Air Daun Kayu Api

[air-daun-kayu-api]

Drew Estate Liga Privada No 9 Robusto Extra

Beautiful dark, oily wrapper with a very firm pack throughout and a simplistic band. The wrapper is so dark that it's almost black near the cap.

Smells of very pungent leather throughout the wrapper, and very strong chocolate cake off the foot. Slightly loose cold draw of cured tobacco.

First light, Hershey's chocolate with prevalent spice on the lips and tongue, not so much at the back of the throat. Smoke off the foot is very aggressive like burnt firewood. This is a full bodied smoke that hits you in the face with its prodigious smoke production. Into the first third, the spice mellowed out and the dominating flavor becomes dark coffee.

Halfway through, the savory tobacco and hay taste started to show up. It is, however, faint and masked behind the espresso.

Towards the band, the savoriness ramped up and this cigar, for the first time, became truly enjoyable. Towards the end, the good flavors intensified along with the nicotine kick - had to set down this late bloomer at the last half-inch to make sure I can continue with work after.

85/100

[air-daun-kayu-api]

Hoyo de Monterrey Epicure No.2 Robusto

Darker wrapper than most Epi 2s I remember. Smells of barnyard on the wrapper, intense leather off the foot. Snug cold draw of tea leaves.

First light, light milk chocolate sweetness that brought an instant smile to face. Off the foot, however, the aroma is very faint. This seems to be a trend amongst Cuban vs New World cigars, with the latter being more aromatic off the foot. The draw remains very snug and might have caused the uneven burn going on, by me trying so hard and so often to draw out these wonderful flavors - chocolate, malt, salted caramel - from the stick.

Halfway through, the jolly sweetness is joined by that Cuban Twang we all so love and adore. How can you hate this cigar? The draw has opened up significantly too!

Towards the nub, some toasty coffee flavors join the fray without taking away from the previous bed of sweetness. The footsmoke has turned into a very sweet, bakery smell which I cannot get enough of.

Sadly, this cigar had to end, and it did so with a toasted chocolate chip cookie taste that I wish would never leave me.

95/100

(100/100 if it burned better and didn't need so many touch-ups!)

[air-daun-kayu-api]

Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust Sobremesa Brulee Gordo

Very light, almost olive colored wrapper. Smells of earth a rubber / tire, wood and eucalyptus off the foot.

Good draw of dry tobacco... and the that notorious simple syrup sweetness of the cap! I find it hard to believe if this is not infused.

First light, fluffy and light smoke that is almost like cotton candy without the sweetness, with a similar sweet smoke of the foot.

End of first third, the stick has been smoking very consistently throughout. I rarely comment on construction and ash, but this cigar deserves to be highlighted for its very, very straight burn and consistent ash pattern and retention. A very notable aspect of this cigar is the caramel / brulee taste on the draw and off the foot. Although this is indeed a very light cigar - lighter than some of the Cuban HDM Epicures I've had - it is very enjoyable.

Entering the final third, a new kind of sweetness kicks in that is almost fondant-like. No spice, no nicotine kick throughout - a very enjoyable light smoke.

91/100

[air-daun-kayu-api]

Rocky Patel Special Reserve Sun Grown Maduro Toro

Very dark and oily wrapper. Rather faint earth and wet dog smell on the wrapper, dark chocolate through the foot. Snug cold draw of fragrant tea leaves.

First light, faint sweet taste of spice, chocolate, and espresso. Very sweet, bakery smoke off the foot.

Into the second third, the original sweet dark flavors intensified and was joined by a savory, sweet malty cracker taste that just makes your mouth water. Wonderful. Through the retrohale, the same sweet profiles are there with the addition of sherry-casked, sweet, Speyside scotch

Halfway through, sweet root beer joining the thick fray of wonderful flavors. Towards the end, ginger stew and palm sugar with zero spice.

Entering the finger-burning nub, sweet leaf with lush unsalted butter all over. Gosh I wish this cigar never ends.

99/100

[air-daun-kayu-api]

Naked Grouse Blended Malt

40% ABV

First bottle I've had without a conventional label. The bottle feels thick and sturdy, which such a wide neck. Really appreciate the non-traditional design.

On the nose, this smells very sweet, almost bourbon-like with a whiffs of raisins. Great start!

On the palate, this tastes as sweet as it smells but with a more intense cereal and raisin flavor. It feels true to its proof in heat and body, with very little complexity and changes in flavor.

I'm not sure if this was blended with any peated malts, but there are no hints of smoke throughout.

The finish is quite short, with only hints of raisiny sweetness lingering. Although relatively simple and straightforward, this dram does what it's supposed to very, very, very well.

4/5

[air-daun-kayu-api]

Foundation Cigars El Gueguense Corona Gorda

Latte-colored wrapper with dark, splochy seams. Smells of very spicy, salty (??), earth - much like an Indonesian sambal terasi. Good draw, cold draw of tea and earth.

First light, very spicy! Long-lasting spiciness all over the tongue, lips, and throat. Off the foot, this is perhaps the least sweet smelling cigar I've had so far.

The cigar is burning faster than I expected, but that's not a bad thing as the second third brought in some very savory, fatty, coco oil flavor.

Overall, this was not a bad cigar. It was, however, significantly below my high expectations from Nick Melilo.

82/100

[air-daun-kayu-api]

Oliva Serie V Melanio Robusto

Musty barnyard off the bronze, oily wrapper; milk chocolate off the foot. Smells slightly softer than its bigger sibling. Good, slightly loose draw, with cold draw notes of coco and tea

First light, straight up spicy coco crunch flavor bomb. Impossible not to feel the dry spiciness on my lips, tongue and throat. Sweet tobacco smoke of the foot that kept me coming back for more and, at times, burning my nostrils. Wow!

The cigar transitioned out the spiciness at halfway point, and blossomed into a sweet, vegetal savoriness. Towards the end, a gin-like floweriness settled on top of the existing flavors. Fabulous and memorable. What a wonderful, wonderful cigar on rainy, cold, dark night.

100/100

[air-daun-kayu-api]

Ramon Allones Specially Selected Robusto

To borrow a phrase I heard on Youtube, this cigar looks like its bene into a couple of fights and lost. Dark bronze, oilier than most Cubans. Very wonderful barnyard and earth smell that is even more intense through the foot

Good draw, with cold draw of mint and tea leaves. First light, very spicy, tingling all over the lips, dark chocolate on the tongue coating the mouth, sweeter milk chocolate with no spice on the retrohale. The foot smoke smells like honey glazed grilled meat - pleasant, but not as perfumey as some of the Nicaraguans I've had lately. As the cigar warmed up, getting a stronger taste of that sweet earth that made me fell in love with this cigar. If nothing else, this stick.

Halfway through, the Cuban twang took center stage with a persistent, pleasant, tinge of sweet coffee and nuttiness in the mouth and through the retrohale. These flavors intensified in the last third as the cigar heats up even more, with more sweetness through the retrohale. Unfortunately, the burn slightly deteriorated for no apparent reason.

What a wonderful stick that keeps grounded and grateful. 97/100

[air-daun-kayu-api]

Crowned Heads Mil Dias Edmundo

Very simple looking, bronze, cigar with a simple, understated band. The logo somehow reminds me of monster energy drink - not a good thing to be associated with!

Barnyard, tea, and chocolate smell - present, but subtle and not overwhelming like the last Oliva Serie V I had. The aroma of the foot is the same but even more intense. Good draw with cold tasting like more of the smell.

First light, immediately very spicy on the tongue, lips, and back of throat - light tea smoke throughout. The cigar came to life a bit after the first third, with some grassy sweetness (and a bit of honey) coming out. Although pleasant, it is such a shame that this flavor never really took front stage and reverted back into the dark tea somehow. Halfway through, some dark Hershey's chocolate syrup hints came out - this might be something consistent in all Crowned Heads cigars? Some toasted hay finally showed up towards the nub. No pronounced nicotine kick throughout.

The rest of the cigar progressed unassumingly and rather.... boring. How disappointing, especially given the rave reviews and love for the Crowned Heads brand.

70/100

[air-daun-kayu-api]

Oliva Serie V Melanio Churchill

Beautiful looking, flat box-pressed, cigar. Velvetty and oily looking wrapper that is darker than any non-maduro ones I've ever seen. My picture does not do the cigar any justice at all.

Smells of musty barnyard, fresh cut grass through the foot. Straight cut, good draw of....cured tobacco!

First light, perfumey baking smell of the foot. From the initial burn, all the way to the half point of the cigar, the stick tastes of very pronounced milk chocolate and leather reminiscent of a Trinidad Fundadores. Towards the later half of the cigar, the initial flavors remained but piled on with spice and earthiness that is also accompanied by a strong surge of nicotine. This is a delicious cigar

Although the burn remained consistent throughout, I didn't get that typical premium New World Cigar smoke production until I reached the first band. I can only imagine how much better this cigar would be if it produced more smoke - that is, if it does not knock me out entirely earlier.

As someone who started, fell in love, and fell deeper in love with Cubans, this churchill did the best job of opening my eyes to the fact that rich flavors can also be the forte of non-Cubans.

93/100

[air-daun-kayu-api]

(Not original picture, taken from google)

Ramon Allones Specially Selected Robusto

Dark, sweet, molasses goodness that stays in your mouth for days. A perfect robusto to yank your mind out of boredom and into a focused state.

Pairs well with unsweetened milk coffee.

97/100

[air-daun-kayu-api]

(Not original picture, taken from google)

Hoyo de Monterrey Epicure No. 2

Best robusto coming out of Cuba today, flavor-wise, construction-wise, and even band-wise. Soft and silky fruitcake creaminess dominate the majority of this cigar, with a surprisingly strong tobacco nicotine finish.

Perfect companion for a good read on a Sunday afternoon. Pairs amazingly with an unsweetened cup of syrupy Sumatra Mandheling coffee.

95/100

[air-daun-kayu-api]

(Not original picture, taken from google)

Partagas Serie P No. 2

Heavy billows of sweet earth and chocolate throughout this perfectly constructed piramide. A small snip of the cap allows a more concentrated blast of this flavor bomb's flavors.

Despite being weaker than the normal Partagas nuclear sticks, the sheer girth and length of the P2 still make it very much capable of delivering a nicotine head kick.

A smooth, peaty scotch seems like the best accompaniment for this spicy cigar, preferably preceded by a hearty meal (as I have learned the hard way).

89/100

[air-daun-kayu-api]

Hoyo de Monterrey Epicure No. 1

This corona gorda offers all the signature Hoyo goodness made famous by its shorter, fatter sibling, the Epicure no. 2. Offering the same smooth silky body with less fruitiness and more coffee flavor.

Although light and fluffy, the later half of this cigar still brings some signature Cuban tobacco earthiness and nicotine strength (that is still bearable for an empty stomach). Like its brother, this cigar may still be too light for the Partagas, Bolivar, and Ramon Allones (which tastes like a Hoyo on steroids to me) smokers; it is definitely too light for the Nicaraguan spice-bomb loving sadists.

Pairs very well with a chilled frappe on a warm, tropical evening. Although I did not try it with some alcohol, I would imagine that this stick would not hold up any high-alcohol spirit; beer and wine might be okay.

90/100

[air-daun-kayu-api]

Montecristo Edmundo

Before smoking this fat stick of tobacco, I have read so many favorable reviews, and alas, over-hyped the actual experience of smoking it.

Although the Edmundo appears to be perfectly constructed, the burn wavered severely halfway into the cigar, perhaps caused by hollow spots along the body. Having tried a couple of Habanos, the lack of build quality is often compensated by the glorious flavors. No compensating glory to be had here though.

Although the pre-light and nose of the cigar were intoxicating, the cigar itself was boring and bland all the way to the band. Pleasant Hints of monte coffee and cream reared its head here and there, but the cigar never really turned on.

80/100

[air-daun-kayu-api]

(Not original picture, taken from google)

Cohiba Siglo I

Habanos flagship (and most expensive) brand's perla/tres petit corona provides a surprisingly lengthy smoke for such a short stick. Unfortunately, the flavors were not quite bold enough for me. As this is my first Cohiba, I carefully scanned the entire smoke for the infamous Cohiba "honey and grass" signature flavors.

They were present, I can say for sure, albeit only for a quick inch and half or so. This quick smoke has left me wanting more.

Perhaps I should try the longer sticks from Cuba's premier marca? Or perhaps that is exactly the artistry of allowing satisfaction? Constantly teasing with a glimpse of glory, only to go as swiftly as it came.

I am not one to shy away from an intriguing pursuit, but I am also not sure if the destination is worth the costly journey.

60/100

[air-daun-kayu-api]

Trinidad Reyes

With a brand, factory name, and vitola unique to itself, the Reyes is joyful, joyful little firecracker. As with all Trinidads I've had the pleasure of smoking, the construction is flawless, wrapped in an aroma of tobacco and coco powder.

Although short and quick, the Reyes offered plenty of complexity. Starting with smooth nutty chocolate bar and little spice through the nose, the Reyes moved into flowery perfume (very similar to that of a good HDM Epicure) in the second third.

A hint of Ramon Allones-ish molasses pleasantly peaked out for a two puffs before moving into the last third.

The ending inches of the cigar was an intensified amalgamation of all the previous flavors, with especially strong nutty chocolate through the nose. If this stick were aged a bit more, taking the slight harshness on the throat, it would be numero uno on my list of brilliant cigars.

The cigar also pairs amazingly with a cup of strong milk coffee. Stronger spirits like peaty scotch, might mask the subtle complexities of this wonderful cigar.

90/100