

Except for that out-of-the gate issue, the cigar was a pleasure to smoke. I found it very similar in strength to the JFR but the differences between the filler tobaccos were readily evident, with the Dominican longleaf having more of a vegetative quality possessing hints of green pepper and fresh cut hay. The difference also allows the San Andres to display more of a molasses character, and when you layer in the base earth, cedar and peppercorn, there's a feast to be had in even this diminutive package. It was a little thicker on the draw than the JFR and as a result the smoke felt a bit silkier, a little more lush as I rolled it around my palate before exhaling through the nose for one final rush of creaminess.

Final impressions: I was able to get through this stick in about forty minutes without feeling I'd left anything on the table, and there was enough of a kick I would have been fine with thirty had it not been quite so nice outside. I'd recommend this just as heartily as the JFR, with the caveat that more novice smokers might find the La Flor Dominicana somewhat overwhelming the first few times, a hallmark of the brand.

La Flor Dominicana 1994 Conga  cigar

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Posted in: Cigar Reviews
Zane Gamble 8 years ago at 3:44 PM
Great reviews. Indiana has both really cold Winters and unbearably hot (high Humidity) summers. Do you find these cigars also work for quick summer smokes?
Cigar Ninja Jessica 8 years ago at 7:28 PM
Hey Zane,

While I didn't write this review, I can say that some of my favorite summer sticks include the Fuente Short Story, Illusione Rothchildes, any of the Room 101 cigars in the Papi Chulo or Roxxo sizes but especially the Daruma and San Andres, and the MUWAT Baitfish. All are small sticks that make for great short smokes in the winter or summer or when you, like me have a short commute to work and want to get a quick cigar in before you start your day!
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