 SMOKE Magazine's Flavored Cigar Review! 
MR. HYDE'S MONSTROUS FLAVORS All-Natural Vanilla Torp
Dimensions: 4 1/2 x 32
Flavored cigars are often compared to desserts, and here's one that's the perfect size for an after-lunch indulgence. Nicaragua has joined the Dominican Republic as a font of quality flavor-infused sticks, and Mr. Hyde's, made by hand in the renowned Perdomo factory, is leading the pack with this vanilla cigarillo. It's softly rolled but not too loose, and a clip of the expertly applied triple-cap ushers in an easy draw. The cigar's vanilla sweetness is subtle rather than cloying, and a little bit of that telltale Nicaraguan spice shines through as well in the long filler. The golden brown Connecticut shade wrapper completes the attractive package. The cigars are individually wrapped, in Spanish cedar boxes of 30, perfect for handing out at a cigar-friendly Halloween party.
KAHLUA Robusto
Dimensions: 5 1/2 x 48
The first name in coffee liqueuer has inspired a distinctive flavored cigar. Made for General Cigar by Drew Estate, the modern-day masters of flavor-infused premium cigars like the Acid and Natural lines, this cigar is one that could win over the most skeptical cigar purist. With solid construction from head to foot, the cigar, packed with aged long-filler from the valley of Esteli, delivers a rich, creamy, mouth-coating coffee essence, with hints of sweet vanilla and a pleasant bakery-like aroma that will please one and all. The cigar, much like its namesake, manages to be smooth yet robust, and most tasters were left wanting another. The robustos come in an attractive showpiece box of 24.
HEAVENLY Dreamsicle
Dimensions: 5 1/2 x 46
This newest concoction from the cigar-rolling Angels of Heavenly Cigar Company breaks some new ground in the growing flavored tobacco field. In the tradition of the previous Cherry Cream cigar, this one is imbued with the orangey-sweet, whimsical taste of one of your favorite frozen confections from childhood, the Dreamsicle. Big puffs of sweet creamy smoke delivers tangy hints of orange citrus layered over a sweet, rich vanilla undertone. The cigar is well-constructed, offering a generous draw, and forming a gray ash that holds on tight. The cigar burns nearly as cool as the ice cream dessert from which it derives its name. The aftertaste is a subtle sweetness with a hint of heavy cream. The attributes of top-notch Dominican tobacco shine through the interesting flavor.
SMOKIN' SPIRITS New Orleans
Dimensions: 7 x 47 New Orleans is - for now - still a town where you can enjoy a cigar while catching some jazz in a club, so what better way to celebrate the Big Easy than this full-bodied toro, imbued with the unique flavor of Southern Comfort, the whiskey that defines the deep south? Packaged in an airtight tube sealed by a cork, and cushioned at the head by a bed of loose, aromatic tobacco leaf, this expertly rolled cigar smells like a good glass of whiskey right up front, and the taste doesn't disappoint, delivering a no-nonsense kick to the taste buds, combining the sweetness and gusto of the whiskey with a smooth-drawing, easy-burning tobacco blend, wrapped in a pretty, dark brown Ecuadorian leaf. Bottoms up! SMOKE - Fall, 2003   |