Rafael Nodal of Boutique Blends & Aging Room talks about the Aging Room Solera Shade. The Solera is a method of aging the tobacco normally used for wine. Rafael discovered this method in Spain back in 2003-2004. Every year you have a different wine released but with the solera method, you merge, you combine all the different years and have more equal quality.

Rafael took this method and used it for tobacco. He took tobacco that’s one year old, three years old, five years old and put it together in a barrel. Then aged it for 12-24 months before rolling it into a cigar. The result is the Aging Room Solera. It has balance, unbelievable taste and medium-bodied.

Aging Room Solera also comes in Maduro, Sungrown and Corojo.

Punch cigars has a rich history line of superb lines like the Rare Corojo and in 2015 they released the Punch Signature. Now they have released a new line to their catalog, the Gran Puro Nicaragua. Although the name “puro” would imply that all the tobacco is purely from Nicaragua, this cigar goes against the grain a bit and uses a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper.

Nevertheless, it’s intriguing to see what Punch has crafted with they’re latest cigar. Crafted in four sizes—4 7/8 by 48 (a short Robusto), 5 1/2 by 54( a Robusto), 6 by 54 (a Toro) and 7 1/2 by 54 (a Churchill).

“Punch Gran Puro has been a true staple in humidors for over a decade and the brand’s recently-received high ratings have cemented its legacy in the handmade cigar category,” said Ed McKenna, director of marketing strategy for General Cigar. “For the extension of the Gran Puro line, our artisans built a blend that balances Nicaraguan tobaccos with a maduro wrapper to deliver a layered, dimensional flavor not traditionally found in Nicaraguan-based cigars. We are confident that Punch Gran Puro Nicaragua will be a fast favorite among tenured smokers.”

Specs:

Made By: General Cigar Co.
Country: Honduras
Wrapper: Connecticut broadleaf
Binder: Nicaragua
Filler: Nicaragua
Factory: STG Danlí
Strength: Medium
Ring Gauge: 54
Length: 5 1/2
Smoke Time: 1 hour and 12 minutes.

First Impression:

First thing that stands out is the bright, colorful band. It has a lime green, sky blue accents and a hint of green accent color combination. In the center of the band you see the signature Punch logo but there is a slight difference in color from the core cigar bands. A unique feature is that the Punch shield logo is lime green compared to other Punch band emblem being gold and white. I’d love to know the brand-meaning behind it. Of course, the band has the Mr. Punch logo between the name of the cigar. The band feels like it has a tropical concept that gives off the experience of smoking a Nicaragua cigar in the country.

After that, next thing I notice was the beautiful, rich, semi-gloss Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper. It has a smooth texture with some veins present with semi-visible dark spots. The construction is excellent with a few soft spots and has a solid double-cap. When you hold the wrapper close, you’ll notice a faint smell of cocoa and cedar. The foot of the cigar as a more profound scent of cocoa with hints of honey, hay, and pepper. So far it’s looking like this cigar could have potential to be an enjoyable smoke.

First Third:

The first puff of the Punch Gran Puro Nicaragua has a nice burst of sweet, cedar, toasty, leather notes. The sweet notes is a noticeable surprise from other cigars. It has a great construction, excellent burn and plenty of creamy, rich smoke with each puff I take. The draw is effortless with each puff that I take of this medium-bodied smoke. There’s an enjoyable sweet after-taster with each puff so far. It produces a half-inch of firm, white ash. By the end of the first third, notes of cocoa become more dominant while the sweeter notes settle down a bit.

Second Third:

By the start of the second-third, notes of cocoa, toast, pepper and molasses are the dominant taste. The intensity of the profile calms down to a smooth and enjoyable smoke with an excellent burn. Peppery notes starts making it’s way in the profile like a crescendo complimented by notes of espresso and cedar. The retrohale is producing subtle notes of pepper, honey, raisin, and hay.

Last Third:

The Punch Gran Puro Nicaragua has gotten to be more robust smoke with dominant notes of espresso, pepper and black cherries. This is a great cigar to enjoy on a weekend as it burns slowly while being an enjoyable smoke. The cigar is nearing full-bodied smoke with faint white smoke with each puff taken. With each puff, you feel an after-taste of tingling sensation on the center of the tongue. The last retrohale continues with mild pepper, cocoa, and mild notes of honey. As the cigar begins to feel warmer and soft, I take one last puff before I put it down.

Summary:

Have you smoked the Punch Gran Puro Nicaragua? Let us know what you think.

Camacho has always been known for being bold. Taking powerful tobaccos and turning them in to superbly bold yet flavorful cigars. Camacho took a turn this year to cigar enthusiast surprise, by releasing the Camacho BXP Series (Box Pressed). The Camacho BXP Series is an offshoot extension of their core lines, Connecticut, Corojo and Ecuador. Each line currently has three traditional sizes, Robusto (5×50), Toro (6×50) and Gordo (6×60).

Follow me as I smoke and review the new Connecticut BXP!

Specs:

Made By: Camacho
Country: Honduras
Wrapper: Ecuadoran Connecticut-seed
Binder: Corojo
Filler: Aleman Ligero, Pennsylvania Broadleaf, Generoso
Factory: Diadema Cigars de Honduras, S.A., Oettinger Davidoff’s Camacho factory in Danlí, Honduras.
Strength: Mild
Ring Gauge: 50
Length: 5
Time: 4:00pm-5:40pm

First Impression:

First thing that stands out is its smooth, box-pressed shape. The construction of the box press is excellent and gives me the first impression that it’s a well-constructed cigar. Finished in a semi-oily Connecticut wrapper, it looks smooth and delicious like a cappuccino. Rounded at the top and sealed with a triple cap, as you go down the cigar you notice some thin, visible veins through-out the wrapper but nothing that will impact the smoke.

A relaxing aroma of dry cherry, vanilla, nuts, and some hey permeate from the foot of the cigar. The stogie has an excellent firm, feel yet soft. It’s supple to the touch and feels like it will have a nice draw with no knots inside. A cold draw proves this to be true as it was effortless and provided a taste similar to the aromas I could smell from the tobacco.

Updating its existing blends, Camacho added Pennsylvania broadleaf tobacco to the fillers of each blend. “It’s really more so for the intense taste experience that the broadleaf gives you,” said Dylan Austin, vice president of marketing for Camacho cigars. “It is a strong tobacco, in many cases much more intense than our Authentic Corojo (varies on the priming), which is the cornerstone to almost all of our blends.”

First Third:

My first draw of the Connecticut BXP has a wonderful burst of rich, creamy flavors, hints of hay, and cedar compliments the smooth creaminess and rich earthy tones. Each puff provides and effortless draw of flavorful and complex smoke. As I continue smoking the cigar, I note the burn is balanced and the construction is superb so far.

The first retrohale provides a creamy, nutty nuances with hints of cedar and white pepper. During the end of the first third, I pick up surprising hints of raisin, bringing a sweetness to the flavor profile. After each puff, there’s a satisfying taste of cedar and vanilla that would pair great with a red wine or cognac.

Second Third:

Smoking the second third, notes of white pepper continue to develop adding a sensation and enhancing the nuances of cream, cedar and dry citrus. I had a nice solid ash developing going into second third until it accidentally fell on my jeans (creating a mess of course!). The burn continues to be excellent while each puff feels effortless in this medium-body smoke.

Last Third:

Coming into the last third the draw has been impressive. Notes of earth, hay, vanilla, and pepper have slightly increased in intensity. My final retrohale had a nice burst of white pepper with hints of cedar to round off the smoke. There are still notes of citrus but are quickly dominated by notes of robust pepper. In the final inches of the smoke, the cigar becomes sponge-like and it starts to heat-up turning the smoke to bitter notes although it was still some-what enjoyable.

Summary:
The burn and construction are great. The Ecuadorian Connecticut-seed tobacco was prevalent through-out the smoking experience while being complimented with an array of notes. The Pennsylvania broadleaf added to the experience of the smoke it never was dominant and became quite complimentary after the first-third.

This is a great cigars for beginners or even more experienced smokers. Overall, it was a fantastic cigar those who smoke it will love the smooth and flavorful complexity of this cigar. The price-point is good for a cigar of this caliber under $10. The smoke time was an hour and 40 minutes. My only complaint is that I didn’t have red wine or cognac to compliment the smoke but I will when I try the Corojo or Ecuador BXP. To purchase the Camacho Connecticut BXP, click here.

My Afternoon With The Avo Syncro Nicaragua Fogata

Wandering through the Mike’s Cigar Bar walk-in humidor, I found myself looking for something different, for something that stood out. I passed through aisle after aisle until my eyes finally settled on a vibrantly designed box holding some exquisite looking cigars within. The instant recognition almost felt like seeing an old friend, and I realized how many times I had seen the bright orange hues on my insta-feed over the last year, not to mention the amount of “2016 top 10” lists that touted it as a solid smoke.

My search was over and I eagerly walked out of the humidor with my selection: The Avo Syncro Nicaragua Fogata.

First Impressions

While Avo Uvezian cigars aren’t typically my go-to smoke, I have smoked enough of them to expect a well-constructed cigar. Avo takes pride in their cigars and it really shows. The cigar was solidly built and had some great warm-tobacco notes that jumped out at me as soon as I removed the plastic sleeve.

The vibrant hues of orange that adorn the cigar and box are an embodiment of the name “Fogata”, which means bonfire in Spanish. And as I sat there toasting the head I thought back to a bonfire some 30 years ago, and the advice that was given to me as I toasted my first campfire S’more  – “Place the marshmallow near the flame, not in the flame…”, advice I have continued to share with my Brothers & Sisters of the Leaf over the last 15+ years.

But back to the cigar at hand:
Cigar: Avo Syncro Nicaragua Fogata
Color: Natural
Length: 6
Ring: 60
Wrapper: Ecuador
Binder: Mexico
Fillers: Dominican & Nicaragua
Size Sampled: Toro
Length of Smoke: 100+ Minutes

Summary

Knowing the ranking on the 2016 lists, and having seen other reviews before my smoke selection, I was expecting a really complex blend of flavors, with strong flavors varying throughout.

I did get a blend of a few flavors; including spice, wood, hints of earthiness, and leather (I haven’t consumed much actual leather in my lifetime to make the comparison). But if I can be frank, only the creamy sweetness really increased and stood out throughout the smoke.

What I did get was a very smooth and creamy cigar, enjoyably sweet but not particularly memorable. Insofar as the strength, that was right in the sweet spot of a medium to full cigar, starting as a medium strength cigar and getting to the medium-full point right before the last third.

I really enjoyed the creamy sweetness of the Syncro, the draw and burn were near-perfect and the blend was nice but it was missing a certain wow factor. It was a nice smoke, but I may have built up my expectations a bit too high before I gave it a try.

Recommendation 

That being said; I did add a few to my humidor, and here’s why.
Every so often, I’ll have a friend ask me to introduce them to the world of cigars. When that happens, I like to have what I refer to as “intro-sticks” on hand to help them understand what the allure is. Now, usually these tend to be cheaper cigars, and at about $10 a stick the Avo doesn’t quite fall into that category. But if I really like the friend, and I want to truly welcome them to my favorite past-time, this will definitely be the cigar I use to welcome them into the world of cigars… and then I’ll tell them about making S’mores….

Breakdown of The Smoke:
Construction: A+
Burn: A
Flavor: B

Foot:
Strength – Medium
Flavors: Creamy, Undercurrent of Sweet, Mild Wood, Mild Spice, Very Faint earthiness

Body:
Strength – Medium
Flavors: Creamy, Sweet, Moderate Wood,  Slightly More Subtle Earthiness

Head:
Strength – Medium-Full
Flavors: Creamy, Sweet, Moderate Wood,  Mild Leather

So I’ll pose the question to you:
Have you smoked the Avo Syncro Fogata? what was your experience like? If you haven’t tried it yet, give it a try and comment below.